CHAPTER 17.
THE QUEEN'S GOLDEN SWORD "Goodness me!" exclaimed Trot, raising herself by a flirt of her pink-scaled tail and a wave of her fins, "isn't it dreadful hot here ?" The mermaids had risen at the same time, and Cap'n Bill came swimming in from the Peony Room in time to hear the little girl's speech.
"Hot!" echoed the sailor.

"Why, I feel like the inside of a steam engine!" The perspiration was rolling down his round, red face, and he took out his handkerchief and carefully wiped it away, waving his fish tail gently at the same time.
"What we need most in this room," said he, "is a fan." "What's the trouble, do you s'pose ?" inquired Trot.
"It is another trick of the monster Zog," answered the Queen calmly.
"He has made the water in our rooms boiling hot, and if it could touch us, we would be well cooked by this time.

Even as it is, we are all made uncomfortable by breathing the heated air." "What shall we do, ma'am ?" the sailor man asked with a groan.

"I expected to get into hot water afore we've done with this foolishness, but I don't like the feel o' bein' parboiled, jes' the same." The queen was waving her fairy wand and paid no attention to Cap'n Bill's moans.

Already the water felt cooler, and they began to breathe more easily.