"This is one of the city's drains,” Thorn said rapidly. “They have to have a whole network of them, to run off the water from these perpetual rains. I learned about them when I first visited Saturn with an official Earth mission, years ago before Haskell Trask came to power.
"There are drains beneath the citadel that open out into these main ones,” Thorn continued tautly. “That's our way into the palace!"
"Up the drains?” Sual Av said startledly. “Why, I never thought of any way as simple as that."
It's too simple,” rasped Gunner Welk. “Do you think these people are so dumb that they won't have planted some kind of death-trap to keep intruders from entering the citadel thus?"
Thorn's jaw hardened. “We'll have to take that chance. Lana's in there, and this is our only way in to her."
He started along the great drain, the red beam lighting their way. The cold, dank air and the icy water they splashed through were freezing. Shadowy things scuttled away ahead of the Planeteers, as they pushed on through the gloomy tunnels toward the guarded stronghold of the dictator.
CHAPTER XII
Citadel of Fear
John Thorn paused. They had been following the huge drain for half an hour, and had now reached a point where a smaller drain-tube opened into it from the right.
"This must be one of the citadel drains,” Thorn muttered, flashing his red beam up it. “Come on, we'll soon find out."