y
then--how Baar had captured her in her home while she was waiting for
Miela and me, and how two of his men had brought her here to the Water
City by boat at once.

That was all she knew, except that this house was the headquarters of
Tao's emissaries, who, it appeared, were now allied with Baar and his
party.

Anina whispered all this to Mercer when her mother had finished.

"Let's get out of here," said Mercer.

The responsibility of two women, especially the elder Lua, who could not
fly, weighed suddenly upon him, and his first thought was to get back to
the Great City at once.

Anina helped her mother into the boat.

"Wait," she whispered to Mercer. "I hear what they say. You wait here."

She went to the foot of the steps and began climbing them cautiously.

"Not on your life, I won't wait here," Mercer muttered to himself, and,
gripping the light-ray cylinder firmly as though he feared it might get
away from him, he joined Anina on the stairway.

Slowly, cautiously they made their way upward. The steps were fairly wide,
and they went up almost side by side. From near the top they could see a
portion of the room above.

The corner of a table showed, around which a number of men were gathered,
eating. A woman was moving about the room serving them.

Their words, from here, were plainly audible. Mercer would have gone a
step or two higher, without thought of discovery, but Anina held him back.
"Wait, Ollie. I hear now what they say."

They stood silent. The men were talking earnestly. Mercer could hear their
words, but of course understood nothing he heard.

"What do they say, Anina?" he whispered impatiently after a moment.

"Baar is here with two or three of his men. He talks with Tao's men. They
talk about men from Twilight Country. Waiting for them now. Speak of
storm. Worried--because men do not come. Waiting for light-ray."

"They'll have a long wait," Mercer chuckled. "Let's get out of here,
Anina."

He must have made a slight noise, or perhaps he and Anina, crouching there
on the stairs, were seen by some one above. He never knew quite how it
occurred, but, without warning, a man stood at the opening, looking down
at them.

There was a shout, and the room above was in instant turmoil. Mercer lost
his head. Anina pulled at him and said something, but he did not hear her.
He only knew that they had been discovered, and that most of their enemies
in the Water City were crowded together in th