e
people ringing in my ears, jumped backward with him to the roof below.

Thus, by swift moving circumstances which could not have been foreseen,
was I made ruler of the Light Country. The crowd dispersed quietly. We
sent the queen and her waiting maids back to her apartments, the aged
councilors to theirs, and soon Miela and I were alone in one of the castle
rooms.

Now that the nervous excitement under which I had been laboring was over,
I felt utterly exhausted. I dropped wearily into a seat, and Miela sat on
the floor at my feet with her arms on my knees.

I stroked her glossy black hair idly.

"I'm tired, girl. I'm all in. Aren't you?"

We had not slept since the afternoon before, and so much had happened
since.

Suddenly I remembered Lua.

"Miela--your mother. We must find her." I started to my feet, then sat
down again.

There was no use of my rushing away on some aimless search over a city
like this.

"Where is the head of the city's police, Miela?"

"I have sent for him. He should be here now to see you."

"I must have him search the city. Lua must be found. The castle guards--we
must appoint others, Miela. I must have a council, too--not doddering old
men, but others that we shall select. Who collects the taxes? Where is the
money? Who handles it?"

The questions piled upon me faster than I could voice them, and all the
while my tired brain and weary, aching body called only for rest--for
sleep.

I thought of Mercer and Anina. They should be back by now.

"We must send home and have them told we are here, Miela. And that slave
woman of Baar's--she will be there, too. She must be sent here to us
also."

We had decided to live in the castle.

"When Mercer and Anina return, we must arrange to go to the Water City.
The disturbance there must be quelled. All the cities must be told of our
actions here. I must visit them all, Miela."

My voice seemed trailing off as though I were talking to myself. A
thousand problems rushed in confusion through my mind. I felt I was
talking almost incoherently. A knock on the door of our room brought me to
myself.

A young girl stood respectfully on the threshold. Miela listened to what
she had to say, questioned her swiftly, and then turned to me. Her face
had gone suddenly white.

"The girls have returned from over the sea, Alan. This is one of them. But
Anina and our friend Ollie have stayed there."

"Stayed there?" I cried. "Why?"

"They set free T