his other hand he held the heavy golden crook. Nahoot realized that a
blow from that weapon cou Id crack his skull.
Standing knee-deep 'at the water's edge, Nahoot hopped on one foot as he
pulled off his shoes. Then, slowly and reluctantly, he stripped to his
underpants. His shoulders were deeply scored by the lash of the flail,
fresh blood welling up and slithering like scarlet serpents down his
back.
'He knew that he had to placate this crazy old madman.
He would duck under the surface and swim a short way down the tunnel,
hold on to the side wall down there for as long as his breath lasted,
and then swim back again.
'Go!' von Schiller shouted at him. 'You are wasting time. Don't think
that I will let you get out of this,, Nah6ot waded deeper into the shaft
until the water covered his chest. He paused there for a few minutes as
he drew a series of deep breaths. Then at last he held his breath and
ducked below the surfAce. Von Schiller stood waiting at the edge of the
pool, staring down into it but unable to see anything beneath the black
and ominous surface. In the lamplight Nahoot's blood stained the
surface.
A minute passed slowly, and then suddenly there was a heavy swirl
beneath the waters, and a human arm rose through the dark surface, hand
and fingers extended as though in supplication. Then slowly it sank out
of sight again.
Von Schiller craned forward, 'GuddabW he called
'I -. 'What are you playing at?' angrily There was another swirl below
the water, and something flashed like a mirror in the depths.
'Guddabi !'von Schiller's voice rose petulantly.
Almost as if in response to the summons, Nahoot's head broke out through
the surface. His skin was.waxen yellow, drained of all blood, and his
mouth gaped open in a dreadful, silent scream. The water around him
boiled as though a shoal of great fish were feeding below. As von
Schiller stared in incomprehension, a dark tide rose up around Nahoot's
head and stained the surface a rose-petal red. For a moment von Schiller
did not realize that it was Nahoot's blood.
T
Then he saw the long, sinuous shapes darting and twisting beneath the
surface, surrounding Nahoot, feeding upon his flesh. Nahoot lifted his
hand again and extended it towards von Schiller, pleadingly. The arm was
halfdevoured, mutilated by deep half-moon wounds where the flesh had
been bitten away in chunks.
Von Schiller screamed in horror, backing away from the pool. Nahoot's
eyes were huge and dark and accusing.
He stared at von Schiller and a wild cawing sound that was not human
issued from his straining throat.
Even as von Schiller watched, one of the giant tropical ee Is thrust its
head through the surface and its teeth gleamed like broken glass as it
gaped wide, and then locked its jaws on to Nahoot's throat. Nahoot made
no effort to tear the creature away. He was too far gone. He stated at
von Schiller all the while that the eel, twisting and rolling into a
gleaming ball of slimy coils, still hung from his throat.
