The oldest patriarch was reverent. "Yes, fair Roya. All Kosanna wears Great Prince Toka's divine likeness." Toka glanced a warning to his startled comrades--_accept this situation and play along_. "Great Prince Toka," the patriarch bid. "Your palanquins await your divine pleasure." Toka lounged into the one bearing his likeness on its sides. Roya and the others occupied the rest. The procession wound through the city, into a great square packed with choraling Kosannans and toward a colossal statue that was Toka, even to his royally engraved weapons! On the great white altar base black braziers were being lit by beautiful girls. As the procession came beside the altar, a girl with a jeweled wand stepped down to march on the right side of Toka's palanquin. The way led on across the square and to a great white-and-gold stairway that rose away to an immense domed palace. All choraling abruptly ceased and the bearers gently lowered the palanquins. Toka and party stepped out. The old patriarch assumed a ceremonial pose. "O Great Prince Toka. No farther may we lowly ones travel." He bowed to the girl with the wand. "May you and the Princess Wanda now ascend to your divinely ordained tasks." Aware of Roya's sarcastically raised eyebrow, Toka played on. "Lead up, good Princess Wanda." Halfway up the long stairway, Rok frowned. "What gets me--" A great gong throbbed urgently. Wanda whirled. "O great Prince Toka! Your first test is at hand!" She raced away for the distant summit of the stairway. In moments the square and city below were deserted. Toka and the men formed a V around Roya and Elees. "What's that flapping sound?" Roya puzzled. Toka trained his eyes on that distant cavern into which the river vanished after passing Kosanna. And from that black hole shot six huge dragons! Mottled a pale yellow and green and equipped with great wings, their sinuous lengths tapered to a series of blue rattles. Their triangular skulls were set with unwinking pink eyes. From their upper jaws great yellow fangs curved down to vicious pin-points. As the dragons streaked for his party, Toka's powerful being sang for action and his great battle-ax was a whistling blur. His voice was cool. "Take their fangs first!" The dragons' huge rattles began vibrating angrily. One dragon shot on for the top of the stairway. Hissing viciously, the remaining ones ganged in for Toka and company. Toka's battle-ax cracked true and sent fangs spinning away. Clear venom dripping from the stumps, the dragon instantly recoiled in violent pain. But another came streaking in. Again Toka's battle-ax shot true in that one-two cracking and a second victim convulsed violently and collided with the angry others. All five were a wild melee over the square. A scream slashed through the din. Toka glanced. Blue tail coiled about Wanda, the sixth dragon was winging away. "Here they come again!" Rok warned.