“Meals will be served in your rooms.  If you desire anything, ring the bell and some of the slaves will be sure to answer it.  I am mostly in attendance upon my master, but whenever I am at liberty I will look after your comfort myself.”

Again they thanked the strange boy, and he turned and left them.  They could hear him whistle and sing as he returned along the passage.  Then Princess Clia parted the curtains that her queen and companions might enter the Rose Chamber.

CAP’N JOE AND CAP’N BILL

CHAPTER 14

The rooms Zog had given his prisoners were as handsome as all other parts of this strange enchanted castle.  Gold was used plentifully in the decorations, and in the Rose Chamber occupied by the mermaids and Trot golden roses formed a border around the entire room.  The sea maidens had evidently been expected, for the magician had provided couches for them to recline upon similar to the ones used in the mermaid palaces.  The frames were of mother of pearl and the cushions of soft, white sponges.  In the room were toilet tables, mirrors, ornaments and many articles used by earth people, which they afterward learned had been plundered by Zog from sunken ships and brought to his castle by his allies, the sea devils.

While the mermaids were examining and admiring their room, Cap’n Bill went to the Peony Room to see what it was like and found his quarters were very cozy and interesting.  There were pictures on the wall, portraits of grave-looking porpoises, bashful seals, and smug and smiling walruses.  Some of the wall panels were formed of mirrors and reflected clearly the interior of the room.  Around the ceiling was a frieze of imitation peonies in silver, and the furniture was peony-shaped, the broad leaves being bent to form seats and couches.  Beside a pretty dressing table hung a bell cord with a tassel at the end.  Cap’n Bill did not know it was a bell cord, so he pulled it to see what would happen and was puzzled to find that nothing seemed to happen at all, the bell being too far away for him to hear it.  Then he began looking at the treasures contained in this royal apartment, and was much pleased with a golden statue of a mermaid that resembled Princess Clia in feature.  A silver flower vase upon a stand contained a bouquet of gorgeous peonies, “as nat’ral as life,” said Cap’n Bill, although he saw plainly that they must be made of metal.

Trot came in just then to see how her dear friend was located.  She entered from the doorway that connected the two rooms and said, “Isn’t it pretty, Cap’n?  And who’d ever think that awful creature Zog owned such a splendid castle and kept his prisoners in such lovely rooms?”

“I once heard tell,” said the sailor, “of a foreign people that sacrificed humans to please their pagan gods, an’ before they killed ‘em outright they stuffed the victims full of good things to eat an’ dressed ’em in pretty clothes an’ treated ’em like princes.  That’s why I don’t take much comfort in our fine surroundin’s, Trot.  This Zog is a pagan, if ever there was one, an’ he don’t mean us any good, you may depend on ’t.”