of building, like coral budded from the main mass. In those depths swam myriads of Skygors, plainly at home under water. More of them, at the window-holes of the upper towers or paddling on the surface, boomed and roared to each other in their deafening language. From on high, Planter saw them as smaller and less to be dreaded. They might have been slight fantasy things, water-elves or super-intelligent frogs. "Look you, David Planter," prompted Mara, at his elbow. From a tunnel-like hole in the jungle, a group of Skygors emerged. Among them were two human figures, clad like Planter in loose overalls and helmets. "Your friends?" Mara questioned. "Right," snapped Planter grimly. He drew the pistol-weapon and glared. Disbro and Max, the latter stooping under a great bale of goods from the ship, had paused on the brink of the water. A Skygor was thundering to them, in words of English which Planter, across the water, found hard to catch. Other Skygors motioned at the pool, and one or two jumped in and struck out for nearby buildings. "They want your friends to dive," Mara informed him. "See, the slim one shakes his head." Planter rested the pistol on his forearm, and sighted on the Skygor who harangued Disbro. Meanwhile, other Skygors were bringing up what appeared to be a small, inflated boat, that operated with a paddle-wheel arrangement behind. Mara saw what Planter was doing. "No!" she gasped. "Don't, David!" "I'm going to," he told her. "We'll be next!" "Nonsense! Those flapper-footed devils can't climb! They're too heavy, too clumsy!" She caught at his weapon wrist, but he had fired. The Skygor weapon was a wondrous one. Even an indifferent shot like Planter could not miss with it. The Skygor beside Disbro seemed to burst into flame around his flat, bushel-mouthed face, and then he collapsed and lay still. His companions swarmed to his side, rending the air with their horrid yells. Planter chuckled, and Mara moaned. The man moved forward among the branches, to a place where he could be seen.
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