"Yes; but the machinery works by magic, and Coo-ee-oh
would never share her secret power with any one of us."

Dorothy's face grew grave; but she was thinking.

"Ozma knows a lot of magic," she said.

"But not that kind of magic," Ozma replied.

"Can't you learn how, by looking at the machinery?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear. It isn't fairy magic at
all; it is witchcraft."

"Well," said Dorothy, turning to Lady Aurex, "you say
there are other sub-sub-sinking boats. We can get in
one of those, and shoot out to the top of the water,
like Coo-ee-oh did, and so escape. And then we can help
to rescue all the Skeezers down here."

"No one knows how to work the under-water boats but
the Queen," declared Lady Aurex.

"Isn't there any door or window in this dome that we
could open?"

"No; and, if there were, the water would rush in
to flood the dome, and we could not get out."

"The Skeezers," said Ozma, "could not drown; they