In The Sphere of Time By J. W. PELKIE Proud Prince Toka had faced--and outwitted--death and disaster before. Yet in this weirdly glowing underworld of Kosanna, peopled by the soft, silvery-eyed ones, there waited a thing he could not defy--destruction of his soul! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Planet Stories Summer 1948. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] _Once upon a time there was a world as bright and fair as youth. It spun its green and golden beauty in an envelope of blue sky while whirling around a blazing white sun.... But beneath the enchanting surface of this world, in a blackness as deep as the void of eternity, thirteen pairs of silvery eyes glowed at a great crystal sphere. The cold air was strung with a thin thrumming as twelve anciently quavering male voices rose and fell in echoing chant._ "_Great Prince Toka comes--down the river of Brown of the Outer World. O let the fishes be told! O let the choral begin! For the time ordained is coming to pass!_" * * * * * In sun-gold briefs and matching sandals, Toka's lean muscled maleness rippled as he swung the sweep pole of the racing raft. Ahead on each bow corner were balanced the rangy Rok and the youthfully gray Old Ledo, each with long pole ready to clear the swift raft through roiling brown water. In mid-raft, the exquisitely blonde Roya and the sultry dark Elees lounged carefreely on the great pelt of a saber-toothed Big Cat. There was a sudden familiar roar from the far right shore. The colorfully flowered jungle spread away to rugged red hills that formed the north shoulder of this great valley. Midway bulged a large grassy butte, atop which was poised a colossal slick-skin dinosaur. Smiling, Toka raised an arm to the distant reptile. Red eyes beaming fiercely, the Big Snake yawned its cavernous maw and blasted away a mighty roar. Roya laughed gayly. "All hail to Toka--Prince of Sandcliff and King of the Dinosaurs!" "Look smart ahead!" Old Ledo snapped suddenly. The party's attention leaped back to the job of piloting the craft through roaring white rapids. Then ahead stretched smooth brown water again. To the left here, a long cliff towered up from the river. The dark Elees seemed thrilled. "This is the way to travel!" Roya breathed happily. "From now on--" Toka stiffened as above the river's deep murmur came human voices in exquisite choraling. Roya glanced to Toka. "But there isn't a sign of human habitation anywhere!" Toka had already placed the direction. "In that cliff." Roya wrinkled her nose. "Rubbish." Then from that cliff came a strange wail. "Tooookaaaa!" It was repeated over and over. "Tooookaaaa! Tooookaaaa!"