"Hurry up and get it ready," suggested Trot.

Tom Atto at once bowed and retired, and when they were done, Cap'n
Bill said to the queen, "Do you think, ma'am, we can manage to
escape from Zog and his castle?"

"I hope we shall find a way," replied Aquareine. "The evil powers of
magic which Zog controls may not prove to be as strong as the fairy
powers I possess, but of course I cannot be positive until I
discover what this wicked magician is able to do."

Princess Clia was looking out of one of the windows. "I think I can
see an opening far up in the top of the dome," she said. They all
hastened to the windows to look, and although Trot and Cap'n Bill
could see nothing but a solid dome above the castle--perhaps because
it was so far away from them--the sharp eyes of Aquareine were not
to be deceived.

"Yes," she announced, "there is surely an opening in the center of
the great dome. A little thought must convince us that such an
opening is bound to exist, for otherwise the water confined within
the dome would not be fresh or clear."

"Then if we could escape from this castle, we could swim up to the
hole in the dome and get free!" exclaimed Trot.

"Why, Zog has probably ordered the opening well guarded, as he has
all the other outlets," responded the Queen. "Yet it may be worth
while for us to make the attempt to get back into the broad ocean