few moments more they were standing beside one of the figures,
sheltered from sight by a corner of the mat upon which the man was
sitting. His foot, bent sidewise under him upon the floor, was almost
within reach of the Very Young Man's hand. The fibre thong that fastened
its sandal looked like a huge rope thick as the Very Young Man's ankle,
and each of its toes were half as long as his entire body.

Targo's brother, a younger man than those with him, appeared to be doing
most of the talking. He it was beside whom Aura and the Very Young Man
were standing.

"You tell me if they mention Loto," whispered the Very Young Man. Aura
nodded and they stood silent, listening. The men all appeared deeply
engrossed with what their leader was saying. The Very Young Man,
watching his companion's face, saw an expression of concern and fear
upon it. She leaned towards him.

"In Arite, to-night," she whispered, "Targo is organizing men to attack
the palace of the king. Him will they kill--then Targo will be
proclaimed leader of all the Oroid nation."

"We must get back," the Very Young Man answered in an anxious whisper.
"I wish we knew where Loto was; haven't they mentioned him--or any of
us?"

Aura did not reply, and the Very Young Man waited silent. Once one of
the men laughed--a laugh that drifted out into the immense distances of
the room in great waves of sound. Aura gripped her companion by the arm.

"Then when Targo rules the land, they will send a messenger to my
brother. Him they will tell that the drugs must be given to Targo, or
Loto will be killed--wait--when they have the drugs," Aura translated in
a swift, tense whisper, "then all of us they will kill." She shuddered.
"And with the drugs they will rule as they desire--for evil."

"They'll never get them," the Very Young Man muttered.

Targo's brother leaned forward and raised a goblet from the table. The
movement of his foot upon the floor made the two eavesdroppers jump
aside to avoid being struck.

Again Aura grasped her companion by the arm. "He is saying Loto is
upstairs," she whispered after a moment. "I know where."

"I knew it," said the Very Young Man exultingly. "You take us there.
Come on--let's get out of here--we mustn't waste a minute."

They started back towards the wall nearest them--some fifty feet
away--and following along its edge, ran down towards the doorway through
which they had entered the room. They were still perhaps a hundred yards