use they quickly sank into peaceful slumber
and forgot all the dangers that threatened them.

CHAPTER 17

THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN SWORD

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Trot, raising herself by a flirt of her
pink-scaled tail and a wave of her fins, "isn't it dreadful hot
here?"

The mermaids had risen at the same time, and Cap'n Bill came
swimming in from the Peony Room in time to hear the little girl's
speech.

"Hot!" echoed the sailor. "Why, I feel like the inside of a steam
engine!"

The perspiration was rolling down his round, red face, and he took
out his handkerchief and carefully wiped it away, waving his fish
tail gently at the same time.

"What we need most in this room," said he, "is a fan."

"What's the trouble, do you s'pose?" inquired Trot.

"It is another trick of the monster Zog," answered the Queen calmly.
"He has made the water in our rooms boiling hot, and if it could
touch us, we would be well cooked by this time. Even as it is, we
are all made uncomfortable by breathing the heated air."

"What shall we do, ma'am?" the sailor man asked with a groan. "I
expected to get into hot water afore we've done with this
foolishness, but I don't like the feel o' bein' parboiled, jes' the
same."

The queen was waving her fairy wand and paid no attention to Cap'n
Bill's moans. Already the water felt cooler, and they began to
breathe more easily. In a few moments more, the heat had passed from
the surrounding water altogether, and all danger from this source
was over.

"This is better," said Trot gratefully.

"Do you care to sleep again?" asked the Queen.

"No, I'm wide awake now," answered the child.

"I'm afraid if I goes to sleep ag'in, I'll wake up a pot roast,"
said Cap'n Bill.

"Let us consider ways to escape," suggested Clia. "It seems useless
for us to remain here quietly until Zog discovers a way to destroy
us."

"But we must not blunder," added Aquareine cautiously. "To fail in
our attempt would be to acknowledge Zog's superior power, so we must
think well upon our plan before we begin to carry it out. What do
you advise, sir?" she asked, turning to Cap'n Bill.

"My opinion, ma'am, is that the only way for us to escape is to get
out o' here," was the sailor's vague answer. "How to do it is your
business, seein' as I ain't no fairy myself, either in looks or in
eddication."

The queen smiled and said to Trot, "What is your opinion, my dear?"

"I think we might swim out the same wa