Here Aasta looked about her with strange bewilderment as though she were
awaking from a dream. Kenric brought the boat inshore and took it
through the long rock tunnel that he had seen many months before from
the deck of his galley. The water was calm now and the tide high.
Aasta looked down into the clear depths where the long tangle of marine
plants swayed with the motion of the light current. Upon the rocky bed
below she saw many ruby-coloured sea anemones, with emerald mosses, and
pearly shells, and silver-scaled fish. From the water she looked to the
vaulted roof. Her eyes were restless with strange wonderment.
"My lord," she said at last, "what place is this that you have brought
me to? And why seem these rocks so familiar to mine eyes? This clear
green water -- the lofty vault of this cave, where the voice echoes in
merry laughter! 'Tis passing strange! Methinks I must have seen them in
some childish dream!"
But Kenric at that moment felt the boat grinding upon a sunken rock, and
Aasta's question passed his notice.
Beyond the tunnel they searched for a safe landing place in one of the
little bays. Aasta pointed to a high cliff that had many caverns
hollowed out in its steep front, and she bade him steer into one of
those caves. Kenric laughed and asked how she thought they could ever
arrive upon the heights by that way.
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