llo," said Trot.

"Why, I'd like to," replied the boy with a laugh, "but being a mere
slave, it isn't proper for me to hello. But it's good to see earth
people again, and I'm glad you're here."

"We're not glad," observed the girl. "We're afraid."

"You'll get over that," declared the boy smilingly. "People lose a
lot of time being afraid. Once I was myself afraid, but I found it
was no fun, so I gave it up."

"Why were we brought here?" inquired Queen Aquareine gently.

"I can't say, madam, being a mere slave," replied the boy. "But you
have reminded me of my errand. I am sent to inform you all that Zog
the Forsaken, who hates all the world and is hated by all the world,
commands your presence in his den."

"Do you hate Zog, too?" asked Trot.

"Oh no," answered the boy. "People lose a lot of time in hating
others, and there's no fun in it at all. Zog may be hateful, but I'm
not going to waste time hating him. You may do so, if you like."

"You are a queer child," remarked the Mermaid Queen, looking at him
attentively. "Will you tell us who you are?"

"Once I was Prince Sacho of Sacharhineolaland, which is a sweet
country, but hard to pronounce," he answered. "But in this domain I
have but one title and one name, and that is 'Slave.'"

"How came you to be Zog's slave?" asked Clia.

"The funniest adventure you ever heard of," asserted the boy with
eager pride. "I sailed in a ship that went to pieces in a storm. All
on board were drowned but me, and I came mighty near it, to tell the
truth. I went down deep, deep into the sea, and at the bottom was
Zog, watching the people drown. I tumbled on his head, and he
grabbed and saved me, saying I would make a useful slave. By his
magic power he made me able to live under water as the fishes live,
and he brought me to this castle and taught me to wait upon him as
his other slaves do."

"Isn't it a dreadful, lonely life?" asked Trot.

"No indeed," said Sacho. "We haven't any time to be lonely, and the
dreadful things Zog does are very exciting and amusing, I assure
you. He keeps us guessing every minute, and that makes the life here
interesting. Things were getting a bit slow an hour ago, but now
that you are here, I'm in hopes we will all be kept busy and amused
for some time."

"Are there many others in the castle besides you and Zog?" asked
Aquareine.

"Dozens of us. Perhaps hundreds. I've never counted them," said the
boy. "But Zog is the only master; all t