nds till the water floats them again. But here I had
neither the knowledge nor the dexterity, and, thought I, now the High
Gods will show finally if They wish this woman who has defiled them to
reign on in Atlantis, and if also They wish me to serve as her husband.

I cried these things in my heart, and waited to receive the omen. There
was no half-answer. A great wave rose in the lagoon behind us, a wave
such as could have only been caused by an earth tremor, and on its sleek
back we were hurled forward and thrown clear of the reefs with their
seaweeds licking round us, without so much as seeing a stone of the
barrier. I bowed my head as I rowed on towards the harbour forts. It was
plain that not yet would the High Gods take vengeance for the insults
which this lovely woman had offered Them.

The sentries in the two forts beat drums at one another in their
accustomed rotation, and in the growing dusk were going to pay little
enough attention to the fishingboat which lay against the great chain
clamouring to have it lowered. But luckily a pair of officers were
taking the air of the evening in a stone-dropping turret of the roof
of the nearer fort, and these recognised the tone of our shouts. They
silenced the drums, torches were lowered to make sure of our faces, and
then with a splash the great chain was dropped into the water to give us
passage.

A galley lay inside, nuzzling the harbour wall, and presently the ladder
of ropes was let down from the top of the nearest fort, and a crew came
down to man the oars. There were the customary changes of raiment too,
given as presents by the officers of the fort, and these we put on in
the cabin of the galley in place of the sodden clothes we wore. There
are fevers to be gained by carrying wet clothes after sunset, and though
from personal experience I have learned that these may be warded off
with drugs, I noticed with some grim amusement that the Empress had
sufficiently little of the Goddess about her to fear very much the
ailments which are due to frail humanity.

The galley rowed swiftly across the calm waters of the harbour, and made
fast to the rings of gold on the royal quay, and whilst we were waiting
for litters to be brought, I watched a lantern lit in the boat
which stood guard over Phorenice's mammoth. The huge red beast stood
shoulder-deep in the harbour water, with trunk up-turned. It was tamed
now, and the light of the boat's lantern fell on the little rippl