There were three more of the lung-searing passages under water; when they broke water for the last time Mai saw that they were no longer outdoors.
The cave-if it was a cave-was about a hundred feet long and less than half as wide. In the center of it was the water entrance through which they had come.. It was lighted from above, rather dimly, from some sort of glowing, orange clusters.
Most of this he noticed after he pulled himself up 01 the bank. His first impression was a crowd of Venerians surrounding the pool. They were obviously curious about their guests and chattered among themselves. Matt picked up a few words of it and heard a reference to "-slime spawn-" which annoyed him.
The three with Thurlow broke water. Matt pulled away from his custodians and helped drag him onto dry land. He was frantic for a moment when he could not find the lieutenant's pulse; then he located it. It was fast and fluttery.
Thurlow opened his eyes and looked at him. "Matt-the ; gyros..." !
"It's all right, Lieutenant. Just take it easy."
Oscar was standing over him. "How is he Matt?"
"Coming out of it, it looks like."
"Maybe the immersion did him good."
"It didn't do me any good," asserted Tex. "I swallowed about a gallon of water on that last one. Those little frogs are careless."