,regeneration by ,charles ,dye ,edition #a1 7,november #bi1 #bjjf7 ,this etext was produced from ,future combined with ,science ,fiction stories ,september #aiea4 ,extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the ,u4,s4 copyright on this publication was renewed4 ,,regeneration 99,so long as there are men and women alive1 in a livable environment1 then a new beginning is possible499 by ,charles ,dye 99,it has been truly stated that those who fail to learn and understand history1 are condemned to repeat history699 ,illustration3 ,for those in the cities1 it was the end4444 ,for those in the cities1 it was the end4444 ,it was bound to happen sooner or later4 ,not because man failed to understand his fellow man1 but because he failed to understand himself4 ,there wasn't much left afterwards--after the golden showers of deadly dust and the blinding flashes that blotted out the light from the sun4 ,and all because man continued to confuse emotion with reason4 ,but somehow1 as before1 man survived4444 ,don't touch6 ,sinzor's command shot through the chill morning air like an arrow4 ,the ragged little group of men stopped dead in their tracks and looked questioningly at their leader4 ,he was pointing down to an object lying half-buried in the soil at his feet4 ,another death-thing1 maybe1 ,sinzor said4 ,another 'thing our ancestors made with which to destroy themselves4 ,he peered around the semi-circle of men until he spotted the aged one with a leg missing4 ,morge6 ,see that this place is marked forbidden4 ,the hunting party moved on and ,morge stayed behind4 ,he hobbled about1 collecting sticks and stones1 arranging them in the forbidden-symbol way to form a barrier around the 'thing4 ,it was because of such a 'thing that he'd lost a leg in his youth4 ,he both hated and feared the death-things his ancestors had so carelessly left lying about before they vanished4 ,but that wasn't right4 ,morge scratched his grizzly old head and thought hard4 ,according to ,builder1 wisest of their tribe1 their ancestors hadn't all vanished2 some of them had become the tribe--,sinzor1 ,builder1 and even old ,morge4 ,very puzzling4 ,but it was all because of the death-things6 ,puffing1 ,morge completed the barrier1 then turned for a last look at the 'thing gleaming dully in the pale winter sunlight4 ,how strange it looked4 ,in no way did it resemble the usual death-things1 most of which were long and round with little wings attached4 ,this one was different1 like nothing he'd ever seen before4 ,it was boxlike with strange arms sticking up2 and under the arms1 half-buried1 was a shelf or platform resembling vaguely the upper portion of two legs4 ,the 'thing terrified ,morge for a moment2 then1 in order to prove his courage to himself1 he stepped forward and spat on it4 ,nothing happened4 ,sneering1 he spat on it again and watched his spittle slowly run down its side over a strange marking like a thunderbolt-- ,thunderbolt6 ,suddenly ,morge fell grovelling to his one good knee4 ,it was ,thor1 god of thunder and lightning and god of the tribe6 ,and he had spat on ,thor6 ,for nearly an hour he knelt there praying forgiveness for his sacrilege4 ,then1 trembling1 he tore off a piece of his goatskin and wiped the spittle off ,thor's side1 carefully began to uncover the remainder of ,thor4 ,finally he lifted ,thor out of the hole and onto level ground4 ,kneeling once more1 he took a small drink-scoop from his belt and placed it before ,thor4 ,then he pulled out his knife and folded his single leg under him2 bending over1 he cut a gash in his wrist and let the blood flow into the scoop until it was nearly full4 ,rising to his knee he said1 ,oh1 ,thor1 please take this humble offering to show that ,i am forgiven4 ,almost prostrate now1 he picked up the scoop and placed it on ,thor's lap beneath his arms4 ,immediately there was a soft rumble and humming4 ,fearfully old ,morge watched ,thor's arms come down1 lift up the scoop and carry it inside his huge mouth4 ,there was a sucking noise and the scoop was returned empty to his lap4 ,filled with joy1 ,morge spent another endless time thanking ,thor4 ,then all of a sudden an idea seized him4 ,what if he carried ,thor back to the tribe and presented him to the priest1 ,thougor1 for all to worship and give sacrifices to8 ,would not he1 the despised1 the looked down upon1 be the greatest of heroes8 ,all that was known of ,thor were the legends1 but at last they would have the actual god6 ,painfully1 with many grunts and groans1 he got ,thor under one arm and staggered off towards the village1 his crutch kicking up little puffs of dust4 ,builder was having trouble with ,thougor4 ,he almost wished now that he'd continued his search a little longer for a segment of humanity4 ,he might have found a group less primitive who would have appreciated and understood his help much better4 ,but this was the best he'd found2 as it was1 he'd wandered over the continent nearly a lifetime before even finding these poor wretches4 ,but they were at least human--something that couldn't be said for those others he'd come in contact with all through the past years4 ,and now1 after having been with the tribe--the only human tribe--for over a year1 he was being balked by this--priest6 ,which meant being balked at setting up ,truth and ,knowledge as the only true gods of humanity1 being balked at getting the dam built before the spring rains1 so that there would not be another summer drouth followed by a winter of famine such as they had just passed through4 ,the dam was his first big project2 without freedom from want1 there would be little progress next winter4 ,almost savagely he turned on ,thougor4 ,but why must you have this religious festival now8 ,because of the finding of the god ,thor1 came ,thougor's cold answer4 ,why the offerings of blood8 ,can't they wait8 ,the dam must be finished before the rains2 but the loss of blood already has so weakened the workers that they can no longer work for a full day4 ,which is more important1 worldly or spiritual things8 ,thougor replied4 ,but there maybe won't be anyone around to indulge in spiritual things if there's another drouth this year6 ,thor will see to it that there is not another drouth4 ,yes1 ,i know1 but wouldn't it be wiser to be on the safe side8 ,suppose somebody does something to displease ,thor8 ,nobody will displease ,thor6 ,it is my duty to see to that6 ,i tell them what to think1 so that they won't displease ,thor4 ,a crafty devil you are1 ,builder thought4 ,manipulating this image of ,thor you talk about1 so that it will take the blood offerings of the people and even you and that half-baked discipline of yours1 ,morge4 ,i must look at your god ,thor one of these days-- ,he suddenly felt very weary and sat down on the floor2 looking up at ,thougor1 he said1 ,but that is not part of being civilized1 to tell the people what to think4 ,you must make them think without telling them what to think4 ,and with the dam1 next winter there will be freedom from want for the first time4 ,the tribe will have a chance to think and be on the road to civilization4 ,the tribe has already found civilization in finding ,thor4 ,by worshipping ,him as a group they have already ceased their bickering and quarreling4 ,does not that fit in with your definition of civilization1 the one you gave my people when you first came to us8 ,since the coming of ,thor we have begun to cooperate1 have we not8 ,no1 hardly at all4 ,i said civilization is cooperation among men in adapting to environment--which includes man4 ,the two men stared at each other1 and for awhile there was silence4 ,nevertheless1 ,thougor finally said1 ,thor and blood offerings continue6 ,builder watched ,thougor turn and stalk out of the tiny hovel that housed his plans and his work1 himself and his dreams4 ,what could he do8 ,he could only appeal to the tribe's reason2 ,thougor could appeal to their emotions which were far stronger4 ,but unless emotion was controlled1 used wisely1 there could never be any reason4 ,builder realized1 with a sinking heart1 that he was much too old for the job he'd undertaken4 ,too late in life had he discovered these people4 ,almost all his energy since youth had been sapped just looking for a segment of humanity4 ,his mother and father had told him there might be failure1 but still they had taught him everything they could in the short time before death had overtaken them4 ,they had been the only humans living in that towering jungle of concrete and steel4 ,how they had gotten there was never explained to him4 ,it didn't matter1 though4 ,suddenly ,builder shook himself4 ,here he was recollecting his youth instead of concentrating on the task at hand4 ,he must really be getting old4 ,he was glad of ,thougor's visit4 ,at least he was now fully aware of the problem to be solved4 ,in spite of the priest1 he had to find a way of getting that dam finished and soon4 ,or maybe next year there wouldn't be any people1 for game was getting scarcer each winter4 ,very little work was done that day in spite of ,builder's managing to round up his full crew4 ,the blood offering each worker had given the night before had left them tired and listless4 ,only four of the fifty-four molds running across the river were filled with sand and gravel that morning and afternoon--there were still nearly fifty to be filled4 ,builder was very depressed-- ,but he was even more depressed when1 at the close of day1 two workmen grew careless and slipped into the last mold being filled2 their ear-splitting shrieks brought half the tribe up over the hill above the village and down to the dam sight4 ,after ,builder explained what had happened1 there were angry mutterings to the effect that ,thor was displeased with the dam and therefore had taken lives4 ,nothing ,builder could say would dissuade them from this notion1 so well had ,thougor indoctrinated them with religious fear of anything used to control nature4 ,builder hadn't realized until that moment just how much the people were against the dam4 ,then he saw ,thougor1 tall and ominous in his cloak of black skins1 come striding through the crowd4 ,for a moment he stood facing them with his hands on his hips4 ,there seemed to be a silent understanding between them4 ,slowly the crowd turned and disappeared over the hill4 ,then ,thougor strode over to ,builder and said simply1 ,there will be no more dam4 ,turning he followed the rest of the tribe back to the village4 ,builder was thunderstruck4 ,he knew there was no use arguing or trying to reason with either ,thougor or the tribe4 ,it was too late for that2 only some drastic measure would complete the dam now4 ,he walked tiredly over the black hill and down to his shack1 wondering how he could compete with an idol4 ,he realized now1 it had been foolish of him to have overlooked the possible effect ,thor might have upon the tribe4 ,when it had been found three months ago1 he never dreamed they would spend all their leisure in rituals4 ,the god was his problem2 therefore he must get it out of the way1 himself1 without expecting help from anyone4 ,each evening the clouds on the northern horizon were darkening and drawing closer4 ,it was night when ,builder finally stumbled into his quarters4 ,after lighting a pine torch he sat down by his workbench and buried his head in his hands4 ,he was too tired and upset to eat1 which was just as well-- ,outside of deliberately killing ,thougor1 there was only one thing he could do--that was to kidnap ,thor4 ,with this realization1 in spite of the risk involved1 came some peace of mind4 ,he hadn't the vaguest idea just how he was to go about it1 especially since his strength was failing him1 but do it he would4 ,first1 though1 he would have to wait until sometime before dawn when everybody--even ,thougor--was sure to be asleep4 ,the hours dragged heavily between then and his chosen time4 ,many were the times when he longed for something to read1 although he supposed that by this time he'd forgotten how4 ,like wisps of smoke1 memories of his youth in the concrete jungle drifted through his mind4 ,how long ago that all seemed now4 ,sometimes he wondered if any of it had been real4 ,but here he was1 as his parents had wished him to be1 trying to help what was left of humanity back up the trail4 ,to what1 he wondered8 ,to destruction again--this time1 probably complete and final8 ,he shook his old head and ran a trembling hand through his white shaggy hair4 ,he'd gotten this far2 somehow he would get the rest of the way4 ,builder got up and crossed over to his sleeping pile4 ,after tying several skins together1 he folded them under his arm and walked out into the pre-dawn night4 ,his bones felt the crackling cold of early spring as they had never felt it before4 ,slowly he made his way around the village to where ,thor was housed under a huge slanting roof of bark and scraped skins4 ,he'd never seen ,thor1 and now wished he'd paid at least one visit to the god4 ,like a shadow he glided carefully through the blackness in back of the temple until he was just inside the rear opening4 ,he could see clear across the chamber1 out into the pale twinkling stars4 ,then he detected a dark mass in the center of the temple silhouetted against the stars2 that must be ,thor4 ,swiftly ,builder advanced towards it until his foot struck something soft1 causing him to stumble and fall4 ,as he did so1 he heard a grunt sounding like someone being kicked in the stomach-- ,then something was on top of him1 pounding his head and shoulders with a heavy stick of some kind4 ,old ,builder knew he didn't have the strength to wrestle2 he managed to get his pile of skins unfolded and1 with his last ounce of strength1 throw them over the head of his attacker4 ,somehow he managed to wiggle out from underneath and climb to his feet4 ,his assailant began to scream for help1 but the heavy skins muffled his shouts4 ,quickly ,builder looked around for something to hit him with4 ,the only thing his eye spotted was the idol4 ,he hobbled over and1 using both arms1 dragged it off its dias4 ,then1 with the remainder of his strength1 dropped it squarely on top of whomever was under the skins4 ,there was a muted clunk followed by silence4 ,fearfully ,builder stood there for a moment catching his breath and listening for anyone coming4 ,all was quiet except the pounding of his heart4 ,as fast as he could make his arms and hands work he rolled up the body in the skins and painfully hoisted it over one shoulder4 ,with his other hand he reached down and picked ,thor up by one of its arms1 then1 staggering under the load1 he started back the way he had come4 ,except for a greyish streak in the east1 it was still dark4 ,he stumbled and fell several times before reaching his dwelling1 but he was confident that he had left no tracks4 ,every night1 even this late in the winter1 the ground froze solid4 ,back inside his shed1 still in the dark1 ,builder unrolled his burden and listened for any heartbeat4 ,there was none4 ,as he rolled the body up again1 something clattered to the floor4 ,it was a crutch4 ,quickly he felt for his victim's legs2 one was missing4 ,of all the people he had to kill--,morge6 ,thougor's right hand man4 ,he realized he had to get rid of the body before daylight and fast6 ,already more grey was lining the eastern horizon4 ,he didn't know whether he had the strength to do it or not1 but he had to get ,morge up to the dam and into one of the unfilled molds4 ,for the time being he would have to hide ,thor someplace inside here4 ,he couldn't carry both of them up to the dam4 ,he rolled the idol up in another set of skins and placed it under the head of his sleeping pile4 ,then1 picking up his other bundle once more1 he started for the dam4 ,the sun was just peeking over the horizon when ,builder finally stumbled back into his dwelling and into bed4 ,all that day1 he lay there1 body on fire with fever1 and heart pounding like a drum4 ,he was almost certain he would soon die4 ,it was just as well1 a little corner of his consciousness said4 ,at least he would be missing all the frenzied excitement of ,thor's disappearance along with ,morge4 ,but it looked as though he had failed after all4 ,in spite of removing the god1 now he was dying--and the dam still unfinished4 ,the day dragged on and on and he didn't die4 ,after waking up in late afternoon he felt better4 ,he ate a handful of nuts and figs washed down with a little herb tea4 ,then as night crept over the sky1 he tottered down to the village4 ,whatever had taken place during the day was done1 and little groups of people stood around fires resting and talking--as though it were the old days before the coming of ,thor1 thought ,builder4 ,that was good4 ,builder moved in closer to one of the fires to warm himself against the early spring night4 ,someone recognized him--it was one of his workers--and he was suddenly made welcome1 once again being given the place of honor nearest the fire1 as in the old days when he'd first discovered the humans4 ,builder was dumbfounded at the sudden cordiality4 ,in recent days1 ,thougor had done such a good job of discrediting1 he never dreamed of regaining his old standing4 ,then he was told what had happened during the day while he lay almost dying3 ,when the god and ,morge were discovered missing1 ,thougor had called the village together1 explaining that ,thor had left them1 taking ,morge as a sacrifice because he was dissatisfied with the tribe's paltry blood offerings and worship4 ,therefore a great death sacrifice of young men and women must be undertaken to pacify ,thor and cause his return4 ,but the people questioned ,thougor's order2 they seemed to feel it was the priest who had been at fault1 not themselves4 ,after all1 he was the closest to ,thor1 was he not8 ,therefore it was ,thougor1 not the village1 that ,thor had become angered at4 ,and after holding quick council1 they had driven ,thougor out into the wilderness1 telling him he was not to return unless ,thor was with him4 ,old ,builder almost cried when he heard this joyful news4 ,the dam would be completed after all1 he was almost certain4 ,he decided to say nothing more about religion1 ,thor or ,thougor4 ,maybe soon they would forget the whole thing4 ,now he could go back to teaching the youngsters and some of the brighter oldsters the methods of writing in symbols instead of drawing pictures4 ,hours and days turned into weeks and months as ,builder taught his people what feeble knowledge he possessed in arithmetic1 simple engineering--such as the dam--and most of all1 instilling in them the will to want to learn and investigate and question anything they came in contact with--even the very thing he was asking them to do4 ,as the weeks passed on and the dam was completed1 he gradually gathered around him an ardent little group of seeker after that most elusive of all things--,truth4 ,but ,builder knew that his days were numbered now1 and his work completed2 there was still one thing he had to do1 and that was permanently to do away with ,thor by dropping the idol to the bottom of the dam2 he still hadn't examined the god hidden under his sleeping pile4 ,one evening after returning from a solitary walk above the dam1 he entered his shack and lit a torch1 then almost dropped it from shock6 ,his dwelling was a wreck4 ,the place had been ransacked from top to bottom4 ,his sleeping pile lay in the middle of the floor--the idol was gone6 ,he turned and fled from the room1 but before he could take a dozen steps towards the village1 several shadows glided out from behind trees and rocks in the moonlight1 resolving themselves into men4 ,before he could cry out or struggle1 strong arms pinned his arms to his body and someone clapped a dirty hand over his mouth4 ,he was forced back into his hovel and the door slammed shut4 ,standing in front of him was a very bedraggled figure whom he recognized as ,thougor4 ,he also recognized his three other captors2 all were elderly reactionaries of the tribe who had disapproved of him from the beginning4 ,in spite of his predicament ,builder felt a warm glow of happiness course through him4 ,if these were the only cronies ,thougor could round up1 that meant the rest of the villagers were sympathetic with his cause4 ,he suddenly became aware of ,thougor's grating voice3 ,it took me a little time to piece things together1 but once ,i did1 it didn't take me long to come back and find the god where ,i might have at first suspected it would be--right here6 ,for your sacrilege you will pay with every last drop of blood you have in your scrawny old body--and now6 ,whereupon ,thougor disappeared out of the hovel4 ,somehow ,builder had known they were going to kill him before arousing the rest of the tribe to the fact that ,thor was back4 ,thougor was taking no chances of his standing in the way of him or ,thor ever again4 ,but ,builder didn't care3 he had sown his few seeds of knowledge and wisdom well4 ,although ,thougor didn't know it1 this time he wouldn't have complete homage from all the tribe4 ,there would now be doubts and questionings and tests for both ,thor and ,thougor in the ways of truth and righteousness4 ,then ,thougor returned to the shack with what1 ,builder thought1 must be ,thor4 ,the hand over his mouth had twisted his head back so that he only got a glimpse1 but he didn't miss the long knife ,thougor pulled from beneath his tattered skins1 nor the large sacrificial bowl one of the others held below his neck4 ,then his head was tilted forward and sidewise1 and he got his first full look at the god ,thor4 ,at the sight1 his whole body shook with smothered laughter4 ,below the two arms and etched thunderbolt were large block letters standing out in bold relief3 ,,thor ,automatic ,dishwasher ,atomic ,powered #aiii