he comes to you at the risk of his life, and now
asks your commands."

Thus did my chief of police explain satisfactorily to himself, and with
great protestations of loyalty to his trust, how it came about that he and
his men did nothing while their king was being murdered and another put in
his place.

Recriminations seemed useless. He stood bowing and scraping before me,
eager only to obey my slightest wish.

"Tell him, Miela, how Baar's men captured Lua. Have the city, thoroughly
searched--Baar's house particularly. Tell him _I_ killed Baar's wife. Have
that slave woman sent home to me.

"Tell him to capture Baar and any of his known associates. If he does,
have him report to me at once. Say to him that I must have word of Lua--or
I'll have a new chief of police by to-morrow. For the rest, have his men
patrol the city as usual."

I spoke as sternly as I could, and the little man received my words with
voluble protestations of extreme activity on his part.

When he had bowed himself out I smiled at Miela hopelessly.

"This has got to be a mighty different government before we can ever hope
to accomplish anything against Tao." Tao was not worrying me for the
moment. Lua must be found, and I had no idea of relying entirely upon this
little chief of police to find her. And Mercer needed me, too, this very
evening.

I stood up wearily and put my arm about Miela's shoulders. Her little body
drooped against mine, her head resting on my shoulder. There was little
about us then, as we stood there dispirited and physically tired out, that
would have commended respect from our subjects.

"We _must_ get some sleep, Miela," I said. "Things will look very
different to us then."

It must have been mid-afternoon when we awoke. Ano was at hand to report
that Baar and his men, and all the king's guards, must have fled the city.
Of Lua he had, so far, found no trace. Baar's slave woman was in the
castle, waiting our commands. The girl who had brought us Mercer's message
was also waiting to ask us when we wanted her and the other girls for the
trip back to the Twilight Country.

"Right away," I exclaimed. "I'm not going to take any chances with Mercer.
We'll start at once."

The girl flew away to get her friends and the platform, which had been
left in the garden of Miela's home. I planned to start openly from the
castle roof; there was now no need of maintaining secrecy.

The disappearance of Lua was alarming. Equally s