de what
is best for us to do now."

They were then less than a quarter of a mile from the stone quay that
marked the city's principal landing-place. Nearer to them was a broad,
sandy beach behind which, in a long string along the lake shore, lay the
city. Its houses were not unlike those of Arite, although most of them
were rather smaller and less pretentious. On a rise of ground just
beyond the beach, and nearly in front of them, stood an elaborate
building that was Targo's palace.

"We daren't go much closer," the Very Young Man said. "They'd recognize
us."

"You they would know for one of the strangers," said Aura. "But if I
should steer and you were hidden no one would notice."

The Very Young Man realized a difficulty. "We've got to be very small
when we go into the city."

"How small would you think?" asked Aura.

The Very Young Man held his hands about a foot apart. "You see, the
trouble is, we must be small enough to get around without too much
danger of being seen; but if we get too small it would be a terrible
walk up there to Targo's palace."

"We cannot sail this boat if we are such a size," Aura declared. "Too
large it would be for us to steer."

"That's just it, but we can't go any closer this way."

Aura thought a moment. "If you lie there," she indicated the bottom of
the boat under a forward seat, "no one can see. And I will steer--there
to the beach ahead; me they will not notice. Then at the beach we will
take the drug."

"We've got to take a chance," said the Very Young Man. "Some one may
come along and see us getting small."

They talked it over very carefully for some time. Finally they decided
to follow Aura's plan and run the boat to the beach under her guidance;
then to take the drug. There were few people around the lake front at
this hour; the beach itself, as far as they could see, was entirely
deserted, and the danger of discovery seemed slight. Aura pointed out,
however, that once on shore, if their stature were so great as a foot
they would be even more conspicuous than when of normal size even
allowing for the strangeness of the Very Young Man's appearance. The
Very Young Man made a calculation and reached the conclusion that with a
height of six or seven inches they would have to walk about a mile from
the landing-place to reach Targo's palace. They decided to become as
near that size as they conveniently could.

When both fully understood what they intended to do, the Ve