anse.

"We're under," the Very Young Man remarked with relief. "Do you know
where Loto is from here?"

Aura had recovered her self-possession sufficiently to smile.

"I might, perhaps," she answered, with a pretty little shrug. "But it's
a long way, don't you think? A hundred miles, it may be?"

"We get large here," said the Very Young Man, with an answering smile.
He was greatly relieved to be outside the audience room; the way seemed
easy before them now.

They took the opposite drug, and after several successive changes of
size, succeeded in locating the upper room in the palace in which Loto
was held. At this time they were about the same relative size to their
enemies as when they entered the audience chamber on the floor below.

"That must be it," the Very Young Man whispered, as they cautiously
turned a hallway corner. A short distance beyond, in front of a closed
door, sat two guards.

"That is the room of which they spoke," Aura answered. "Only one door
there is, I think."

"That's all right," said the Very Young Man confidently. "We'll do the
same thing--go under the door."

They went close up to the guards, who were sitting upon the floor
playing some sort of a game with little golden balls. This door, like
the other, had a space beneath it, rather wider than the other, and in
ten minutes more the Very Young Man and Aura were beneath it, and inside
the room.

As they grew larger again the Very Young Man at first thought the room
was empty. "There he is," cried Aura happily. The Very Young Man looked
and could see across the still huge room, the figure of Loto, standing
at a window opening.

"Don't let him see us till we're his size," cautioned the Very Young
Man. "It might frighten him. And if he made any noise----" He looked at
the door behind them significantly.

Aura nodded eagerly; her face was radiant. Steadily larger they grew.
Loto did not turn round, but stood quiet, looking out of the window.

They crept up close behind him, and when they were normal size Aura
whispered his name softly. The boy turned in surprise and she faced him
with a warning finger on her lips. He gave a low, happy little cry, and
in another instant was in her arms, sobbing as she held him close to her
breast.

The Very Young Man's eyes grew moist as he watched them, and heard the
soft Oroid words of endearment they whispered to each other. He put his
arms around them, too, and all at once he felt very big and v