oke from the Englishman. The color
of the sunlight was changing. From east to west within the entire arc of
their observation rolled an endless billow of lavender light leaving a
placid sea of the same color behind it. On it swept, slowly driving back
the pink glow that had been over everything.

"I see you like our sunlight?" said Tradmos, half interrogatively.

"Never saw anything like it before."

"Yours is, I think, the same color all day long."

"Except on rainy days."

"Must be a great bore, monotonous--too much sameness. It is white, is it
not?"

"Yes, rather--between white and yellow, I call it."

"Something like our sixth hour, I suppose; this is the fourth hour of
morning. Then come blue, yellow, green, and at noon red. The afternoon
is divided up in the same way. The first hour is green, then follow
yellow, blue, lavender, rose, gray and purple. Yes, I should think you
would find yours somewhat tiresome."

"We can rely on it," said Johnston speaking for the first time and in a
wavering voice, "it is always there."

"Doing business at the old stand," laughed Thorndyke, attempting an
Americanism.

"Well, that is a comfort, anyway," said the captain seriously. "In my
time they have had no solar trouble, but some of the old people tell
horrible tales of a period when our sun for several days did not shine
at all."

"Can it be possible?" said the Englishman dubiously.

"Oh, yes; and the early settlers had a great deal of trouble in
different ways; but I am not at liberty to give you information on that
head. It is the king's special pleasure to have new-comers form their
own impressions, and he is particularly fond of noting their surprise,
and, above all, their approval. People usually come here of their own
accord through the influence of our secret force of agents all over the
earth, but you were brought because you happened to drop on our island
and would have found out too much for our good, and that red light you
kept burning night and day might have given us trouble. There is no
telling how long you could have kept alive on those clams."

"We meant no offence," apologized Thorndyke; "we----"

"Oh, I know it, I was only explaining the situation," interrupted the
officer.

"What is that bright spot to the right?" asked Thorndyke, to change the
subject.

"The king's palace; that is the dome. We shall soon be there. Now,
I must not talk to you any longer. Somebody may be watching us with
g