has washed this
away, or they'll go in the same fashion. Warn her to keep them back!"

* * * * *

I hurried toward the _Santa Maria_, thinking urgent warnings for
Imee's benefit. "Stay back! Stay back, Imee! The Rorn are falling to
the sand, we have made many of them dead, but the danger for you and
your people is still here. Stay back!"

"Truly, do the Rorn become dead? I would like to see that with my own
eyes. Be careful that they do not make you dead also, and your friend,
for they have large brains, these Rorn."

"Do not come to see with your own eyes, or you will be as the Rorn!" I
hurried around the submarine, to keep her back by force, if that were
necessary. "You must--"

"Help, Taylor!" cut in a voice--Mercer's. "These devils have got me!"

"Right with you!" I turned and hurried back as swiftly as I could,
stumbling over the bodies of dead Rorn that had settled everywhere on
the clean yellow sand.

I found Mercer in the grip of six of the shark-faced creatures. They
were trying desperately to stab him, but their knives bent and broke
against the metal of his armor. So busy were they with him that they
did not notice me coming up, but finding their weapons useless, they
suddenly snatched him up, one at either arm and either leg, and two
grasping him by the head-piece, and darted away with him, carrying his
bulging metal body between them like a battering ram, while he kicked
and struggled impotently.

"They are taking him to the Place of Darkness!" cried Imee suddenly,
having read my impressions of the scene. "Oh, go quickly, quickly,
toward the direction of your best hand--to your right! I shall
follow!"

"No! No! Stay back!" I warned her frantically. All but these six Rorn
had fallen victims of Mercer's hellish poison, and while they seemed
to be suffering no ill effects, I thought it more than likely that
some sly current might bring the deadly poison to the girl, did she
come this way, and kill her as surely as it had killed these hundreds
of Rorn.

* * * * *

To the right, she had said. Towards the Place of Darkness. I hurried
out of the village in the direction she indicated, towards the distant
gleam of Mercer's armor, rapidly being lost in the gloom.

"I'm coming, Mercer!" I called to him. "Delay them as much as you can.
You're going faster than I can."

"I can't help myself much," replied Mercer. "Doing what I can.
Strong-