Gates of Neptune Read Online Free PDF Page B

watched as the others did the same, she seemed amused at their relief.
    Josh took a deep breath. “Why, that's fresh air. How can that be down here, Jere?”
    Jere slipped off her porpoise, for the water was only waist deep. “It's supplied by pumps that bring the air down from above. Come now, we must go to the palace.”
    Taking deep breaths, Sarah thought the fresh air seemed as sweet as anything she had ever taken into her lungs.
    Jere moved out of the water and stepped up onto a small platform. “This way.”
    She approached a door, which opened without her even touching it, and the Sleepers crowded close behindher. They entered a long corridor where the ceiling and walls glowed with the same kind of light that had lit the pressure chamber.
    Jere said, “Quickly now.” She hurried along the passage until she came to a large door. She spoke a word that Sarah did not understand, and the door, which seemed made of stone, swung slowly open. Jere said, “This way,” and stepped inside.
    Sarah saw that they were now in a very large room indeed—obviously some kind of meeting room, for there were long tables and chairs, carved with fantastic designs. And suddenly Sarah knew what it looked like. “It looks like a dining room in a large castle,” she said aloud.
    â€œWhy, that's right,” Dave said. “I've seen them on TV and in books.” He turned to Jere. “Is this some kind of banquet room?”
    â€œSometimes it's used for that. It's also a place where we meet to take votes on different matters.”
    â€œYou must be a democracy then,” Jake said with interest, his blue eyes glowing. “Do you have a president?”
    â€œPresident? Democracy?” Jere shook her head. “I don't know about any of those. We have a king and a queen, but still the people may say what they wish, and the king will listen. Come now.”
    But before she could move, Reb made a discovery. “Look,” he cried out, running over to the wall. “There are windows. You can see out.”
    The Sleepers crowded around what seemed to be portholes, which looked directly out into the sea.
    â€œWhy, it's like being inside an aquarium. Look at that!” Reb shouted. “A shark!”
    A huge tiger shark rolled by, his old eyes seeming to glance toward them, and then he moved on silently.
    Josh asked, “How can all this be? What keeps the water out, Jere?”
    â€œThis city was once above the ocean floor—at least we think so. On an island,” she answered. “But it sank beneath the sea, as islands sometimes do. My people came many, many years ago. We began to seal the buildings. It was a slow process, but we discovered how to compress the air and how to make the joints tight. So now what we're living in is really a sealed city.”
    â€œA city under the sea,” Abbey said with a smile. “You know that's rather nice. I think it's romantic. Don't you, Dave?”
    Dave frowned. “Well, I don't know about romantic, but it sure is impressive.”
    Josh said, “Look at that! What's that out there?”
    â€œThose are the guards of our city—our navy,” Jere said quietly.
    Sarah moved closer. She saw sharks—killer sharks, she thought. They were coming in ranks like soldiers, and mounted on each shark was a man wearing a plastic diving suit and cradling in his arms some sort of weapon. It looked like a powerful spear gun but with a larger base than she had ever seen.
    â€œThat's the second battalion of our navy, led by Lord Daveon,” Jere said. “You have come to Atlantis at a bad time—a time of war.” She blinked. “But no more of this. I know you're all tired. I'll show you to your chambers.”
    â€œWhat will we do next, Jere?” Josh asked.
    Jere smiled, looking lovely in the light that came from the ceiling. “For a while, we will rest. Then later we will meet with the king