I forced myself away from the grating, back into the center of the room; and now I was aware that all the water in the room was coming from the tunnel and passing in a current through those bars.
“You see,” said Atar, trying to speak calmly. “You see now—”
But Og abruptly entered from the tunnel. He hovered before us, leering. Nona shrank against me, and I folded her in my arms.
Og did not glance at Nona. He said to Caan: “Have you decided?”
“No,” Caan answered. “He is but this moment recovered. We—”
“Tell him now. I will wait.” Og turned away, swam over to the grating and gazed through it to that boiling, tumbling water.
Then Caan told me. Og offered us freedom—us three men. He would send us back to Rax. The price of it was Nona’s promise to be his Queen—a willing, smiling Queen, none other would the Maagogs have.
I could feel Nona shudder against me, but she said no word.
“No!” I shouted. “No! No!”
Og heard me and smiled. “There is another way. Tell him, Caan.”