ize, and I saw now that they
were an intense shade of blue, with a pupil of extraordinary proportion.
Her nose was well shaped, but the nostrils were slightly flattened, and
the orifices were rather more elongated than I had ever seen before. The
mouth was utterly fascinating, and her teeth, revealed by her engaging
smile, were as perfect as it would be possible to imagine.

The great mane of hair which enveloped her was, as I have said, tawny in
hue, and almost translucent, like the stems of some seaweeds I have
seen. And as she raised one slim white hand to brush back some wisps
that floated by her face, I saw distinctly the webs between her
fingers. They were barely noticeable, for they were as transparent as
the fins of a fish, but they were there, extending nearly to the last
joint of each finger.

* * * * *

As her face came close to my own, I became aware of the humming,
crooning sound I had heard before, louder this time. I could see, from
the movement of her throat, that I had been correct in assuming that she
was attempting to speak with me. I smiled back at her and shook my head.
She seemed to understand, for the sound ceased, and she studied me with
a little thoughtful frown, as though trying to figure out some other
method of communication.

I pointed upward, for I was feeling the need for fresh air again, and
slowly mounted the ladder. This time she did not grasp me, but watched
me intently, as though understanding what I did, and the reasons for
it.

"Bring one of your gadgets over here, Mercer," I called across the pool.
"I think I'm making progress."

"Good boy!" he cried, and came running with two of the antennae, the
long insulated cords trailing behind him. Through the water the girl
watched him, evident dislike in her eyes. She glanced at me with sudden
suspicion as Mercer handed me the two instruments, but made no hostile
move.

"You won't be able to stay in the water with her," explained Mercer
rapidly. "The salt water would short the antennae, you see. Try to get
her to wear one, and then you get your head out of water, and don yours.
And remember, she won't be able to communicate with us by words--we'll
have to get her to convey her thoughts by means of mental pictures. I'll
try to impress that on her. Understand?"

* * * * *

I nodded, and picked up one of the instruments. "Fire when ready,
Gridley," I commented, and sank