between Naida and the cacique.

"Yes," he spat out, "the Duca! Will you summon him, or--"

He did not repeat what he would do as an alternative. A second passed in
silence. It seemed as if the cacique who had been speaking was ready to
burst.

"Answer me!" Kirby thundered.

And then the priest obeyed.

"Very well," he growled in a voice which quaked with rage. "I obey. But
you will wish you had never made the demand!"

The next second he swung on his heel, and leaving his company behind as
a guard, headed toward a stair which led upward from one side of the
amphitheatre, and which was protected by a door of heavy, grilled metal
work. The stairway seemed to be spiral, and was all enclosed. Kirby
realized that it must lead into the tall and beautiful tower of obsidion
which he had seen outside.

"Oh," Naida whispered as looks and smiles of approval came from all of
the girls, "you have been magnificent! Mark now, what we must do. You
must be the one to state our terms, because you have already won a
victory for us. Tell the Duca that we will not submit to any compromise
with the ape-men, and least of all will we let any of our number go to
the ape-men."

A deep flush crept into Kirby's cheeks at thought of what he would like
to do to the man who had proposed that sacrifice.

"Then tell him," Naida continued, "that we want men brought to our world
from the world above. And finally tell him we will live under his
dictatorship no longer, and hereafter demand a voice in all councils
affecting temporal affairs."

"All right," Kirby spoke grimly. "I'll tell him. Naida, is this high
priest we're waiting for, the one who proposed sacrifice of some of you
to the apes?"

Naida nodded.

* * * * *

Next moment, she, Kirby, and all the others, including the row of
glowering caciques, became silent. At sounds from above, all looked
toward the grilled doorway to the tower. Then Kirby realized that all of
the girls, as well as the caciques, were dropping to their knees.

"No!" he commanded quickly. "Get up! You must not abase--"

He had not finished, and Naida had scarcely risen, when the heavy door
swung on noiseless hinges.

The light in the amphitheatre seemed to become more intense. Then,
against the great glow, Kirby beheld majesty, beheld one who represented
the apotheosis of priestly rank and power.

Clad in robes of filmy material which glimmered white beside the gray
robes of