nearly to full speed,
and as they swept past a house nearly collided with a punt that was
crossing behind it.

Mercer's nerves were still shaken. He handed Anina the light-ray cylinder.

"Here--take it, Anina. I don't want the cursed thing. Shoot it up into the
air. Somebody might try and stop us. That'll scare them. Careful you don't
hit anything!"

Anina played the light about in the air for a time, but soon there were so
many girls flying about she had to shut it off. A few minutes more and
they had passed the last of the houses, swept around the bend in the
river, and left the frightened city out of sight behind them.

They had left the river and, following close along shore, headed for the
bayous that led up to the Great City. The storm had now entirely passed,
leaving the daylight unusually bright and a fresh coolness in the air. The
sea was still rough, although not alarmingly so, and the boat made
comparatively slow progress. It was two hours or more--to Mercer it seemed
a whole day--before they were nearing the bayous. Anina was sitting by his
side in the center of the boat. Lua was steering.

"You hungry, Ollie?" the girl asked, smiling.

Mercer shook his head. He had forgotten they had intended to eat in the
Water City.

"I very hungry. Soon we--"

She stopped abruptly, staring up into the sky ahead of them.

Mercer followed her glance. A little black blob showed against the gray;
off to one side two other smaller black dots appeared.

"What's that?" cried Mercer, alarmed.

They watched a few moments in silence. Then Mercer took the cylinder, and
flashed its light into the air.

"If it's anybody connected with Tao, that'll show they'd better keep
away," he explained grimly.

Anina smiled. "Tao people cannot fly, Ollie."

A few moments more and they saw what it was. And within ten minutes they
had landed at the mouth of one of the bayous, and Miela and I were with
them.

CHAPTER XXV.

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

The months that followed were the busiest, I think, of my life. I began by
a complete reorganization of this government of which I found myself the
head. For the doddering old councilors of the late king I substituted men
whom I selected from among those of the city's prominent business men who
cared to serve.

The personnel of the police force I allowed to remain, for I soon saw they
were inclined to act very differently under me than under my predecessor.
The various other