d out.

But very soon the girls crept back.

'I don't like sacrifices,' Jane said. So she and Anthea went and talked
to the priest, who was no longer lying on his face, but sitting on the
top step mopping his forehead with his robe, for it was a hot day.

'It's a special sacrifice,' he said; 'usually it's only done on the
justice days every five years and six years alternately. And then they
drink the cup of wine with some of the bull's blood in it, and swear
to judge truly. And they wear the sacred blue robe, and put out all the
Temple fires. But this today is because the City's so upset by the odd
noises from the sea, and the god inside the big mountain speaking with
his thunder-voice. But all that's happened so often before. If anything
could make ME uneasy it wouldn't be THAT.'

'What would it be?' asked Jane kindly.

'It would be the Lemmings.'

'Who are they--enemies?'

'They're a sort of rat; and every year they come swimming over from the
country that no man knows, and stay here awhile, and then swim away.
This year they haven't come. You know rats won't stay on a ship that's
going to be wrecked. If anything horrible were going to happen to us,
it's my belief those Lemmings would know; and that may be why they've
fought shy of us.'

'What do you call this country?' asked the Psammead, suddenly putting
its head out of its bag.

'Atlantis,' said the priest.

'Then I advise you to get on to the highest ground you can find. I
remember hearing something about a flood here. Look here, you'--it
turned to Anthea; 'let's get home. The prospect's too wet for my
whiskers.' The girls obediently went to find their brothers, who were
leaning on the balcony railings.

'Where's the learned gentleman?' asked Anthea.

'There he is--below,' said the priest, who had come with them. 'Your
High Ji-jimmy is with the Kings.'

The ten Kings were no longer alone. The learned gentleman--no one had
noticed how he got there--stood with them on the steps of an altar, on
which lay the dead body of the black bull. All the rest of the courtyard
was thick with people, seemingly of all classes, and all were shouting,
'The sea--the sea!'

'Be calm,' said the most kingly of the Kings, he who had lassoed the
bull. 'Our town is strong against the thunders of the sea and of the
sky!'

'I want to go home,' whined the Psammead.

'We can't go without HIM,' said Anthea firmly.

'Jimmy,' she called, 'Jimmy!' and waved to him. He hear