Anina played the light about in the air for a time, but soon there were so many girls flying about she had to shut it off. A few minutes more and they had passed the last of the houses, swept around the bend in the river, and left the frightened city out of sight behind them. They had left the river and, following close along shore, headed for the bayous that led up to the Great City. The storm had now entirely passed, leaving the daylight unusually bright and a fresh coolness in the air. The sea was still rough, although not alarmingly so, and the boat made comparatively slow progress. It was two hours or more--to Mercer it seemed a whole day--before they were nearing the bayous. Anina was sitting by his side in the center of the boat. Lua was steering. "You hungry, Ollie?" the girl asked, smiling. Mercer shook his head. He had forgotten they had intended to eat in the Water City. "I very hungry. Soon we--" She stopped abruptly, staring up into the sky ahead of them. Mercer followed her glance. A little black blob showed against the gray; off to one side two other smaller black dots appeared. "What's that?" cried Mercer, alarmed. They watched a few moments in silence. Then Mercer took the cylinder, and flashed its light into the air. "If it's anybody connected with Tao, that'll show they'd better keep away," he explained grimly. Anina smiled. "Tao people cannot fly, Ollie." A few moments more and they saw what it was. And within ten minutes they had landed at the mouth of one of the bayous, and Miela and I were with them. CHAPTER XXV. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. The months that followed were the busiest, I think, of my life. I began by a complete reorganization of this government of which I found myself the head. For the doddering old councilors of the late king I substituted men whom I selected from among those of the city's prominent business men who cared to serve. The personnel of the police force I allowed to remain, for I soon saw they were inclined to act very differently under me than under my predecessor. The various other officials of this somewhat vague organization I subjected to a thorough weeding out. The net result was chaos for a time, but, far more quickly than I had anticipated, I had things running again. I made no radical changes except in personnel. I attempted to do nothing that was outside the then existing laws, and no new laws were passed. But from the very first I made it clear that I was not one to be trifled with.