fairy circles, don't we, Migg?"
"Ho, ho!" laughed the monster on the other side; "we do, Slibb, my boy;
and we don't think much of fairy circles, either!"
"They have foiled our enemies many a time," declared the Princess, with
much dignity.
"Ha, ha!" laughed one; "that's why we're here now."
"Ho, ho!" laughed the other; "we've learned a trick or two, and we've
got you fast this time."
Then all the sea devils--those above and the one behind, and the two
on the sides--laughed all together, and their laughter was so horrible
that it made even Trot shudder.
[Illustration]
But, now the queen stopped short, and the others stopped with her.
"I will go no farther," she said, firmly, not caring if the creatures
overheard her. "It is evident that these monsters are trying to drive
us into some secret place, and it is well-known that they are in
league with Zog the Terrible, whom they serve because they are as
wicked as he is. We must be somewhere near the hidden castle of Zog, so
I prefer to stay here rather than be driven into some place far more
dangerous. As for the sea devils, they are powerless to injure us in
any way. Not one of the thousand arms about us can possibly touch our
bodies."
The only reply to this defiant speech was another burst of horrible
laughter; and now there suddenly appeared before them still another of
the monsters, which thus completely hemmed them in. Then the creatures
began interlacing their long arms--or "feelers"--until they formed a
perfect cage around the prisoners, not an opening being left that was
large enough for one of them to escape through.
The mermaids and the girl and sailorman kept huddled close together,
for, although they might be walled in by the sea devils, their captors
could not touch them because of the protecting magic circles.
All at once Trot exclaimed: "Why, we must be moving!"
This was startling news, but by watching the flow of the water past
them they saw that the little girl was right. The sea devils were
swimming, all together, and as the cage they were in moved forward our
friends were carried with it.
Queen Aquareine had a stern look upon her beautiful face. Cap'n Bill
guessed from this look that the mermaid was angry, for it seemed much
like the look Trot's mother wore when they came home late to dinner.
But however angry the queen might be, she was unable to help herself or
her guests just now, or to escape from the guidance of the dreaded sea
devils. The rest of the party had become sober and thoughtful, and in
dignified silence they awaited the outcome of this strange adventure.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: _Chap. 12._
THE ENCHANTED ISLAND]
All at once it grew dark around them. 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. There was
brighter water ahead, too, so the queen said, without hesitation:
"Come along, dear friends; but, let us clasp hands and keep close
together."
They obeyed her commands and swam swiftly out of their prison and into
the clear water before them, glad to put a distance between themselves
and the loathesome sea devils. The monsters made no attempt to follow
them, but they burst into a chorus of harsh laughter which warned our
friends that they had not yet accomplished their escape.
The four now found themselves in a broad, rocky passage, which was
dimly lighted from some unknown source. The walls overhead, below them
and at the sides all glistened, as if made of silver, and in places
were set small statues of birds, beasts and fishes, occupying niches in
the walls and seemingly made from the same glistening material.
The queen swam more slowly, now that the sea devils had been left
behind, and she looked exceedingly grave and thoughtful.
"Have you ever been here before?" asked Trot.
"No, dear," said the Queen, with a sigh.
"And do you know where we are?" continued the girl.
"I can guess," replied Aquareine. "There is only one place in all the
sea where such a passage as that we are in could exist without my
knowledge, and that is in the hidden dominions of Zog. If we are indeed
in the power of that fearful magician we must summon all our courage to
resist him, or we are lost!"
"Is Zog more powerful than the mermaids?" asked Trot, anxiously.
"I do not know, for we have never before met to measure our strength,"
answered Aquareine. "But if King Anko could defeat the magician, as he
surely did, then I think I shall be able to do so."
"I wish I was sure of it," muttered Cap'n Bill.
Absolute silence reigned in the silver passage. No fish were there;
not even a sea flower grew to relieve the stern grandeur of this vast
corridor. Trot began to be impressed with the fact that she was a good
way from her home and mother, and she wondered if she would ever get
back again to the white cottage on the cliff. Here she was, at the
bottom of the great ocean, swimming through a big tunnel that had an
enchanted castle at one end, and a group of horrible sea devils at the
other! In spite of this thought she was not very much afraid. Although
two fairy mermaids were her companions, she relied, strange to say,
more upon her tried and true friend Cap'n Bill, than upon her newer
acquaintances to see her safely out of her present troubles.
Cap'n Bill himself did not feel very confident.
"I don't care two cents what becomes o' me," he told Princess Clia, in
a low voice, "but I'm drea'ful worrited over our Trot. She's too sweet
an' too young to be made an end of in this 'ere fashion."
Clia smiled at the speech.
"I'm sure you will find the little girl's end a good way off," she
replied. "Trust to our powerful queen, and be sure she will find some
means for us all to escape uninjured."
[Illustration]
The light grew brighter as they advanced, until finally they perceived
a magnificent archway just ahead of them. Aquareine hesitated a
moment whether to go on, or turn back; but there was no escaping the
sea devils behind them, and she decided the best way out of their
difficulties was to bravely face the unknown Zog, and rely upon her
fairy powers to prevent his doing any mischief to herself or her
friends. So she led the way, and together they approached the archway
and passed through it.
They now found themselves in a vast cavern, so great in extent that
the dome overhead looked like the sky when seen from the earth. In the
center of this immense sea cavern rose the towers of a splendid castle,
all built of coral inlaid with silver, and having windows of clear
glass.
Surrounding the castle were beds of beautiful sea flowers, many being
in full bloom, and these were laid out with great care in artistic
designs. Goldfish and silverfish darted here and there among the
foliage, and the whole scene was so pretty and peaceful that Trot began
to doubt there was any danger lurking in such a lovely place.
As they paused to look around them, a brilliantly colored gregfish
approached and gazed at them curiously with his big, saucer-like eyes.
"So Zog has got you at last!" he said in a pitying tone. "How foolish
you were to swim into that part of the sea where he is powerful."
"The sea devils made us," explained Clia.
"Well, I'm sorry for you, I'm sure," remarked the Greg, and with a
flash of his tail he disappeared among the sea foliage.
"Let us go to the castle," said the Queen, in a determined voice. "We
may as well boldly defy our fate as to wait until Zog seeks us out."
So they swam to the entrance of the castle. The doors stood wide open
and the interior seemed as well lighted as the cavern itself, although
none of them could discover from whence the light came.
At each side of the entrance lay a fish such as they had never seen
before. It was flat as a doormat, and seemed to cling fast to the
coral floor. Upon its back were quills, like those of a porcupine, all
pointed and sharp. From the center of the fish arose a head shaped
like a round ball, with a circle of piercing, bead-like eyes set in
it. These strange guardians of the entrance might be able to talk and
to tell what their numerous eyes saw, yet they remained silent and
watchful. Even Aquareine gazed upon them curiously, and she gave a
little shudder as she did so.
Inside the entrance was a domed hall, with a flight of stairs leading
to an upper balcony. Around the hall were several doorways hung with
curtains made of woven seaweeds. Chairs and benches stood against the
wall, and these astonished the visitors because neither stairs nor
chairs seemed useful in a kingdom where every living thing was supposed
to swim and have a fish's tail. In Queen Aquareine's palaces benches
for reclining were used, and stairs were wholly unnecessary; but in
the Palace of Zog the furniture and fittings were much like those
of a house upon earth, and, except that every space was here filled
with water instead of air, Trot and Cap'n Bill might have imagined
themselves in a handsome earthly castle.
The little group paused half fearfully in the hall, yet so far, there
was surely nothing to be afraid of. They were wondering what to do
next, when the curtains of an archway were pushed aside and a boy
entered. To Trot's astonishment he had legs, and walked upon them
naturally and with perfect ease. He was a delicate, frail looking
little fellow, dressed in a black velvet suit with knee breeches. The
bows at his throat and knees were of colored seaweeds, woven into broad
ribbons. His hair was yellow, and banged across his forehead. His eyes
were large and dark, with a pleasant, merry sparkle in them. Around
his neck he wore a high ruff, but in spite of this Trot could see that
below his plump cheeks were several scarlet-edged slits that looked
like the gills of fishes, for they gently opened and closed as the boy
breathed in the water by which he was surrounded. These gills did not
greatly mar the lad's delicate beauty, and he spread out his arms and
bowed low and gracefully in greeting.
"Hello," said Trot.
"Why, I'd like to," replied the boy, with a laugh, "but, being a mere
slave, it isn't proper for me to hello. But it's good to see earth
people again, and I'm glad you're here."
"We're not glad," observed the girl; "we're afraid."
"You'll get over that," declared the boy, smilingly. "People lose a lot
of time being afraid. Once I was myself afraid, but I found it was no
fun, so I gave it up."
"Why were we brought here?" inquired Queen Aquareine, gently.
"I can't say, madam, being a mere slave," replied the boy. "But, you
have reminded me of my errand. I am sent to inform you all that Zog
the Forsaken, who hates all the world and is hated by all the world,
commands your presence in his den."
"Do you hate Zog, too?" asked Trot.
"Oh, no," answered the boy. "People lose a lot of time in hating
others, and there's no fun in it at all. Zog may be hateful, but I'm
not going to waste time hating him. You may do so, if you like."
"You are a queer child," remarked the Mermaid Queen, looking at him
attentively. "Will you tell us who you are?"
"Once, I was Prince Sacho of Sacharhineolaland, which is a sweet
country, but hard to pronounce," he answered. "But in this domain I
have but one title and one name, and that is 'Slave.'"
"How came you to be Zog's slave?" asked Clia.
"The funniest adventure you ever heard of," asserted the boy, with
eager pride. "I sailed in a ship that went to pieces in a storm. All
on board were drowned but me--and I came mighty near it, to tell the
truth. I went down deep, deep into the sea, and at the bottom was Zog,
watching the people drown. I tumbled on his head and he grabbed and
saved me, saying I would make a useful slave. By his magic power he
made me able to live under water, as the fishes live, and he brought me
to this castle and taught me to wait upon him, as his other slaves do."
"Isn't it a dreadful, lonely life?" asked Trot.
"No, indeed," said Sacho; "we haven't any time to be lonely, and the
dreadful things Zog does are very exciting and amusing, I assure
you. He keeps us guessing every minute, and that makes the life here
interesting. Things were getting a bit slow an hour ago, but now that
you are here I'm in hopes we will all be kept busy and amused for some
time."
"Are there many others in the castle besides you and Zog?" asked
Aquareine.
"Dozens of us. Perhaps hundreds. I've never counted them," said the
boy. "But Zog is the only master; all the rest of us are in the same
class, so there is no jealousy among the slaves."
"What is Zog like?" Cap'n Bill questioned.
At this the boy laughed, and the laugh was full of mischief.
[Illustration]
"If I could tell you what Zog is like it would take me a year," was the
reply. "But I can't tell you. Every one has a different idea of what
he's like, and soon you will see him yourselves."
"Are you fond of him?" asked Trot.
"If I said yes, I'd get a good whipping," declared Sacho. "I am
commanded to hate Zog, and being a good servant I try to obey. If
anyone dared to like Zog I am sure he'd be instantly fed to the
turtles; so I advise you not to like him."
"Oh, we won't," promised Trot.
"But we're keeping the master waiting, and that is also a dangerous
thing to do," continued the boy. "If we don't hurry up Zog will begin
to smile, and when he smiles there is trouble brewing."
The queen sighed.
"Lead the way, Sacho," she said. "We will follow."
The boy bowed again, and going to an archway held aside the curtains
for them. They first swam into a small anteroom which led into a long
corridor, at the end of which was another curtained arch. Through this
Sacho also guided them, and now they found themselves in a cleverly
constructed maze. Every few feet were twists and turns, and sharp
corners, and sometimes the passage would be wide, and again so narrow
that they could just squeeze through in single file.
"Seems like we're gettin' further into the trap," growled Cap'n Bill.
"We couldn't find our way out o' here to save our lives."
"Oh, yes we could," replied Clia, who was just behind him. "Such a maze
may indeed puzzle you, but the queen or I could lead you safely through
it again, I assure you. Zog is not so clever as he thinks himself."
The sailor, however, found the maze very bewildering, and so did Trot.
Passages ran in every direction, crossing and recrossing, and it seemed
wonderful that the boy Sacho knew just which way to go. But he never
hesitated an instant. Trot looked carefully to see if there were any
marks to guide him, but every wall was of plain, polished marble, and
every turning looked just like all the others.
Suddenly Sacho stopped short. They were now in a broader passage, but
as they gathered around their conductor, they found further advance
blocked. Solid walls faced them, and here the corridor seemed to end.
"Enter!" cried a clear voice.
"But we can't!" protested Trot.
"Swim straight ahead," whispered the boy, in soft tones. "There is no
real barrier before you. 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.
[Illustration: _Chap. 13._
PRISONERS _OF THE_ SEA MONSTER]
The room in the enchanted castle which Zog called his "den," and in
which the wicked sea monster passed most of his time, was a perfectly
shaped dome of solid gold. The upper part of this dome was thickly set
with precious jewels--diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, which
sparkled beautifully through the crystal water. The lower walls were
as thickly studded with pearls, all being of perfect shape and color.
Many of the pearls were larger than any which may be found upon earth,
for the sea people know where to find the very best, and hide them away
where men cannot discover them.
The golden floor was engraved with designs of rare beauty, depicting
not only sea life, but many adventures upon land. In the room were
several large golden cabinets, the doors of which were closed and
locked, and in addition to the cabinets there were tables, chairs and
sofas, the latter upholstered with softest sealskins. Handsome rugs of
exquisitely woven seaweeds were scattered about, the colors of which
were artistically blended together. In one corner a fountain of air
bubbled up through the water.
The entire room was lighted as brilliantly as if exposed to the direct
rays of the sun, yet where this light came from our friends could not
imagine. No lamp or other similar device was visible anywhere.
The strangers at first scarcely glanced at all these beautiful
things, for in an easy chair sat Zog himself, more wonderful than any
other living creature, and as they gazed upon him their eyes seemed
fascinated, as if held by a spell.
Zog's face was the face of a man, except that the tops of his ears
were pointed like horns and he had small horns instead of eyebrows,
and a horn on the end of his chin. In spite of these deformities the
expression of the face was not unpleasant, or repulsive. His hair was
carefully parted and brushed, and his mouth and nose were not only
perfect in shape, but quite handsome.
Only the eyes betrayed Zog and made him terrible to all beholders. They
seemed like coals of glowing fire, and sparkled so fiercely that no one
ever cared to meet their gaze for more than an instant. Perhaps the
monster realized this, for he usually drooped his long lashes over his
fiery eyes to shut out their glare.
Zog had two well shaped legs which ended in the hoofs of beasts,
instead of feet, and these hoofs were shod with gold. His body was a
shapeless mass covered with richly embroidered raiment, over which a
great robe of cloth of gold fell in many folds. This robe was intended
to hide the magician's body from view, but Trot noticed that the cloth
moved constantly, in little ripples, as if what lay underneath would
not keep still.
The best features of which Zog could boast were his arms and hands,
the latter being as well formed, as delicate and white as those of a
well-bred woman. When he spoke, his voice sounded sweet and clear, and
its tones were very gentle. He had given them a few moments to stare at
him, for he was examining them, in turn, with considerable curiosity.
"Well," said he, "do you not find me the most hateful creature you have
ever beheld?"
The queen refrained from answering, but Trot said, promptly:
"We do. Nothing could be more horrider or more disgustin' than you are,
it seems to me."
"Very good; very good, indeed," declared the monster, lifting his
lashes to flash his glowing eyes upon her. Then he turned toward Cap'n
Bill. "Man-fish," he continued, "what do _you_ think of me?"
"Mighty little," the sailor replied. "You orter be 'shamed to ask sech
a question, knowin' you look worse ner the devil himself."
"Very true," answered Zog, frowning. He felt that he had received a
high compliment, and the frown showed he was pleased with Cap'n Bill.
But now Queen Aquareine advanced to a position in front of their captor
and said:
"Tell me, Zog; why have you trapped us and brought us here?"
"To destroy you," was the quick answer, and the magician turned for an
instant to flash his eyes upon the beautiful mermaid. "For two hundred
years I have been awaiting a chance to get within my power some friend
of Anko the Sea Serpent--of Anko, whom I hate!" he added, smiling
sweetly. "When you left your palace to-day my swift spies warned me,
and so I sent the sea devils to capture you. Often have they tried to
do this before, but always failed. To-day, acting by my command, they
tricked you, and by surrounding you, forced you to the entrance of my
enchanted castle. The result is a fine capture of important personages.
I have now in my power the queen and princess of the fairy mermaids,
as well as two wandering earth people, and I assure you I shall take
great enjoyment in destroying you utterly."
"You are a coward," declared the Queen, proudly. "You dared not meet us
in the open sea."
"No; I dare not leave this castle," Zog admitted, still smiling. "But
here, in my own domain, my power is supreme. Nothing can interfere with
my vengeance."
"That remains to be seen," said Aquareine, firmly meeting the gaze of
the terrible eyes.
"Of course," he answered, nodding his head with a graceful movement.
"You will try to thwart me and escape. You will pit your fairy power
against my powers of magic. This will give me great pleasure, for the
more you struggle the greater will be my revenge."
"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."
"The mermaids have existed thousands of years," said the Queen, in a
tone of pride. "Do you imagine the despised and conquered Zog has power
to destroy them?"
"I do not know," was the quiet answer. "It will be interesting to
discover which is the more powerful."
"I challenge you to begin the test at once, vile magician!" exclaimed
Aquareine.
"There is no hurry, fair Queen," answered Zog, in his softest tones.
"I have been so many years in accomplishing your capture that it is
foolish to act hastily now. Besides, I am lonely. Here, in my forced
retirement, I see only those uninteresting earth mortals whom I have
made my slaves, for all sea dwellers are forbidden to serve me save
the sea devils, and they dare not enter my castle. I have saved many
mortals from drowning and brought them here to people my castle, but I
do not love mortals. Two lovely mermaids are much more interesting, and
before I allow you to perish I shall have much amusement in witnessing
your despair, and your struggles to escape. You are now my prisoners.
By slow degrees I shall wear out your fairy powers and break your
hearts, as well as the hearts of these earth dwellers who have no magic
powers, and I think it will be a long time before I finally permit you
to die."
"That's all right," said Trot, cheerfully. "The longer I live the
better I'll be satisfied."
"That's how I feel about it," added Cap'n Bill. "Don't get in a hurry
to kill us, Zog; it'll be such a wear an' tear on your nerves. Jes'
take it easy an' let us live as long as we can."
"Don't you care to die?" asked the magician.
"It's a thing I never longed for," the sailor replied. "You see, we
had no business to go on a trip with the mermaids, to begin with. I've
allus heard tell that mermaids is dangerous, an' no one as met 'em ever
lived to tell the tale. Eh, Trot?"
"That's what you said, Cap'n Bill."
"So, I guess we're done for, one way 'r 'nother; an' it don't matter
much which. But Trot's a good child, an' mighty young an' tender. It
don't seem like her time has come to die. I'd like to have her sent
safe home to her mother. So I've got this 'ere propersition to make,
Zog: If your magic could make _me_ die twice, or even _three_ times fer
good measure, why you go ahead an' do it an' I won't complain. All I
ask is fer you to send this little girl safe back to dry land again."
"Don't you do it, Zog!" cried Trot, indignantly, and turning to Cap'n
Bill she added: "I'm not goin' to leave you down here in all this mess,
Cap'n, and don't you think it. If one of us gets out of the muddle
we're in, we'll both get out; so don't you make any bargains with Zog
to die twice."
Zog listened to this conversation very carefully.
[Illustration: MAKE ME DIE TWICE]
"The dying does not amount to much," he said; "it is the thinking
about it that hurts you mortals most. I've watched many a shipwreck at
sea, and the people would howl and scream for hours before the ship
broke up. Their terror was very enjoyable. But when the end came they
all drowned as peacefully as if they were going to sleep, so it didn't
amuse me at all."
"I'm not worrying," said Trot.
"Ner me," said Cap'n Bill. "You'll find we can take what comes jes' as
easy as anybody."