wad of "tobacco" in his mouth. After
chewing a while, he spat and said dolefully, "I don't reckon there's
nothin' I can say or do that you won't hold against me. I always
heard tell the Devil can twist anything to suit hisself, and I reckon
his minions can do the same thing. An' that's what you are: the
Devil's minion! I reckon you break every Commandment God give us.
Except about committin' adultery. I don't guess you can do that."

"Your piddling reproductive customs have no application on my plane of
existence. Cannot you comprehend that you are less to me than a
microbe? Even my servants, the Hovans, do not concern themselves with
such ignoble concepts as what you call adultery!"

"You mean they live in sin?" asked Jacob.

"They mate as often as they please with anyone they please," the
Weapon replied coldly. "I will ignore the ludicrous implications of
your absurd moral concepts."

"I don't mean to criticize your animal friends," glowered Jacob. "I
reckon they ain't children of God, so it don't matter if they _do_
mate like a pack of dogs. They probably ain't got no souls to keep
pure. It looked to me like they worshiped you like a false god, too."

"They ... O Great Hidden Manifestation!" squalled the Weapon in rage.
"They regard me as their guide and mentor. Nothing more. I would not
allow anything else."

Jacob watched the Weapon in awe. The energy globe was flickering and
flaring wildly in an uncontrolled display of color. "'Y God!" he
exclaimed. "You sure are puttin' on a fireworks show!"

The globe settled down to a tensely nervous fluctuation which hurt
Jacob's eyes to watch. "Never in the ageless span of my existence,"
quavered the Weapon angrily, "have I been insulted in such vulgar
terms by any creature. And now from _you_, creature whom my glorious
masters of Zoz would exterminate like a buzzing fly, like a disease
germ, I hear these senseless mouthings of defamation! Stop it or I
shall destroy you outright!"

The Weapon's fluctuating, along with its loud, grating voice, put
Jacob's nerves on edge. He growled, "I bet your old Zozes live in
adultery just like your animal friends."

The color of the energy globe sank to dull red and the Weapon emitted
a series of buzzing, inarticulate noises.

"It suits not my nature, bit of diseased scum, to slay you in a fit of
indignation," it finally said with tightly controlled fury. "You are
beneath such individual recognition. Yet it is fortunate for yo