Enemies of the System by Brian W. Aldiss

ceremony, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Family groups assembled round the central fire. An aged woman in a flowing gown emerged from the shadows and related, with plentiful gestures, what sounded like a long dull story.
    â€œThe father and the mother perform sexual intercourse, after which the child is born from inside the mother’s body,” said Burek, looking up from a reverie. “I saw a reconstruction of the event in a visionshow, and it must have been extremely painful, except that, as the saying has it, ‘The cow expects nothing but what happens to cows.’ You see these primitives also keep their children with them because they have no experts to teach them to grow adult properly, as with us. The whole science of adoleschematics has not been invented as far as these wretches are concerned.”
    â€œSome of them are eating now,” said Constanza. “At least we are not on their menu tonight. Rescue must arrive by morning. Why are the squads taking so long?”
    From a side-tunnel, platters of steaming food were emerging, carried by women in aprons. They were accompanied by a man with a big bag slung about his belly. He took tokens of some kind from everyone who accepted food. The watchers could not understand the meaning of this.
    Takeido sniffed. “Cooking smells good. Do we get any?”
    â€œInevitably, they are eating animal or else their fellows,” said Kordan. “Such a diet would make us ill.”
    â€œI would try it,” said Takeido. “Terror makes you hungry. I must eat or sit and scream.”
    â€œI have eaten animal and come to no harm,” said Dulcifer. Sotto voce , he added in Sygiek’s ear. “And I fancy you had to do so as part of your USRP training.”
    She silenced him by putting her fingers over his mouth.
    When the food scraps were being cleared away, the comparative quiet of the cavern was broken by the entry of capering animals.
    Two of them rushed in, followed by cave-dwellers with whips, which they cracked vigorously. These animals were immediately recognized as carnivores. The shape of their skulls was predetermined, not by cortical development, but by the large lower jaw, to which the rest of the head appeared subordinate. Fearsome fangs were in evidence, as the creatures snarled at their tormentors. Their bodies were lean, most of the musculature and weight going into shoulders, forelegs and hindlegs. For all their animality, and their spotted hide, the basic human form was apparent—most apparent when they pranced on their hindlegs. Garments had been tied round their necks and on their heads by their tormentors, increasing the effect of cruel parody.
    The leopard-like animals were driven round in a circle by their tormentors. The onlookers, sitting cross-legged with their children, clapped their hands and chanted monotonously. The chant rose to a crescendo. Gongs sounded again. With strange automatic gestures the tormentors dropped their whips, drew long swords and rushed in on the animals. Crying piteously, the leopards tried to escape. Their hindlegs had been shackled. After one or two thrusts they collapsed, writhing, and their bodies were seized and lifted high. Blood flowed. More chanting.
    Everyone rose. The killers led a procession round the whole cavern area and then into the pillared building. They fell silent.
    A tall man dressed in what aspired to be a uniform, with gloves, long boots, and a transparent helmet over his head, appeared from the darkness at the rear of the temple. He stood silent while the dead beasts were laid upon the stone before him. He dipped his hands in their blood. Then he strode over to the shadowy blocks of metal, where several attendants, also dressed in vestigial uniforms, waited. All began to rub and prod the arrangements of rods and casings. The audience took up a low chant.
    The tall man walked to a chair placed beside the metal arrangement. Deep drums throbbed. Their beat