way. "They know we can't
get away," observed the sailor, "so they don't need to watch us."

"We could go into the Fog Bank again," suggested Trot.

"We could, mate, but we won't," answered Cap'n Bill. "If there's no way
for us to get clean off'n Sky Island, I'd rather stay with the Pinkies
than with the Blues."

"I wonder what they'll do with us," said Button-Bright. "The Queen
seems like a nice girl, and I don't think she'll hurt us, whatever
happens."

They walked freely along the circular street, seeing such sights as the
Pink City afforded, and then returned to Coralie's house for breakfast.
Coralie herself was not there, as she had been summoned to the Queen's
palace, but her husband looked after the guests, and when breakfast was
finished he said to them, "I am to take you to Tourmaline, who has
promised to decide your fate this morning. I am curious to know what
she will do with you, for in all our history we have never before had
strangers intrude upon us."

"We're curious, too," said Trot, "but we'll soon find out." As they
walked down the street, they observed that the sky was now covered with
dark clouds which entirely hid the sun.

"Does it ever rain here?" inquired Button-Bright.

"Certainly," answered Coralie's husband, "that is the one drawback of
our country: it rains quite often. And although it makes the flowers
and the grass grow, I think rain is very disagreeable. I am always glad
to see the rainbow, which is a sign that the sun will shine again."

"Looks like rain now," remarked Cap'n Bill.

"It does," said the man, glancing at the sky. "We must hurry, or we may
get wet."

"Haven't you any umbrellas?" asked Button-Bright.

"No, we don't know what umbrellas are," replied the Pinky man.

It did not rain at once, and they reached Tourmaline's wretched hut in
safety. There they found quite a number of Pinkies assembled, and a
spirited discussion was taking place when they arrived.

"Come in, please," said Tourmaline, opening the door for them, and when
they had entered, she placed a pinkwood bench for them to sit upon and
went back to her throne, which was a common rocking chair. At her right
were seated six men and women of the Sunrise Tribe, and on her left six
men and women of the Sunset Tribe, among the latter being Coralie. The
contrast between the plain, simple dress of the Queen and the gorgeous
apparel of her Counselors was quite remarkable, yet her beauty far
surpassed that of a