Elees yawned. "I could go to bed with all my clothes on." She sat on her bed--and swayed backward. The utter lethargy was pulling Roya into her own invitingly soft bed. "Who needs ... clothes off...." Elees was beyond answering. Roya, too, relaxed into the dreamless depths. Toka tossed down the rustling covers of his bed. Sleep weighted his eyelids and pulled at his consciousness. Not even bothering to remove battle knives, Rok and Old Ledo were sprawling into their beds. Sandals, battle knife and all, Toka stretched out on his bed and sank into its wonderful softness. "Been a ... big day...." Rok and Old Ledo could not answer. Toka let the restful void take him. II Toka's dreamless slumber seemed to have lasted but moments. The ceiling was just returning to its full light of day as Toka sat up. The beds of Rok and Old Ledo were empty. And Toka's weapons were nowhere to be found! He was into the girls' room. Nothing! He was to the pool. Nothing. He stepped to the lounge room. The emptiness mocked him. Why couldn't he have seen that drowsiness last night was abnormal! Hot anger spread through Toka. _If anyone had harmed Roya_.... Picking up a stone lounge, Toka slammed it to the doors. The heavy lounge shattered--the doors stood impervious. Why hadn't he and Rok used their battle-axes when they had the chance! The great doors suddenly opened and the cortege was there. Toka's voice was a whip. "Where are my comrades!" Alota bowed servantly. "Only the Council Of Kosanna's Old Ones may now answer Toka's divine testing." If only these princesses were men so a man could beat a straight answer out of them! "Then take me to the Old Ones at once!" Toka strode into the Hall Of Life and followed Alota. Toka scarcely noted another pair of scenes--one showing him and his party asleep last night, the other portraying his quarters awry and him whaling that lounge against the doors. Alota was touching her wand to a pair of great doors on her left, to reveal a golden stairway leading up in a broad spiral. Alert, Toka leaped up the long spiral to a pair of gigantic black doors. They swung away and Toka stepped through. He was on a broad black terrace that circled a vast court. A golden light diffused through the domed roof. In mid-court a huge crystal sphere rested atop a black sculpture of nude maidens. Seated in great chairs around the far half of the court were twelve men in voluminous black robes. Above flowing white beards their features displayed the withering of antiquity. Their silvery eyes never wavered from Toka. "O Great Prince Toka," a mellow contralto intoned, "Queen Kolano and the Old Ones welcome your divine presence!" In the huge black chair directly between the twelve Old Ones sat a woman surpassing in beauty all Kosanna's princesses. Her attire was the typical green scantiness--brilliantly jeweled. "Where are my friends and weapons!" Toka's demand rang in the vaulted court.