ng ball of electric white, three times the apparent diameter of the
sun. For a few minutes he was quite blind.

"My God!" he exclaimed. "If it's like this in early morning you must be
right enough about Blodsombre." When he had somewhat recovered himself
he asked, "How long are the days here, Joiwind?"

Again he felt his brain being probed.

"At this time of the year, for every hour's daylight that you have in
summer, we have two."

"The heat is terrific--and yet somehow I don't feel so distressed by it
as I would have expected."

"I feel it more than usual. It's not difficult to account for it; you
have some of my blood, and I have some of yours."

"Yes, every time I realise that, I--Tell me, Joiwind, will my blood
alter, if I stay here long enough?--I mean, will it lose its redness and
thickness, and become pure and thin and light-coloured, like yours?"

"Why not? If you live as we live, you will assuredly grow like us."

"Do you mean food and drink?"

"We eat no food, and drink only water."

"And on that you manage to sustain life?"

"Well, Maskull, our water is good water," replied Joiwind, smiling.

As soon as he could see again he stared around at the landscape. The
enormous scarlet desert extended everywhere to the horizon, excepting
where it was broken by the oasis. It was roofed by a cloudless, deep
blue, almost violet, sky. The circle of the horizon was far larger than
on earth. On the skyline, at right angles to the direction in which
they were walking, appeared a chain of mountains, apparently about forty
miles distant. One, which was higher than the rest, was shaped like a
cup. Maskull would have felt inclined to believe he was travelling in
dreamland, but for the intensity of the light, which made everything
vividly real.

Joiwind pointed to the cup-shaped mountain. "That's Poolingdred."

"You didn't come from there!" he exclaimed, quite startled.

"Yes, I did indeed. And that is where we have to go to now."

"With the single object of finding me?"

"Why, yes."

The colour mounted to his face. "Then you are the bravest and noblest
of all girls," he said quietly, after a pause. "Without exception. Why,
this is a journey for an athlete!"

She pressed his arm, while a score of unpaintable, delicate hues stained
her cheeks in rapid transition. "Please don't say any more about it,
Maskull. It makes me feel unpleasant."

"Very well. But can we possibly get there before midday?"

"Oh, ye