him, bent well forward as hewalked, forcing himself ahead against the resistance of the water. Alltheir movements were sluggish and slow, but the heavily leaded sandalsheld them down and gave their feet purchase.
* * * * *
Small fishes swam past them along the passage, their round eyes peeringin through the helmet glasses as they passed. Clumps of colored sea-weedgrew out from the walls and ceiling, their long streamers waving gentlyin the slow currents set up by the passage of the men. In spite of thebrightness of the light from the ceiling plates, the effect of the watermade it difficult to see far down the passage ahead. The outlines ofSlag were clear enough as he plodded along directly ahead of Gerry, buteverything beyond him was a little blurred and uncertain. It was likeliving in a mirage.
At last they came to a point where the passage branched. Here theypassed a sentry who wore a glass helmet and a tight fitting green rubberuniform. On his chest was the insignia of a rampant black dragon. He wasarmed with a very thin, almost needle-like sword whose point was razorkeen. Gerry realized the reason for that peculiarly designed weapon whenthe sentry swung his sword upward to salute their guide. The blade wasso thin that it offered little resistance to the water, and its power ofbeing quickly wielded made it a far more effective weapon under waterthan a heavier sword would have been.
They passed more branching passages, and more rubber-clad sentries whostared at them curiously as they went by. There was a whole network ofcorridors in this underwater world! At last Slag opened a metal door atthe end of the particular passage he had followed, and they all crowdedinto a small room. Slag closed the door and dogged it, then tapped on aglass panel across the room.
A silvery flood of air bubbles came pouring out the end of a pipe thatprotruded through the wall. At the same time Gerry heard the thud ofheavy pumps starting to suck water through gratings at the base of thewall. The water level dropped rapidly. When it was down to their waists,Slag took off his helmet and slipped the leaded sandals from his feet.He motioned to the others to do the same.
"We are about to enter the hidden realm of Luralla, the home of theDragon's Teeth!" he said. "If you can prove your right to be here youwill be welcome. Otherwise you will go back into one of thesewaterlocks--without any helmets on."
He grinned cheerfully.
* * * * *
The water dropped below the level of the door sills. The pumps suckednoisily on the last few foaming inches for a moment, and then theyceased. The inner door was opened by a sentry whose tight fitting greenuniform with its black dragon was made of dry cloth instead of drippingrubber. He wore a plumed metal helmet, and carried a heavy sword insteadof one of the thin water blades.
"Come in, Slag," he said, "who are these strangers?"
They were in a sort of guardroom, a square chamber where glass waterhelmets stood in long rows on metal shelves and many weapons hung inracks on the walls. The control levers of the pumps were just to theleft of the door. There were half a dozen uniformed men standing aboutthe room, one of them bearing the silver insignia of an officer on hischest. When Slag had given a hasty account of the coming of Gerry andthe others, the officer nodded toward an inner door.
"Prince Sarnak has just returned. You will find him in the great hall.Take these strangers there."
The sound of music and laughter, and the confused babel of many voices,came to Gerry's ears as soon as the far door was opened. They entered avast hall. It was low ceiled, as were all the water-locked chambers ofthis strange place, but it was broad and spacious. Heavy stone columnscarved like giant sea-horses supported the roof. Patterns of sea-weedand star fish and other denizens of the deep were inter-mingled withrearing dragons in the painted designs along the walls. The room wasfilled with wide tables flanked by long benches.
The men and women who sat at the tables, or stood gossiping in noisygroups in corners of the hall, were nearly all of the Green People ofGiri, but there were a few escaped Golden Amazons who came flockingeagerly around Closana. In outward appearance these green skinned menand women were similar to the folk who lived in the city overhead withtheir scaly masters, but there was a subtle difference. These people hadnone of the cowed and subjugated air of the citizens who lived aboveground. There was a different look in their eyes, a more confident notein their voices, a firmer set to their shoulders. These folk had the airof free men and warriors, not slaves.
A stocky and merry eyed man caught sight of them and came stridingacross the hall. It was Sarnak, the man who had been tethered next tothem in the field of the dakta hunt.
"Welcome to the halls of Luralla!" he boomed, "we are glad to have youcome to the hidden realm of the Dragon's Teeth. _Hiziren_ and comrades,these are the outlanders from afar who freed me this afternoon so that Iand a dozen more of our people escaped death at the hands of the ScalyOnes!"
"Thrice hail!" roared the crowd, while a hundred blades flashed in thegolden light. Angus McTavish wrung the water out of his dripping beard.
"These look like men of spirit," he rumbled cheerfully, "I think I'mgoing to enjoy myself again."
* * * * *
A little later, wearing dry clothes, the three of them sat down withSarnak and his officers at a table in the corner of the hall. Younggirls brought them dishes of fried sea-urchins, and broiled steaks ofthe grappa fish, and other savory dishes.
"We who call ourselves the Dragon's Teeth are outlaws descended fromoutlaws," Sarnak explained. "Our ancestors were men and women who neveracknowledged the rule of the Scaly Ones when they overran this oncepleasant land of Giri. I was born in this hidden place, as was my fatherbefore me and his father before him. We live here in the water-lockedHalls of Luralla, and harass the tyrants in what ways we can, and try tokeep alive the traditions and glory of the old days when the DragonKings ruled in this city and the Scaly Ones were still lurking in theirVaaka marshes to the westward."
"Does Lansa know of this place?"
"He knows that the Dragon's Teeth exist, as all rulers of the Scaly Oneshave known it, but the location of our hiding place has never beenbetrayed."
"Then," roared Angus, pounding his big fist on the table till the dishesrattled, "why don't you revolt? I'll go with you myself to strike a blowagainst those reptile skinned devils up above!"
"Count me in, too!" Gerry said quietly.
Angus' voice had boomed out through the big hall. It was answered by alilting shout as men sprang to their feet. Hundreds of sword bladesflashed clear of their scabbards. Only Sarnak himself remained seated,slowly shaking his head. There was a twisted smile on his broad andheavily lined face. His eyes held bitterness.
"It would only be pointless suicide, _hiziren_!" he said grimly. "Wenumber only about a thousand all together, we hunted men of the Dragon'sTeeth, against the countless thousands of Lansa's scaly hordes. It wouldbe different if our countrymen up above could be inspired to a massuprising, but the time is not yet. Too long have they lived under therule of the tyrants. They are cowed. They have lost their spirit, andsome of the younger ones have even become fawning satellites of theconquerors! If there comes a day when the forces of the Scaly Ones areengaged in some major war along the frontier, as in this suggestedassault upon the barrier forts of Savissa that Lansa is said to beplanning, then we may be able to do something. For the present we mustcontinue to lie hidden and bide our time."
Gerry Norton was uncertain about his own course. Now that the _Viking_and her crew had been lost, with all hope of a return to Earth cut off,he felt hopelessly adrift. Sarnak urged his visitors to stay in Luralla.The place was a remarkable engineering feat, completely under water andwith its air constantly re-conditioned and preserved, but Gerry feltrestless and cramped there. Though the outlaws carried on a constantguerilla warfare with the Scaly Ones, it was all on a small scale. Gerryfelt that he would rather return to Savissa, where at least the peoplewere free and the Amazon warriors kept ceaseless watch on theirfrontiers. Closana, o
f course, was very anxious to return home.
"Suits me, too," Angus rumbled, "in that country they at least show aproper respect for a man of my attainments."
"Meaning your whiskers?" Gerry asked.
"Look out, Angus," Closana warned with a smile, idly running her slenderfingers along the keen edge of her dagger. "Some Savissan princess willchoose you for her husband as I have chosen Geree here."
"I told you we wouldn't talk about that for the present...." Gerrybegan. Closana's hand moved swiftly as a striking dakta. The keen bladebit 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. AngusMcTavish burst out in a great roar of laughter.
"Might as well admit