e would rather return to Savissa, where at least the people
were free and the Amazon warriors kept ceaseless watch on their
frontiers. Closana, of course, was very anxious to return home.

"Suits me, too," Angus rumbled, "in that country they at least show a
proper respect for a man of my attainments."

"Meaning your whiskers?" Gerry asked.

"Look out, Angus," Closana warned with a smile, idly running her slender
fingers along the keen edge of her dagger. "Some Savissan princess will
choose you for her husband as I have chosen Geree here."

"I told you we wouldn't talk about that for the present...." Gerry
began. Closana's hand moved swiftly as a striking dakta. The keen blade
bit through the cloth of Gerry's sleeve and pinned it to the table top.

"You'll never get away from me, Geree," the girl said quietly. Angus
McTavish burst out in a great roar of laughter.

"Might as well admit you're licked now, lad! These Venusian women seem
to be verra strong minded lassies!"

* * * * *

They started two days later. There was, of course, neither night nor day
in the sub-aqueous halls of Luralla but the outlaws ran their lives on a
normal schedule. Sarnak supplied Gerry and the others with rubber
uniforms and complete equipment including the thin bladed water-swords
in the long feathery scabbards.

"I will have you guided out to one of our exits that is a quarter mile
off shore from the place where the dakta hunt was held," Sarnak offered.

"I thought that water was a lake," Gerry said. Sarnak shook his head.

"No. It is an estuary, an arm of the Great Sea. The chemical tanks on
your water helmets will keep the air pure for several days travel, and
the sentries at the last outpost will give you trained saddle-dolphins
so that you will make better time toward the coastal regions of
Savissa."

Sarnak went with them to the guardroom at the edge of the water filled
passages, and personally checked over their equipment.

"These are our new type of helmet with the audiphones that let the
wearers talk to each other under water," he said, touching the tiny
microphones set into the curved glass. "Well--you had better start. May
the Dragon Gods be with you!"

They strapped on their helmets and adjusted the valves. A uniformed
guide stepped into the water-lock with them. Sarnak shook hands,
saluted, and then stepped back through the door which closed behind him.
The guide lifted his hand in a