But still no mind touch! Never had Dalgard penetrated into the cave
cities of the sea folk before without inquiries and open welcome
lapping about him. Were they entering a place of massacre where no
living merman remained? Yet there was that whistling which had led
Sssuri to this place....
And at that moment a shrill keening note arose from the depths to ring
in Dalgard's ears, startling him so that he almost lost his footing.
Once again Sssuri made answer vocally--but no mind touch.
Then they rounded a curve, and the scout was able to see into the
heart of the amphibian territory. This was a natural cave, as were all
the merman's dwellings, but its walls had been smoothed and hung with
the garlands of shells which they wove in their leisure into strange
pictures. Silver-gray sand, smooth and dust-fine, covered the floor to
the depth of a foot or more. And opening off the main chamber were
small nooks, each marking the private storage place and holding of
some family clan. It was a large place, and with a quick estimate
Dalgard thought that it had been fashioned to harbor close to a
hundred inhabitants, at least the nooks suggested that many.
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