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"But why should you seek revenge upon us?" asked Clia. "We have never harmed you." "That is true," replied Zog. "I bear you no personal ill will. But you are friends of my great enemy, King Anko, and it will annoy him very much when he finds that you have been destroyed by me. I cannot hurt the rascally old sea serpent himself, but through you I can make him feel my vengeance."
Your eyes are merely deceived by magic." "Ah, I understand," said Aquareine, nodding her pretty head. And then she took Mayre's hand and swam boldly forward, while Cap'n Bill followed holding the hand of Clia. And behold! the marble wall melted away before them, and they found themselves in a chamber more splendid than even the fairy mermaids had ever seen before.
They were now in the wide, open sea, with liberty to go wherever they wished, and if Cap'n Bill could have "had his way," he would have gone straight home and carried Trot to her mother. But the mermaids must be considered. Aquareine and Clia had been true and faithful friends to their earth guests while dangers were threatening, and it would not be very gracious to leave them at once.
The light always shines just as you see it now, and we sleep whenever we are tired and rise again as soon as we are rested." "What causes the light?" Princess Clia asked. "It's magic, your Highness," said the cook solemnly. "It's one of the curious things Zog is able to do.
"I s'pose there are no winding roads in the ocean," remarked the child, swimming swiftly beside her new friend. "Oh yes indeed. At the bottom, the way is far from being straight or level," replied Clia. "But we are in mid-water now, where nothing will hinder our journey, unless " She seemed to hesitate, so Trot asked, "Unless what?" "Unless we meet with disagreeable creatures," said the Princess.
"Will you allow me to guide you, Cap'n Bill?" asked the blonde mermaid, extending her hand to the old sailor. "Of course, ma'am," he said, taking her fingers rather bashfully. "My name is Merla," she continued, "and I am cousin to Princess Clia. We must all keep together, you know, and I will hold your hand to prevent your missing the way."
Neither Cap'n Bill nor Trot liked this gloom, for it made them nervous not to be able to see their enemies. "We must be near a sea cavern, if not within one," whispered Princess Clia, and even as she spoke the network of scarlet arms parted before them, leaving an avenue for them to swim out of the cage.
But the princess, reading her thought, said with a smile, "Yes, there is a roof, or we would be unable to keep all the sea people out of our palace. But the roof is made of glass to admit the light." "Glass!" cried the astonished child. "Then it must be an awful big pane of glass." "It is," agreed Clia. "Our roofs are considered quite wonderful, and we owe them to the fairy powers of our queen.
"Do you know what Zog intends to do to us next?" asked Princess Clia. "No," said Sacho, "but it is reasonable to guess that, being evil, he intends evil. He never intends to do good, I assure you." Then the boy went away. "I am no longer afraid," declared the Mermaid Queen when they were alone.
"I'd just as soon," replied Trot rather timidly, but she boldly followed the princess, who glided through another arch into another small room where several mermaids were reclining upon couches of coral. They were beautifully dressed and wore many sparkling jewels. "Her Majesty is awaiting the strangers, Princess Clia," announced one of these. "You are asked to enter at once."
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