The _Skylark_ fell in behind the submersible craft, close enough to keep it plainly visible in the telescopic visiplate. Finally the stranger stopped and rose to the surface between two rows of submerged pontoons which, row upon row, extended in every direction as far as the telescope could reach. "Well, Dot, we're where we're going, wherever that is." "What do you suppose it is? It looks like a floating isleport, like what it told about in that wild-story magazine you read so much." "Maybe--but if so they can't be fish," answered Seaton. "Let's go--I want to look it over," and water flew in all directions as the _Skylark_ burst out of the ocean and leaped into the air far above what was in truth a floating city. Rectangular in shape, it appeared to be about six miles long and four wide. It was roofed with solar generators like those covering the island just visited, but the machines were not spaced quite so closely together, and there were numerous open lagoons. The water around the entire city was covered with wave-motors. From their great height the visitors could see an occasional submarine moving slowly under the city, and frequently small surface craft dashed across the lagoons. As they watched, a seaplane with short, thick wings curved like those of a gull, rose from one of the lagoons and shot away over the water. "Quite a place," remarked Seaton as he swung a visiplate upon one of the lagoons. "Submarines, speedboats, and fast seaplanes. Fish or not, they're not so slow. I'm going to grab off one of those folks and see how much they know. Wonder if they're peaceable or warlike?" "They look peaceable, but you know the proverb," Crane cautioned his impetuous friend. "Yes, and I'm going to be timid like a mice," Seaton returned as the _Skylark_ dropped rapidly toward a lagoon near the edge of the island. "You ought to put that in a gag book, Dick," Dorothy chuckled. "You forget all about being timid until an hour afterwards." "Watch me, Red-top! If they even point a finger at us, I'm going to run a million miles a minute." No hostile demonstration was made as they dropped lower and lower, however, and Seaton, with one hand upon the switch actuating the zone of force, slowly lowered the vessel down past the reflectors and to the surface of the water. Through the visiplate he saw the crowd of people coming toward them--some swimming in the lagoon, some walking along narrow runways. They seemed to be of all sizes, and unarmed. "I believe they're perfectly peaceable, and just curious, Mart. I've already got the repellers on close range--believe I'll cut them off altogether." "How about the ray-screens?" "All three full out. They don't interfere with anything solid, though, and won't hurt anything. They'll stop any ray attack and this arenak hull will stop anything else we are apt to get there. Watch this board, will you, and I'll see if I can't negotiate with them."