Proud Prince Toka had faced--and outwitted--death
and disaster before. Yet in this weirdly glowing
underworld of Kosanna, peopled by the soft,
silvery-eyed ones, there waited a thing he
could not defy--destruction of his soul!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Planet Stories Summer 1948.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
_Once upon a time there was a world as bright and fair as youth.
It spun its green and golden beauty in an envelope of blue sky
while whirling around a blazing white sun.... But beneath the
enchanting surface of this world, in a blackness as deep as the
void of eternity, thirteen pairs of silvery eyes glowed at a
great crystal sphere. The cold air was strung with a thin thrumming
as twelve anciently quavering male voices rose and fell in echoing
chant._
"_Great Prince Toka comes--down the river of Brown of the Outer
World. O let the fishes be told! O let the choral begin! For the
time ordained is coming to pass!_"
* * * * *
In sun-gold briefs and matching sandals, Toka's lean muscled maleness
rippled as he swung the sweep pole of the racing raft. Ahead on each
bow corner were balanced the rangy Rok and the youthfully gray Old
Ledo, each with long pole ready to clear the swift raft through roiling
brown water. In mid-raft, the exquisitely blonde Roya and the sultry
dark Elees lounged carefreely on the great pelt of a saber-toothed Big
Cat.
There was a sudden familiar roar from the far right shore. The
colorfully flowered jungle spread away to rugged red hills that formed
the north shoulder of this great valley. Midway bulged a large grassy
butte, atop which was poised a colossal slick-skin dinosaur. Smiling,
Toka raised an arm to the distant reptile. Red eyes beaming fiercely,
the Big Snake yawned its cavernous maw and blasted away a mighty roar.
Roya laughed gayly. "All hail to Toka--Prince of Sandcliff and King of
the Dinosaurs!"
"Look smart ahead!" Old Ledo snapped suddenly.
The party's attention leaped back to the job of piloting the craft
through roaring white rapids. Then ahead stretched smooth brown water
again. To the left here, a long cliff towered up from the river.