The Best Man


by Rod Hunsicker

Kona is a product of Dell Comics or whoever owns the property these days.

He wandered away from the party, no longer interested in conversation he couldn't understand, or people he couldn't relate to, and went out through the garden into the night. The evening suit that Dr. Dodd had bought for him was excellently tailored, expensively made, and totally annoying. And there was no place to hang his bayonet.

Behind him drifted the sounds of music, people laughing and talking, and the rustling of clothing on so many closely packed bodies. Inhaling deeply, he savored the scent of the garden's flowers. He reflected how these flowers were as tailored as his suit. Everything in civilization was tailored. A world of concrete, plastic and tailoring.

His head jerked to follow the figure of a person sneaking in the shadows. He quickly dropped to a crouch, avoiding detection by the stalker, and focused his complete attention on discovering who it was. In the same manner as when he hid by a game trail, frozen in anticipation of game walking down the jungle path to a pool of water, the man became motionless. He neither moved nor thought. He watched and waited.

It was a woman. Dressed darker than the night. A bracelet around her ankle had sparkled momentarily. This was what the man had first seen. She was silent. If not for the bracelet he might not have known she was there.

She began to scale the wall. She went up quickly, with the confidence of a cockroach on a wall. The man broke his fastness and moved toward her, matching her stealth with his own. He paused at the wall and noted deep scratches in the brick. Although his nose was not as sensitive as a hound or jungle cat, it was much better than a civilized man, and he caught the spoor of jungle cat mixed with woman. An odor he found exciting and alluring. Digging his fingertips into the groves between the bricks, he climbed up after her.

After disabling the alarm system, she entered the building on the third floor through a window she gently opened. With the party going on below, the alarm system had been set on minimum, so this had not been difficult for her. She slid into the unlit room on her belly and paused, crouched on all fours.

Something was wrong. Scurrying into a corner, she watched the window she had entered. A sunbrowned hand laid soundlessly on the sill. A blond head peered into the room. The catlike woman was amazed that she had just noticed her stalker for the first time. With this new problem entering the room, she forgot the safe to crack in the wall over the bed she had meant . This large, silently moving man was the center of her world.

She couldn't help herself. She purred nervously. She knew he would hear it, but did it anyway. The man rose into a bent over position, his arms held in front of his broad body and his legs braced widely for action.

"Kona has caught you," said the man softly. There was a smile on his handsome face. She could see it despite the dim light. No, not handsome. It was harshly masculine, attractive in a deep manly way. Her purring turned into a growl. It had been so long since she had found a man attractive. Not since the Change.

The job was busted. There was no way she could steal the jewels now. She needed to get past this primate and escape. She released her claws and smiled. That shouldn't be a problem.

Fast! She charged the man with catlike speed. His expensive suit was shredded. He caught her and hurled her against the wall. Her nose crinkled in disappointment. She had drawn no blood.

Trusting her inhuman speed and strength, and the razor sharpness of her claws, she attacked him again. This time she cut a light wound across his chest. This time he seized her in an iron grip, and his large, long fingered hands crushed her arms together helplessly with a measure of instructional brutality. Then he tossed her casually on the bed.

Landing on all fours she glared at him with wide yellow-green eyes.

"Do not attack Kona. I am the master of beasts. Killer of many. You cannot defeat the Monarch of the Monster Isle," warned the man.

She considered his words. "Then get out of my way, man!" she hissed.

"Who are you?" asked the savage. "You seem as much cat as woman. That interests Kona. Who are you?"

"Insolent male, I'm not here for your interest. Get out of my way or I'll tear your throat out," she warned.

Kona laughed. "Don't think you can. Many larger than you have tried. Let us turn on the light so Kona may see you clearly."

"No!" she screeched. She came at him again, low for his crouch. Kona grappled with her briefly, felt her claws tear along his thigh, and pinned her arms again. This time he held her close, wondering at the steelhard muscles beneath soft womanly skin, and whispered in her ear.

"Kona is not your enemy unless you make him so. Stop fighting."

She was amazed at his strength. Far stronger than the weak males of the city. And he smelled wild. Wild as the moonless night. She relaxed in his arms.

"All right. I won't attack you again," she conceded. As if he did not trust her, Kona tossed her on the bed again.

"Well, wild man, now that you have me on the bed, what are you going to do with me?" she asked. Her voice had lowered to a seductive purr. The room was poorly lit. Light came in under the door from the hallway outside and in the windows from the grounds which were well lit because of the party. The woman was masked so Kona did not see her smile.

"Discover what you are. Are you cat or woman? This is what interests Kona," said the caveman with a smile.

Suddenly there was a thump against the bedroom door. Sounds of fumbling and the door opened. Light from the hallway washed away the darkness. Kona blinked and turned his eyes away from the blinding light. In an instant the cat-woman was off the bed, past him and out the window. Evidently she had been prepared for the intrusion and had decided to make good her escape.

Kona rubbed his eyes vigorously, opened them after a few seconds and discovered the cat-woman was gone. In the doorway stood a woman and a man. The woman was bent over, her large breasts nearly tumbling from her satin evening gown. The man was old and fat. His clothing was in disarray. The reason they were entering the bedroom was obvious.

"Hey, who are you, big boy?" the woman asked Kona. "George, you didn't say this would be a threesome."

"Shut up you stupid bitch. I don't know who this guy is. Looks like a hippie with that long hair. And what's he doing up here in the Master Bedroom?"

Kona swept the room with an inspecting gaze. Something caught his eye. He picked up a small piece of metal from the bed. Then he turned to the couple.

"Kona was looking for this. Belongs to my mother. Sorry to have bothered you folks," he said, brushing past them and walking boldly out into the hall.

As he left her heard the woman say, "Look how scratched up he was. Must have been with a mean pussy."

The Monarch of the Monster Isle smiled as he bounded down the steps.


When Kona showed Dr. Dodd the item he had picked up from the bed he was unprepared for the Doctor's enthusiasm. There were markings on what was a piece of metal that was once part of a necklass or bracelet. Dr. Dodd took out a magnifying glass and examined these markings closely.

"Where did you get this, Kona?" he demanded, as closely as any man could demand something from Kona.

Quickly Kona told Dodd what had happened.

"Much like a cat, you say," said Dodd. "These markings are similar to other markings I have found in my travels. Including the Monster Isle. Wherever there are monsters these markings can be found. I've wondered if there might be some factor connecting all the outposts of prehistoric animals, monsters, and other oddities that we have encountered in the past few years. Only these markings on stones, walls, and other things seem to be common. You say this belonged to the woman?"

"It is almost certain."

"Then we must find her. Too bad she escaped. We must find her, Kona. She might be able to help us understand all these monster isles."

Kona laid his large hand on Dodd's shoulder. "Kona and Dr. Dodd will find her."


The Dodd residence was a large colonial located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. While Dr. Dodd wasn't a wealthy man, he earned a handsome middle-class salary through various jobs related to his scientific background. Dodd was more than an anthropologist. He was competent in biology, botany, archaeology and several other sciences. He was a problem solver, often working for the government on cases that required a unique background of eclectic nature. For the problems he solved, he was well paid.

Kona had his own room at the Dodd residence for the times when he stayed in civilization. Often Dodd requested Kona's help when dealing with problems of a primitive orientation, for the Monarch of the Monster Isle was certainly a world expert on matters of this kind. Working, fighting and surviving together had brought the two men together into a solid working relationship with strong overtones of genuine friendship. Further cementing Kona's relationship to the Dodds was his love for Dodd's grandchildren. Since first rescuing them from a Tyrannosaurus Rex on the Monster Isle, Kona had taken them into his heart. Dodd suspected that the reason for this was Kona was somewhat different from the Neanderthal tribe he was the leader of. More advanced surely, both physically and mentally. Something in his primitive breast had recognized Lily and Mason as family members. For this reason he had reacted instinctively in a protective manner and continued to do so. The past 7 years he had faced tremendous odds to protect the children.

And the tragic fact that their father, John, had been lost many years ago bonded the children to Kona. Dr. Dodd was the grandfather, but Kona represented the father. Not that Kona ever took Mary, Dodd's daughter and the mother of the children, as a mate. Kona never crossed that line. He was not sure why. Mary was more of a sister to him than a prospective mate, and that was where Kona felt comfortable.

Kona stood with Mason in the Museum of Natural History in Philadelphia. The exhibits here were almost comical to these two explorers. Both had seen real dinosaurs. And other monsters of terrorizing size and viciousness. Dr. Dodd often came here and helped set up displays for the museum. And contributed materials obtained from his fantastic adventures to make the displays more authentic and enjoyable to the visitors of the museum.

"No one believed dinosaurs still exist in the world today," mused Mason. He was a teenager now. Growing tall and strong like his grandfather.

"Until Kyrm brought them to your world," said Kona with a laugh. "They believed it when his dinosaur servants wrecked a Californian city." Kona referred to Captain Krym, an ambitious fellow who stole several dinosaurs from the Monster Isle and used them to ravage the city of San Francisco. Until Kona and Dr. Dodd stopped him.

"I for one, hope we never see the likes of Captain Krym again. Or trouble of that sort again," said Mary, walking up with Dr. Dodd. Kona and Mason had been waiting for Dr. Dodd to finish talking with the curator of the museum.

"Kona is always here to stop men like Krym, Mary. And to protect the children," said the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"I know," said Mary softly. In fact, she knew it was her father that brought adventure and trouble to their family. And Kona often got them out of it.

Dr. Dodd put his arm around Mary's shoulders. "I'm done here for the day. Let's go home. I feel like cooking on the grill. And no Tyrannosaurus Rex steaks either. Good old meat of the cow."

As they moved to leave the building a sudden clicking rapped sharply on the floor. Steps taken briskly and authoritatively announced the arrival of a visitor. Kona whirled as the scent of a familiar perfume reached his nostrils.

She was tall, elegant, dressed in all black and blood red. The muscles of her long legs rippled under skin tight pants. She wore black leather boots with high heels. Her blouse was tight and sleeveless, open at the neck to reveal the whiteness of her breasts. A broad red belt hugged her trim waist. Her hands were hidden in red-black silk gloves, and she wore a black choker around her long neck. Above the neck she was unusually beautiful, with a wide full lipped mouth, small slightly upcurved nose, and slanted yellow-green eyes. And if one looked closely it could be seen that those eyes had a pupil not quite round.

Kona sprang in front of the Dodds protectively. "Kona remembers you," he grunted.

She sauntered up to within ten feet of Kona. The display room they were standing in was huge. They were dwarfed by the monstrous skeletons of ancient dinosaurs. She stood with her weight shifted to one hip, a wonderfully shapely hip, and smiled at the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"I'm sure you do," she purred.

Casually she measured Kona, the Dodd men and Mary. Her gaze lingered on Mary until her lip curled up in mockery. Intimidated by this strange, hostile woman, Mary took a step back and behind Kona.

"You have something that belongs to me, Kona. I'd like to have it back," she said. She glided forward until she was nearly before the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"When Lily was small she taught Kona a saying. Finders keepers," replied Kona with a smile. He folded his massive arms across his broad chest.

Anger spit into her face. Her knees bend reflexively as if she were going to spring at him. Mary gasped and retreated a few more steps. Dr. Dodd reached for a pistol that was not hanging from his canvas army belt. Mason stared at this magnificent woman in a mixture of fear and awe. Kona broadened his smile.

"That won't work. Must Kona master you again?" asked the cave man.

"The medallion is mine, Kona. Give it to me!"

Deep, harsh laughter filled the room. "No, Kona, give it to me."

Stepping from the shadow cast by the enormous skeleton of a dinosaur came a large man dressed in a knee length trenchcoat. He wore a hat pulled down over his forehead, and the collars of his coat were pulled up to cover his ears. There was power in his stride as he walked over to the strange woman.

"Give the medallion to me, cave man. It is mine. So is this woman," demanded the stranger. He pointed to a spot in front of him as if ordering the woman to come to him. She snarled and retreated instead. She stripped off her gloves, and Kona was surprised to see claws spring from her fingers.

"I am not yours, Kaat. I never will be," she growled.

"Now that I have found you again, dear Felene, I must disagree. After I have finished with this Neanderthal, I shall master you again," promised the large man.

The stranger whirled on Kona and the Dodds. Claws not unlike Felene's sprang tore through his leather gloves as the sprang from his fingertips. A growl similar to a lion's rumbled through the room. Kona reached for a bayonet that wasn't there and realized he must face this creature unarmed.

"One more chance to live, cave man. The medallion," Kaat demanded again.

The Dodds paled under the threat. Dr. Dodd swept his family behind him and slowly backed them toward the grand doors that led out of the exhibition room. Without his faithful .45, he was reluctant to combat this monster.

A sneer lifted the lip of the Monarch of the Monster Isle. Life had been too tame in the city. For too long he had been at peace.

"Come and take it," Kona barked.

Kaat's answer was to charge Kona. The Monarch of the Monster Isle didn't wait for his enemy. He met him halfway as two powerful bodies crashed together. Kona didn't fear the cat-man's claws. Nearly all of the beasts Kona had mastered in his life had possessed claw and fang. Nor did he fear the strength of the beast, for Kona was confident of the power in his own body. Blood spurted where claws scraped flesh. Kona beat on his enemy with blunt fists. In Kaat's eye was a wild urge to rip and tear his enemy with his claws. His feline nature tore away his humanity and he screamed as a alley tom would do in battle with another. Kona pistoned his left fist into Kaat's snarling face and backed him up. Taking advantage of his stunned foe, Kona circled Kaat's waist with his hands, lifted him up and hurled him to the floor. An instant later he was on the beast-man. Although Kona switched his grip to pin the cat-man's arms, Kaat darted his fanged mouth toward Kona's throat. In a reaction of pure instinct, Kona seized Kaat's head with both hands and twisted with all his strength. A loud crack proclaimed Kona the victor.

"Kona is master of all men and monsters," growled the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

Looking up, Kona saw that Felene was gone.


"You didn't have to kill him," Dr. Dodd. Kneeling beside Kaat's limp body, he pulled off the stranger's hat and opened his trench coat. Revealed was a human being with distinct feline characteristics. Slanted, vertically slit eyes, a soft downy, orange fur covering his face and chest, and a set of pronounced fangs in a widely split mouth.

"This man is not a man at all. Some sort of man-cat combination. What miracle created this creature I cannot imagine," said Dr. Dodd after examining Kaat's dead body.

"Oh God, no," said Mary, "haven't we seen enough monsters. Isn't there any end of them?"

Dr. Dodd looked up at his daughter. "We have discussed this before, Mary. Monsters in our lives are becoming more and more prevalent. Something is wrong with our world. These monsters have to be coming from somewhere. There has to be a source. That is why we continue to investigate. That is why we are constantly placing ourselves in danger."

"I know, father, but why is it always us," she whimpered, and stole a look at Kona.

Dr. Dodd shook his head as he rose to his feet. "It isn't Kona's fault. Nor is it ours, Mary. We have to keep searching for something that might be unleashing these creatures on our world."

"Will our world become an enormous Cave of Mutations? Look at this thing! Its a combination of cat and man, like those poor creatures were combinations of different animals. Is this the heritage for our world?"

Dr. Dodd grasped his daughter's shoulders. "You must calm yourself. Your questions are valid. Our search for answers must be just as valid. Only through calmness and courage can we follow this task to its completion."

Mary stared at her father with tearful eyes. This was always his answer. To answer the call of duty. Years of duty. When will their tour of duty ever end.?

"So you say, father." She pulled away from his hands and called her nearly grown children to her. Soon Dr. Dodd and Kona were alone.

Dodd glanced at Kona sideways. Often in their adventures he had been embarrassed by his daughter's breakdowns. Although she wanted nothing more than a normal life, she was mixed up repeatedly in Dodd's adventures and missions. It had been a long time since her husband had died, and Mary was not getting younger. She was still a beautiful woman, and Dodd thought that she should be looking to rebuild her life rather than following him all over the world battling monsters and criminals.

And Mason and Lily should be in school engaged in the normal day to day activities of young people. If it were not for their superior intelligence and the tutoring they received from Mary they would have fallen behind their peers. Somewhere in their world traveling, Mason had lost his dream to be a major league baseball player. Dodd thought that a little sad.

Kona had remained silent through the exchange between father and daughter. Always he had protected Mary and the children. They were like his own family, just as Dr. Dodd was like a brother to him. Kona remembered his own brother, a strong lad called Kord, who had left the tribe rather than remain under Kona's rule. Often, families were hard to keep together. It was as a group that Kona and the Dodds had survived, however, and surely Mary must realize this.

"We shouldn't have problems explaining this creature's death to the police. Its monstrous characteristics and your wounds should be proof of self defense. Let's check his pockets for clues to his identity before we summon them," said Dr. Dodd as if his conversation with Mary had not happened. Kneeling down beside the body again, Dodd rummaged throughout his pockets.

A wallet was found. In it were several slips of paper with addresses and names written on them. One name lit up Dodd's eyes.

"This man knew Cleve Kennedy, an old college chum of mine. And a famous explorer and biologist. This is where our investigation will begin," Dodd informed Kona.

"What about the woman, Felene?" asked Kona.

"She's gone. Can you follow her?"

"Kona has lost her scent already. She passed through some containers of dead creatures and spilled them to confuse me. She has escaped."

"Then let's concentrate on Kennedy. He is a strong lead," said Dodd firmly. "I have a feeling it will turn out to be a good one."


This time Mary and the children were left behind. Kona and Dr. Dodd traveled to Arizona where Dr. Kennedy lived. It turned out to be a ranch in the middle of nowhere and a long drive from the nearest town. Dodd rented a jeep to make the journey, and they arrived just before sundown.

Kennedy had done well since their college days. His estate was expansive with well groomed lawns in front and a trimmed wilderness behind. A mansion sprawled at the end of the quarter mile driveway. Beyond the mansion and connected by an enclosed walkway was a single story building that looked like it was built for industrial purposes.

A small man in a butler's suit answered the door. He took their names, and after a word over a house phone with his employer, ushered them in. It was a house of empty spaces accented with many paintings on the walls. These paintings depicted nature and animals in settings of a wild and free orientation, often showing beasts in conflict or one dominating another. As they waited to be taken to Dr. Kennedy, Kona examined these paintings with great interest. They were very lifelike, and in the eyes of the beasts he saw the same expression he had seen in his own experiences. Fear, rage and the need to kill or be killed. This feral theme glistened through-out all the gloomy artwork.

"Dr. Kennedy will see you now." The butler's thin voice broke the fragile silence. They followed him down a long corridor into an office building. Behind an enormous desk sat a man Dr. Dodd recognized as Kennedy. He was a large, athletic man, smoking a cigar, with his feet up on the desk. This was the only unruly aspect of the scene however, since the office was impeccably neat and in tidy order.

"Dodd, is that you? Its been a long time," said Kennedy. He whipped his feet off the desk and sprang up. Dodd thought him very spry for a man in his fifties. Kennedy was remarkably youthful. He remembered their football days back in college. Good days. Kennedy had been a running back.

"Yes, Cleve, its me. You have done well," said Dr. Dodd as he shook Kennedy's offered hand.

"Research pays off if you take out the right patents, Dodd. And who is this husky fellow?" asked Kennedy smiling at Kona.

"This is Kona. A friend and colleague of mine. Kona, this is Dr. Cleve Kennedy," said Dr. Dodd.

Kona grasped Kennedy's out-stretched hand. While Kennedy had given Dr. Dodd a firm handshake, he squeezed a bit on Kona's hand. In Kennedy's eyes flashed the same elemental fury that Kona had read in the eyes of the painted beasts on the walls. The Monarch of the Monster Isle returned equal pressure until the tendons sprang out on his forearm. Both men strained against each other silently and without a quiver. Dr. Dodd hardly noticed anything wrong. Finally Kennedy released Kona's hand and laughed.

"Yes, a very husky fellow," he said. Then he turned to Dr. Dodd. "What can I do for you, Dodd?"


"Provide us with some information. Recently we were attacked by an unusual man. If he can be called that. He displayed some interestingly bestial traits, mostly along feline lines. His name was Kaat, appropriately. Did you know him?" explained Dr. Dodd.

"Did?" mused Kennedy.

"Unfortunately he was killed. He was a murderous brute. Seemed intent on getting his own way," replied Dr. Dodd.

"Did you shoot the him?" asked Kennedy.

"No, we were not armed at the time. Kona had to kill him with his bare hands," explained Dr. Dodd.

Kennedy stared at the cave man for a long moment. "Really! I hope you weren't hurt in the encounter, Kona."

"No. The cat-man was easy to defeat. Kona has dealt with much larger cats," said Kona with a small smile. He recalled the time a housecat called Amsat had grown to mammoth proportions on the Monster Isle. It had been very hard to kill.

Kennedy studied the cave man a bit more and then laughed. "Yes, I heard of the man Kaat. You might say we were in close communication."

"May I ask the nature of that communication," asked Dr. Dodd.

Kennedy shrugged. It was known to him that Dr. Dodd had strong military connections; that Dodd often worked for the military on special missions and that Dodd himself had been a member of an elite military strike force in his youth. Dodd's connections with many museums was also well known. As far as Kennedy knew, however, Dodd rarely worked with civilian police. And Dodd had once been a close friend of his. It was unfortunate that Dodd was mixed up in this matter. Or so Kennedy had thought until he had set his eyes on Kona.

"Would it upset you to know that he worked for me?" replied Kennedy.

"I don't think that upset is the proper word, Kennedy. Apparently we have come to the right place. Was he working for you when he invaded the museum?" asked Dr. Dodd.

"Are you asking if he was working for me when he went to search for the medallion? Yes, he was. If you want to know if he was authorized to use violence? Not necessarily. Apparently, Kaat was too bestial to undertake the mission. If it had been a matter of dealing with Felene only, then Kaat would have been adequate. Dealing with you and this Kona is another matter. As you have demonstrated," said Kennedy.

"I want to tell you something. And show you something. Come with me to my study," said Kennedy. He turned and walked toward a large wooden door behind his desk. Opening it he offered them entrance with a stylish wave of his arm.

Kona inhaled the air from the room and detected the scent of no animal. When Dr. Dodd looked at him questionably, he shrugged. They took Kennedy's offer and entered the room.

The room was something of a museum itself. Large glass cases held ancient artifacts Dr. Dodd had never seen before. Some of them were familiar, and he pondered over these as he walked around the room. There was another desk at the far wall. Above it hung a magnificent disc of bronze. On it were writings Dodd had seen only one other place. On Monster Isle in the Cave of Mutations.

Kona moved warily through the room. He didn't appraise the contents of the room on an intellectual level as Dr. Dodd did. His appraisal was more emotional, perhaps intuitive. There was an atmosphere of antiquity to the place and beyond that a hint of power Kona had sensed before. He could not remember where.

"Have you been to Monster Isle?" asked Dodd after he had finished examining the artifacts. Kennedy had been waiting in silence.

"Briefly, but most of these things came from another place. A cavern deep below the surface of a frozen tundra in Alaska. The cavern was littered with beasts of an unholy composition. And these artifacts."

Dr. Dodd recalled the mutations they had encountered in the Cave of Mutations on Monster Isle. Creatures made up of the parts of many different animals. The head of a goat, hind legs of a lion, forelimbs of a lizard. These and many other combinations of diverse animal parts. Yet all the mutations had been viable. Dangerously so.

When he had been in the Cave of Mutations, Dr. Dodd had no time to investigate the mutations or look for artifacts. The lives of himself and his family had been in severe jeopardy. Not only from the creatures in the cave, but also from the diseased and mutated creatures that had been overrunning the ecological balance of the Monster Isle.

When he had first discovered the Monster Isle it had been a curious out of time place where men and dinosaurs lived together in natural harmony. Later that harmony had been broken by a terrible plague that affected the pituitary glands of ordinary animals and made giants out of them. The dinosaurs and men were victimized by these huge killers. An all out war had broke out on the Monster Isle. It had truly become an isle of monsters.

Escaping the new monsters, ordinary beasts grown to gigantic, aggressive size, Kona, Dr. Dodd and other survivors had broken into the dreaded Cave of Mutations. Here they found a new horror. A chamber pot that was overflowing with a massive collection of creatures formed from the union of animals that could never be joined in nature. The head of a horse on the overgrown body of a scorpion. A tiger paw attached to a spider's willowy limb. Monsters of such an unholy appearance that they twisted the guts of the most hardened men.

Eventually one horror canceled out the other, and the small party of adventurers did escape.

Apparently there was more than one Cave of Mutations in the world.

"Have you translated the inscriptions you found?" asked Dr. Dodd softly. He had moved before the bronze disc and was studying it carefully.

"Yes, after years of effort. I have deciphered it enough to reproduce some marvelous biological effects on living beings. My servant Kaat was a result of my experiments," said Kennedy.

Dr. Dodd stared at Kennedy. "Is this how you made your fortune?"

"Yes, Dodd, I made my money by selling animals that were better than any previous bred . Chickens with better tasting meat, faster race horses, cows that produce more milk. All these things and many more. Even the Army is interested in men like Kaat. What a soldier such a creature would make," explained Kennedy with a smile.

"Your experiment tried to kill Kona."

"Yes, but was that my fault? Am I criminally responsible for his misjudgment. I told him to retrieve the medallion, not start a minor riot."

"Is Felene one of your creatures?" asked Kona.

"Why, yes, she is. Did she impress you?" asked Kennedy.

"Yes. Kona was impressed. She is no longer loyal to you?"

Kennedy sighed. "No, she is not. Like most cats she desires her freedom. Its amazes me that so many people keep cats as pets. They admire their show of independence. It has occurred to me that though feline blood produces a humanoid both fearless and dangerous, they are not as obedient as I would like. Kaat was supposed to retrieve her as well as the medallion. I guess I'll have to send someone else for her."

"If she's your woman why don't you go yourself?" asked Kona.

"She's not my woman, she's my thing. My possession. I made her what she is. She must obey me. I will deal with her once I have her again," said Kennedy.

"Now, Dodd, I must ask you for my medallion. It would not do for it to be in the hands of anyone else but me. It has secrets I do not want to share with you or anyone else. Give it to me," demanded Kennedy. He stretched his hand out toward Dodd, and it wasn't his intention to shake hands.

Dr. Dodd shook his head. "No, Kennedy. You have established no proof of ownership of the medallion. I see no need to give it to you. I would like to study it myself."

Kennedy laughed. "I didn't ask you for the medallion. I demand you give it to me. Do so now or suffer the consequences."

"Do not threaten Dr. Dodd," growled Kona. He advanced on Kennedy with a fighting gleam in his eye.

"Really, cave man," said Kennedy with a smirk. The tension in the room exploded as Kennedy grabbed the end of his desk and shoved it into Kona. Then he leaped on Dr. Dodd and seized him in an iron grip with one hand and pushed a button on the wall with the other. A trapdoor opened up in the floor ten feet away.

"Won't give me what is mine! When my pet is through with you, all that will be left IS my medallion, you fool," roared Kennedy. Dr. Dodd tried to resist, but he was a twig before a hurricane as Kennedy hurled him over the open trapdoor. He dropped out of sight. Kona was on Kennedy then, grabbing his neck with his powerful hands. Kennedy fastened a steely grip on Kona's wrists. For a moment they strained against each other.

Then Kennedy laughed again. "Don't waste your time on me, cave man. Your friend is in deadly danger. He had fallen among monsters. Soon he will be ripped to shreds by their fang and claw."

Kona released Kennedy and sprang to the edge of the trapdoor. Below him came the growls of beasts and Dr. Dodd's fearful voice. The stench of monsters rose up to his quivering nostrils. Kona ripped his bayonet from his belt and leaped into the darkness below.

Dr. Dodd was crouched in the corner of a large basement room. Some light fell into the chamber from the room above through the open trapdoor so Kona could see what his friend was afraid of. Sliding toward them was a 500 cubic foot monster more frightening than any grotesque they had fought in the Cave of Mutations. An odd slithering combination of multiple animal parts joined together in a hideous, diabolical construction. Snapping out from this melting pot of animal parts, a tentacle seized Dr. Dodd in an slimy, overpowering grasp. In retaliation Kona sliced the tentacle in two pieces with one swing of his bayonet.

Released by the tentacle, Dr. Dodd fell back against the rear wall. His right hand groped for the revolver he had hidden on a belt holster behind his back. It was only a .32, and against the monstrosity that they faced it seemed woefully inadequate. There was no target to shoot at. Not one head, but many. Not one chest holding a beating heart, but many, blended together in one amorphous glob. It couldn't be wounded because there were many appendages. What good would a .32 do against this thing?

This was a new kind of monster for Kona too. One that could be defeated only by cutting it to pieces. With a roar, the Monarch of the Monster Isle pounced upon the monster with that intention. His bayonet sliced and stabbed repeatedly. The monster squealed and grappled with Kona, wounding him with barbs, suckers and claws, and reared above him in an attempt to smother him under its tons of mass. Using whatever room he had available, Kona wheeled and darted and cut and tore. An eternity of cutting, blood and gore. Drenched with fluids he had never saw before, the cave-man sliced his way through the monster. His feet slipped on the sticky redness that covered the concrete floor as he continued his frenzied attack. Behind him Dr. Dodd fired into the monster in the vain hope that one of his bullets would reach some significant spot within the monster's bulk.

Kennedy walked slowly down the steps leading to the expansive basement under his mansion. With him were two 'cat-men' who acted as his attendants. What he expected to see when he entered the room of the 'kraken' as he called his monster-mash was not what he did find. He smiled as he opened the door and saw his monster all over the room. Kona was lying on a rather large piece of flesh. The cave man's arms and legs were quivering with fatigue. Dodd lay in a corner, half propped up by the wall with a glazed look on his face. His revolver was empty.

"Marvelous," announced Kennedy from the doorway. "But what could I expect from the self touted Monarch of the Monster Isle. And my old college football chum, Quarterback Dodd.

"Take them. I think they have been properly chastised.," he ordered his servants. In his exhausted state Kona couldn't resist the strength of the cat-man. He and Dr. Dodd were bound in nylon ropes. Although searched for, the medallion was not on their persons.

Kennedy reached down and grabbed Dr. Dodd's chin. "You wanted answers, old chum. Well I'm going to give them to you. "Put them in storage, they have a long trip ahead of them," Kennedy commanded his men.


Outside the mansion, hiding in a thatch of bushes, Felene wondered what had happened to the savage and the scientist. She had hoped they would be a match for Kennedy. Probably a false hope, as all her hopes might be. She settled down to wait for developments.

Felene pulled her zipper up to just under her chin. A chilling breeze sent a shiver through her long lithe body. Even though she wore properly insulated clothing suitable for the arctic tundra, Felene remained cold. She was a warm weather cat.

Before her transformation she had been a simple thief. Now her additional feline attributes had enhanced her abilities in her chosen profession. But her new attributes didn't change her personal preference for more civilized areas of the world. Cities, people and conveniences. Looking out over the broad slightly rolling plain before her, she saw none of those things. Just a lot of tough looking grass, or willows and rushes. There was not one tree in sight.

It had been difficult to trail Kennedy to this dismal place. Not impossible because he had transported his two prisoners here and that afforded a certain openness to the operation. One hour ago she had seen several of Kennedy's men enter a secret opening in a earthen structure about 500 yards away. Felene suspected that the mound was an ancient one, and had been worn down to its present size by eons of tundra winds. It was barely noticeable as a true mound. Felene fought down the race of excitement in her body, as she looked at the archeological source of Kennedy's knowledge and power. She had dim memories of being in such a place. A rush of hazy experiences flooded her mind. She knew that her rebirth had taken place here. As she thought about it some of the clouded memories became clearer.

Fortunately her eyes were well adapted to seeing in low light. Daylight was fleeting on the tundra, and already it was getting darker and colder. She had to get inside that mound somehow.


"I trust you gentlemen will remain calm."

Sitting in straight-backed chairs and bound with strong ropes, Kona and Dr. Dodd stared across the large room at their captor. The room was dank and musty. Mounted on the corners of the room were four dehumidifiers sucking the moisture out of the room at a rapid pace. Spotting delicate machinery along the walls and toward the left side of the room, Dr. Dodd reasoned that Kennedy wanted things much dryer to insure that his machines functioned properly. Or perhaps he was just trying to get rid of the odor.

"Would displaying anger gain us anything?" replied Dr. Dodd dryly. He was worried about Kona. The caveman's lips were pressed together in a firm thin line. His dark eyes glared at Kennedy with as much intensity as Dodd had ever seen Kona project. Oh, how Kona hated to be caged or restrained. Dodd was surprised the caveman had not tried to burst his bonds yet.

"Nothing at all," confided Kennedy with a smile. He strode over to them with quick steps. Looking down at Dr. Dodd he continued, "Quarterback Dodd, haven't we come a long way."

Since it was a rhetorical question, Dodd did not reply.

"After you survived the Kraken I wondered what to do with you. I didn't think you would. The cave man might, but not you. After all, despite the excellent condition you are in, and the military training you've had, you are over fifty years old. I thought you would tire and be killed. I was wrong. You never gave up. Just like the old days. Keep driving down the field until you score," said Kennedy softly.

"Those were good days. Good memories," said Dr. Dodd.

Kennedy nodded. "Yes, they were. Memories. Gone. This is a new world, now. And its mine."

"Trying to kill us. Kidnapping us. These are major crimes. How do you explain that, Kennedy? You were always driven, but not to criminal extremes," said Dodd.

The big man wheeled on his toes. Dodd had never seen a man so graceful. As a young athlete, Kennedy had possessed grace, but now his poise was much greater. A terrible truth was dawning on the scientist.

"Discussion of my 'criminal' activities would be boring, Dodd. You might want to discuss some of my other activities. By now your curiosity must be fully aroused," taunted Kennedy.

"By your sense of the histrionic? Waking to find myself in an unknown, dank cellar is something I find only mildly interesting," replied Dodd.

"This is much more than a dank cellar, Dodd," said Kennedy. He walked around the room with his arms held up and out. "We are on the top of a secret place that if it were known to them would be coveted by the greatest archaeologists in the world. By everyone in the world if they knew what gifts are hidden in this place."

"I presume you kept us alive to show us this marvelous secret," said Dr. Dodd.

"Kept you alive? I would regret killing you, Dodd. Not just for old times sake, but for the use I may get out of you. Other than myself, you are the one man in the world who can understand what I have discovered here. Not just because of your intelligence and scholarly knowledge, but because of your vast experience in monsters, mutations and oddities. I didn't drop you into the monster's den to kill you, but rather to test Kona. If you promise to behave yourself, I will allow you to see the secrets for yourself. I may even release you from those ropes." explained Kennedy.

"I don't like to be bound, Kennedy, I can't promise not to escape. But let's see what you have," retorted Dr. Dodd.

Kennedy waved his hand. Five large men with feline characteristics stepped into view. Each was armed with a machine gun.

"Your legs will be freed. These men are very good with those weapons. As a military man, Dodd, I'm sure you understand the futility of your situation," said Kennedy with a smile.

One of the cat-men knelt and cut the ropes binding Dr. Dodd's legs. He used Kona's bayonet. As he did the same for Kona, the cave man glanced at him with a gleam in his eye.

"Does your cave-man understand the situation?" asked Kennedy.

Dr. Dodd turned to the silent cave man. "Do you, Kona?"

"Kona understands the situation. Kona never understands futility," replied the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"Perhaps it will be my pleasure to show you what futility is one day." Kennedy said this with a smile.

Kennedy commanded his cat-men briskly, and they all exited the room. They went down a short corridor carved in semifrozen dirt until they came to a round portal. The portal was composed of some sort of ceramic, or at least it appeared to be to Dr. Dodd, who could only examine it visually with his arms bound behind him. In the dirt tunnel Kennedy had strung a series of lights. When they entered the ceramic tunnel Dr. Dodd was amazed to see that it was filled with a soft light that appeared to originate nowhere. This new passageway was remarkably clean. Their shoes made soft clicking sounds as they walked.

It was a short trip to another round portal. Beyond this was a large room, lined with the same ceramic material and illuminated with the same mysterious light. There was a plethora of unknown apparatus placed about the chamber. Several men in white lab coats attended display boards and other control panels. What caught Dr. Dodd's eye was a large screen. Images flickered upon its oval shape. Dr. Dodd saw pictures of creatures he had seen before: some on the Monster Isle, and some other wild places. And he saw images of monstrosities he had never seen.

"What is this place, Kennedy?" asked Dodd. "What have you discovered here?"

"Ahh, I thought you would be interested. Take a look around, Dodd. Tell me what you think this place is," offered his captor. Kennedy waved his hand around the chamber in invitation.

Dodd complied with the offer eagerly. He examined everything. Several times his hands reached for something only to be stopped cruelly by his bonds. When he was finished he shook his head in disbelief.

"Well?" prompted Kennedy.

"The technology is beyond quick study. The images on the monitor imply connection with the monsters and mutations that have hidden on our world for centuries. The writings on the instruments are the same as on the medallion you wanted from me. All alien to me. Perhaps, alien to everything I know," said Dr. Dodd slowly. His quick mind was stumbling over things he could only guess at.

"Of course, Quarterback Dodd. Dare you say the thing you are thinking? Do you have the guts?" prompted Kennedy with a small sneer.

Dodd was silent. The turmoil in his mind refused to release him. He heard Kennedy's taunts faintly. Before him was a marvel he had never hoped to ever see. Here was an explanation for all the weirdness that had invaded his personal world since he landed on the Monster Isle. A reason for the madness. A cause to blame.

"What is this man talking about, Dr. Dodd?" asked Kona. The cave man had recognized the creatures from the Monster isle on the monitor. With those familiar beasts, Kona saw the horrors from the Cave of Mutations, and many other beasts that he had encountered in his travels with Dodd. Although Kona had a mind that remained severely practical, he had picked up some ability to abstract through his association with Dodd. Now he was experiencing the same disturbing abstractions that Dodd was, though not on the same magnitude.

Dr. Dodd responded to the familiar sound of his old friend's voice. "I'm not sure, Kona, but it appears that this place is an eye of the storm. The storm being all the monsters and mutations that have appeared around the world. This place may be its center and origin."

Kennedy laughed and walked over to a large console. He sat on its edge and waited for Dodd to continue.

What other man could have the experience and knowledge to reach the same conclusions as Dr. Dodd did? Perhaps none, because none had fought so many mutant menaces over the past 6 years as had Dodd. Over those years he had absorbed many obscure clues and bits of information that had laid dormant in his churning mind. Out of that churning had grown a latent understanding of the monster situation that was waiting to be released, and only required the presence of something as marvelous and obvious as this facility to release it.

"When did you begin to study this place, Kennedy?" asked Dodd sharply.

"Is that important? Oh, of course it is. Very important, Dodd. Your question is so transparent, but I will answer it," said Kennedy. "I discovered this place nearly fifteen years ago. I studied it for five years before I could understand enough to use it."

Dodd wandered before the monitor and gazed at the images flashing upon it. "Use it to create monsters," he added.

"That was not a question, Dodd. You are right. To create monsters. And more than monsters. Sadly, some monsters were a by product of my work. Not the Cave of Mutations you fought your way through. That was the by product of work done by the originators of this place."

"Who were the originators of this place?" asked Dr. Dodd.

"An important question. Would you like to see a picture of one," asked Kennedy.

Dr. Dodd smiled at the obviousness of his captor's question. Kennedy took that for a yes. His fingers played over the consule and the monitor stopped skipping though its collection of pictures. One picture froze on the screen.

"This monitor constantly shows pictures of any creation or product issued forth from the users of this complex. It seems to be trans-temporal. It shows creatures from the past, present and the future. At least I believe this to be true. Focus on one picture and the complete biological data for that creature is brought up in the data machines behind you. Once you have this, provide some living flesh, and a monster based on the creature can be formed with apparatus in an adjoining room.

"Only this being cannot be produced in any way. Its matrix is not available for reproduction. It cannot be used to create monsters, blend hybrids with already existing creatures, or reproduce itself in entirety. This being stands alone. As it should, if it is the inventor of all these machines," explained Kennedy.

The being was humanoid with long flowing white hair on a stocky, muscular body. Its face was strong, with full features and a heavy bone structure. In many ways it looked like Kona.

The Monarch of the Monster Isle stepped close to the monitor. Tilting his head as if to see the image from a more childish angle, a feeling of homesickness swept over Kona. He didn't know why, for though he was far from the Monster Isle, he had never felt squeamish about being distant from his home before. Odd feelings cascaded through his primeval mind, and for an instant he wondered what a female of this man's race would look like.

"Recognize anyone, cave man?" asked Kennedy.

Kona stepped forward. His white eyebrows knitted in confusion. Kennedy had asked a question beyond the caveman's ability to answer, and at the same time buried the question in his soul like a Neanderthal spear. Was this the answer to the differences between himself and the 'People'.

"It could explain a few things. Kona never fit too well into the Neanderthal template. His features are not as brutish, and he's much stronger than the most robust Neanderthal. Even his vocal cords are more developed than those of the people I found him with. Nor could he be classified in the Pithecanthropus breed. I always thought that he was some sort of cross-breed. Perhaps some modern man, lost on the Monster Isle, had been his father. Now it appears there may be another explanation," said Dodd.

"Indeed there may. He looks exactly like that breed on the monitor. He may be of their race, and if he is there is a lot to be learned from him," stated Kennedy.

Kona turned and stared into the face of his captor. "This is the reason we are still alive? To get Kona to this place."

Kennedy clapped his hands together. "Excellent! There is a brain inside all that brawn. I knew there had to be, especially if you are of the people who may have built this place. I am pleased."

"Kona is not," grunted the cave man.

"In your place I would not be either," commented Kennedy. "But there is something more that you can do to please me. If you want to live." Kennedy waved to one of the white coated technicians standing nearby. This man opened the door of a round cylinder and waited quietly at its side.

"This is a module that examines specimens. I would like you to enter the module. Then we will see what kind of man you are, Kona."

Kona frowned. His muscles began to bunch beneath his bonds. Dr. Dodd stepped in front of the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"I don't think he intends to harm you, Kona. You are too valuable to him," advised Dodd.

"Quite correct, Quarterback Dodd. This is the end I have been plotting for. It is certainly not my intention to harm the caveman. Especially if he is of the same race of the originators. You will note that no one has been killed. The incident with the Kraken was a small test. I was certain Kona would react as he did, and I was certain he would prevail over the mutation. To be honest,if he had not, I would have rescued you both.

"However, if you are not cooperative I can make it very painful for you, Kona," warned Kennedy.

"He will have to be stripped," said the technician.

Oh, yes," sighed Kennedy, "that's right. The machine will not operate properly if the specimen is examined in anything other than a pure condition. That means completely nude."

Kennedy barked short commands to his cat-men. Instantly four tommy guns were on Kona.

"We are going to release you, caveman. You will strip down and enter the examination chamber. Do you agree to this?" said Kennedy.

Kona smiled. And nodded. One of the cat-men stepped forward and cut ropes that bound Kona's wrists. He used Kona's own bayonet. Wordlessly, the Monarch of the Monster Isle removed his clothing. He walked over to the chamber and entered.

"So easy. I expected a little more trouble from you, caveman," said Kennedy. The technician closed the door to the examination chamber. The process of examination was begun.

Kona felt something like fingers running over his body. He waited for the examination to end with stoicism.

Kennedy leaned over his technicians shoulder. "Well, is he a match?"

"Yes, sir. It appears that he is."

Kennedy clapped his hands together happily. "Okay, get him out of there. Keep him covered, but be careful not to harm him. Put the guns away and handle him with restraint."

The chamber door was opened. Kona was gone.

"Where is he?" demanded Dr. Dodd. "Have you destroyed him?"

"Don't be a fool, Dodd. Destroying him is the last thing I want to do. Damn, I should have anticipated this. Or something like it. He's gone. Transported away to an unknown destination. The computer did it on its own."

"Transported away?" questioned Dodd.

"Yeah. Some sort of teleportation. Creatures can be sent to different places. What do you think the Cave of Mutations was? I'll tell you: it was a giant receptacle for genetic failures and random experiments. It seems the originators didn't destroy their work, even if it was unsatisfactory. They just put it somewhere else. Like the Cave of Mutations. God knows where Kona went," explained Kennedy. "We may have lost him."


He was cold. Hard, frost crusted ground beneath his bare feet. A biting breeze pierced his skin and chilled his bones. Kona laughed. Yes he was cold: cold and free!

The Monarch of the Monster Isle was well acquainted with cold places. He had traveled the world, and one of those places had been the arctic circle. Tough as he was he would have to acquire some sort of clothing before too long. Yet all he could see before him was endless tundra.

The sun was strangely positioned. It was difficult for him to determine what time of day it was. He was not sure in which direction he should travel. He chose one randomly and set out at a dog trot toward the sun.


She pulled up next to him in her all terrain vehicle. Leaning out the open window she smiled and asked, "Hi, remember me? I'm Felene. Need a lift?"

Kona was not hip enough to appreciate the mod question. His reply was cave man simple.

"Kona must return to free Dr. Dodd. But Kona does not know which way to go," said the Monarch of the Monster isle as he climbed into her jeep.

"He's being held by Kennedy. I know where he is," Felene informed him. Gunning the motor, she shifted quickly through the gears. Kona grabbed a support railing to avoid being tossed out of the vehicle.

"You're going to have to cover up, Kona. Its pretty cold out here. And its going to get colder. I have some blankets in the back you can wrap around yourself."

As the catlike woman drove the ATV with reckless abandon, Kona rummaged through her bags until he pulled out a blanket. It was difficult to fashion clothes under the unsettling circumstances of riding in the back of a bouncing jeep, but the cave man managed. Soon he was leaning forward to watch where they were going with keen interest.

"Felene is very good driver," Kona said with a smile. The jeep hit a bump and soared in the air. Kona laughed when it returned to the ground hard.

"Enhanced reflexes," purred the woman as she turned away from a large hole in the ground. "Good for more things than fighting. If I were a man I'd try to make a living out of racing cars. But the circuit isn't ready for a lady racing champion yet."

"Are you one of Kennedy's tribe?" asked the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

Felene took her eyes off the road and glared at Kona. "Once, not any more. He wants me back, but I won't go. . He must have thrown a fit when I left with the medallion."

"Why did you want the medallion?"

"It opens doors. Its a key to the workings of the alien installation. Kennedy wants them all in his possession so no one but he can enter his alien installation. That's why he sent Kaat after me. The big idiot would have done anything for Kennedy. And to think, that fool was supposed to be my first mate," said the cat-woman.

"Its true then, that you were not his woman."

She laughed; bitterly. "No, jungle man, I wasn't. I was an experiment. To see if his treatment would work on the female of the species. I am the first woman altered by the alien machines to be a human with cat genes grafted into her DNA. What an honor?"

"You do not like Kennedy." stated Kona.

"How observant. He treated me like an animal. Wanted to breed me with his male subjects to see if we could produce viable offspring. I am not an animal! I will not be treated as one," screeched Felene. Her voice had risen sharply above the wind.

"Good. Then Kona and Felene will give Kennedy a big lesson," said the cave man with a broad smile.


They crouched by the mound. Night had frozen the air. Even Kona was cold. Apparently the cave-man had not been teleported far from the installation. It had been lucky that Felene had spotted him on her way back to the nearest town. She had decided to spend the evening in the relative comfort of a warm hotel room rather than camped out in her jeep.

"Kennedy has no outside security to speak of. None is needed since no one can get into the installation without a medallion. Kennedy got in originally with one he had found at a south Pacific archeological site. Since you say the one I stole is back in Dr. Dodd's safety deposit box we can't get in because we don't have one," explained Felene.

"Where is the door? Perhaps we can force it open?" suggested Kona.

Snickering, the cat-woman led him to a ditch which ran along the mound's south side. She scraped away some of the overgrown moss and dirt to reveal a dull grey metal.

"King Kong couldn't force that door open, Kona. The metal covering of this installation could resist artillery fire," she said.

Kona pushed more of the dirt and moss away. It dropped easily from the door because of recent openings. There was a depression where a medallion should be placed to open it. Further examination discovered nothing significant. Kona pressed his strength against the door. It was unyielding.

"See what I mean?" taunted Felene.

Frustrated, Kona smashed his palm against the metal. He jabbed his thumb into the medallion depression. As if by magic the door slid open.

Guided by instinct, the cave man stepped beyond the doorway and seized the cat man who had been lounging against the wall. Half asleep, the cat-man fell before Kona's hammerlike fist.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Felene as she watched Kona strip the guard of his tommy-gun. Although a cave man, Kona was well versed in modern weapons.

"Kona has opened door. Now let's teach Kennedy a lesson," growled the Monarch of the Monster Isle.

"Yes, but how, Kona?"

"Does it matter, now? How many cat-men does Kennedy have here?"

"Only a handful. Our only problem is protecting your friend from injury. Kennedy might use him as a hostage."

"Kona will protect Dr. Dodd. It may not be necessary. Dr. Dodd is a man capable of protecting himself," said the cave man as he glided down a short dark hallway.

They came to an elevator. Its controls were strange. Neither knew which buttons to push.

"Now what, cave man?" asked the woman.

"We look for a stairway," replied Kona. Turning he and the cat-woman searched every bit of the large retaining room their were in. Luck was with them when the did discover a small staircase winding down to the compartments below.

"How did you know?" asked Felene.

"Kona didn't know. But what creature digs only one passage to its lair. Most small ground animals have at least two exits or entrances to their inner den. It is instinct," said the Monarch the Monster Isle.

As silently as possible they descended on the tightly winding stairs until they came to another door. This door opened without difficulty, and the two found themselves in a well lit room facing the elevator that they hadn't been able to use. Unfortunately there were three cat-men in this room. None of them were armed with guns, yet they were not less dangerous for that because of the natural weaponry of their claws and fangs.

Disdaining to use his gun in fear that he would alert Kennedy and his other forces to their presence, Kona launched himself at the three cat-men with silent determination. Although she was just a female of the species, Felene followed with claws unsheathed and lips curled back to uncover her fighting fangs.

If the cat-men had been surprised by Kona and Felene's appearance, they got over it quickly. Realizing that there were only two attacking them, and one of them was a female, they regained their confidence and sprang to meet their attackers.

Kona's fist smashed into the jaw of the first cat-man. Although this feline creature had tried to pull his head away from Kona's attack, he had succeeded only partially. Kona still broke his jaw and sat him on his rump. The cave man kicked the stunned cat-man in the chest, flattening him out, and leaped over his limp body to face the next foe.

Razor sharp claws tore into the blanket covering Kona's body. The cave man slammed into his enemy until their chests crashed together. Powerful arms circled the cat-man's back and began to bring a terrible quick pressure to his spine. The cat-man tried to tear at Kona's face with his fangs, but the Monarch of the Monster Isle, a veteran of hundreds of close combats to the death, smashed his rock hard forehead into the cat-man's face. Kona grunted and pulled with all his strength in one savage twist until his enemy's back splintered under the insane pressure.

The third cat-man had leaped at Kona. A swift beautiful form hit him from the side and they both tumbled together into a corner of the room. After a brief struggle, the male reared up over the female, his face contorted by rage with his fangs sprouting from a widely opened mouth, and he pinned her to the floor in preparation for delivering the killing strike. Across the room a shrill scream split the tension. Felene's attacker stole a glance and saw his comrade sag over Kona's brawny arms. The cave man hurled his broken victim’s body away and sprang at the cat-man mounted on Felene.

The third cat-man abandoned the female and turned to meet Kona's charge. His claws raked Kona's arms and slipped by without further harming the cave man. Kona locked his arms a round the cat-man's neck and hurled him to the flow with a headlock toss. He drove his knee into the cat-man's throat and smashed his fist into his face. Stunned, the cat-man offered little resistance to the twist that broke his neck.

Kona pulled his bayonet from the third cat-man's belt. He gazed at it lovingly; the return of an old friend.

Felene purred as she rolled to her feet. "What a man," she murmured with a soft smile. Curiously, she displayed no loyalty to these beaten cat-men despite the fact that she was of their race.

"Now we find Dr. Dodd," commanded the Monarch of the Monster Isle.


At that moment Dr. Dodd was examining some of the control panels in the central control room. Standing behind him, with a large complacent grin on his face, was Kennedy.

"This is all mine now, Dodd. With it comes wealth, power and prestige. And much more," said Kennedy.

"This should be studied by scientists. Why do you have to keep it all to yourself? What's the purpose of that selfishness?" questioned Dodd.

Kennedy lifted an eyebrow. He was surprised at Dodd's question. He had thought the answer was obvious.

"Power, what else, Quarterback Dodd. Control the biology of species and you control unlimited power. Already certain military people are interested in my cat-men. They make superb supersoldiers. But that's just the beginning. The potential for medical advancement alone may make me billions," explained Kennedy proudly.

Dr. Dodd stepped closer to Kennedy. There was a smoothness to the man's face where there should be lines of age. Kennedy was as old as Dodd, in his middle fifties, yet he showed little sign of aging.

"What can be learned here should benefit all mankind," insisted Dodd, "not just one man."

"Mankind will benefit, after I have." Kennedy walked over to a table and picked up a steel rod. He tossed the heavy rod to Dodd.

"That's steel. Feels solid, doesn't it," said Kennedy.

Dodd nodded.

"Give it back," demanded Kennedy. After Dodd tossed it, he caught it with one hand and grasped the other end with the other. Straining, his face turning red with effort, Kennedy bent the bar and tossed it on the floor. The clang broke the gasp of silence for Dodd.

"See, Dodd. I have already benefited. I'm not ready to share that benefit yet. I want to be the best man for a while. In all the world there is none stronger than me. None better." Kennedy said these things proudly. Dr. Dodd remembered the young athlete he had played with back in their college days. Kennedy had been so consumed with winning. With being the best. Had that obsession turned into ruthless megalomania?

"That remains to be seen," said Dr. Dodd quietly.

Kennedy laughed. "Are you thinking of your cave man? He lived because he is a key to the final solution of the mystery. If he is one of the people who built this place, or one of their descendants, then his life is invaluable.

"Unless there are more. And I think there may be. Still, Kona is a known. I will get him again."

"You don't know Kona," said Dodd. "What others? Have you discovered something about Kona's people?"

"All in good time, Quarterback Dodd. Its rather pleasant to speak with you, after being among these ignorant mutants. You understand me. If you do not oppose me things will go well for you," promised Kennedy.

Dodd looked his captor in the eye. "I stand by my convictions and against anyone who opposes them."

"Still the humanitarian. Still a champion of the masses. Well, don't be concerned. You opposition is nothing to me. There is no one who can oppose me."

A clear voice entered the room. "There is Kona."

Kennedy whirled to find the Monarch of the Monster Isle standing in the doorway. Behind him was his errant cat-woman. Kona stood with his arms akimbo and a stern expression on his face. Kennedy laughed.

"You will serve me, cave man. I am the stronger man. It is time for your lesson in futility," proclaimed Kennedy.

Kona stepped forward. His hands dangled loosely at his sides, but his eyes blazed fire. "Kona hears. Kennedy wants to be king. Chief bull of the herd. These things Kona understand very well.

"But where Kona goes, he is master. Even in the lair of Kennedy."

"Kona, watch out! He has some kind of superstrenght," declared Dodd. Suddenly, Dr. Dodd remembered that Kennedy had been quite a boxer and wrestler in college, as well as a football player. "Let's find out who is the better man," said Kennedy with a smile. He launched himself at Kona. The cave man let him close. He never thought of pulling his bayonet. As Kennedy hurled a straight left at Kona, the Monarch of the Monster Isle shifted his head and the fist whistled past. Kona lifted his right hand and jammed his thumb roughly into the hollow of Kennedy's throat. Panic and pain forced Kennedy's chin down as he instinctively tried to protect his throat. Kona head butted him in the face and smashed his nose flat. Kennedy's world went white. Kona dropped low and seized his leg. Kennedy felt his leg being pulled, twisted and then his knee splintered. With a startled scream he hit the floor. Kona leaped into the air and dropped his heel on Kennedy's stomach. Something ruptured inside; Kennedy curled up into a ball to escape the agony.

Kona began to twist Kennedy's neck.

Kona paused in order to speak. "You are strong. Kona saw you bend the metal bar. Kona has faced many strong beasts and monsters. Kona is still Monarch of the Monster isle, and you are no more than a monster."

Dr. Dodd rushed over and restrained his friend. "No, Kona. You can't just kill him. He's finished. Beaten."

Letting Kennedy's head drop, Kona rose from his defeated enemy with a snarl on his lips.

Felene stalked up next to Kona. "My, my, you're one tough dude. Kennedy bragged to us how great a boxer he was. Never laid a glove on you."

"Kennedy was so certain of his own strength, that he forgot Kona is strong too," said the cave man. What do we do now, Dr. Dodd?"

"Let's see if we can help Kennedy. After that, I'm not sure," said Dodd. He realized that the implications of this place were gigantic. Global. At that moment Dodd was somewhat overwhelmed by the immensity of the situation. The installation represented power beyond anything he had ever known before. It presented the possibility of absolute control over Mankind's biological destiny. It was a discovery that made the discovery of Atomic Energy microscopic in proportion.

"We'll tackle that later, Kona. Help me take Kennedy to the research room. There may be something there that can aid him."


The room was dark with shadows. Dr. Dodd sat in the master chair and gazed dully at the monitor before him. On it was projected a picture of the white haired people who may have created the installation. He reflected on evidence that pointed to Kona as being one of those people. After he had entered the examination chamber, the machine had acted to protect Kona by displacing him to somewhere out of harms way. And Kona had told Dodd that he had opened the outside door to the installation by pressing his thumb onto the key pressure plate. In addition to these facts there was the undeniable truth of Kona's uniqueness. His strength, hardiness and ability to survive extremely dangerous situations was heroic. Far beyond any other man Dodd had ever known, and Dodd had known many in a long career of action and adventure.

Beyond the issue of who built the installation, there was the decision to be made regarding what agencies to reveal it to. The world was in the grip of fear under the specter of atomic warfare and the Cold War. In Dodd's opinion the world wasn't ready for a technological leap that the installation would provide. Dodd shuddered under the weight of global responsibility.

Leaning forward he hid his face in his hands. This was a monster he wasn't sure he had the strength to defeat.

"Dr. Dodd," came the familiar deep voice of Kona. "Things cannot be so bad." The Monarch of the Monster Isle came up and placed his hand on Dodd's shoulder.

"I don't know what to do, Kona. Who should I tell about this place? The army? The CIA? The president? Can any of them be trusted with this discovery?"

Kona was silent for a long moment. Then he stepped in front of Dodd.

"On the Monster Isle it is simple. Fight to survive. Unite against a strong enemy. Strike quickly or die. But here it is different. There is no need to strike, Dr. Dodd. No need to act quickly. Kennedy has been disposed. We are monarchs of this place. It is in our hands. Our gift to give. If you are not certain what to do today, then do nothing. Do not let Time be your enemy."

Dr. Dodd smiled up at his old comrade in arms. "You're right, Kona. Kennedy is incapacitated and the few people he had here are acting cooperative. My decision can wait a while until I'm certain. In the words of the immortal mistress of Tara, 'Tomorrow is another day.' Let the monster wait."


THE END

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