The raft nosed around into a broad channel that curved lazily into a cavernous maw in the cliff. The walls and roof glowed with a soft light and the choraling of Toka's name came clear and stronger. Toka let the raft drift. "The river is certainly slow enough in there," Roya mused. "We could pole our way out easily enough," Elees reflected. Old Ledo looked at these impetuous ones. "We could not come back another time--when Sandcliff would know where we were going!" "But what can happen?" Rok protested. "We've got our battle-axes--even Elees and Roya have theirs!" Old Ledo's unimpressed glance went to mid-raft. There were three great black battle-axes and two smaller ones. In that instant Toka weighed the pro and con. "We'll go in a little way." Roya and Elees swiftly placed each man's battle-ax handy then balanced easily in mid-raft with their own light weapons. The lazy current guiding the raft, the men shipped their poles. Roya suddenly pointed over the side of the raft. "Look! glowing fish--in all colors!" "But how vicious looking!" Elees exclaimed. Roya reached into the party's food basket. "I'll toss them a porkchop!" The chop plopped into the river. The water churned violently--and calmed. The fish had devoured the chop almost instantly! The river was swarming with the vicious creatures now. And the raft was moving faster than the river--a school of the fish adhering to the craft and driving it! As Toka swiftly used the sweep, Rok and Old Ledo thrust their poles as brakes. But the water roiled violently and in instants the fish shredded sweep and poles off at the water line. Above the party's heads the choraling slowly rose in volume. As the raft rounded a huge bend, Toka felt his nerves tighten. The luminous cavern and its river straightened and flowed between colossal green pillars set close together from wall to wall and from roof down into the river. The raft was only twenty paces from the colossal grill and being driven inexorably toward it. The choraling of Toka's name came through even clearer.... "Look!" Roya exclaimed. * * * * * Rising silently, the massive columns hung from the roof like green fangs. The fish drove the raft on, and the columns descended with a watery whisper. The cavern widened. From the right bank, fields and forests stretched away. On the left bank was a city of spheroid structure. Massed along the banks and bridges, the choralers were human, their green attire but scantily adequate, their titian hair worn in a loop between the shoulders. The raft scraped gently against a wharf and Toka led his party ashore. As the patriarchal dignitaries stepped forward, Toka noted another universal characteristic--all these strange people had pale silvery eyes. But Roya was startled by something else. "Toka! Those figurines on their necklaces are perfect likenesses of you!"