Chapter 1 Return to Earth
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After Dimitri’s flesh body disappeared mysteriously into thin air, a minuscule shred of his consciousness, invisible to the naked eye, floated in the vast universe. Sometimes he felt as if his body could extend indefinitely and merge with the universe, though actually at that moment it was no more. At other times, he felt that his body could contract at will until it was smaller than the tiniest particle of dust. Thus, Dimitri roamed freely in the universe, neither happy nor sad, just floating incessantly, unrestrainedly and spontaneously. For him, time had no continuity with no beginning and no end and space, too, was of no consequence. Dimitri realized that he was at the very original spot of the universe.
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Dimitri’s consciousness loitered at the original spot of the universe. He was tired of wandering and did not want to drift aimlessly around anymore. He felt a sense of peace. He was also tired. These strange sensations, hazy and obvious, were mixed with a mild feeling of joy. But no, it could not be called joy because if it was joy, its opposing feeling of sadness would be sure to exist. Nor was it a feeling of comfort and ease because its contrasting sensation would be pain and worry. No, it was a neutral feeling, seemingly there but not really there, existing yet non-existent. It had no negative or contrasting sensations. Dimitri was not willing to think further or analyze the question rationally. He had given up on thought and immersed himself completely in enjoyment, fully savoring this strange, warm feeling.
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Dimitri’s shred of consciousness that non-material substance, rested calmly at the original spot of the universe. Tired of roaming, he was not willing to drift about any more. Suddenly a picture popped into his consciousness. A pair of naked lovers was asleep, clasped comfortably in each other’s arms. They seemed to be sleeping so soundly that it seemed as if nothing could ever wake them up. The man was handsome and muscular and the woman was slender and beautiful as a flower. Dimitri’s heart lurched. “Aren’t they my faithful servants Creativity and Imagination?” He hoped they would sleep on forever and never wake up because if they do, the man Creativity would work tirelessly on and the woman Imagination would rack her brains furiously. “They would destroy the perfect equilibrium of his present state of mind, so peaceful, bright and beautiful” he thought.
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But Dimitri was disappointed. Imagination’s slim, delicate fingers moved and caressed Creativity’s broad chest. Creativity blinked opened his sleepy eyes. Standing up he stretched his sculptured limbs lazily. Extending his hand to his beautiful, curvaceous and delicate companion who was still reclining on the soft grass he carefully helped her up. The two of them then walked into the woods, towards a stream of clear and pure, water as yet uncontaminated by humans. They scooped up the cold crystal clear water with their hands and sprayed their heads and faces with it. Then laughing joyously they dived in and swam around happily. They frolicked light-heartedly in the water splashing each other in fun. Imagination threw herself into Creativity’s arms and the two embraced and kissed each other.
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“Look! How beautiful the galaxy is!” she said, looking at the myriads of stars twinkling in the night sky, feeling happy and satisfied. “Our earth too should be one of those brilliant celestial bodies, but humans have used up almost all of the earth’s resources and have brought destruction, pollution and contamination everywhere they went. Once earth becomes unfit as a human habitat we need to find a safe haven somewhere else in the universe and lead them to it. To some other planet perhaps? But the environment there may not be suitable for humans. That is a problem I have been trying to solve for a long time but have failed to find a desirable solution.” Creativity was silent as he too had no good answer to her question. Suddenly Imagination jumped up and clapped her hands happily like a child and said,
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“Yes. Yes. Why don’t we ourselves create another planet suitable for humans to live and relocate them there? What do you think?”
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“Good idea! Good idea!” exclaimed Creativity; his eyes alight as he grasped the possibilities of her suggestion. “I can imitate God’s might and power that he used in creating the universe and create another planet suitable for humans, with light, heat, air, oceans, land and all kinds of life. The climate would be warm and comfortable, suitable for people to live and procreate. Good idea! A very good idea!” The two of them danced happily in the stream. “Why don’t we begin the work right away?” he said. Hand in hand the two of them walked out of the water onto land.
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Suddenly a huge, eye-blindingly brilliant ball of light appeared in the dark sky. A figure could be seen in that ball of light, who spoke in a loud, solemn voice, “You two miserable, ignorant human being! I drove you out of the Garden of Eden because you had acquired knowledge and thought. Now you have the audacity to think of copying my creation of the universe and dare to think of creating a planet of your own? I am the Creator of the universe. I and I alone control it. It operates on my orders according to my plan. How dare the two of you challenge me? Stop your creativity and imagination at once or you will incur the wrath of heaven.” Creativity and Imagination knelt on the ground, cowed, flustered, and panic-stricken because they knew they had angered God himself. The brilliant ball of light disappeared and blurry and indistinct darkness once again reigned in the universe.
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“Wait a minute. Wait a minute” shouted Dimitri, raising his head towards the gray pre-dawn skies. “That’s not fair! You said man was made to your own image and likeness. That means there are human elements in you and divine elements in man; therefore there are parts of you in me and me in you. You are part of me and I am part of you. To be perfectly fair, it could be said that you and the humans you created have much in common and are created mutually. Man should have the right to make his own decisions and not be your vassal.” The gray skies did not answer him, but was somber and silent as usual.
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Dimitri woke from his reverie and found himself sitting on a bench by the lake, his shoulders and hat covered with dew. His dilapidated jacket and loose black slacks were also wet from the fog and mist. He was deeply shocked to realize that he had been sitting there the whole night, his mind frantically imagining things. He suddenly recalled that his flesh body had disappeared into thin air and his minuscule shred of consciousness loitered at the original spot of the universe, savoring sensations of peace and tranquility. How come he was back on earth again? What was there on this earth that he could not relinquish? He was a penniless homeless person and blind into the bargain. What caused him to cling so tenaciously to this mundane world, unwilling to depart? Ah! It could only be because he valued this precious flesh body and treasured life itself, so he could not give them up so lightly and casually.
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Day broke. The first light of day gradually brightened the skies dispersing the blurry and indistinct pre-dawn bleakness. A few cars drove past swiftly. Dimitri was puzzled as to why the streets looked so deserted and empty as normally they would be crowded with traffic by this time. Then he realized it was Sunday and most people were in church, so there weren’t as many people on the streets and also fewer cars on the road. He remembered that in his reverie, he elevated the position of man to the same level as God and thought that was presumptuous self-glorification on his part and really sacrilegious. “I had better leave the question of relationship between God and man to philosophers and wiser men than I to solve. Why make such ado about nothing and rack my brains over this insolvable Gordian knot?
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Just then, the enticing aroma of fresh French fries and pastry wafted over from the shops across the street and Dimitri’s stomach growled. “I have really over-estimated the power of man” he thought. “Take me for instance. I am so hungry but there is nothing I can do about it. I can’t even solve the problem of my empty stomach. Yes, I’d rather be an insignificant man. Well, I suppose I had better pluck myself up and rummage through the garbage cans around here to see if I can find left-overs people threw away so I can fill my stomach” said Dimitri with a helpless, wry expression on his face. The image of a large hamburger came into his mind. “How I would really enjoy it if I had a large hamburger like that” he thought. “I would chew and savor every bite before swallowing it. The feeling of a full stomach would be really marvelous!”
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The sun rose high in the sky. It was another lovely bright sunny morning. Cars and pedestrians increased. From the fast food restaurant across the street came the barking of a dog. Dimitri could determine that it was s medium-size dog of a smaller species, about 15-20 pounds. It should be a cute-looking, likable puppy. Dimitri made friends easily with all kinds of animals as his heart was full of love. Normally a shabbily-dressed blind man, tapping his way around with a white cane would easily arouse the enmity of dogs, but not Dimitri. Somehow, even the most vicious dogs could sense his innate love and friendliness. Animals’ reaction is more sensitive than we think. Whenever he sat on a bench, wild pigeons flying overhead would drop down to the ground around him in a show of trust and friendliness, whether he had anything to feed them or not.
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Soon a car stopped in the shade of a tree near Dimitri. As soon as the car door opened, a black, long-eared dog jumped out and made straight for Dimitri. Its fur was bright and shiny and its body fat and well-fed, evidently someone’s well-loved pet. The dog jumped up the bench and climbed onto Dimitri’s lap, its short stumpy tail wagging furiously in greeting. It looked happy and excited. Dimitri caressed the dog and held it in his arms. He found the dog had a paper bag in his mouth with a small paper box inside it. Somehow he knew it was an extra-large size hamburger. The lovely little dog barked and the paper bag dropped from its mouth to the ground. It hurriedly jumped down to retrieve it and once again jumped up onto the bench and offered his paper bag to Dimitri. Hurrying footsteps walked over. “Maureen, you are a bad boy!” scolded a female voice. Evidently the dog’s mistress was here. “The moment the car stopped you ran off. Have you forgotten everything I taught you?” The footsteps suddenly stopped. When the dog’s owner saw her pet playing with a homeless man she called out in surprise. “Dimitri! Is that you? Haven’t seen you for a long time. Where have you been to recently? The people in the neighborhood are all thinking of you.” Dimitri’s eyes brightened. In his mind’s eye, he seemed to see a tall and slender woman in a sky blue suit, with a broad-rimmed white sun hat and white leather walking shoes. In reality the woman was dressed exactly as he thought she was. He recognized the melancholy and sexy voice and answered, “Is that you Charina? Haven’t seen you for a long time. Is this dog yours?”
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“Yes, it’s mine. It’s a boy dog, but because he is so naughty I gave him a female name Maureen, hoping he would be docile and fair as a girl.”
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“It’s a lovely dog. I remember when I was young I used to have a play fellow like that. Is he a small black cock spaniel? Am I right?”
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“Yes, you’re right.”
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“I think I can be a good friend of his. I am friends with all dogs. By the
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way, are you still single?”
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“Yes, I’m still single.”
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“That’s strange.”
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“What so bad about being single?” asked Charina defensively.
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“Heavens! Are the handsome young men in the city all blind like me that they let such a beautiful young woman live alone?” joked Dimitri.
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“It’s not that I haven’t thought of getting married” admitted Charina. “It’s just that at the moment I must devote all my time and attention to my writing, so I just cannot be distracted by anything else. Oh, what happened to your eyes, Dimitri?” Dimitri seemed to make out shadowy movements of her hands as they moved to and fro before his eyes under the bright sunlight.
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“It’s nothing. I became blind. I think it must be the will of heaven. I have become used to it, but it is not very convenient when I try to get around in the streets. It’s nothing really”, replied Dimitri resignedly.
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“It must be God’s will” said Charina, making the sign of the cross on herself. “He must have great things in store for you to do.”
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“Let’s hope so” replied Dimitri. Then he quickly changed the subject and asked, “Are you still writing novels? I am a great fan of yours. What kind of novels are you writing at the moment?”
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“That’s what has been bothering me” replied Charina. “I have published about two dozen novels and have also had quite a following. But I feel that the novels I have written are shallow, mediocre and the themes have been much repeated. I want to write about something that has not been dealt with, something novel and original. But I have not been able to settle down on anything as yet and haven’t written a single word for over a year. You can say I have been having a writer’s block.”
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“Really? What do you want to write about? Perhaps I can give you some materials or suggestions.”
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“I want to write about what is behind the blue skies” said Charina pointing to the skies above her. “I want to know if there in the Kingdom beyond the blue skies there is love and warfare. That would be an attractive topic.”
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“Of course there is” replied Dimitri without hesitation. “Where there are people, there will always be love conflict and war. That is an unchangeable ironclad rule.”
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“Tell me what you know about things in the heavens so that I can use them in my next book” begged Charina excitedly.
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“To put it simply,” began Dimitri like a bard of old, “beyond the blue skies there is a wealthy, mysterious Kingdom. The King of this realm has lots of beauties and they all lived in a solid gold palace. The Kingdom is famous for its beautiful women which are as prolific as the flowers growing everywhere in the gardens. This aroused the envy and jealousy of a primitive native tribe living in the dense forests and mountains and conflicts and warfare thus began. So long as there are human beings, there will be envy and jealousy...”
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“Stop. Stop” cried Charina. “This must be a very interesting story. I need more time to listen to you tell me everything in detail but now I must go to church for mass. Can you wait for me here? I will be back before noon.”
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“No problem. I have time to spare. I will sit here and wait for you till you come back.”
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“I meant to take Maureen back home before I went to Mass, but now it’s too late. Would you be willing to take care of him for me?”
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“Sure, no problem. I would be more than happy to take care of this lovely little dog for you. We will be good friends.”
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Dimitri was different from other homeless people. Although he was shabbily dressed, he was not dirty. Many homeless people are bad-tempered, irrational and addicted to alcohol and drugs. They do not wash and often give off a stink that makes it impossible for people to get near them. Dimitri, on the other hand, was gentle and well-mannered, quietly doing good in the neighborhood, earning the reputation of a ‘Good Samaritan’ (See book 1The Dream-Maker). Therefore Charina had no qualms about leaving her pet in his care. Pointing to the paper bag, she said, “This is the breakfast I bought for Maureen, but he is a hospitable little guy and has evidently decided that he wants you to have it. Go on and eat it before it gets cold.”
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“What will Maureen have then if I eat his breakfast?’ asked Dimitri shyly.
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“Oh, he has his own food” replied his owner. “Wait here a moment please,” said Charina walking quickly towards her car and came back soon with a bag. “This is his dog food. There is a bowl inside you can use to scoop it out and there are some bottled water that both of you can drink. My car is right there under the trees. If it gets too hot, get in the car and listen to some music. I will be back before noon.”
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“No problem. No problem. Leave everything to me. You better go or you will be late. Being late for Mass is disrespectful to God.”
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“Good. See you later.” Saying so, she left.
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After Charina left, Dimitri opened the paper bag and took out the still warm hamburger. He tore off half and offered it to Maureen who refused the offer as if saying “that’s for you.” So Dimitri happily bit off a large chunk, chewed blissfully before swallowing it, thinking “I must thank heaven for sending me such a lovely little dog generous enough share his food with me when I was really starving. Yes, I must thank heaven for that. After seeing to it that Maureen was well fed, Dimitri put the plastic bowl back into the dog food bag and stuffed it into his coat pocket. Maureen was an active puppy to whom the world was a novel and interesting place. He ran around on the grass by the side of the lake exploring whatever caught his fancy. He barked at the squirrels looking for food on the ground, sending them scrambling up the trees in fright. He harassed the wild ducks and geese until they squawked and screeched as they waddled indignantly back into the lake. To him all this was a marvelous game. But the moment Dimitri called out, “Maureen, come back here!” he would go back at once, jump onto Dimitri’s lap as if to say, “Look, here I am! I haven’t wandered far.” Dimitri ruffled the fur on his chubby body affectionately saying, “Good boy! Good boy!” Soon, something new again caught his eye and he jumped down and raced excitedly towards the grass.
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Dimitri stood up, stretched himself and massaged his aching back before reclining on the bench to let the warm sun dry his moist clothing. He closed his eyes, pulled his cap lower down his face and let the warm sun bathe his whole body, fully enjoying the free sunshine that was available to all. It suddenly came to Dimitri that he was the mighty ruler of a powerful and magnificent Kingdom with many loyal subjects. There whatever he wished for would materialize at once before him, be it hundred-year-old wine or exotic delicacies. He had many sweet, gentle and talented beauties who loved him and gathered around him catering to his every want, all of them living happily together in a beautiful palace. Where were all of them now? He then remembered that the palace had been burned, the beauties had all returned to the mundane world and his Kingdom of Dreams was no more. He was again a poor homeless person, a blind man cursed by fate. Life on the streets meant being a victim of hunger, cold and illness. In fact there were little of life’s misfortunes he had not been through. Luckily he could dodge reality anytime he wanted by escaping to his Kingdom of Dreams. “But does dreamland exist?” he asked himself. “I don’t think dreams are all unreal, nor is real life completely real either. Both of them may be unreal or both may be real. If I wanted to, I could let my two loyal servants Creativity and Imagination build another beautiful world for me. But in life there would always be successes and failures. If we could have our every wish fulfilled merely by desiring it and even change the seasons of the year at will it would be like living in a magical realm. But in the long run even such a perfect life would pall and become flat. Real life is full of successes intertwined with failures with all kinds of variables, which is what makes it interesting. Otherwise life would be too dull.
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Dimitri‘s feet moved subconsciously on the ground. He wanted to see if he would be lucky enough to find a half smoked cigarette butt around. In this day and age, when most people had given up smoking, the probability of finding one was slim indeed and the fact that he was blind made the probability even slimmer. But still he stooped and ran his hands over the ground to see if a miracle would happen. A tall, muscular man walked over, saying, “Hey Dimitri, my old friend, what are you doing? Trying to find a cigarette butt? I have a pack here. Take one.” Dimitri’s heart jumped at the words. “I am having extremely good luck today” he thought. “When I am hungry a small dog comes over and gives me a hamburger. I want to smoke and an unknown old friend offers me a cigarette. It’s my lucky day today.” The two of them sat down together on the bench. The tall guy offered Dimitri a cigarette and lit it for him. Maureen, who was playing nearby noticed that there was a stranger sitting on the bench talking to Dimitri and came racing back. He jumped onto Dimitri’s lap and barked at the stranger making low, angry guttural sounds in his throat. Dimitri took the little dog into his arms and soothed him by stroking his fur lovingly. “Good boy. Good boy. Don’t be nervous. He is an old friend of mine. Don’t be angry.” Dimitri was by nature kind and generous, so to him everyone else was good and kind-hearted too. The man who appeared so suddenly was strong and muscular with the fierce face of a ruthless murderer. When he smiled, he seemed guileless and innocent with a touch of slyness. So it was hard to determine whether he was good or evil, honest or deceitful. Dimitri felt that this man’s voice was somewhat familiar, that he had heard him talk before, but he could not really place him.
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“How did you know my name was Dimitri?” he asked while he puffed on his cigarette.
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“Even though I am new in this area I heard of you soon after I arrived. In this neighborhood who doesn’t know your name?” replied the man laughing. “Your nickname is ‘broken ball’. Anyone can kick you around and you will not be angry or retaliate. You are really a good sport, but perhaps you are too good a sport, my friend.”
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Dimitri was silent for a moment mulling over the man’s words. He felt there was something wrong with his answer. “I disappeared into thin air last winter, around Christmastime. Looking at the climate now, it should be around June or July, so I have been absent from this region for at least half a year. The man professes to be new in this area but has heard about me and knows everything about me like an old friend. It’s strange and doesn’t add up.” But Dimitri did not want to think further on this discrepancy.
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“Is this your dog? It looks very nice but why is he so unfriendly to me?”
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“No” replied Dimitri “He’s not mine. How could I afford such an expensive pet? I am only taking care of him temporarily for his owner,”
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“Is the owner the tall, beautiful young lady who was talking to you a moment ago? The one in the pale blue skirt?”
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“Yes, her name is Charina. She’s the one who asked me to take care of Maureen for a while.”
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“Do you know where she lives?” the man asked suddenly.
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Dimitri was at once on his guard. Why was a stranger asking about the residence of a single woman he doesn’t even know?
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“I don’t really know” he replied evasively. “Should be somewhere around here.”
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“Good” replied the man “I ‘m sure I will be able to find her.” Dimitri was troubled by his words and was afraid that there would be trouble. Maureen’s enmity increased, growling angrily at the stranger.
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“My old friend, we will meet again,” said the man standing up. He threw something on the bench and said, “Here’s some cigarettes, there should be half a pack left. The lighter’s also in there. Enjoy. He stretched out his hand to stroke Maureen’s head. The angry little dog turned its head to bite his hand viciously, but the man was agile and withdrew it quickly before he could be bitten.
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After the man left the tense situation was diffused and Maureen jumped down to the grass again to resume his pursuits. Dimitri sat on the bench smoking his cigarette and thought, “I’m sure I have heard his voice somewhere before but I cannot place it. I should not have told him that Charina lived in this neighborhood. If he is up to mischief, I have just shortened the area he needed to search in order to find her. I hope nothing will happen.” Just then, a group of people came onto the scene and Dimitri could hear laughter, shouting and excited chatter behind his bench. From these voices, Dimitri could make out that it was two families and their children about to play a game of soccer. The fathers were the coaches and the mothers were the cheerleaders shouting encouragements. Dimitri was sure that they would have brought an abundance of food with them to have a sumptuous picnic after the ball game. Maureen was eager to join in the fun, but he was not able to kick the ball, so he waited by the sidelines. Whenever a ball rolled out, he would run to retrieve it and dribble it back to the game. The players were delighted with Maureen and cried out. “Good boy! Good boy! You are so smart” They would shake his paws, pat his head and play with him. Soon Maureen was part of the game and played with everyone. Dimitri thought.
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“Life should be like this, full of happiness and laughter. Unfortunately, conflict, dissent and discord far exceed peace and harmony.”
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Dimitri inhaled deeply at what was left of his cigarette before regretfully tossing the butt to the ground and snuffed it out with his foot. Then he picked up the butt and put it in his pocket.
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“Hey, old dog,” a voice beside him remarked, “Are you too stingy to throw away your cigarette butt?”
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“No, I’m only picking it up to throw into the garbage can later” replied Dimitri. He knew from that voice that it was one of his homeless pals, a dirty, dilapidated bum.
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“If you can offer me a cigarette, I will tell you some good news.”
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“What good news?” Taking out a cigarette, Dimitri generously tossed it to his friend and lighted it for him. The man puffed greedily at his cigarette and then sighed in satisfaction.
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“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real cigarette.”
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“What good news do you have? Go on tell, so I can share in it.”
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“Are you hungry?” asked the man abruptly.
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“No, I just ate and am quite full.”
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“Further on down the street, some academy is holding a gathering, some kind of outdoor party. There is a lot of food there. You can go and get some. It’s free. You may be full now, but can you say you won’t be hungry later on? Our stomachs are bothersome things and need to be fed every few hours. Why don’t you go get some of the food and keep it for when you need it?”
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“That’s a great idea, but I can’t go because I am taking care of a dog for a friend. I can’t leave.”
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“Oh, that’s Maureen” said the man looking at the cute little dog running around on the grass. “Its owner is that tall beautiful lady, right?”
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“Yes, that’s she.” said Dimitri nodding.
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“I would love to do something for her, too” said the man “even if I die doing it but we are people from two entirely different worlds that can’t even dream of intermingling.”
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“Why are we people from two different worlds? We live on the same earth. It’s only that they like the sedentary life of being settled in one place while we prefer a nomad one, roaming all around the place. That’s the only difference.”
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“What’s the matter with your eyes?” asked the man, waving a hand in front of Dimitri’s eyes while puffing greedily at his cigarette.
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“Blind” replied Dimitri shortly.
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“Are you really blind or only pretending to be?”
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“Of course I’m really blind. Why should I pretend?”
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“I thought it was your choice of occupation, you know, pretending to be blind to get the sympathy of people passing by. You could just sit at a street corner and ask for money. That’s a cushy way of life, man.”
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“Perhaps one day when I’m really down and out, I would be forced to do so” sighed Dimitri. “That is one way to make a living. In this world if it weren’t for the fact that there was no way out, who would be willing to lose their self-respect and become a beggar?”
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The man stood up, tossed away his cigarette butt and then looking slyly at Dimitri, said, “Hey, old dog. If you are willing to give me another cigarette, I will tell you about another interesting piece of news that happened in this neighborhood.”
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“Go on, take another one” said Dimitri taking out his cigarette pack and giving the man another one. “It was given to me by someone else anyway, so why not share it with friends?”
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“Recently a very stupid thief began appearing in this neighborhood” the man began after taking a few puffs at his cigarette. “He’s not only a thief; he is also a sexual predator. He made use of the fact that in this recent hot weather some people don’t close their windows tightly at night so he got into people’s houses through open windows and tried to molest the mistress of the house or young girls. They woke up and screamed and shouted and some even managed to call 911. Up to now he has never succeeded in his endeavors, but he somehow always managed to escape every single time. I myself saw him prop one hand on the wall and jump easily into the yard. Then somehow he vaulted to the top of the house, jumping from roof to roof agilely and easily. The police shot at him but never got him. He must be an accomplished gymnast and an expert of Chinese Kun Fu to be able to surge up such heights and make his way there as if it were flat ground.” Dimitri sank into deep thought. He intuitively felt that the person who inquired after Charina’s address a while ago was somehow linked to this sexual predator. “Hey, old dog. Do you still remember my name?” asked the man. “I’m David, remember.”
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“Yes, I know your voice. You’re David.”
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“Hey, old dog, what about lending me your sunglasses? They look nice.”
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“Why not?” answered Dimitri, taking off his sunglasses and handing them to David. The man put on the sunglasses, scooped up the white cane at Dimitri’s feet and swiftly walked away.
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“Come, back. Come back. You...you...you...”sputtered Dimitri indignantly.
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Hearing Dimitri’s shout, Maureen turned and saw a homeless man walk quickly away taking Dimitri’s cane with him. The intelligent dog knew something must have happened, so he immediately followed him. After a few blocks David stood in front of the post office begging for alms pretending to be a blind man. A middle-aged woman walking down the steps of the post office took pity on him and taking a bill from her purse, handed it to him. David’s eyes lighted up behind the glasses,
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“Oh thank you, generous and kind-hearted lady. Thank you for the five –dollar bill.”
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“How do you know it’s a five dollar bill?” asked the woman in astonishment. “Can you see?”
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“Oh no, no, no...”stuttered David. “I am blind, but I can feel that it’s five dollars.”
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“What?” said the woman “You know how much a bill is just by feeling it?”
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“Eh...no...no...no...I mean...” David was trying hard to extricate himself from this embarrassing situation and gestured with his hand loosening his hold on the white cane. Maureen, who had been sitting nearby waiting for an opportunity, immediately dashed up and wrested the cane from his hands, turned and quickly made off the way he came with the cane firmly between its teeth.
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“Give me back my white cane, you son of a bitch” screamed David, running after the dog. “Give me back my white cane...”
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Catching on to the fact that she had been swindled the middle-aged woman shouted, “Liar! Liar!” Pedestrians stopped to watch David running after the dog while the woman told them her story. David realized that his ploy to get money by pretending to be blind had been exposed, so he gave up chasing Maureen and quickly slipped away in another direction.
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Maureen crossed several blocks safely and made for the side of the lake with the white cane in its mouth. When his figure appeared at the corner of the street, the children and adults surrounding Dimitri saw him coming and cried out happily,
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“Hey, your little dog is coming back!”
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“Look! He has your white cane in his mouth!”
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“Good dog. Good dog.”
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“He is really smart.”
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Dimitri was very happy, but just at that moment he heard the sudden screeching of tires and the people around him exclaimed and shrieked in alarm. Dimitri’s heart lurched in fear, “What could have happened? I hope it’s not Maureen!” he thought. Although dogs are color blind, Maureen had undergone special training and the intelligent little dog understood the difference between traffic signals. Red meant stop and green meant go. Charina had also repeatedly taught him so. But this time he was in such a hurry to give the white cane back to his new friend, that he ignored the red light. Just when he got to the middle of the road, a sedan came driving up swiftly. Luckily it braked just in the nick of time before it hit the dog. Maureen was scared out of his wits and sat down lamely in the middle of the road. The angry driver rolled down his window and was about to blast the culprit who almost caused a terrible accident when his eyes rested on a cute little puppy sitting in the middle of the road with a white cane of a blind man in his mouth, his expression scared but also engagingly pitiful and repentant. The driver’s anger vanished at the sight and he asked kindly, “Are you alright, boy?” Maureen nodded and the driver made a sign telling Maureen to go first, and then drove off slowly after seeing that it had crossed the street safely. The people surrounding Dimitri clapped and whistled and gave Maureen a hero’s welcome. His mistress Charina was also back. Dimitri stooped down and picked up his white cane. This time he was going to hold onto it tightly as he would not be able to walk anywhere without it. Maureen saw his mistress and jumped into Charina’s arms and began nudging and licking her face. “Ok. OK. Good boy. Good boy. Hey, stop licking now or you will mess up my makeup!” She put the dog down to the ground and walked with Dimitri towards her car and the three of them drove away.
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The hot sun gradually lost some of its heat and breaths of cool air could be felt. The man who asked about Charina’s address sat alone in the shade of a tree, murmuring, “Emmanuel. Emmanuel. That’s not a bad name she has given me.” His eyes were on a dried up dead tree with ants all over it and thought, “I wonder if that little tree is itchy with all those ants crawling on it.” The thought of itching ignited the itch of his athlete feet. He immediately took off his shoes and socks and rubbed them on the tree, first the right foot, then the left foot; first the bottom of his feet then the front. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and the sly, innocent smile softened his fierce and ruthless expression. He folded his feet into a yoga-like position, much like that of the monks during meditation. He liked this position, but his heart refused to calm down. His hands were playing with a dark, rusty bronze tortoise. He turned it over and saw on its stomach a row of characters which looked as if they were ancient Chinese pictographs. He did not understand any of those words but just liked the shape of the tortoise. Its head and tail looked alive and in motion while its four legs seemed to be swimming in the water. He had just acquired it accidentally earlier that afternoon.
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He was wandering aimlessly around the streets when he happened to step into a store piled high with all kinds of products. They were not categorized and exhibited in an orderly fashion like in other stores so that customers could see what was on sale at a glance. In fact, everything was piled lackadaisically on tables and strewed about any old way. The salesperson was a very old woman, stooped and wrinkled, with a pointed hat on her head. When she saw a customer step in, her eyes shone with intelligence and looked Emmanuel up and down saying,
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“Sir, I can see you are schizophrenic. Would you like to talk to me? I charge only $15 for that. But if you want to know more in detail I can use the taro cards to tell you fortune. For that I charge $50. How about it, sir?” As it happened that this was not only an antique store, buying and selling old things but it was also a place for fortune-telling.
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“To hell with that mumbo jumbo” replied Emmanuel rudely, waving the old woman aside. “I don’t believe in that stuff.” The old woman’s sharp eyes followed Emmanuel as he wandered around the store. The interior of the store was dim and the wares exhibited there were mostly old radios, lamps, alarm clocks, telephone and dust-coated swallow-tailed coats, nothing much of interest, interesting only to junk collectors and people who cherished old things. Emmanuel was just about to leave when his foot kicked against something hard on the ground. He picked it up and saw it was an old rusty bronze tortoise.
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“Put that back where you found it. It’s not for sale” said the old woman.
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“What rot” said Emmanuel crudely. “What is it doing in your store if it’s not for sale?”
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“It belongs to a white-bearded dwarf who left it with me fifty years ago. He said he would be back for it, but he never came back. However, I will keep my promise and keep it for him. Put it back where it belongs.”
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Emmanuel refused to listen to the old woman’s explanations. Peeling out ten dollars from his wallet, he threw it on the table and walked quickly out of the store. “Hey! Hey! Hey! Come back! Robber! Thief...” cried the old woman. But perhaps because she was old, feeble and not able to walk very fast, she did not rush out after him. Thus Emmanuel got this bronze tortoise by cheating the old woman out of her antique and paying only a pittance.
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Emmanuel examined the tortoise in his hand, touching and pulling it. He found that its tail was movable and should have some kind of mechanism attached inside. He pulled it out as far as it would go and then let go. It bounced back. Ah! evidently there was a spring inside. Just at that moment, a thin line of powder squirted out of the tortoise’ mouth straight towards Emmanuel’s nose and mouth. He seemed to smell the sweet fragrance of unknown flowers and fell fast asleep on the bench.
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A while ago, Charina and Dimitri were sitting at the two ends of her oblong dining table with Maureen between them. A blue balloon entangled in a branch of a tree in her back yard, danced in the breeze. She originally wanted to treat him to a nice dinner at a high class restaurant, but Dimitri shrugged, pointed to his dilapidated clothing and politely declined saying he was not dressed for it. Charina took him to an optometrist and bought him a pair of sunglasses to replace the pair David took and then went to the grocery store and bought some grocery and items for daily use. Before going home, she stopped at a pizza shop and ordered some pizza. Dimitri sat at the table enjoying his extremely satisfying meal, drinking from his tall glass of beer from time to time. He felt that the food he was eating was delicious and life was really wonderful. Fearing that Maureen’s long ears might brush into the cheese and other sauces on his dish which would tarnish his long silky fur, Charina tied his ears together with a bow at the top of his head, making him look cuter than ever. She had cut up some pizza into bite-size pieces for Maureen to make it easier for him to eat. To his mistress, Maureen was a member of her family and equal in position to any other human being, so he sat at the table with them and partook daintily of his meal. As for Charina, she had a plate of fresh lettuce dribbled with some vinegar and pepper and a slice of turkey. She murmured, “Women love to be beautiful. In order to keep their figures they have to sacrifice their enjoyment of food!” She looked at Maureen and said, “It is a rare opportunity that brought him into this world. I know dogs are not supposed to eat the same food as humans, but I want him to experience the different gourmet food we humans have so as not to waste this unique chance of his having lived in this world of ours.”
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Now the two of them were sitting in Charina’s large bright living room. Exhausted by his morning’s adventure of running around, jumping and playing, Maureen lay by his mistress’s side fast asleep. Charina took a sparkling glass half full of crushed ice and placed it in front of Dimitri and then poured some good whiskey into it. She also poured another glass for herself, held up the glass to Dimitri and said, “Cheers!” Dimitri too held up his glass and the two of them both took a sip. “Well” Charina then said, “now we are all set. How about going on with your story of the Kingdom in the Dreams? It must be a very interesting and fascinating story. I am all ears.” “Where should I begin?” murmured Dimitri, gazing at the sky outside the window. “Let’s start with my twenty-four beauties then. They are all different and have different backgrounds; I will introduce them to you.” He took another sip of the whiskey and as if reminiscing about the past began to tell his story.
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The afternoon heat abated somewhat and the air began to cool down with the evening breeze. A thin thread tied to a blue balloon was entangled with a branch of a tree in Charina’s back yard. The balloon bobbled restlessly in the light breeze as if struggling to free itself from the shackles of the thread and fly away into the skies. But its foot was bound by the thin thread. Dimitri’s story came to a close for the time being. Charina added some more ice to Dimitri’s glass and poured more whiskey. She did the same for herself. She took a sip and asked, “When you led the beauties one by one to the Kingdom of Dreams, why did you forget me? Why didn’t you take me there too? If you did, I would have had more material for my writing.”
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“Er...er...I never thought of it at the time.” Dimitri never thought she would ask such a question and did not know what to say. “But you can make use of the creativity and imagination that is inherent in you and create for yourself your own Kingdom in the Dreams.”
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“But my kingdom would not be as beautiful and perfect as yours”
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“No. No. No. No.” said Dimitri waving his hands in disagreement. “You just need to scatter some seeds in the fertile soil of your dreams and they will naturally grow and blossom into beautiful flowers in your dreams. Like the reflection in the water of the magnificent scenic mountains, they will be just as beautiful. So long as you have a pure and kind heart what appears in your dreams will sure to be bright, calm and beautiful.”
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Charina’s eyes brightened at his words which shook up her heart with unrestrained sentiments but she could not distinguish what kind of feeling that was. She suddenly stood up saying,” Every day I release a blue balloon into the skies from my back yard, hoping it would bring me back some message about the world beyond the blue skies. But day after day my hopes have all been dashed. I never gave up and continued to do so. Let’s hope that today I will get some extraordinary news.” Saying so, she opened the French windows and stepped into the back yard. She grabbed hold of the thread tied to the blue balloon and then let out the air in the balloon. She was keyed up as her hands felt nervously all over the flat balloon and then exclaimed excitedly, “It’s here! It’s here! I have news from the world beyond the blue skies. It’s a note. This is really too fascinating!” Affected by her emotions, Dimitri also became excited. He took up his white cane, groped his way towards the French windows, also walked out into the back yard. Charina held a piece of paper in her hand and said, “It’s here. It’s here.” The two of them stood to read the note from heaven. It said, “Dear King Dimitri, Knowing your love for roaming freely around the world, I would not have intruded on you except for real emergencies. Recently emissaries sent by the almighty god, Zeus have been flying over our kingdom. They reported to him that our magnificent palace had been burnt down to the ground and the coat of iron covering the gold palace at the other end of the Kingdom had been torn off and it is again shining brilliantly in all its glory. Zeus was mystified as to what had happened. He wants you to come back to your Kingdom of Dreams and wants to meet with you. Signed Medusa”
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“Medusa...Medusa... the name sounds so familiar. Is she one of the goddesses in Greek mythology?”
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“Yes,” nodded Dimitri. “That’s her, Medusa.”
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“How could that be? How could that be?” muttered Charina.
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“Why couldn’t that be?” asked Dimitri. “Anything is possible in dreams.”
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“Come on. Come on” urged Charina. “Come back to the living room and tell me in detail about everything that happened in your Kingdom of Dreams.” Dimitri sat down at his original seat in the living room and fell into a deep reverie. “Why does Zeus want to see me? He knows everything that happened in the Kingdom. His two beloved daughters Charmaine and Clementine would have told him in detail about it. What more is that to talk to me about?” Charina came out of her room carrying a bottle of wine in her arms. The bottle looked classic and antique, obviously quite aged. She said, “Come on. This is a bottle of wine I treasure. I inherited it from my father and have kept for a long time. Up to now I have never been tempted to open it whatever the occasion. Today, I will make an exception and open the bottle for you. You can drink this rare and delicious wine and tell me your story at the same time.”
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“No. No. No. This whisky is good enough for me” said Dimitri. “Don’t open this bottle just for me.”
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“Oh no” replied Charina “This is the highest form of enjoyment. A good story should be accompanied by good wine.” Saying so, she pulled the cork out of the bottle. Immediately an intoxicating fragrance of aged wine filled the whole room. Even Maureen woke up and sniffed her ears upright and her eyes bright.
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“Alright” said Dimitri “Since you have already opened the bottle, I will go on with my tale.” So he told the story of his Kingdom in the Dreams much as a minstrel of old.
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It was afternoon commute time and the traffic on the freeway was bumper to bumper. In the lineup was an old, dilapidated pickup truck chugging along like a tired old ox. The setting sun blazed down with eye-dazzling brilliance on the rear view mirror, causing Richard to adjust its angle. Keeping his foot on the gas pedal, he inched along with the slow traffic. Needless to say, his companion was Jamaz. The two of them were ideal partners and inseparable. They had been working hard for Mrs. Novella Silkes these last few days, mowing the lawn, cutting and pruning the trees and bushes, spraying fertilizers and insecticides and were rewarded by a generous payment.
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“We got paid today” said Richard. “Where shall we go?”
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“Up to you. You are the brains so you decide.”
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“What do you think of Mr. O’Brian, Novella’s fiancé?” asked Richard, changing the subject. “I heard they are about to give a huge wedding”
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“I know. He seems like a good guy, very refined, comes from a pedigree family, has an enormous fortune and is the envy of everyone. But, in my heart I feel pretty... I feel bad for Dimitri.”
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“Why?” asked Richard in surprise.
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“He took over World Bank as well as Novella, one of Dimitri’s beauties in the Kingdom of Dreams. He grabbed someone else’s money and someone else’s beauty, of course I feel bad.”
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“Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha” laughed Richard. “My old pal, you really do not understand Dimitri’s intentions, do you? Why do you think he brought all these beauties safely back to this mundane world and then disappeared completely himself? He wanted every one of them to find their own desired destination. You mean you really didn’t understand what he took great pains to accomplish?”
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“Really? Was that his intention? Then I won’t feel bad at all.” said Jamaz, greatly relieved.
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The dilapidated pick-up truck finally left the congested traffic. Getting off the freeway, it twisted and turned until it came to a quiet corner, a deserted rose garden. The half burnt house inside the garden was their temporary abode. However, the days of their residence here may be numbered because a ‘for sale’ sign had been erected at the front entrance and the property was sure to be auctioned off soon. Getting out of the car, the two of them walked towards the entrance of the garden and stopped abruptly. On the steps of the entrance was a fashionably but scantily dressed young woman. She had on a low cut, braless tank top and mini shorts that showed off her long and shapely legs. Though the sun had set and it was dusk they could still see an enormous diamond sparkle dazzlingly on her finger.
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“Are you waiting for someone, Miss?” asked Richard walking over to her.
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“No, I am lost and don’t know how to get out of here” she replied in a low and enticing voice.
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“That’s easy” said Richard. “We will drive you around town in our car. You can look at the houses and tell us which one is yours. How’s that?”
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“No, that won’t do” she replied. She stood up, showing off her alluring figure. She walked over and opened her name brand handbag before them. “Look at all this cash I have here. Why don’t you take me out for a night on the town?” Richard and Jamaz, the ex president and vice-president of World Bank were no strangers to money. They had seen it piled up high to the ceilings in the bank vaults, so they were not dazzled by this display of wealth. However in the present setting, the sight of a beautiful young woman with a handbag full of cash and an enormous diamond ring on her finger surprised them.
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“Why not? We’ll take you on a night out on the town. But we just got off work and need to freshen up. Why don’t you give us some time to wash and change?”
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“Good. Good.” said the young woman, clapping her hands happily like a naive little girl. “But be quick.”
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“We won’t take long. But it’s dark now and not safe for you to be standing here alone. Why don’t you come into the garden and wait for us.”
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“Sure thing” said the young woman and followed them into the deserted rose garden.
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Richard brought a three-legged chair from the house and set it down on the ground saying,” Have a seat, but be careful. The chair has only three legs. Don’t fall down.”
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“Really? This is interesting. I like to play dangerous games.” They smiled at each other and Richard walked back into the long deserted house. The electricity had long been cut off, but there was a faucet in the garden that still worked. Jamaz had already stripped himself naked and was vigorously washing his hair and body, getting rid of the sweat and grime of the day. Richard joined him before the faucet and soaped himself briskly, asking
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“What do you think of that hot, sexy broad out there? There’s something not quite right about her.”
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“What’s not right about her? Hey, it’s a feast that just dropped onto our laps.”
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“No, something is not quite right there.” replied Richard after thinking a moment. “Mr. Finger has disappeared for quite some time. That little guy likes to make trouble. Could he have got into trouble again and made mischief?”
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“No, I don’t think so. But now that you mention it, that broad’s sudden appearance is quite out of the ordinary. Do you think she came for us?”
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“No, I don’t think she came for us. I am afraid she came for Dimitri.”
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“Dimitri never mentioned he had an enemy as beautiful and attractive as this female.”
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“I don’t know. We’ll go with the flow, act accordingly and see how things turn out. I’m afraid she’s a spy, here to get news and information about Dimitri. Never mind, we’ll just go along with her and see how it goes.”
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Having co-coordinated their plan of action, Richard and Jamaz quickly dried themselves and put on their jeans. The weather was still hot so they each wore a t-shirt on top and went out. Though not particularly handsome, the two of them exuded a masculine charm and character. Richard drove Megginn’s taxi out to the entrance of the garden. The others piled in and the three of them quickly drove towards the city for a wild night on the town where the lights were numerous as the stars in the sky and just as dazzling.
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The last rays of the setting sun were enveloped by the dark night. The room was dark. Dimitri continued telling his story, but his words were beginning to be slurred. He was very tired. He had not slept at all the night before, having spent the time in wild and frenzied imagination. He did not have a chance to take a nap all morning and all afternoon and now the wonderful wine he had been offered began to take effect. He felt drowsy, but Charina was sitting across from him all attention, eyes wide open, completely entranced by his fascinating tale so Dimitri tried his best to go on. In the end he stopped talking in the middle of a sentence and his soft snore grew louder and louder. He was just telling about the exciting battle between King Dimitri and the sun god Apollo in the blue skies when he fell asleep. Not wishing to disturb his slumber, Charina kept the room dark to preserve the mysterious atmosphere of night. She sat alone on the sofa and sipped from her glass. She thought of her conversation with Dimitri a while ago. He had said, “You can make use of the creativity and imagination that is inherent in you and create for yourself your own beautiful Kingdom.” “He is right” thought Charina. “Why don’t I try and do it myself?” She remembered also his words about dreams. “He said that I just needed to scatter some seeds in the fertile soil of my dreams and they will naturally grow and blossom into beautiful flowers. Beautiful scenery reflected in the water was just as beautiful as the original scenery itself. So long as my soul is pure and kind, its reflection in this ugly world will be just as beautiful as my soul. Flowers would propagate and people would be kind and good.” Charina’s bright and shining eyes shone with a sacred light. “Right!” she thought. “Dimitri built his Kingdom in the heavens. Why don’t I build a calm, peaceful and bright paradise on this mundane world? So long as my heart and soul is pure, good and kind, whatever I see would be just as beautiful and good. Right! That will be the topic of my next book. Right! Good...” Charina looked at Dimitri sleeping so soundly on the sofa, and thought, “He is my spiritual mentor. From the time I first saw him I knew he was not a simple homeless person, but why has fate been so harsh on him and condemned him to a life of darkness as a blind man? It’s really sad...”
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Cute and clever Maureen jumped onto Charina’s lap making a series of whining noises through her nose like a spoilt child complaining. Charina looked at the clock and realized it was eight o’clock. ”Oh sweetie, are you hungry? Alright, alright, I will give you some food. But you can’t have any more human food tonight. Too much of it is bad for you. You can have some of your own dog food.” Charina scooped up a bowl of dog food and put it before her on the table. Maureen sniffed at it and then again made the whining noise in protest. Charina knew what he wanted and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll add some milk in it.” Saying so, she went to the kitchen, got some milk and added it to his bowl. Maureen was satisfied then and began to eat happily.
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Charina looked at Dimitri still sleeping soundly on the sofa and thought, “Why don’t I make a nice dinner for this poor man beleaguered by fate, this homeless person who is at the same time noble as a poet?” Charina peeled and diced an assortment of fruits and made a bowl of fruit salad. She heated over medium heat some of the clam chowder she had made that morning and put some bread in the oven. Then she took a steak from the refrigerator, gathered up a small bottle of gas and a frying pan and went out into the backyard to cook it. She worked silently, her thoughts still on Dimitri’s magical story. She did not turn on the light afraid it would disperse the tranquility. No one knew that Dimitri made use of this short nap to go back to his Kingdom of Dreams and carried out earth-shaking operations.
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Charina and Dimitri sat at two ends of the beautifully spread dining table with candles burning brightly in their silver holders. Dimitri ate with gusto, appreciatively expressing his heartfelt thanks. As a homeless person he considered it lucky to be able to fill his stomach. It was inconceivable to have his beautiful hostess go to the trouble of cooking a sumptuous feast just for him. Charina did not eat much and just nibbled on some lettuce salad and a few slices of smoked meat.
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“Don’t say such things” she said, interrupting his effusive thanks. “To me you are my spiritual mentor and guardian. I have received more from you than anything I can ever do in return. From now on, please don’t stand on ceremony with me, ok?”
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“Sure” replied Dimitri nodding. “I won’t say it again. But I really haven’t done anything for you except tell you some stories. By the way, where were we up to in the story? I’m afraid I have forgotten.”
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“You were telling me about King Dimitri’s exciting and decisive battle in the skies with the sun god Apollo...”
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“Oh yes, that’s right... Why don’t I go on with the story and finish the whole narrative after we have done eating. Actually, there is so much to tell about the things that happen in the Kingdom that it’s hard to cover everything. Any one of them could be incorporated into your writing...”
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“Oh no, no. That’s not necessary. You have already told me a lot about the Kingdom of Dreams and I need time to absorb and digest them. Every one of the details and situations has a deep significance. Instead of swallowing it whole, it would be more meaningful if I had time to ponder over them before continuing. To do otherwise would not be doing full justice to this fascinating and wonderful story.”
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“Good” said Dimitri. “Then we will meet again one of these days and continue with the story.” He was feeling extremely satisfied after a meal of great food and wine. He hurriedly cleaned his plate off the last crumbs of dinner and drank up the coffee that remained in his cup. Patting his stomach in gratification he said, “How wonderful life is...! It is late. I had better leave and you need to rest.”
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“It’ so late at night and you cannot see. Won’t that be too dangerous for you? Where will you go?”
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“Look how wonderful the weather is tonight, neither hot nor cold. The sparkling stars covering the skies are waiting for me. On such a night and in such beautiful weather it would be a waste to stay indoors. I would not feel comfortable doing so.”
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“Alright, if that is what you want” replied Charina helplessly. Dimitri laid his hand on her shoulders and let her guide him down the steps. “This used to be my garage” she continued, “but I have made it into Maureen’s playroom.”
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“Really? That’s a great use of space.” In a corner of the garage was Maureen’s dog house with a soiled dog diaper, which Charina had forgotten to dispose of, strewn beside it and large and small balls were scattered all over the ground. Charina opened the side door and led Dimitri out onto the street. There was a small pet entrance covered with a flap cut into the side door to allow Maureen free access. The little dog knew it was time to say goodbye to his new friend so he jumped into Dimitri’s arms. Dimitri kissed him and said,
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“My precious little friend, we’ll see each other again soon. Take good care of you mistress. Understand?” Maureen barked to show he understood.
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“How can I find you, Dimitri” asked Charina.
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“Now that I am blind, my movements are sadly curtailed and I cannot wander too far so I am always somewhere around this neighborhood. When you want me you can let Maureen out and with his sharp nose, he will find me.” Dimitri waved his hand and took leave of his two friends.
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Relying on his white cane, Dimitri made his way alone on the dark street. The night breeze blowing gently against his cheeks cleared his head and the effects of the alcohol he had taken largely receded. He walked on silently. From force of habit his feet brought him to the area of the senior citizen apartment he used to live in. He hadn’t been back for more than half a year, and he thought that little studio apartment which had kept him safe from the elements must have been given to someone else. They could not have kept it empty for him all this time. “Where can I sleep tonight?” he wondered. He trudged on aimlessly around and found himself near the alley where he used to have a dilapidated shack and remembered there was a deserted warehouse next to it. “How come I have wandered back to my old hangouts tonight?” he wondered. “If I had stayed on at Charina’s place tonight, that would have been great. I would be lying comfortably on a soft mattress now and not trying to find somewhere to sleep on the stone hard ground away from the wind. Hm.... In my present situation, penniless and blind, without the help of my good friends whom I have lost contact with, how long can I last? No, I must persist in my nomad life and cannot give up my way of life just for the sake of a warm and comfortable bed. Fate is like a kaleidoscope. Who knows what will happen next?” Concentrating on his thoughts, he did not notice where he was going. He tripped and fell flat on his face to the ground. “Oh gosh” he thought. “This is terrible and will hurt me bad. It may even cause a concussion.” But strange to say he not only suffered no pain but felt as if he had landed on something soft, like a mattress with springs in it. He stretched out his hands stroking the surface of this miraculous thing which had caught his fall and found it was indeed an old discarded mattress. “Who was this that have no regard for public welfare and throw away such a large object carelessly blocking the sidewalk?” he railed. But then he thought, “Hey, but that’s good for me! He just gave me a place to sleep. Today is a fortunate day indeed; whatever I want and need comes to me effortlessly. When I need a place to sleep someone prepares a mattress for me!” He made himself comfortable on the old mattress and was soon snoring away.
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While Dimitri was still in a state of being half asleep and half awake in the medium between reality and fantasy, he found himself floating like a feather up in the air as high as the deserted warehouse. He awoke with a start thinking his soul had left his body, and at that moment felt his body falling downwards. When it was almost touching the ground, he took a deep breath and let his lungs be filled with air. The he flapped his hands around and at the same time kicked his legs as if he were swimming frog style. He stayed his descent and managed to hold still and float. He was not swimming in the water but in the air and after a few trials could co-ordinate his hands and feet and his breathing so well that he could float forward or backwards, up or down and turn around at will.
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Suddenly he found to his incredible joy that he could see again. He thought that perhaps it was just his imagination and creativity at work that was causing this illusion, but whether it was real or unreal did not matter so long as he could see again. He swam on in the air until he came upon a scene of noisy and thriving night life with flashing neon lights shining on crowds of joy seekers. He happened to catch sight of his old friend Richard talking with a young woman before a night club while he leisurely smoked a cigarette. She was curvaceous and fashionably but scantily clad and looked hot and wild. Sounds of shouting and discord came from inside the night club as if there was a fight going on. Dimitri shouted to Richard calling out his name loudly, but he did not seem to hear. He plunged downward until he just floated over their heads but they did not seem to notice that either. He seemed to be invisible to them. Dimitri was lost in another sphere of time.
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Richard, Jamaz and Salina walked out of the luxurious five-star hotel after a large and satisfying meal, having savored some dishes the two men had never tasted before. Salina was interested in all kinds of food, ordering the best and most expensive dishes. They had an Indian curry seafood plate called Samundari Zhazana which included a lobster, a crab, four abalone with white truffle and caviar stuffed inside half a tomato and quail eggs. Richard noticed that a dazzling diamond necklace had suddenly appeared magically around her neck which aroused his suspicions as to who this young woman really was and where she came from. On the ride over to the hotel Richard had asked her,
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“Beautiful lady, could you tell us what your name is?”
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“Salina” she answered after a pause. Richard had wondered at the time why she needed to think before answering. During dinner, he asked her a question calling her by that name, but she seemed oblivious, as if he was not talking to her and that Salina was a name not connected to her at all. Evidently that wasn’t her name at all, just a cover up. When paying for the dinner, Salina seemed to have no notion of money and had trouble distinguishing between the bills she had on hand. So Richard helped her by taking money from her purse and adding a sizable tip before the three of them walked out of the hotel happy and full.
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Salina strolled on the streets arm in arm with her two escorts exclaiming. “Ah, what a wonderful meal! Isn’t it good to be rich? You can eat all those delicious dishes and receive princely, VIP treatment from the staff! You can’t have that without money.” The arms of the two men felt the vibrations from her bouncing, elastic breasts as she squeezed their arms in greater intimacy, but they did not react. The woman in a dress walking a bit ahead of them turned her head and they saw a face covered with a beard. Seeing Jamaz’s tall and muscular figure, the person put his fingers into his mouth, issued a shrill, appreciative whistle and threw him a flirting and coquettish look. Jamaz scowled angrily at him in repudiation. The person muttered “You’re stupid!” He pranced away seductively swaying his hips and soon disappeared into a side street.
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“Hey! Is that a man or a woman?” asked Salina.
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“We are now at the Castro District in San Francisco, the gay capitol of the world. The sexes of many people here are different and opposing to their physical and psychological makeup. I can’t really explain to you the intricate changes of course... You know what, why don’t we stop at every bar and night club we come across. We can just go in, have a drink and look around. You will have an eye-opening experience and you will understand...”
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“Great! Great!” exclaimed Salina, jumping up and down. “That’s just what I wanted to do.”
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“But Miss,” said Richard. “Please take off your diamond ring and necklace. We are not going to a grand party and such expensive jewelry is not suitable for strolling around the streets.”
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“So what? These are not expensive and don’t worth much. With the two of you as my strong and muscular body guards, what have I to worry about? Come on, let’s go.”
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“Miss, according to my estimate these jewels are real and are worth well over a million dollars and you think they’re not worth much? “ But Richard cajoled in vain. Salina obstinately refused to take off her expensive ring and necklace and there was nothing he could do about it, so the three of them browsed around the streets in this area of special interest.
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Dimitri’s sphere of time had changed again. He seemed to be hovering in the air above a city in Europe. He descended a bit from his height to get a closer look and found that on many of the streets there were stores with large display windows. To his amazement he saw that what was on display were not mannequins wearing the latest fashions, but actual live women sitting there in all kinds of alluring poses to attract customers. Dimitri suddenly understood that this was the red lantern districts. Men could shop around the display windows, chose who they want, discuss the price and then go into a room to have sex with them. He was conscious of an inexplicable sense of sorrow because now that he did not have a flesh body he could not enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. He felt that infinite and unhindered freedom was not as important and mesmerizing as sexual gratification with its soul-shattering orgasms. Dimitri’s eyes’ met those of the woman in the display window and was surprised to find his body suddenly responding in the most unexpected way. Just that exchange of gazes had brought him to a sexual climax. Dimitri was shocked but he was still puzzled and uncertain, so he floated to another display window. When he exchanged glances with another woman inside the window, he again felt the pleasures of sexual intercourse and also climaxed. “How could I attain climax and orgasm just by gazing at a woman, without actually having any sexual contact with the woman?” he marveled. Dimitri was overjoyed. He danced happily in the air, shouting exuberantly in glee but no one could see his figure or hear his voice.
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Whenever the three of them stopped at a bar or a nightclub, another piece of jewelry would magically appear on Salina’s body. When they left the establishment a considerable entourage followed them attracted by Salina’s beauty, her alluring figure and an aura of wildness which added to her fascination. Her admirers were loath to depart and kept on following her around. By then dazzling diamond bracelets shone on her hands and ankle bracelets decorated her legs and the ranks of her escorts had swelled to such a size as to cause quite a commotion in the area. At last they entered a night club, sat down and ordered some wine. An exquisite pair of diamond ear rings appeared on Salina’s ears. Two huge, dazzling diamonds hung down on short gold chains adorned her delicate ears. Salina appeared to be intoxicated. Her sultry eyes bewitched, her tipsy mannerisms entranced and the two diamond earrings swayed with her movements revealed and accented her wantonness and debauchery. Richard realized that sooner or later Salina would cause trouble and was about to bring a close to their adventure, when three big and husky men came to their table and said to Richard. “The two of you scram, but leave the woman here.” “I knew it” thought Richard resignedly. “Trouble is here.” Exchanging a meaningful glance with Jamaz, he slowly finished the wine in his glass and said to Salina, “Let’s go out and have a breath of fresh air. My brother will take care of things here.” Saying so he stood up, held out his hand to help Salina up and led her out of the night club.
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Richard stood smoking outside the night club seeming completely at ease. It was then that Dimitri saw them and flew above their heads, but they could not see him and had no notion he was near.
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“Will Jamaz be able to take care of all three of those big guys alone?” asked Salina nervously.
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“Don’t worry. Everything will be alright. Jamaz fought lions and tigers in the African grasslands with his bare hands and won. These three guys are no problem at all. Why don’t you stay here for a moment and don’t move. I will go and drive my car over. When I get back, things should be resolved and we can leave.”
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Shouts, cries and sounds of fighting sounded inside the night club. The three big guys saw that Jamaz was tall, muscular and heavily built and would not be easily defeated, so they drew out their knives and surrounded him, circling threateningly. Taking the wine bottle on the table by the neck, Jamaz smashed the bottom on the corner of the table, creating uneven, jagged edges as sharp and lethal as the teeth of a wild animal. Without further ado he rushed at one of the men and thrust the bottle at his chest with all his might. The man screamed and fell to the ground. From the left, the knife of the second man plunged at his ribs. Jamaz kept his cool. Blocking the knife with his left arm, he jabbed the broken bottle in his right hand straight at the man’s throat and the man fell with a whimper. Scared out of his wits that he was the only one remaining, the third man knew he could not possibly win and tried to escape but it was too late. His back was to the wall and there was no retreat. In desperation he made a last ditch struggle and rushed at Jamaz with his weapon. Jamaz stepped aside to let him pass and then rammed the jagged bottle fiercely into his back. The man fell to the ground unconscious. Jamaz threw the broken bottle to the ground, dusted his hands and sauntered out of the nightclub oblivious of his dumb stricken audience. It was only after five or six seconds that they realized what had happened and broke into loud cheers for Jamaz’s bravery. When Salina saw Jamaz stride victoriously out of the door, she ran to him and put her arms around his waist asking, “All settled?”
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“Hmm” replied Jamaz, in assent. Clasping him to her body even tighter, Salina cheered and said, “You’re really great! You are my hero!”
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“That’s nothing” replied Jamaz. “I have a brother who is just as good and is even better than I am,”
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“Really? Can there be such a person? Who is he? Can I see him?”
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“Sure, but he is a monk now and can have nothing to do with a woman.”
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Just then Richard arrived driving the old taxi. The two of them quickly got in and they drove off a few blocks away from the police with their blazing lights and screaming sirens.
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Dimitri felt completely lost between the different spheres of time. The scene before his eyes shifted once more and he seemed to have gone back to a previous period of time. Shadows of very familiar people passed before him, his good friends and brothers, but where the heck was he? It looked like the abandoned rose garden or was it his little studio apartment that protected him from the rain and wind? He was really confused. He saw Richard turning lamb chops on the grill. Drops of fat dripping onto the hot embers sizzled and hissed and a tempting aroma permeated the air.
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“It is strange that we have not heard anything from Dimitri yet” said Richard. ‘He has been away from quite some time now and I am wondering when he will return. Could he really be dead?”
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“I don’t think he is dead” said Jamaz. “If it’s his turn to die, it is I who should die in his place because I am not afraid to die.”
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“No, no, no bro” interrupted a third man dressed as a monk who was sitting cross-legged by the side. It was Big-O. “If anyone should die instead of Dimitri it should be me. My two hands are tainted with too much blood. For me, death may be the release I need and my best chance at redemption. Let me die.” Richard’s lamb chop was cooked to perfection and ready to eat. He handed it to Mr. Kaffee, who refused saying, “No thank you. I’ve already had quite a few pieces and am already full. At my age I have to be careful about diet. Too much meat is bad for my digestion and will make my stomach uncomfortable. You guys don’t have to worry about Dimitri. He is the king of a realm and must have his own plans for what to do. I’m sure he is planning what the next step should be. There are still unresolved things in his Kingdom, so don’t worry too much about him.” Richard next handed the lamb chop to the white-haired dwarf Mickey who took it and stuffed it into his mouth ravenously. He took a quaff of his hard liquor before he had even chewed the meat properly and swallowed everything down his throat. He never had any table manners to speak of so his friends took it in their stride. “Right” he said. “You are right. I believe that soon there will be great chances in Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams which he would have to deal with. He may already be back amongst us, only we don’t know of it yet.”
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Dimitri’s heart swelled and was gladdened at the heart-felt words of his friends. He was an emotional man and felt teary-eyed that he had inadvertently made friends who were even willing to die for him. He longed for a bottle of hard liquor so he could take a large gulp to calm his agitated heart, but then realized that his friends could neither see nor hear him though he was in their midst. It was as if he wasn’t there at all. His soul must have left his body he thought and his friends of course could not see his soul. “But are there such things as souls in this world?” he wondered. “It must be a special effect concocted by my loyal servants Imagination and Creativity. If my flesh body is not in this sphere of time, how could it enjoy the stimulation that liquor brings to the body? How could I feel full if I cannot eat?”
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The enticing aroma of sizzling lamb chops made Dimitri’s mouth water. A strange thing happened. He felt full and satisfied just by inhaling the fragrance of the meat and became tipsy merely by smelling the liquor. He felt as stimulated as if he had drunk the alcohol. This discovery excited him more than ever. Sight could bring him sexual satisfaction, and smell could make him feel full. The astounding revelation stunned him and filled him with elation. Dimitri suddenly remembered that he had just seen Richard leisurely smoking and talking with a beautiful young woman on the streets of the other town. How come he is now grilling and chatting with friends here? Could it be that I am seeing him in two different dimension of time? Does that mean that time does not proceed in a straight line but can go forwards to the future and backwards to the past as well? This is really confusing.” Dimitri again seemed to turn into a feather floating in the air.
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Richard drove across the Bay Bridge towards the city they had started out from. He stole a glance at his passenger through the rear-view mirror and saw that Salina had taken off her expensive sandals and was curled up comfortably half sitting and half lying on the backseat. The sight of her scantily dressed figure and fully exposed deep cleavage gave Richard a deep jolt. To these two strong, virile and charismatic males, the attractions of the woman were greater than a bomb. Salina knew that she had completely enslaved the hearts of these two men as she reclined on the backseat, idly chatting with them. Her half inebriated state increased her distracting charms. “This city is great…but you must be rich…otherwise who is willing to give you VIP treatment, be so subservient and obey your slightest wish? Money is really useful…but that is not satisfying enough. Next time we must think of something new and more stimulating.” Richard and Jamaz looked at each other silently. She then continued, “My gold palace is grand and really magnificent, but it is situated in the deep forests surrounded by endless mountains. The wide expanse of blue lake is spectacular but after a while it all gets old. They cannot be compared to the vibrant and kaleidoscopic night life here in the city. The two of you must think of something else even more interesting that we can try out next time.” Her words were like cold water poured over Richard’s head, dousing all his ardor and slowing down his racing heart. His head cleared and he was certain this woman came from Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams, but he had no way of knowing her status there. “Who could she be?” wondered Richard. “Could she be the one called Viola who is said to be Mr. Finger’s new bride. But no one had ever seen before. Mr. Finger had disappeared from the face of the earth. Who could this woman be?” Richard drove off the freeway and turned onto the local streets. Salina suddenly sat up straight and commanded, “Stop!” Richard hastily stepped on the brakes. Salina opened the car door, got out and said, “I know where you two live and will come by when I am free. Goodbye!” She waved carelessly and walked lightly away, her heavily bejeweled figure soon disappearing at the turn of the street. She appeared in their life like a dream and disappeared also like a dream, leaving no trace at all. The two men shrugged and didn’t know what to say.
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Dimitri made his way swimming frog-style vigorously upwards in the air making use of both arms and legs. The wind was strong higher up in the air between tall buildings so he had to exert himself to ascend, but he was very happy because there was a brand new idea in his heart. Like a newly-wed wife who just found out she was pregnant, it was a wondrous and heart-felt happiness. The special effect produced by the combined efforts of Imagination and Creativity made him very happy. It was as if they had given him an inexhaustible treasure. Actually this treasure is in everyone’s heart because creativity and imagination are inherent in every life at birth. But how best to use them is a boundless and limitless insight perfected only after long term study and frequent use. In this way, the loss of sight to Dimitri was a blessing in disguise; for otherwise, he would not have inadvertently acquired the unique creation of Creativity and Imagination.
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Dimitri suddenly found that the tall building he was swimming next to was the headquarters of World Bank, which was only a small portion of his financial empire. He actually had no idea of his own total worth. Then he remembered that his entire empire had collapsed. But he thought if sight could produce the satisfaction of sex and smell could appease the cravings of his stomach, money was superfluous to his life. Dimitri swam to the top of the building and stood swaying dangerously on the rail. Actually his feet were firmly and solidly planted on the rails. He threw out his arms and shouted, “I am Dimitri. I used to own fabulous wealth. I am willing to give it all up and share it with those in need. I am willing to share it all with the world.” With these words, piles upon piles of cash in large denominations appeared before him. He took up armfuls of those enticing large denomination cash and scattered them into the air, letting them rain down like butterflies blown about in the wind, or like fallen leaves fluttering to the ground. But when they reached the ground they disappeared like raindrops absorbed by the soil. Was Dimitri performing a magic feat? Well, we cannot really condone that it was, but neither can we say that it was not. It was really magic in a way because in scattering the cash his heart was absolutely benevolent and in earnest, wishing to share his wealth with the world. But in this world there is no free lunch. Wealth could only come from sweat of the brow or from labor of the brain. Not a single penny could be rained down from on high like rain or snow. Therefore, when those large denomination cash reached the ground, they disappeared without a trace. Dimitri continued to ascent higher into the sky until he reached another dimension of time.
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A police car came slowly to a stop by the side of the street. A tall and stern-looking officer got out and walked quickly towards Emmanuel, who was fast asleep on a bench.
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“Wake up, sir. Get up!” said the policeman shaking him. “This is not the place for you to sleep. It is for people to wait for the bus and for tourists to sit and rest. If you want to sleep, go back home.”
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“OK, if you won’t let me sleep here, I’ll just sit up” replied Emmanuel, looking disdainfully at the policeman. He was just having a wonderful dream and was annoyed to be awakened.”How’s that?”
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“Of course, of course. That is your right. But there have been quite a few unfortunate accidents around here recently so I would advise you to go back home. It is not safe here. You might get hurt.”
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“That’s my own business and has nothing to do with you. Just sitting here is not against the law, is it?”
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“Aright then, sit!”said the policeman turning away resignedly and walked back to his car. His foot hit an object on the ground, a rusty bronze tortoise. “Don’t forget to take your toy with you when you leave” he added and got into the car.
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“That guy back there really looks bad” said the police woman who was in the driver’s seat as they drove away. “He looks like a ruffian and a murderer.”
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“Yah, that’s what I think so too. Recently this area has not been very safe. There have been many cases or rape. We had better be on the lookout so that nothing bad happens on our watch.”
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Emmanuel watched as the police car drove out of sight and then looked at the rusty, bronze tortoise on the ground. The tortoise’s head was raised high as if looking at him and its mouth was open. Emmanuel remembered pulling at the tail when a thin line of powder squirted out. He smelled the sweet fragrance of unknown flowers and fell unconscious. “Wow” he thought, “it could have been some kind of magic potion left behind from ancient times and I just happened to accidentally come across it. This would be an invaluable asset when I am out hunting women.” Charina’s tall, slender image dressed in a sky blue dress, with broad-rimmed white sun hat and white leather walking shoes came to mind and would not go away. “If I do …and…I could easily do whatever I want with her!” thought he and a naïve yet sly smile lit up his face. He picked up the rusty bronze tortoise from the ground and carefully tucked it inside his pocket. Then exhibiting his skill of swiftness and agility he quickly disappeared into the night.
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Charina’s white, jade-like arms seemed even smoother and more delicate under the moonlight. She took a glass, half-filled it with crushed ice and then poured in golden colored whiskey. She took a sip, put the glass onto the coffee table in front of her and lay back comfortably on the sofa. It was a corner of the room that the moonlight could not shone directly on. The whole house was dark and lit only by the moonlight. Maureen lay at her feet, seemingly fast asleep but every now and then the parting words of his new friend came to mind and “Take good care of your mistress my precious little friend. Understand?” resounded in his little brain. He would lift his head and look at his mistress as if to assure himself that things were alright. Only when he saw Charina sitting comfortably on the sofa drinking her whiskey and everything was serene and quiet as usual would he put his head back down on his paws and lie at his mistress’ feet. From time to time Charina would put the sole of her exquisite feet on Maureen and caress his soft and silky smooth fur, which made her feel good. Since Dimitri left, she had been sitting on the sofa, sipping her whiskey, deep in thought about every sentence Dimitri uttered and every detail of his story. She had suffered a severe writer’s block for almost one and a half year and could not find anything worth writing about. Dimitri’s story gave her inspiration and her creative talents were stimulated and energized. Once awakened, literary thoughts suddenly flowed and surged until they were all tangled up together and she did not know where to start. She drank glass after glass of the excellent whiskey and lost count. Perhaps it was the alcohol that clouded her brain and hampered her ability to concentrate. Sleepiness crept on her. She decided to look Dimitri up the next day and talk with him more in detail. She would start writing after she had a better grip and overall understanding of the story. She felt it was useless to continue sitting here and try in vain to make head or tails out of the hash in her brain. She was just about to stand up and go to her bedroom when she suddenly remembered Dimitri’s telling her how he led his twenty-four beauties one by one into his Kingdom of Dreams and how when calamity struck, he safely evacuated them back to the mundane world again. “What a wonderful place to start” she thought. “I could begin with the lives of the twenty-four beauties after their return to earth!” She felt invigorated and re-energized. The pent-up vexations of the past months were swept away. She stood up and walked waveringly into her bedroom.
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Parting the long hair behind her neck, she unzipped the zipper of her sky blue dress and stepped out of it when it pooled at her feet. Then she took off her pedi-coat. Though tipsy, Charina’s movements retained her feminine charm. The weather being so hot, she decided to take off her bra as well and lay down perfectly relaxed on her comfortable bed. She covered her abdomen with a light blanket and fell asleep. She had forgotten to close her slightly opened window and a small mosquito flew in through the crack. After flying around the room a few times, it located its target, stopped on Charina’s beautiful thigh and began to suck her blood. Feeling itchy, Charina slapped at her thigh. The greedy little mosquito, heavy with freshly sucked blood was sluggish and slow to move and was squashed under her hand, leaving a spot of fresh blood on Charina’s snow white skin.
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Under the moonlight, a shadow flashed by. Emmanuel propped one hand on the wall and jumped easily into Charina’s back yard. He landed almost noiselessly on both legs, but still hunched behind a tree to survey the layout. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he walked silently to a slightly opened window to peek in. Greatly tempted by Charina’s almost nude body, he pulled out a bronze tortoise from his pocket and pointed its head at the direction the nose and mouth of Charina who was lying on the bed nearby. He pulled and then released the mechanism at its tail and a thin line of powder squirted out of the tortoise’ mouth straight towards Charina’s nose and mouth. Charina was not really asleep yet. She was thinking if she could enter Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams that night it would be sure to be a wonderful journey and experience. Just then she smelled an intoxicating fragrance of flowers and fell fast asleep.
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After a few minutes, Emmanuel jumped through the window and sneaked up to the bed. He pulled off the light blanket Charina had covered herself with and her almost nude body was fully exposed to his view. Charina’s full breasts and long shapely legs enticed him beyond control. Hot blood rushed to his brains bringing him to full arousal, so he hungrily caressed her body unrestrainedly with both hands. Just when he was about to take off the last remaining clothing on her body, he heard a sudden thump followed by a stream of a dog’s frantic barking. Intelligent Maureen had discovered the scent of the unwelcomed intruder and had been watching him from a dark corner. His little head told him he was no match for the tall, strong and brutal looking ruffian and that even if he attacked him with all the might and power of his little body, it was pointless and suicidal. So he did the clever thing and escaped through the pet entrance in the garage. The closing of the flap made a thumping sound and he barked to scare the intruder inside the room. Then he made use of his sharp sense of smell and ran as fast as he could to find Dimitri. Emmanuel had forgotten the fact that Maureen had a very intelligent and extremely protective dog. He swore profusely, “Son of a bitch! That little dog’s trying to wreck my hunting and spoil my evening.” He went back to Charina’s bed and continued to fondle and play with Charina’s curvaceous body. How sad and unjust that a beautiful and talented author such as she became a plaything in the intruder’s hands.
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Trancelike, Dimitri came to a place which looked strange yet familiar. Before him was a wide expanse of blue skies without a single cloud where he swan on frog-style. “This wide expanse of blue skies seems so familiar to me as if I had seen it before” he thought. Then he looked down and saw a wide stretch of lake water, with its roiling waves. “Isn’t that the Star-Moon Lake that I have always been thinking of? Ah, I have come back to the magic sphere of my Kingdom of Dreams.” He descended towards the ground as if desirous of revisiting his magnificent palace, but what met his eyes was only dilapidated walls and burnt out buildings, a scene of complete ruin. “Ah yes, my magnificent palace had been completely burnt to the ground. What is left are only vestiges of its remains.” He suddenly had an odd thought, “Did my magnificent palace ever actually exist? Since I can see its remains, it must have existed” he reasoned. “I remember the beautiful palace was created by a pair of invisible hands. Now I know the invisible hands were the combined efforts of my loyal servants Creativity and Imagination. They worked according to my design and realized my desires. They built this magnificent palace for me. But whether it was Creativity or Imagination, they were both abstract ideological forms. When this abstract consciousness became graphic and concrete, they could become real and tangible objects in our external material world. This process of turning the strength of our mind power into material things is really magical and unbelievable. If we go on reasoning in this way, then the magnificent palace, the beauties and the people of the Kingdom were all products of my soul and had never existed. But then these ruins prove they had existed, so how could we disavow their previous existence. Buildings, pavilions, palaces had once really existed here; there had been songs, dances and laughter and shadows of the beautiful women everywhere. How could we say they never existed? Dimitri was again confused.
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Floating and thinking, thinking and floating Dimitri flew past the lake and found himself near the Giant Mountain. Giant Mountain looked like a paralyzed giant lying inert and helpless on the horizon. Though he would have loved to change his immobilized body to another position, he was powerless to move even a finger. It was as if he was frozen forever in an endless nightmare. If he should ever be freed, the thing he wanted most to do would be to sit up, stand up, stretch his sore and stiff muscles and shake off the yoke thrust on him by fate.
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Dimitri’s eyes were suddenly blinded by the brilliant and dazzling sheen of metal. The magnificent palace built of solid gold appeared before his eyes. Realizing that he was flying too low, he was just about to ascend when hundreds of barbarian warriors appeared from behind the gold palace. The angry mass of barbarians rushed towards Dimitri shouting and screaming and throwing their spears at him. A hail of arrows followed. Luckily Dimitri ascended so quickly that the spears and arrows missed him and whooshed by harmlessly beneath his feet and he was able to escape unscathed. After reaching a safe height, Dimitri looked down on the scene below and saw that barbarian warriors were gathered down on the ground as far as his eyes could reach, screaming at him in a language he could not understand and gesturing menacingly. Dimitri did not mind but found it strange that his body could be seen in this dimension of time. He was just about to leave when he discovered that at the dome of the gold palace a skilled marksman lay in wait. The sharp-shooter had a rhinoceros horn on the top of his head and strange, peculiar looking eyes both at the front and back of his head. He was naked except for a leopard skin at his waist, and bulging muscles covered his body. “Why, that’s Cyclops,” thought Dimitri. In the meantime, the man took up his bow and arrow and took aim at Dimitri. He pulled taut the string of his bow with his right hand to the shape of a full moon. The sight of the bow and arrow greatly alarmed Dimitri because no one understood better than he the magical functions and attributes of this miraculous weapon. He used to be their master. Their present owner, however, was his enemy and nemesis Cyclops. He knew that the magic bow could send the magic arrow after the target set by its owner and it would tenaciously and persistently follow the target until it reached and destroyed it. There was no stopping the arrow once it was on route. The string of the bow zinged as Cyclops let fly the arrow which flew straight at Dimitri swift as lightning. Shocked and horror-stricken, Dimitri lost control of his equilibrium and fell from his position in the air, as if dropping from beyond the sky into a fathomless abyss. “Oh, this would be the death of me!” he shouted, as he knew that a fall from such a height would smash him to pieces.
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Dimitri was wet with perspiration as he woke from his nightmare. He found himself still sleeping on the old discarded mattress thrown carelessly by the roadside. Though the mattress was lumpy and not very comfortable, to Dimitri having anything to sleep on was a luxury. The scenes in his dreams came back again to him. He liked to dwell on the details of his dreams, reiterating and mulling over them. It was an old habit cultivated over the years which he was unable to change. The first part of his dream brought him the joy of a great harvest, from which he gained precious knowledge. It was as if Fate was hinting at something to him. He decided that he should think over the details more carefully in order to gain more nutrients or it would not be doing full justice to a good dream. But the second half of the dream was a nightmare and brought him alarm and horror that he found hard to face. Hopefully that was only a fragment of the dream, not the total. But it also seemed as if Fate was trying to give him a warning through the dream. Whether a good dream or a nightmare, Dimitri decided to regurgitate and weigh all relevant details so as not to lose any information or message.
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Dimitri went over the details of his dream over and over again with great relish and fell into deep thought. He felt a pain on his left foot as if a wild dog bit it and kept tugging at it. “Hey!” he thought, getting angry. “I am not dead yet. Are you in a hurry to get to my bones?” He raised his foot intending to drive the dog away, but his foot connected with its soft belly. It cried out in pain, but instead of going away, it came even closer and got on the mattress. Dimitri seemed to recognize the familiar bark. Biting onto Dimitri’s sleeve, it kept tugging at it. Dimitri’s hand accidentally touched the soft, silky fur and large long ears signaling to his brain that it was his little friend.“Are you Maureen? It’s very late. Why are you out here? Has something happened to Charina?”“Woof. Woof” replied Maureen as if saying “You’re right. Now hurry. Let’s make haste and save her.” Dimitri seemed to understand the dog and rose quickly, picked up his white cane and had just taken a few steps when he realized that everything was pitch dark before his eyes. He was blind. He would have a hard time just making his own way on the streets. How was he to save Charina? Maureen kept on barking as if pressing him to hurry. A wide expanse of beautiful cloudless blue skies appeared again in his brain, a scene so very dear to him and to which he was very familiar. It was the sky in his Kingdom of Dreams. He saw a black spot moving swiftly in the air there and made it out to be a huge flying bird. Ah, it was the snake-haired beauty Medusa, the protector of the Kingdom of Dreams. He called out her name loudly three times and the black bird turned and made swiftly for the place where Dimitri had called her from. It flew from the remote and faraway Kingdom of another dimension of time, leaping hurriedly past the time barrier and reached the mundane world.
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The air around the deserted warehouse was disturbed by a gusty gale raised by mighty wings, sending currents flurrying and whirling. A big black bird flew past. It turned around, closed her wings, somersaulted in the air and dropped down swiftly. As it reached the ground, it turned to human form. Yes, it was Medusa whom we haven’t seen for a long time. She had covered her snake hair with a red bandana and donned a black T-Shirt the same color as her skin, blue jeans and a pair of white tennis shoes. She was tall and athletic-looking seeming to have infinite reserve of energy and power. Little Maureen hid in Dimitri’s arms and looked dumbstruck and transfixed at the visitor who could change from bird to human. Medusa walked to Dimitri and bowed.
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“Your Majesty” she said. “I am here. What are your orders?”
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“This is my new friend, Maureen” he said smiling, softly patting the dog’s intelligent little head. “His beautiful mistress is in trouble. Please go and help her… Go, my little friend. Lead Medusa to your mistress at once or it might be too late.” Maureen seemed to wake up as if from a dream. He jumped down and ran swiftly towards his home, followed by Medusa. Their two figures disappeared into the night.
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It was far into the night, almost getting near dawn but Dimitri found he could no longer go back to sleep. He dragged the mattress so that it leaned against the wall and wouldn’t obstruct pedestrians too much, hoping that then people won’t notice it and would just leave it there for him to be able to have a resting place for a few more nights. Dimitri sat down against the wall. Though the suspense of how Medusa and Maureen were faring in their attempt to save Charina was gnawing at him, as a blind man there was nothing else he could do and worry and uneasiness were futile and pointless. Dimitri was filled with hopeless anger at his own inferiority, his incompetence and inability to act, thinking he had become a useless good-for-nothing. Just then the wide expanse of cloudless blue skies again appeared before his eyes. It was the blue skies of his Kingdom in the Dreams, so dear and familiar to him. Wasn’t it from the depth of this dimension of time that Medusa flew to the mundane world, leaping across time barrier to answer his call? Blurry, indistinct images that looked like flowers moved around in the blue skies, the sight of which dispersed Dimitri’s depression, leaving no trace behind of the worries and recriminations that had been troubling him. It was an extremely beautiful blossom, a white lily which suddenly stood out from among the indistinct floral images in the sky. It looked like a lily, but Dimitri was not sure what kind of flower it really was. He could see it swaying in the slight breeze, its white petals fluttering slightly. Then suddenly it turned into an enchanting naked beauty, a very beautiful woman, sexually enticing and alluring. Dimitri rubbed his eyes and stared at her to make sure that it was no mirage. But just as quickly, she turned back into a white flower that looked like a lily but was not actually a lily. Such strange and magical transformations took place repeatedly among the shadowy and blurry flowers in the skies. A bright red flower that looked like a rose, other delicate yellow and pale blue blossoms all turned into naked beauties. Blossoms that looked so pure and sacred suddenly became lusty women, lewd and wanton, luring him on with explicit motions and expressions. Tempted beyond control, Dimitri felt himself reacting impulsively and a strong sexual urge pulsed through his body. But just as he was losing control of himself, the beauties again reverted back to their floral shapes that seemed so pure and sacred and untouched by earthly vices. Dimitri was startled. How could purity and sacredness be connected in any way to lewdness and wantonness? But then he thought, “Purity and sacredness are really not that much different from lewdness and wantonness. They are but two opposite sides of the same coin. Take the scenes before me, pure and sacred flowers could turn into naked beauties, and the same naked beauties could change back to pure and sacred flowers. The interim between them is hard to define. Why not let them appear and disappear, re-appear and once more disappear before me as they will. Why try to categorize their differences? What significance is that to me? I am only a cool, level-headed and intelligent observer, here to silently watch the process of these capricious changes.
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Quiet and melodious music sounded in his ears. A flute and a stringed instrument were playing out a musical conversation in a duet, one asking and one answering. Dimitri was curious and tried to find the source of the music, when to his amazement he discovered that it actually originated from the depth of his own heart. It was a duet produced by the combined efforts of his loyal servants Creativity and Imagination. Creativity was slowly plucking his stringed instrument; his glittering eyes bright and intent with fierce, unquenchable sexual fire, his body sending forth a strong masculine musky scent. He was trying to seduce Imagination with his music. Beautiful and fascinating Imagination’s flute answered his call, tactfully refusing his request for love, yet in a manner so hesitant and vulnerable as to leave room for reconsideration, expressing a young girl’s shyness and bashfulness, taking the position of half resisting yet half welcoming. The duet of the stringed instrument and the flute was sometimes harmonious but sometimes divergent. Yet there was intriguing harmony in their divergence. From time to time the music was low and gentle and then became loud and fervent. Dimitri’s nerves was now taut and now relaxed; the blood coursing through the veins also either speeded up or slowed down according to the music and his metabolism created relative changes causing him to feel a sexual impulse stronger and more explosive than he had ever felt before. Dimitri was flabbergasted. “Are my two loyal servants Creativity and Imagination ganging up to toy with me?” he thought. “No. I think they meant to use their musical instruments as catalysts to expedite my innate vitality, so that the gradually aging organs in my body would once more be full of life force and I could regain my long vanished youth. What they do not understand is that it is only my flesh body that could be manipulated, the real me is a level-headed and intelligent observer, silently watching these changes but would never be part of them.
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On the other hand, Emmanuel was totally aroused by the beauty lying exposed before him. He was devoid of the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. His brain seemed to have stopped functioning altogether and his only objective was to insert his penis, hard and stiff as a spear, into Charina’s body. He parted Charina’s beautiful legs and was about to force the spear into her body when the sound of loud poundings at the front door accompanied by the frantic barking of a dog broke up the quiet of the night. Emmanuel knew that the racket would be sure to wake up the neighbors, thus spoiling his nefarious plans for the night. Furious at this interruption, he picked up his underpants, put it on and turned to walked out and take care of the unwelcomed visitors. But before he could do so, there was a loud crash and wooden splinters flew all over the place. Medusa had kicked open the front door made of solid hard wood, which fell to the ground with a bang, and she rushed into the house. The red bandana she had tied on her head fell off, freeing the head of serpent-hair to spring up in all directions hissing savagely. Clever and intelligent little Maureen followed closely behind barking loudly and angrily. One look at Medusa, the protector of the Kingdom in the Dreams and Emmanuel knew that he was no match for her bravery and strength. He quickly walked back to the bedroom, cast a regretful and longing glance at beautiful Charina lying naked and unconscious on the bed and made the reluctant choice of retreat. Smashing open the window nearest to him, he leapt into the back yard, jumped up to the roof and quickly made his way from roof to roof and soon disappeared into the night. Medusa wanted to change into a bird, fly up into the skies and capture the shameless rapist, but then she had second thoughts. She did not want to draw attention to herself and scare the neighbors. It would also be harmful to Dimitri who was trying to keep a low profile. Lights in the neighboring houses came on one after another. It had not been peaceful in this neighborhood in recent days because of the rapist and everyone was on high alert. Medusa decided to leave. After covering up Charina’s nude body with the light blanket on the bed, she stooped down to Maureen, patted him on the head and said, “I must leave now. Take good care of your mistress, understand?” Maureen barked to signify he understood. Medusa once more covered her snake hair with the bandana and walked quickly out of the house.
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Medusa walked quickly away from the scene sprinting lightly along the route she had come from, in a hurry to report back to King Dimitri. When Dimitri, who was sitting alone by the side of the empty street, heard light, firm footsteps running swiftly in his direction, he knew it was Medusa coming back. The sound of her tread told him that she came bearing glad tidings. Indeed Medusa soon appeared before him and bowed saying,
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“Your orders have been carried out, your majesty. Everything has been straightened out and I saved the beautiful young woman.”
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“Really! What happened?” asked Dimitri curiously.
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“It’s nothing much, only a petty burglar who broke into a private home. The rascal used some kind of potion to render the mistress of the house unconscious and was about to rape her when I arrived and foiled his evil plans just in a nick of time. He hastily broke a back window and escaped through it. I wanted to run after him and catch the knave but then I was afraid it would scare the neighbors, disrupt the neighborhood and bring unwanted attention to us, so I let him go.”
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“Right. You did right. My philosophy has always been to turn large issues into small ones and small ones into nothing” said Dimitri, commending the way the matter had been handled.
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“But strange to say, that rapist seemed to know me. When I rushed into the room he was greatly agitated to see me and immediately turned tail and ran. He broke a window and escaped without looking back. He was extremely agile, jumping up to the roof and making his way from roof to roof as if he were flying and soon disappeared from sight. The next time I see him I will catch him and get to the bottom of this” said Medusa still greatly annoyed.
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“We’ll see about this later. By the way, could you tell me how our people are faring into the dense forests and steep mountains?”
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“Don’t worry, your majesty” replied Medusa in high spirits. “We evacuated to White Fairy’s temple according to your orders and used it as our center command. We have set up guards in the surrounding forests and mountains and established strong lines of defense that can resist any offensive action. All your subjects are united in their determination to strengthen ourselves and expand our potential, waiting for the day when your majesty returns and lead us out of steep mountains and troubled waters. Led by our king we will destroy the barbarians who forcibly occupied our kingdom and take back our homeland with its beautiful mountains and lakes.” Dimitri smiled wryly at her words.
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“I have always promoted peace my whole life” he thought “and have never taken up arms lightly because war brings loss of life which I am loathe to see. However, sometimes war is inevitable and is the simplest and most direct way to solve disputes. I wonder if there is a way in this world to solve crisis without resorting to arms and shedding blood. This is a chance to test my intelligence.” Turning to Medusa, he asked, “What have the barbarians been up to lately?”
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“Nothing much. White Fairy is in charge of surveillance and detection because she can change into a flower and hide among real flowers or turn into a puff of smoke which is impervious to weapons. She reported that after they occupied our territory and took over the gold palace, they seemed to be perfectly satisfied. All they do is eat, drink and make merry and do not seem to have any other agenda on their minds. What’s strange is their leaders: the ferocious Cyclops, the seductive but intelligent Viola have not been seen lately. White Fairy is afraid they are up to no good and have stepped up surveillance.”
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“These are very correct steps to take” said Dimitri. Then he suddenly changed the subject and asked, “By the way Medusa, I got the message you sent me. Do you know why Zeus, the King of gods wants to see me? What does he want to discuss with me?”
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“I suppose it‘s that magnificent gold palace again. Viola, that bewitching and vicious woman ordered the barbarians to tear off the iron that we coated the gold palace with. Nowadays the solid gold palace is again shining brilliantly under the sun and must have sparked off the jealous rage of the King of gods. I think he wants to see you and take you to task for not fulfilling your promise to cover up the gold palace.”
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“That’s another headache” sighed Dimitri shaking his head. “Anyway, I will come back myself to the Kingdom at the suitable time and solve these difficult problems.”
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“Your majesty, the day is breaking and I had better leave or the sight of me would alarm the residents here.”
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“Sure. You leave first and I will come back to the Kingdom as soon as I have dealt with some problems here.”
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“Take care of yourself, your majesty” said Medusa, looking at the blind homeless man stooping at a corner of the street. His clothes were dilapidated and his face weather-beaten. Who would have guessed that he was King Dimitri, noble as a poet and beloved of all the people in his Kingdom? “Don’t forget that your people are craning their necks waiting for you to return and lead them in the fight against the aggressors and rebuild their homeland.” Saying so, she opened her arms and her body floated upwards. Then she turned a somersault, changed again to a huge serpent-haired black bird and soared straight up swiftly into the skies. Actually, while Dimitri took a short nap on Charina’s sofa earlier in the night, he made use of the opportunity to go back to his Kingdom of Dreams and arranged and directed a hair-raising scenario. There he accidentally discovered the secret love affair between Medusa and White Fairy, which he did not wish to deal with it at the time, so he buried it in the depth of his heart. The details of this episode will gradually be revealed to the reader later on in the narrative, but to avoid confusion as to the logical sequence of events, we are first mentioning it here at the time when it actually occurred.
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After Medusa left like a whirlwind, Dimitri remained sitting at the empty street corner, his back against the hard cold outer wall of the deserted warehouse. He was again deep in thought. He went over in detail from the very beginning of how his two loyal servants created his Kingdom of Dreams for him. He thought of how they scouted out the location and how they gathered the beauties from all corners of the earth. All this was carried out with his consent. Creativity and Imagination created the Kingdom for their master out of the goodness of their hearts to add color, music, light and special effects to brighten his poor, lonely and forlorn nomad life. They never realized that situations they had no notion of would evolve which produced myriads of confusing bonds between Dimitri and his Kingdom, uniting them by countless ties. He felt as if he was entangled in a spider web from which he was unable to extricate himself and felt greatly worried. He did not blame his two loyal servants. He was only trying to think of a satisfactory way out of this prickly predicament. Just at this moment when he was trying to solve the multitude of problems he was facing, another drama was unfolding on the opposite side of the wall in the interior of the deserted warehouse.
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This deserted old warehouse was not large and was filled only with odds and ends of abandoned broken down furniture covered with thick coat of dust. In fact, dust balls covered the whole area and dense cobwebs hung down on the four corners of the wall. What’s startling was that in the midst of this desolate scene, two tiny human voices, a male and a female, were heard. They seemed to be talking, or more precisely they were quarreling. A shaft of bright moonlight came through the broken transom window and shone on a corner of the warehouse which was much cleaner than the rest of the place. The floor had been swept and covered with a neatly folded blanket with fresh flower petals strewn all over it. Under the moonlight two little people were talking. The female tweaked the male’s ear scolding him saying,
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“I asked you to accompany me to this mundane world not for you to play around and run wild. We are here on serious business! Look what you have done! You have been breaking into houses, trying to rape young women and creating a furor. How could you show your face in public after this? You are not only of no help; you are ruining my important plans!” Her features were clearly revealed in the luminous moonlight, beautiful and bewitching but also wild and untamed. It was Viola! Ah, if Viola was here, the little man whose ear she was tweaking must be Mr. Finger.
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“Don’t blame me. You say I break into houses and try to rape women, thereby ruining your plans. What about yourself? Didn’t you go out on the town with Richard and Jamaz and flirted outrageously with them? Didn’t the three of you paint the town red and got drunk? And you blame me?” Viola tightened her hold on Mr. Finger’s ear and tweaked it harder. Mr. Finger bent down in pain and begged, “Let go! Let go! I will obey all your orders from now on. I’ll be good.”
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“What right have you to reproach me?” scolded Viola angrily. “I have my own plans and arrangements. You only have to carry out my orders. Don’t forget you have signed the paper that sold yourself to me body and soul. You live if I let you live and die when I want you to die. Understand? If I didn’t transfuse half the blood in my body into yours, how could you enlarge and contract your body at will? How could you be stronger and more agile than any normal man? Not only are you not grateful for all I have done for you, you dare to reproach me? You are beyond cure! You say I hang out with Richard and Jamaz, that’s because you gave me the information that they are Dimitri’s good friends and that I may get information about him from them. Wasn’t that what you told me?”
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“Yes. Yes, you are right. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. Please let go of my ear and let me explain. Please. Please.” Viola’s anger seemed to be mostly spent so she let go of his ear and said, “Alright. Tell me what you’ve been doing and what results you have got these last few days.”
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“As a matter of fact I have already found out Dimitri’s whereabouts, but he has divine protection so I find it hard to get near him. The reason I tried to rape Charina was because I wanted to flush him out, give him a bash on the head as it were and deflate his ego and his arrogance. I did it for you. Is that so wrong?”
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“Your intentions may be good, but things must proceed according to plan. You must play the cards you are dealt in a logical and orderly fashion. Your way of doing things at random and kicking up a fuss recklessly will not do. Look where it landed you, you led the snake-haired Medusa straight to us! You know she is our nemesis. Now what do you think we should do?” asked Viola, still angry at the little man.
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“OK. OK” said Mr. Finger spreading out his hands in resignation. “I will obey your orders from now on and not do anything on my own. Will that do? Now how do you think we should proceed?”
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“First of all you must stay out of sight for a time and not show your face until the mess you have created blows over. I’ll tell you then what to do.” Viola’s eyes were insightful and her tone resolute. “Dimitri may have divine help and we cannot get to him directly, but we’ll see what can be done to his twenty-four beauties. They are all his darlings and dear to his heart. He will not be able to withstand any harm coming to them. We need only take a few of them hostage and Dimitri will be sure to come running, willing to do anything we want to get them back. He will be begging my forgiveness for what he has done. He dared to destroy my pure gold palace so my dearest dreams could not be realized. I want his blood in redemption for his sins.” Viola and Mr. Finger were a couple at extreme loggerheads with each other to the point where both tried to kill the other (see Book 2 Kingdom In The Dreams). It was strange and surprising to find them together here close partners and conspirators.
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The day dawned. The city woke up slowly. Cars and pedestrians gradually increased. Dimitri was still sitting at the cold street corner. He took out a cigarette and began to smoke, his spirits calm and happy. He had looked into the depth of his heart and saw his two loyal workaholic servants lying on the lush green field fast asleep. Since they only stopped working when they were asleep, that was also Dimitri’s chance to feel serene and peaceful. He was totally ignorant of the fact that he had already been targeted for revenge and that his enemies were planning to get to him through his precious beauties. That was because there was no trace of the things that happened in the dimension of time of his Kingdom of Dreams in his present practical world.
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Chapter 2 Treasure and Hatred
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This was about half a century ago when Dimitri was still a boy. Or to be more precise, it was a fragment of recollections about his previous life that had lingered in Dimitri’s memory - an indelible picture of a spring morning. The pure and clear morning sunlight shone on the dilapidated buildings of the slums where the trash in the decrepit garbage can overflowed to the ground surrounding it. Perhaps in the trash there was a dead cat whose carcass sent off wave after wave of rancid, stinking odor. Like a patient suffering from severe depression, dismal mood flowed in his limbs and body. Annoying and disorderly swarms of flies buzzed around non-stop, refusing to be dispersed. By chance a gust of spring breeze passed by carrying along with it a tiny flower seed which was dropped accidentally onto this dirty patch of earth. No one was there to water or fertilize it, but the nutrients inherent in the soil provided enough nourishment to let the seed develop, sprout and grow into a lovely flower. The blossoming of the flower changed decay to magic and made this dirty and messy plot of land into a paradise on earth.
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Rhythmical musical notes floated in the air like colorful butterflies dancing in the spring breeze. Hundreds of people assembled in the square before the City Hall, seemingly there for some gathering or festival. On the makeshift stage, skillful and proficient jazz musicians went all out concentrating on performing an energetic Dixieland type of music with a tempo that was light, quick and had a strong rhythm. Dimitri’s weather-beaten features appeared behind the large ball of pink cotton candy. He was like a child again, licking at the candy in his hand, savoring its sweet taste. He never missed lively occasions like these, full of hustle and bustle. He would push his way into the crowd to listen intently to the performance, his foot tapping in time to the music; and then he would get out of the crowd at the other end to join and chat leisurely with his crowd of nomad friends who were sitting or lying on the sidewalks. Tiny almost invisible flower pollen and petals were lifted into the air by the spring breeze. Ah, these were good times. When Dimitri appeared no one knew from whence he came and when he disappeared in the crowd at will no one knew where he had gone to. He was like a happy fairy who had come down to earth to have a good time.
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In this season of pollinating trees and flowers, a bus carrying only a few passengers was moving slowly and sedately on the streets of the city. The driver was in a happy mood as he leisurely took charge of the steering wheel, genially calling out greetings and goodbyes to the passengers as they got on or off his bus. On such a bright and cheery spring day, it was hard to be in a bad mood. But strange to say, the crime and murder rate of this city was very high and never seemed to drop. It’s really perplexing that in spite of such beautiful weather there were people who would commit crimes and even murder. Just then a shrill old voice sounded from the seat behind him.
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“Excuse me sir, I need to get off at Broadway and 13th Street. Could you call me when the time comes?” asked an old dwarf with a long white beard. He wore Chinese style pants and shirt and a melon shaped cap, but had no pigtail. He looked strange and outlandish.
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“Sure sir, no problem. I will call you when we get there; but for your own safety, please don’t leave your seat until I stop the bus” replied the driver good-naturedly. He slowly eased the bus to a standstill at the next stop and a muscular man, obviously drunk got on, still holding a half empty bottle of liquor.
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“I have no money today. I will pay next time” he announced in a hoarse voice and then swaggered arrogantly towards the back of the bus. The driver recognized the man as a frequent free-loader and decided to put his foot down on his “free rides” this time. He stopped the bus.
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“Please do not disrupt public order” he said through his microphone. “Everyone is required to pay for his ticket. If you will not do so, please get off the bus. I won’t budge until you do so.” The other passengers began to boo. The drunk knew it was dangerous to incur public wrath, so he slunk off the bus from the back door. Standing outside he shouting curses at the driver, who ignored him and drove away. At the next stop he stopped the bus, stood up to carry the white-bearded dwarf in his arms and set him down on the sidewalk. “Have a nice day, sir” he said pleasantly and the white-bearded dwarf waved his thanks to the driver who got back to his seat and drove away. He helped the old dwarf because he was short in stature and light in weight, looking like a five-year-old child. What he didn’t know was that in the dwarf’s pocket was another even smaller person no larger than a finger.
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Noontime on this spring day was relaxed and leisurely. Pedestrians were not in such as hurry and many sat in cafes eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. Richard, Jamaz, Big O and Mr. Kaffee normally met every other day as they took turns in caring for Mr. Finger. That day it was Richard’s turn, but he and Jamaz were called to work, so they asked Dwarf Mickey to take over instead. Taking care of this trouble-making little man was no mean task. Luckily Mr. Finger was asleep in Dwarf Mickey’s pocket and had not woken up, so he was able to take a break and enjoy some window shopping. He stood in front of an optometrist’s and looked at the frames exhibited there, but then realized none of them suited him, so he walked on to the next store which happened to sell all kinds of tobacco and pipes. He was not interested in those either so he continued on to the following one which was a bookshop with all kinds of newspapers and magazines at the front. He peeked inside and saw that it was lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, and there was an area where customers could sit and read and drink coffee. Dwarf Mickey walked in. He could only reach the bottom shelves as the top ones were too high for him, so he casually grabbed one and found it was pornographic magazine. Just as he was entranced, avidly staring at the pictures, a gentle, admonishing voice behind him said,
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“Ah my little boy, don’t read such trash. It’s not good for you.” It was a woman about forty years old, a mother of three perhaps who had aged well. Dwarf Mickey raised his head and looked at her saying,
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“It’s bad for me? But looking at the pictures makes me feel young and strong again. In fact I think they are beneficial to me!”
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“I’m sorry. Go ahead. I don’t want to bother you” said the woman hurriedly, greatly embarrassed when she saw Dwarf Mickey’s deeply wrinkled face and realized that he was not a naughty young boy as she had first assumed by just looking at his back, but a white-bearded dwarf. Just at that moment the little man in his pocket woke up, stretched his arms and legs and shouted, “Let me out! Let me out!” The woman looked around greatly surprised at the voice coming out of nowhere. Dwarf Mickey quickly covered up by saying, “Oh, don’t be surprised, that only a mechanical toy I have in my pocket that can talk.” Saying so, he put the magazine back on the shelf and quickly left the store.
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Dwarf Mickey left the chaotic main streets and walked on making several twists and turns until he came to a quiet, narrow alley where no other pedestrians were walking by. Only then did he take Mr. Finger carefully out of his pocket and placed him on the ground. When the little man got his bearings, he stretched his arms and legs and then turning to the white-bearded old dwarf began his tirade,
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“You old son-of-a-bitch, why did you leave me in your pocket for so long? You could have suffocated me! Did you want to murder me?” Dwarf Mickey was taken by surprise that the first thing Mr. Finger did upon waking up was to shout at him so rudely. Though he was very old, his temper was no less volatile, so pushing up the sleeves of his jacket as if looking for a fight, he said,
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“You disrespectful little son-of-a-gun, not only are you unappreciative for what I have done for you, you are downright ungrateful and rude! I put you in my pocket so you could sleep comfortably. I was afraid to crush you or cause you any discomfort so I took great caution on the way. After all this you dare to point your fingers in my face and curse and shout at me? I am doing this only because my good friend Dimitri asked us all to look after you. If not on his behalf, I won’t even lift a finger for you.”
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“Alright, I don’t want to deal with you either. I don’t want to quarrel with you as it would be a waste of energy.” He stretched himself lazily and then continued, “Now I am awake. I need to drink. Go get me some liquor.”
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“Liquor? You want to drink liquor? What do you take me for? Your servant?” replied Dwarf Mickey angrily. “If you want to drink, go and get some yourself. I don’t have a single penny in my pocket, so I certainly cannot buy any for you.”
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“That’s your business, not mine. I am just telling you I want liquor and it is your job to get some for me, otherwise I will go and tell Dimitri.” That made the old man very angry.
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“Go and tell and see if I care. I have no money and it makes no difference whom you tell your story to! You can go and get wine yourself if you want any as I certainly will not.”
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“So you say! Don’t regret it later on” said Mr. Finger with both hands on his hips pugnaciously.
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“I mean what I say and never regret my own words.” Dwarf Mickey replied resolutely. Not being able to get his way through threats and intimidation, Mr. Finger changed tactics. He threw himself on the ground and began rolling around thumping his hands and feet, all the while wailing and crying with tears and mucus all over his face, saying,
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“Ah, poor me! How pitiful my life is! I don’t know who brought me onto this world…I am so small…I can only let myself be bullied by anyone bigger than I am…Ah, poor me…Where are you Dimitri? Come quickly and help me, I beg you…I beg you…” Dwarf Mickey was a fearless soul who was not afraid of anything, but he felt helpless against Mr. Finger’s rascally behavior. His pitiful words about his small stature somehow gained his sympathy, so he said to him
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“Alright, alright I surrender. I’ll try and think of a way to get you some liquor. Will you stop now?” Hearing that Dwarf Mickey was beginning to turn around, Mr. Finger at once stopped his wailing, got onto his feet and opening his eyes wide asked,
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“That’s great! That’s great! I won’t curse you any more. From now on I won’t call you an old son-of-a-bitch either. I will call you ‘white-haired Mickey’ instead, how’s that? Go quickly and get me some liquor, otherwise the wine bugs in my stomach will be causing a riot!”
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“Let me think” said Dwarf Mickey rolling his eyes. Then he said, “Get me a piece of paper, any paper. I will show you one of my magic tricks.” Mr. Finger walked all around looking for scraps of paper but could not find any in the nearby area. Suddenly his eyes lighted on a dirty tissue someone had used and then discarded. He picked it up gingerly and gave it to Dwarf Mickey saying,
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“Just my luck that there isn’t a single shred of waste paper around when I need one. There’s only this dirty tissue. Will it do?”
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“No problem” said Dwarf Mickey. “So long as it’s paper, it will do.” He grabbed it from Mr. Finger and closed his fist over it. Then he opened his hand. Lo and behold! Lying on the palm of his hand was a crispy, brand new hundred dollar bill! Dwarf Mickey was proud of his ability to change decay to magic. He glanced sideways at Mr. Finger and asked, “Did you see that? Now are you convinced of my powers?” Mr. Fingers nodded his head repeatedly saying,
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“Sure. Sure. I am completely won over by your magical powers. But…he-he…If you could use your magic to create a little woman just my size for me, I would be more thoroughly convinced. In fact I would kneel down and kow-tow you, he-he…” Dwarf Mickey was taken aback that Mr. Finger would ask such a thing of him and said,
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“Don’t be so greedy. Getting some money to buy you liquor is quite enough. I do not have the ability to conjure up a woman for you. Sorry.”
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There was a liquor store near the entrance to the narrow alley. A young girl was standing by the counter talking to the owner. She wore a pair of old-fashioned faded blue denim jeans which showed off her suave and slender figure. She had on a sleeveless T-shirt and her hair was short and sassy, emanating an aura of youth and vitality. Dwarf Mickey walked towards the young girl, but because he was so short, they were not aware of his approach at all.
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“This economic downturn has really harmed a lot of people” she said. “In this climate it is next to impossible to find a job.” Flipping the newspaper in her hand to the section on job opportunities she scanned over the ads.
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“You’re right. My business is hurting, too. Why don’t you buy a lotto ticket? There’s one with a huge prize coming up in a day or two. If you are lucky, all your problems will be solved.”
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“Good idea” said the girl, getting excited over the prospect “I’ll buy one.” Dwarf Mickey was getting impatient. He jumped up and down shouting, “I need help! I need help!” The young girl looked down and saw a white-bearded old dwarf shouting at them. She good-naturedly bent down and picked him up. Dwarf Mickey took out the brand new hundred dollar bill from the crook of her arm and handed it to the owner.
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“Give me a bottle of good whiskey and keep the rest for your tip” said he grandly. The owner took the bill, happy to get a rich customer in such bad economic times, but he was also a little suspicious of this strange, outlandish-looking dwarf with a white beard. He took a colored pen and made a few strokes on the bill, but nothing changed. Then taking the newspaper and he rubbed the hundred-dollar bill on it but no color came off either. “This looks okay and perhaps is not counterfeit” he thought. The dwarf looked on and laughed.
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“You won’t find anything flaws with this bill” he said.
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“Then there’s something wrong with it?” asked the owner.
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“Of course not” he amended, aware that he almost gave the show away. “This is a genuine bill so you will not find anything wrong with it.” The owner took down a bottle of good whiskey from the showcase and gave it to Dwarf Mickey together with the change. Dwarf Mickey took the liquor and pushed the change back to the owner saying, “That’s for you.” The owner was very happy and thanked him profusely. The young girl carried Dwarf Mickey out to the pavement and set him down on the ground.
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“Thank you, my good-hearted lass” said the old dwarf. “Your good heart will get its just reward and I am sure you will find a good job. You may even win the grand lotto prize.” The girl saw the bus she wanted to catch coming towards her and ran for it. Turning back to Dwarf Mickey she waved goodbye.
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“Thank you, good sir” she said. “Have a nice day” and quickly climbed onto her bus. Dwarf Mickey saw a little piece of white paper drift down to the ground. He picked it up and shook his head when he saw that it was the lotto ticket she had just bought. He then walked back into the narrow alley with Mr. Finger still in his pocket.
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Dwarf Mickey cupped his hand and poured some liquor into it. Mr. Finger lay prostrate on the edge of his hand, leaned out his head and drank greedily. When it was all gone, Dwarf Mickey again poured some more for the little man while he himself drank straight from the bottle time and again. After a few rounds both of them were more than satisfied. Mr. Finger raised his head and hiccupped. Dwarf Mickey took out a package of corn chips and said, “Come have some snacks, it’s no fun just drinking liquor.” Mr. Finger rubbed his mouth with his hand to wipe away remnants of the wine and began knawing on a piece of chip.
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“The young girl who just helped you at the liquor store, was she pretty?” asked Mr. Finger.
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“Yah, she was a pretty young lass.”
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“Pity I only saw her back as she ran to her bus and never saw her face. Did you notice she took the same bus that brought us here? Which city did we come from at the time?”
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“From Milpitas, not far from here.”
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“That’s a strange name. My penis. My penis. Did they really name a city, my penis?”
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“No. No. No. No. You got it all wrong” corrected Dwarf Mickey. “It’s Milpitas. Mil as in milk, pi as in pee pee and tas as in us. Milpitas.”
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“Oh, mil – pee – tas. My penis.” Dwarf Mickey gawked at him in surprise with wide open eyes, his eyebrows raised and hair almost standing up straight.
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“What? Oh, my goodness, what did you say? Milpitas, you imbecile. Pronounce it correctly or people will laugh at you.”
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“My, my, my penis. I like to call it my penis. What can you do to me?”
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“Alright, call it whatever you will” replied Dwarf Mickey resignedly. Walking to a corner of the street, Mr. Finger stood with his feet spread apart and urinated. To him urinating wherever and whenever he pleased had become a habit, as natural as eating and drinking. He then turned to Dwarf Mickey and said,
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“I want some more wine. Pour me some more.” Dwarf Mickey poured some more for him and he again lay on the old dwarf’s hand and drank. When his thirst was finally satisfied after a few more rounds, Mr. Finger patted his tummy and sighed contently, “The wine bugs in my tummy are finally satisfied. Oh yes, that young woman dropped a piece of paper. What was it?”
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“It’s a lotto ticket. It might bring her great luck.”
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“Let me see it. Let me see it” he ordered.
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“What do you want to look at it for? You don’t know anything about it.” Taking the ticket out of his pocket he read the six figures out loud and told the little man. “There are six figures on this ticket. Every one of them has to fit the numbers that come out of the lotto machine in order to win the grand prize.”
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“That’s too hard. I’m not interested in it at all.”
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“If you were interested I could easily let you win the first prize. Don’t forget I am the god of wealth in charge of all the wealth in the world. I can make anything happen. How about it? Beg me, kow-tow to me and I will let you win.”
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“Even if you take all the money in the world and put it before my eyes, I won’t even look at it. Of what use is money? Can money buy a woman of my size? No. What I want is a woman that suits me. Of what use is all the money in the world to me? None at all.”
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“I understand your sorrow” sighed Dwarf Mickey. “I know because I suffer from the same malady. Where can you find a woman the size of a finger that would suit you? Take me for instance. I am bigger and taller than you, but I am a midget. Where can I find female midget for a mate? I’m afraid that you and I are destined to be solitary bachelors our whole lives.” On this beautiful spring day, when the warm sun was shining and flowers were blooming, the two lovelorn bachelors in heat sat in the narrow alley trying to drown their sorrow with liquor. But alas, no amount of wine could make them forget the sorrow in their hearts.
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A shadow streaked past the entrance, and then turned back and entered the alley. It was the young woman with short, chic haircut who had just helped Dwarf Mickey at the liquor store. She was wearing the faded blue jeans and sleeveless t-shirt and was searching the ground intently as if looking for something. As soon as she got on the bus, she discovered that she had lost her lotto ticket. Though it was worth only a dollar, it represented all the wealth she possessed. She owed a debt of unimaginable size and had to pinch every penny. Of course, the debt was of her own choosing, something she took on as her responsibility, for it was inconceivable for a young girl like her to have gotten in so deep all by herself. Engrossed in her search she was unaware of her surroundings and drew near to where Dwarf Mickey was sitting.
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“My good-hearted young lady, what are you looking for? Could it be this lotto ticket?” The young girl raised her head and saw the old dwarf holding a small piece of paper in his hand. Her eyes lighted up and exclaimed,
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“Oh yes, that’s it! I was looking for the lotto ticket I just bought. I might just hit the jack-pot. Who knows?”
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“Could you tell me why you want to win the jack-pot? Perhaps I might be able to help.”
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“No one can help me” sighed the young girl. “I owe a huge debt. Even if I was able to hit the jack-pot, it would only be a fraction of what I owe.”
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“How much money do you owe?” asked Mr. Finger who had finally finished drinking the wine in Dwarf Mickey’s hand and raised his head to join in the conversation. “This old guy, this little dwarf will be able to help you.” When Mr. Finger’s eyes connected with those of the young girl, both of them recoiled as if struck by lightning.
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“So here you are, Mr. Finger” exclaimed the young girl angrily. “If I had not been taken in by your dastardly trick, King Dimitri’s Kingdom would not have been destroyed by fire and certainly would not have been taken over by the barbarian tribes. Do you know how many brave warriors lost their precious lives to protect their homeland and country?” The girl was furious. She rolled up the newspaper in her hand and lunged towards the little man swatting at him with it. Mr. Finger tried to run away and when he couldn’t do it fast enough, rolled and tumbled on the ground trying to get away from the newspaper she used as a weapon against him.
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“Help! Help!” he shouted. “Dimitri come and help me. You old son-of-a-gun, how could you stand idly by and see her kill me? How would you justify my death to King Dimitri?” Seeing that the young girl was really greatly incensed and very angry, Dwarf Mickey became worried about Mr. Finger’s fate. He went forward and clutched her legs, saying
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“Stop! Stop, young lady. Please don’t be so angry. Mr. Finger is small and vulnerable. You could really kill him with that roll of newspaper if you use all your strength. How are we to face King Dimitri and tell him about the death of his friend? “
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“King Dimitri?” said the young girl forgetting her anger and opened her eyes wide. “Where is he? Do you know where he is now? Do you know?”
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“I don’t really know where he is now, but I am sure he will appear presently.”
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“You’re not kidding me, right?” asked the girl, not sure whether to believe him or not. “Will he really come back? Didn’t he disappear?”
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“Believe me, I won’t deceive you.”
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“Who are you? Why should I believe anything you say?” She looked at him intently and said, “But you look familiar somehow, now where have I seen you before…”
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“You don’t remember me? But I remember you.” said Dwarf Mickey smiling mysteriously. “You were one of the twenty-four beauties who often went at night to a secret dark room in the side hall of King Dimitri’s Administration Building on Twin Peaks. There you lighted candles, burnt incense and changed the food you offered to me. Now do you remember who I am?”
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“Ah! now I remember” said the young girl hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. “You are the dwarf; they say you are the god of wealth! Your appearance here means there is hope for King Dimitri’s Kingdom.” Dwarf Mickey laughed loudly, happy and proud that his exalted identity was now out in the open.
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“I think your name is Dorna, the youngest of the twenty-four beauties. Am I right?”
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“Yes, you are right. I am Dorna. Dorna is me” smiled the girl. Seeing the two of them happily engrossed in their conversation, Mr. Finger grabbed hold of this opportunity to slip away
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unnoticed. By the time they realized something was amiss, the little man was long gone. They looked everywhere, but after just the few short minutes that they stood conversing, they could no longer find any trace of him anywhere. They were afraid for his safety, and were embarrassed to let King Dimitri know of their lack of supervision.
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The sun gradually slanted towards the west. Time was slipping away fast by seconds and minutes. Dwarf Mickey and Dorna went searching for Mr. Finger in the area around the narrow alley and the liquor store. They searched every nook and cranny, looked under every movable rock and stone but came up empty-handed. The little man just wasn’t there. Their spirits grew heavier and heavier with the passing of time. Luckily Richard and Jamaz came upon the two of them on the streets. They knew Dorna from before and so needed no introduction. On learning that Mr. Finger had disappeared for no apparent reason and could not be found, they were greatly mystified. The little man’s legs were so short that it was inconceivable for him to have gone far. They decided to extend the area of their search to the nearby stores and apartments and they did so meticulously, to the great perplexity and consternation of the few store owners there. The apartments in the area were more numerous and were heavily secured with the front doors locked at all times. The possibility of Mr. Finger slipping in was nonexistent. The little man was a pest, creating trouble and discord everywhere he went, but at the same time he also brought laughter and liveliness into their lives. The wicked ideas and tricks and the odd remarks his peculiar mind came up with often made them split their sides with laughter. He was greatly loved by Dimitri who did not severely reprimand him even when he almost brought his Kingdom of Dreams to the brink of collapse through his dastardly tricks. Dimitri’s love remained unabated in spite of everything, so his friends were worried about how to account for Mr. Finger’s disappearance.
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Suddenly Dwarf Mickey’s chest felt as if it had been heavily hit by something. His heart pounded rapidly and irregularly and his internal organs seemed to have been turned topsy-turvy. He blacked out and collapsed with a thud to the ground. The others immediately rushed over, calling his name repeatedly, some massaging his chest and some pounding him on the back. After a while Dwarf Mickey came to, but his eyes stared unseeingly straight ahead at the skies while he murmured, “What a terrible mess! Earth-shaking changes have happened in King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams! That thief, that robber who stole my treasure has re-appeared. I have waited for almost a century for him.” The others were mystified by his almost incoherent mutterings, not understanding what they meant. They heard him go on to say, “He may use my treasure to cause a second tsunami in the economic world. I must stop them before they begin; otherwise the people would suffer and the world would go through another economic crisis.” He stood up slowly and said to Dorna,
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“Quick. Go quickly to Megginn and Samantha, King Dimitri’s chief financial officers. Tell them to meet me at Dream-Makers Bakery. I need to talk to them as soon as possible.”
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“Yes sir, I will do so at once” replied Dorna obediently. “Shall I notify Aisha as well? She is the queen of our Kingdom.”
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“No, let her be for the moment” replied Dwarf Mickey after a moment of thought. “Let the beautiful and noble queen stay happily immersed in the sea of academic research. We will notify her when it is necessary. I have other things to attend to and must leave now. Meet me at the bakery.” Saying so, he left without another word.
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The last scarlet clouds in the western skies, so like the drunken blush of the imperial concubine, disappeared in the deepening dusk. The roar of powerful engines rocked the air as a luxurious, streamlined airplane appeared and slowly touched down. It ran on the extremely straight runway towards the other end. After it slowed down, it made a turn and four powerful lights shone on it. The plane slipped onto the apron and came to a stand-still. A ladder was pushed over to the door of the plane which opened and Megginn walked down it looking extremely gaunt and tired, her long, beautiful hair blown about by the strong wind. When she got to the last step, she turned to the crew who came down behind her, shook their hands and said goodbye. She took a last look at the plane especially assigned to the president of World Bank and waved goodbye to it, while the crew saluted her for the last time. The next day the plane would have a new boss.
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Megginn walked quickly to the brand new, luxurious aerodynamic race car that was waiting for her at the parking area. It was evidently an extremely expensive car and if it could fly, it would probably be no slower than that plane that had just touched down here. Megginn opened the door of the car and entered it almost half reclining. The engine revved up like a dozen young beasts roaring in unison and the car took off at an alarmingly fast pace. The driver was her old partner, vice-president of World Bank, Samantha. She glanced at the tired-looking Megginn and asked,
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“How did it go? Was it smooth?”
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“Not bad. The guy who took over was no other than the new manager Mr. O’Brian” said Megginn morosely. “He is Novella’s fiancé and was very courteous and did not nitpick over details. There was no haggling so we quickly went over the agreement and World Bank was taken over by its new owner. As I signed my name to the contract I said to him, ‘One day I will represent Dimitri to regain the ownership of World Bank.” He politely replied that he would be waiting for that day to arrive.” Samantha was silent as she listened, concentrating her attention on driving the flying race car. “Who could have predicted” continued Megginn “that a huge financial empire like Dimitri’s would so quickly turn to dust, collapsing like a house of cards. It really makes me feel regretful that the accumulation and dispersion of wealth in life could be changed in the blink of an eye.” Samantha slowed the car down after she left the freeway and drove down the local streets. Megginn realized that it was not the direction to her house and asked in surprise,
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“That’s not the way home. Where are you taking me? I am very tired and would like to go to sleep as soon as possible.”
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“I’m afraid now is not the time for sleep. A very busy schedule is ahead of us.”
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“Busy schedule? How could that be? I have been relieved of all my titles and duties!”
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“I just got a call from Dorna. She sounded extremely excited. She said Dwarf Mickey wants to see you and me for an emergency meeting.”
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“Dwarf Mickey? That’s a strange sounding name! Who is he? Why does he want to see us?”
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“Don’t you remember that there used to be a secret dark room in the side hall of King Dimitri’s Administrative Building on Twin Peaks? No one is allowed to go in there except the twenty-four of us and Ilene and her twelve palace attendants. Every evening we go there, worship at the shrine and bring fresh offerings.”
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“Of course I remember; how could I forget? I remember the shrine was dedicated to the god of wealth. He wore the robes of the Qing Dynasty made of gold threads, and a small melon shaped hat. He also had a long, white beard. He is strange looking but I have heard that he was miraculously effective. Do you mean him?”
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“Yes, he is the god of wealth that Dimitri believes in. Now he calls himself Dwarf Mickey.”
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“I heard that his white beard had been singed and he disappeared altogether. Soon after that King Dimitri’s Kingdom collapsed. “
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“Life is really strange. Dwarf Mickey mysteriously disappeared and now he has surfaced again so unexpectedly. He is calling an emergency meeting and is urgently asking expressly for you and me, saying he has important things to announce. No wonder Dorna was so excited over the phone that she was almost incoherent! I think it has to do with getting Dimitri’s financial empire back into shape again.” Megginn eyes brightened. The fatigue of her journey and despondency of her spirits miraculously disappeared. Like riding in a roller coaster, one minute she was down in the deepest dumps but now she had climbed onto the highest mental cliffs. She became excited too and said,
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“That’s great! I haven’t been to the bakery for a long time. Let’s go there quickly. I would like to visit Amalia.”
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“Don’t be in such a hurry. We cannot go dressed like this and certainly not in this car. We must go back to my place, get changed and drive there in our old taxi to throw dust in people’s eyes. There’s a lot of pepperasi around. Although I am no longer a world famous model and you are not the president of World Bank any more, the two of us are still people of interest to them and have name recognition.” Saying so both of them laughed. The car made several turns and disappeared into the night.
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The store sold antiques, used goods and told fortunes on the side. It was the one Emmanuel had walked into by accident. Though the surrounding stores had all closed for the day, this one was still open. Its customers kept late hours, many of whom came in the deep of the night to ask for advice when they felt lost, confused or dazed. They hoped that supernatural powers would be able to help them and would explain and predict the unknown future. It was not that late when Dwarf Mickey pushed open the door to the store shouting,
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“Melissa! Where are you? I am Mickey. I am here. Come out quick!” The old woman dressed as a witch was sitting behind the counter with her eyes closed waiting for customers when she heard someone shouting. With half-opened eyes she came out from behind the counter in her wheel chair, without knowing who it was that was speaking to her.
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“Well sir, do you want to have your fortune told by tarot cards? That’s $50.”
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“What tarot cards? I was the one that taught you what little you know. Open you sleepy eyes and see who I am.” Opening her drowsy eyes, the old woman looked at the speaker.
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“You old bum you. Why are you here so late?” she shouted. “Where have you been hiding? I thought you had died long ago and turned to dust! Why have you come to see me after all this time?”
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“No time to talk nonsense” he replied. Holding out his open palm he said, “Give me back the thing I left with you. That bronze tortoise. Give it back to me.”
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“You mean that rusty piece of metal? Nobody even glanced at it for fifty years. Recently a young man came in and just bought it by force even though I told him it was not for sale!”
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“What! Someone took it? You really messed me up badly this time. “
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“Who knew what that was? When you gave it to me you said you would come for it soon.
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It’s been fifty years now. Well, what’s gone is gone, what’s the big deal?”
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“No big deal? No big deal? Do you know what’s in it?” shouted Dwarf Mickey. “It’s… Oh, never mind, I don’t have time to talk about it. What did the young man look like?”
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“He was a mean looking guy, tall and muscular. The funny thing is sometimes there was a sly-looking expression on his face, but it was still somehow both naïve and innocent. I have a feeling that though he looked fierce and vicious, he was not a really bad man…”
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“Alright, alright. I know now” interrupted Dwarf Mickey impatiently “You don’t have to be so long-winded.” Saying so, he turned and slammed out of the store.
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“Hey you old bum you! Come back. You just got here, how could you leave just like that? Come back… I still want to talk to you!”
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Like the low-key philosophy of its founder Dimitri who preferred to be inconspicuous, the signboard of Dream-Maker’s Bakery was at an unassuming corner of the street. In its heyday, the bakery had once been flourishing, but after Dimitri left it gradually slid downhill. Many of its old customers complained that when that blind and mystical chef was no longer there, the quality of its cakes and pastries were also no longer up to par. He was rumored to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Word spread and the business of Dream-Maker’s bakery declined. Perhaps it was only the customer’s psychological reaction, but the general trend could not be bucked. Now the iron gate was pulled down and business was closed for the day, but lights shone brightly in the workshop at the back. Megginn and Samantha had arrived. Sheila and Yoko had put Amalia to bed and were now down in the workshop chatting animatedly with the others. Mary was going over the accounts and doing the book-keeping. Laverne had already gotten her R.N. license. Every morning she brought Mark to work at the bakery and after work both of them would have their dinner at the bakery before going home together. Mr. Kaffee and Richard were sitting drinking liquor and eating some dishes prepared for them while they waited at a corner of the room. The beauties had scattered. They either had jobs or had found their own niche in life so the glory of their former life was no more. The exquisitely remodeled house next door had not been rented out but now stood empty and unused. Jamaz and Big-O sat in Richard’s old vehicle doing surveillance. From time to time they would start up the car and patrol the surrounding area on the lookout for any unusual activities. Of course they would be notified of the results of the meeting by Richard or Mr. Kaffee. Just as everyone was getting impatient, Dwarf Mickey came rushing into the bakery through the back gate, his head and face wet with perspiration, shouting
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“Mr. Finger had only left us for a few hours, but look at the turmoil he has caused! He is really a trouble-maker!” All eyes turned to him.
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“”Don’t be in such a hurry. Take your time,” said Mr. Kaffee smiling. “Come sit down here and take a rest before speaking to us.”
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“Have a drink before we talk” said Richard pouring a glass of liquor for him. “Whatever it is, we are all here and can put our heads together and help come to a conclusion.” Dwarf Mickey accepted the glass, finished it in one quaff and then said,
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“We don’t need to look for that little man Mr. Finger any more. I believe he has gone back to the Kingdom of Dreams because only there can he find his woman. In our world there are no little women of his size. He is really obsessed about women and must have gone back.”
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“I heard him said he has a beautiful bride, called Viola” said Richard. “I don’t believe she came back to our world with him. He must have gone back to her.” The others were all very much surprised at the turn of events.
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“The Kingdom of Dreams and the world we are living in now are in two different dimensions of time. The time frame is completely different. Though Mr. Finger had only left us for a few hours, in the Kingdom of Dreams it is already quite a long period of time. During this time, earth-shaking changes had taken place there. I can feel changes in the shell of the earth as immense as those caused by earthquakes. Because of that the treasure stolen from me a century ago had resurfaced. I traced it to Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams where the clue ended. I have always suspected that the thief had died and had now reincarnated to another life in the Kingdom of Dreams because he was not willing to give up the treasure. I have wondered for a long time who the thief could be. I have investigated and rejected all suspects. The only possibility that remained is Mr. Finger’s new bride.”
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“The two of them are extremely suitable and should be very happy together” said Mr. Kaffee. “What more could they want? What do they want to do?”
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“I’m afraid things are not that simple” said Richard and went on to tell how he and Jamaz met Salina. The others also felt the meeting was not accidental and that there was much that needed to be cleared. They were afraid it was a plot to get information about Dimitri and the whereabouts of his twenty-four beauties through his friends Richard and Jamaz.
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“If that’s the case, I’m afraid they have already moved part of my treasure to this mundane world and may be intending to move still more here” said Dwarf Mickey after listening to Richard’s report. Turning to Megginn he asked, “King Dimitri’s financial empire may have collapsed, but surely there is still some capital left somewhere that we can use. How much do you think we can we get our hands on?” Megginn’s expression turned somber as she replied,
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“Ever since King Dimitri’s financial empire collapsed, his emissaries throughout the world who had control of large sums of his money declared their independence and severed all contact with the Kingdom. When they heard the news that he had mysteriously disappeared into thin air, they added fuel to the fire by spreading rumors that rocked the foundations of World Bank. It was as if they wished to uproot all traces of Dimitri’s power and wealth from the face of the earth. Today I was in Washington D.C. finalizing the transfer of World Bank. We are now formally penniless, without any resources at all.”
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“Well” sighed Dwarf Mickey, “it seems that the job of gathering the necessary capital can only fall on me. I will have to sacrifice part of the remaining years of my life in exchange for it, but I have already lived past the century mark so it’s no big deal. I myself don’t even know how many years I can give up for this deal.”
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“Oh, no, no” cried Dorna hastily. “Let me give up part of the remaining years of my life instead. I am young and can afford to do so. I feel that I am largely to blame for causing the total collapse of King Dimitri’s financial empire. If I did not fall for Mr. Finger’s trick, the outcome would not have been so serious. Please allow me to sacrifice part of my life instead of you. Please, please.”
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“Don’t forget that only I am the god of wealth and only I can exchange part of my life for a large amount of money” said Dwarf Mickey, patting Dorna lovingly on the shoulder. “That’s not interchangeable or negotiable.” The room turned silent with everyone’s heart full of worry and sadness. The hitherto quiet and reserved Yoko suddenly broke her silence.
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“Mr. Mickey” said she, “have you forgotten that once you came into our bakery and emptied a large bag of ancient gold coins onto the counter. I collected them together and put them into a safe in our bank where they have remained all this time. I believe they are extremely valuable and are worth much more than their face value. Each one of them is a valuable witness of the historical development of the human race. They represent ancient history and therefore are of great historical significance. Do you think these coins will be of help to us under the present circumstances?” On hearing her words, Dwarf Mickey laughed happily. He clapped his forehead, saying,
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“I am really getting old and have forgotten these coins which I had gathered together expressly for the purpose of helping Dimitri stage a comeback. My premonitions had been correct. Dimitri began with nothing and then had everything. Later, he went from having everything back to having nothing. Now we are beginning again from nothing, rebuilding Dimitri’s huge financial empire so people would rub their eyes and see us in a new light. Only then would you appreciate the wonderful powers of Dwarf Mickey! Not only that, I would make use of this opportunity to catch that thief who stole my treasure one hundred years ago and get it all back again.” His words greatly boosted everyone’s morale and an atmosphere of exultation permeated the room. Richard took out some wine glasses and prepared to pour liquor for everyone.
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“That’s too strong for us,” objected Sheila and Mary. “We can’t drink that!”
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“Why don’t we break out some champagne” suggested Samantha. Everyone agreed.
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Pop! Pop! Pop! went the champagne bottles. They all raised their glasses and congratulated each other in high spirits because the chips for resurrecting Dimitri’s financial empire seemed to be falling in place. Soon everyone was feeling the warm and fuzzy effects of the champagne.
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“How are we to change these ancient gold coins into capital?” asked Yoko.
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“No problem” said Mr. Kaffee. “I am a collector of antiques and know quite a few very reputable connoisseurs of ancient coins. I can take our coins to them for appraisal and have them write and sign an endorsement. Then we will hold an auction to get the maximum profit.”
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“Good idea!” “Good idea!” agreed everyone and they clapped enthusiastically.
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“What will be the next step after we have raised enough funds?” asked Megginn.
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“Don’t forget me. Don’t forget me!” interrupted the impatient Dorna. “I want to atone for my misconduct. I regret my part in the fall of King Dimitri’s empire. Give me a second chance.”
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“Let me think, little girl” said Dwarf Mickey who seemed to have taken a special liking to naughty girl Dorna. He patted her on the head saying, “I will give you a detailed list of stocks bonds and other commodities every month, telling you which ones to buy or sell and when to do so. You just have to carry out my orders faithfully and soon we would have quickly accumulated a huge amount of capital…” Then turning to Megginn and Samantha, he said, “The next step will depend on you two. Megginn, you are an expert in finance and know more than I in this field. What do you think we should do next?” Megginn bit her lower lip inthought for a while before saying,
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“I want to buy back or take over the enterprises that used to belong to King Dimitri. Then I will deal with those emissaries all over the world who were commissioned to take care of Dimitri’s assets but instead betrayed him. By hook or by crook, I will deal them a severe blow on the head and see that they receive their just deserts and are severely punished.”
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“Good. Good” said Dwarf Mickey. “You just missed one thing. You must pay great attention to the financial market and prevent the thief who stole my treasure from using it to create havoc resulting in another financial tsunami. This is something you must remember to keep in mind.” Then turning to Samantha he said, “I am sure you know very well what your part in all this is. Your agile and flexible social skills can be fully displayed and will be much in need.”
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“What about me?” asked Richard. “Give me something to do, too. I have a lot of time on my hands.”
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“Don’t worry. Your plate will be more than full and your troubles will be legion too” said Dwarf Mickey looking very serious and solemn. “Let me tell you. I believe that Mr. Finger and his so-called bride Viola have returned to this mundane world. Mr. Finger’s appearance has been greatly altered. He has somehow acquired the ability to change the size of his body at will. He can now take the shape of a normal-sized man, tall and muscular. What is worse, he has gotten hold of an artifact which looks like an old rusty bronze tortoise, but has a potent mixture of powder stored inside its interior. When spurted on its victim, this powder could cause the person to be rendered unconscious and become completely vulnerable, unable to protect herself. I’m afraid he would use this on King Dimitri’s twenty-four beauties in retaliation. Your job is to protect the twenty-four beauties. Is this work important enough for you?” His audience once more turned silent, their high spirits dampened by his ominous words.
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“Where is King Dimitri?” asked Mr. Kaffee. “Why isn’t he back here working together with us to pull through this crisis?”
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“I believe he is already back and will appear at the suitable time. I am still mystified about what really happened in King Dimitri’s Kingdom to cause the shell of the earth there to undergo such drastic changes.”
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Upon waking, Mr. Finger found himself lying on a soft, comfortable bed. Looking around the room in the gloaming light, he saw miniature tables, chairs, dressers and all kinds of furniture decorating the small room. In a corner there were earthen containers used to store wine. Why, this was the love nest he and Viola had built together! He had returned to King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams. The odor of decaying flower petals told Mr. Finger that quite some time had passed since Viola last visited the tree hole house she built with her own hands. He sat up and walked over to the tree hole to peek out at the world outside in the faint light. The scene that met his eyes caused him to blink in surprise. In the dense fog the outlook seemed to have changed considerably. Normally even in the densest fog or on dark nights, the shape of Giant Mountain was clearly discernable in the distance like a giant lying horizontally on the ground. Day was now beginning to break, but there was no large shape visible across the lake. What next surprised him was the sound of rushing water which he had never heard before. He returned to his soft and comfortable bed, determined to explore everything more fully when it was brighter. Lying there on the bed, his mind was bombarded with all kinds of thoughts. He thought of his romance with Viola so sweet and tender at the beginning but which ended abruptly so drastically, resulting in Viola and he trying to kill each other. Now he was back, trying to make up with his beloved wife and wondered if she would forgive him. Viola knew he had magic powers which could still be useful to her. Therefore she just might not try to kill him this time. At the moment Viola was holding all the cards and he was the weak and vulnerable one. She could change her shape at will while he was only the size of a finger. For her, to kill him was as easy as swatting a fly. The way to go would be to appear repentant and vulnerable and try to gain her sympathy and pity. If he succeeded he would be able to have a beautiful wife again. Thinking so, Mr. Finger was greatly comforted. He turned around and was soon sound asleep.
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Early next morning the sun was shining and the weather was mild and beautiful. Mr. Finger opened his eyes and felt rested and energetic. He sat up and got out of bed. Walking down the crude stairs that had been cut inside the tree he soon reached the tree hole on the ground. The scenery before him greatly shocked him. The lake water was blue and crystal clear as before but the water level had risen considerably. He used to have to walk quite a distance to get to the lake, but now the water was only a few feet from his tree. What amazed him more was that the horizontal giant lying on the opposite side of the lake had fractured into several sections and now looked scattered and disorderly. The head was still clearly discernable, but his broken body and feet were either partially above water or completely submerged. The solid gold palace situated at the chest of the giant that used to glitter with eye-dazzling brilliance under the sunlight had completely disappeared, and was probably buried under the lake. Mr. Finger looked to the left and saw the ruins of King Dimitri’s former magnificent palace which had long been burnt to the ground. Where icy, crystal clear water flowed between the Twin Peaks into the mouth of the lake, a huge cliff had suddenly risen from the earth. Water crashed against it and formed a waterfall about twenty to thirty yards wide. Mr. Finger thought, “Ah yes, the sound of water I heard last night was that of water colliding against the cliff! The changes Mother Nature made in the earth’s crust were really majestic and frightening. Now that this place had changed so drastically that it is almost beyond recognition, where am I to find my little wife, beautiful as a flower? I may have to remain a bachelor for the rest of my life for where else can I find another woman of my size?” His thoughts turned back to the past and Mr. Finger deeply regretted having tricked Dorna which ultimately led to the destruction of Dimitri’s magnificent palace and mysterious Kingdom. “If I hadn’t done that,” he thought, “I would still be living the easy life wearing expensive clothes and enjoying delicious food and mouth-watering wine. Now everything is in ruins. Oh! How I regret having listened to Viola and caused all this destruction and devastation!”
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Mr. Finger looked all around him and saw only water, water everywhere. He did not know where to go from here or what to do. Suddenly his gaze was arrested by something red entangled with weeds in the shallow water. He waded in to retrieve it and recognized that it was a little embroidered bag Lotus used to wear around her waist, and wondered how it came to turn up here. Immediately the image of the gentle, endearing girl came to mind. He undid the button of the bag and found a sewing kit containing some sewing needles and silk thread belonging to the calm and quiet beauty of few words who loved to do needlework. His stomach rumbled just then and the little man had a sudden inspiration as to how to appease his hunger. Taking the smallest needle in the bag, he smashed at it with a rock until it bent and took on the shape of a hook. He threaded the eye of the needle with some silk thread and tied a dead knot. Then wading into shallow water, he managed to catch an unnamed insect which he pierced with his hooked needle to use as live bait and decided to try his luck at fishing. He was optimistic because the previously dead lake seemed to have revived as he had caught glimpses of fish and shrimps swimming around just now when he waded into it. The blue waters of the lake were once more coming to life. He threw his bait far out into the water hoping to be lucky enough to catch some small fish or shrimp for breakfast. He sat idly by the bank of the lake to wait for the outcome. Bored by not receiving any nibble, he began pulling at his make-shift fishing rod and saw his thread sink down as if the hook had caught on something. Greatly exhilarated, he pulled his thread inch by inch back towards land but began to have doubts when the thread though heavy showed no sign of struggle. Surely a live fish or shrimp however small would put up a struggle when caught and he would feel the tension on the thread. He felt nothing. When the fish hook finally emerged from the water, Mr. Finger was greatly disappointed. He had caught a dead fish with its white belly turned upwards. Just then he heard a barely audible cry for help. “Help me! Help me! Don’t desert me! Please, I beg of you.” Mr. Finger examined his catch more carefully and saw that a tiny figure was clinging desperately to the tail of the dead fish. His heart felt as if punched by a heavy object and he thought that in this wide, wide world, there could never be another little woman the same size as he. This must be his beloved wife, Viola. But what was she doing floating in the water, clinging to the tail of a dead fish? There was no time for speculation. Mr. Finger used all the strength of his little body and finally succeeded in pulling the dead fish to shore. He pried open Viola’s icy cold hands which was still grasping the fish with a deathlike grip. She had been in the cold water for too long and had lost so much body heat as to be almost on the point of death.
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Mr. Finger placed his beloved little wife on the soft bed. Even he himself did not know where he found the strength to carry her from the bank of the lake to the tree hole and then climb up the stairs inside the tree with her on his back. He felt completely exhausted but there was no time for rest as Viola, being seriously hypothermic, needed immediate help. He suddenly remembered that there should be some of the wine which Viola had made before left in the earthen containers in the corner of the room and immediately went to get them. He fed it to her little by little mouth to mouth before pouring some on her chest near the area of the heart and began to massage her carefully. Then he did the same to the rest of her body including her hands and feet. Soon Viola’s bloodless countenance began to show some color, signally that she had passed the danger zone, but she was still very weak. When Viola opened her eyes and saw Mr. Finger tirelessly massaging her whole body, tears of gratitude flowed down her cheeks and she murmured,
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“I am so glad I did not kill you that day or you would not be here today to save me. We were such a loving and well-suited couple. I don’t know why things changed and we became a pair of fierce enemies bent on killing each other. Well, all that is now over and done with. We are together again destined never to part.” Mr. Finger saw that Viola was still very weak and spoke haltingly as if short of breath, so he stopped her saying,
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“You should rest now and try to sleep. Everything can wait till tomorrow when you have gained your strength and feel better.” He then went outside to collect some nectar of flowers and other wild fruit and fed them to her. Then clasping Viola tightly to his chest, he tried to warm her still cold body with his own body heat. The two little people lay clasped together on the bed and soon fell asleep.
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In her dreams Viola seemed to return to the quiet afternoon of the day of the incident. She was sitting on King Dimitri’s gold throne, looking around the dazzling, magnificent pure gold palace. She had faithfully executed her mother’s instructions given to her in her dreams and in three steps successfully destroyed Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams and took over the gold palace for herself. She was delirious with joy that she had successfully fulfilled her mother’s dying wish for revenge and was now the mistress of the gold palace that had been her dream for so long, but Viola soon found that euphoria and curiosity soon evaporated and was followed by emptiness. What had total authority and enormous wealth brought her? At this point she was actually nostalgic for the safe haven in the tree hole which she had decorated into a small, cozy home. Everything there was simple and primitive, but every piece of furniture, every table, every chair had made with her own hands. The small room had been filled with warmth and delight, especially after she met her husband, Mr. Finger, another little person like herself. He was sly and devious at times, but they had been a loving couple. They became estranged but she couldn’t help wondering whether he was alive or dead or what had happened to him. Another thing on her mind was the fact that while she was destroying Kingdom of Dreams and after she took over King Dimitri’s gold palace, the man himself had never put in an appearance. Could he have built another larger and much more magnificent kingdom in some other dimension of time? Viola’s hatred for Dimitri had not abated and thirst for revenge was burning as strong as ever in her heart. She sat on the throne with one hand cupping her chin and drowsily dozed off when the sound of a man’s sobbing woke her from her nap. It was the expression of intense grief and sorrow in his heart which he seemed to be struggling hard to stifle but failed. It came off and on in fits and starts and disturbed Viola’s nap which made her very angry. “Who dares to be so bold as to cry near my throne?” she thought. “I will cut off his weeping head for such affront!” She called over an attendant and asked,
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“Who is that crying?”
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“It’s King Cyclops crying in the corridor outside.”
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Viola was greatly surprised and stood up to see for herself what was going on.
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Cyclops’ imposing physique was crouched in a corner of the corridor crying bitterly. He tried his best to suppress his sorrow so that his sobs would not wake up his beloved daughter who was catnapping on her throne. Viola came to him and gently asked
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“Sire, why are you crying? Is there something not to your liking?”
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“Oh, no, no” replied Cyclops, hastily wiping away his tears when he saw Viola had come to make inquiries about his emotional outbreak. “Everything is fine. I am perfectly satisfied. After taking over King Dimitri’s Kingdom and his gold palace we have been living a very luxurious life, celebrating with songs, music, liquor and banquets night and day. I was just thinking about your poor mother who is still suffering the torture of the damned in the fires of Gehenna, and my heart feels such pain that it seemed to be torn in half. That is why I was crying. I would like to go and save her but I was afraid you would not agree.”
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“Why wouldn’t I let you go and save her?” asked Viola greatly surprised. “In fact, I have been thinking of doing just that, but haven’t had the chance to talk to you about it yet. I was able to topple King Dimitri’s Kingdom by successfully carrying out mother’s three-step plan of revenge. I am more than willing to share the fruits of our labor with her, why wouldn’t I want you to save her?”
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“Perhaps you do not quite know what kind of person your mother is” said Cyclops after a moment of hesitation. “She is very ambitious and has an insatiable lust for power and authority. I was afraid that if we saved her from the fires of hell, you and she would come into conflict and cause another catastrophe with terrible consequences. That is what I was worrying about and that is the reason why I have never talked to you about it.”
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“Sire, you think too much” said Viola smilingly patting Cyclops’ strong muscular shoulder. “Mother and I are very close; our relationship is thicker than blood and more fiery than liquor. You were not present at the time and so could not have imagined the tragic scene. When I burst out from my mother’s womb I was just an unformed fetus. I saw with my own eyes the lower part of her body lying in a pool of blood on the ground, while the upper part of her body still hung from a withered branch of a tree. But she would not give up her spirit, even though she was suffering unimaginable pain. She was waiting for me to grow up and go to her side so she could inject her blood into my body. This way I would be able to change my physical size at will. She formed a three-step plan for revenge for me to carry out so I could destroy King Dimitri’s Kingdom. Ah Sire, my relationship with mother is so very close. Now that I know mother is suffering in the fires of hell, how could I not go and save her? Even if one day she should want to be in total control of the gold palace and the new kingdom we have formed, I have no qualms about letting her have it all. I want to continue my pursuit of King Dimitri. My thirst for revenge has not yet been satisfied and I will not stop until I finally have him cornered and kill him…The question is how will we go about saving mother from the fires of Gehenna? Where is it?”
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“I know how to get there. The entrance is just below that sheer cliff which has a bottomless chasm. I once fell off the cliff and almost died, so I know the location.” Father and daughter clasped each other’s hands tightly.
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“What are we waiting for?” said Viola
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Having decided on their plan of action, Viola at once mobilized her subjects, ordering every single man, woman and child in the barbarian tribes to go into the dense forests and chop down all kinds of sturdy rattan-like climbing vine. They were told to pile up their gatherings by the side of the steep cliff for Cyclops to use. Only the superhuman strength of his arms and wrists could twist these tough vines together into resilient heavy-duty ropes. The barbarian tribes were once more galvanized into action and all of a sudden people were busily coming and going. Viola walked back to her gold palace and sat alone on her throne thinking, “Am I really willing to give up all I have, including this brilliant gold palace and hand them all over to another woman?” But then the images of the raging fires of hell appeared and she saw in her mind’s eye her mother Ileen struggling futilely to keep afloat in those roaring flames enduring unimaginable pain and suffering. Viola folded her hands in prayer, praying to heaven that this time she would succeed in safely rescuing her mother from the fires of Gehenna. The rest could be considered later.
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Dream-maker’s Bakery was open for business and seemed to be operating as they normally do. But appearances were deceiving; for beneath the apparent calm, numerous frantic activities were going on to bring about the resurrection of Dimitri’s financial empire. Mr. Kaffee had successfully gathered the necessary capital by the auction of the ancient gold coins and gave them to Dorna to invest according to Dwarf Mickey’s detailed instructions. Dwarf Mickey on his part wrote down in detail which stock, bond or commodity she was to buy or sell as well as the exact time and date she was to do so. Dorna was meticulous in carrying out his orders and as a result had made killings after killings, which greatly increased her respect for Dwarf Mickey’s powers of foretelling the future. Dorna’s eyes were glued to the computer screen as she studied the column of figures displaying the ups and downs of the stock market. She couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise and chortling in glee when she saw the stock market performing just as Dwarf Mickey predicted. The god of wealth’s ability to foretell the future was uncanny and infallible. Dorna’s determination to redeem herself made her so absorbed in her work as to forget to eat and sleep. Aisha, who loved the young girl like a daughter, had been worrying about the girl’s future because she knew that Dorna did not like to study and had left school too long to be able to continue her formal education. Therefore she was greatly relieved when Dorna decided to go back to work in Dream-maker’s Bakery and seemed to be doing well. She thought it was the right path to take and so condoned the move. Megginn and Samantha had moved back to the Young Women’s Boarding House, where rooms had been reserved for them on the onset. They thought it would be easier to communicate if they lived on site and they loved to be once more reunited with their sisters. Soon the place revived and became lively and bustling again. Amalia’s Alzheimer’s disease also gained from the change and her condition improved quite remarkably. She was more interested in her surroundings and began talking to those around her, even though her words were often off the mark and her answers did not fit the questions asked of her. But all in all it was a great improvement and a joyful one to her loving family.
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Megginn was capable, experienced and an expert at finance and money management. These days she went all out working night and day planning the resurrection of King Dimitri’s financial empire. She racked her brains thinking of ways to achieve her goal. With the continuous influx of capital, her plan was being realized step by step. Previous enterprises that used to belong to King Dimitri were in the process of being bought back or were experiencing hostile take-over. Samantha was every inch the prominent socialite, as her mission was to hob-nob with the movers and shakers and make herself lively and active on the social scene. She attended ribbon- cutting ceremonies, registered the their various newly acquired companies and enterprises, and joined in the dizzying whirl of non-stop social activities. She was so busy that she had hardly a moment to call her own. When she could not disengage herself from some important event, she would call on Mr. Kaffee for help and he would gladly oblige by going in her stead. Soon rumor began to float around that the ex big shot who used to dominate both the underworld and the world of finance was ready to re-emerge as a power to be reckoned with. Richard, Jamaz and Big-O were also itching for action and were busy preparing themselves for any emergency. Two of the three would accompany Megginn or Samantha as bodyguards whenever they went out, while one of them always remained behind at the bakery to ensure the safety of King Dimitri’s secret headquarters in the mundane world.
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Everyone was frantically busy at his or her own specific post, but the busiest of all were King Dimitri’s loyal servants Creativity and Imagination. The two of them danced happily hand in hand around the bakery and the connecting Young Women’s Boarding House. Their wild, feverish twirling and whirling forms appeared in every corner of the boarding house, in the front of the bakery as well as the workroom behind. Though no one could see them with their naked eye, they danced tirelessly on, distributing happy vibes. Hand in hand, they danced on and on, twirling and whirling, intoxicated with their dance to the point of forgetting themselves. Perhaps the ingenious ideas, the clever strategies and inventive plans that came to the brains of the inhabitants there originated from the vibes of the dancing couple.
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By or before four, five o’clock in the morning early risers had begun arriving at the quiet lakeside to walk or jog and were gradually joined by many more as the morning progressed. It was not easy to find such a spacious place in a metropolitan city. There was a long pier stretching well into the middle of the lake where few people deigned to visit. It had been out of repair for a long time and was dilapidated and covered with feathers and feces of birds which reeked of an offensive odor under the sunshine. Dimitri loved the quiet tranquility of the lakeside and used to come here often to contemplate and be alone with his thoughts, never seeming to mind the foul smell or the filth. But one day a resourceful entrepreneur came upon the place, saw its potential and applied for a permit to redevelop the pier into a business. He spent a lot of money on cleaning the place up and beautified both the pier and its surrounding environment. He isolated the aquatic birds to a place further away and proceeded to transform the place into a European style outdoor café which became a favorite haunt of residents and tourists alike. On sunny afternoons in spring and summer, the tables under the multi-colored umbrella he set up were usually full of customers, dressed in colorful t-shirts, shorts and sandals which added youthful vigor and vitality to the scene, breathing new life into the lonely lakeside making it into a scenic spot. Charina sat under an umbrella as blue as the blue skies at the far end of the pier which protruded almost to the middle of the lake. She was wearing a sleeveless yellow shirt, narrow black skirt and a pair of Greek sandals, serenely sipping her coffee, looking very cool. The companion she was conversing with was no other than the homeless man, Dimitri. He was still wearing his dilapidated dark brown jacket, loose black trousers and ill-fitting block-headed shoes. His safari hat was so old it was almost in tatters, but he never changed his outfit. Strange to say, though his clothes looked shabby and used they never gave off any unpleasant odor. Clever and intelligent Maureen sat on his lap listening to their conversation. Dimitri had been wandering aimlessly around the lake, not really knowing where he wanted to go, letting the white cane in his hand guide him on his way. Maureen’s sharp nose caught the scent of his new friend and led his mistress to him.
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Charina led Dimitri to the far end of the long dock where it was not so crowded. After the waiter had brought them their coffee and red wine, she began to tell him the happenings of the last few days.
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“That night after you left, that’s almost three days ago now, I suddenly smelled an intoxicating fragrance of flowers and immediately lost consciousness. When I came to I found that I was completely naked and wrapped in a blanket. Opening my eyes I saw that a policewoman was sitting nearby keeping guard on me. It was then that I realized someone had broken into my home and attempted to rape me, and that a good Samaritan had come to my rescue and routed the scoundrel. The broken windows and doors showed signs of a fierce struggle but there was no eye witness to all this other than my clever little dog Maureen here. He cannot speak our human language and therefore is unable to bear witness to what happened. The policewoman took my testimony and left. She cautioned me to make sure that all my windows and doors were closed and locked at night because a serial rapist seemed to be targeting the area.” Dimitri’s hand reached carefully and hesitantly for his glass of wine and took a large gulp before saying,
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“That night, it was your clever little Maureen who found me with his extraordinary sense of smell and made me understand something was amiss. But I am a helpless blind man, utterly useless in an emergency. I suddenly thought of Medusa, the guardian of my Kingdom of Dreams, so I summoned her and told her to deal with the crisis. It was Maureen who led her to your home, and it is your little dog you should thank for saving you.”
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“Yes, yes” exclaimed Charina as if waking from a dream. “The police and I were both puzzled as to who could have the strength to break down that thick and solid front door into smithereens… Oh, by the way there is something I must give you. I almost forgot. I found a note in the balloon in my back yard today…” Saying so she opened her purse, took out a piece of white paper which she handed to Dimitri and said “Here you are.”
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“Don’t forget I am blind” said he smiling wryly. “I cannot see. Please read it to me.” Charina took over the paper and read,
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“My dear Majesty: There was a large earthquake in the Kingdom the other day which caused great changes in the earth’s crust. Giant Mountain has been totally destroyed and the gold palace sank to the bottom of the lake. The barbarian tribes have disappeared. This is a great opportunity to re-establish our Kingdom. Please come back to your Kingdom and lead us in this endeavor. Signed Medusa.” After reading the note, Charina sat there staring at Dimitri. He calmly took another drink from his glass and said,
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“Do you remember the first time I visited you at your house, Charina? That day I was very tired and you offered me some very good, rare wine, so I fell asleep on your sofa…”
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“Yes, I remember” replied Charina after a moment of reminisce. “I made you your dinner while you were sleeping.”
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“I made use of the opportunity to visit my Kingdom in the Dreams and fulfilled a very important mission…”
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“What? What did you do? What important mission?” asked Charina.
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“I’ll tell you about it one day. Now is not the time to do so. Oh, you just said that rapist left his clothes at your house. Is that right?”
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“Yes, that is so. The police took them as evidence to be used against him should he get caught.”
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“My dear little friend, do you recall the scent of that man?” asked Dimitri patting the little dog. Maureen barked loudly and boldly as if saying confidently ‘Of course I do. This little thing is nothing to me!’.” Turning to Charina he said, “May I borrow your little dog for a while? I will return him to you by nightfall. I need his strong sense of smell to lead me to the rapist who tried to attack you. I need to talk to them face-to-face in order to settle the old score between us and untie the dead knot. I did not expect them to move so fast and I am incensed that they chose you as the target of their revenge…I never dreamed that the time difference between the Kingdom of Dreams and the mundane world we live in is so great. It’s really hard to calculate. But we have no time for that now and will leave the problem for the astrophysicists to solve. We must concentrate on solving our immediate problems.” Charina opened her eyes wide as if about to ask another question but did not quite know what to ask. Dimitri continued, “I cannot tell you the complete story just yet. Please go back home and wait for me. I will return your dog to you by nightfall.”
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The wind was howling in the mountains. By the sheer cliff the barbarians had piled up mounds of rattan-like vines which Cyclops formed into a tough, thick rope. He tied one end of it around a huge tree by the cliff which requires several people together to embrace. The other end was wrapped around an enormous stone weighing several hundred pounds. Cyclops raised the stone with his huge arms and threw it down the abyss. On its way down, the stone fell through the trees and bushes that grew on the side of the cliff giving off a loud rustling noise, and clanged and crashed as it impacted the protruding rocks. The long rope slid downwards quickly with the stone. Finally after an interminable wait, came the final boom as the stone hit rock bottom and came to a stop. Cyclops tried tugging at the rope, which was just long enough and was happy to find it intact and had not broken on its way down. Viola waved the barbarians away saying,
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“Go back and guard my beloved gold palace. See that no harm comes to it or else I will cut off all your heads when I come back.” Her subjects bowed in submissions and left. Cyclops took Dimitri’s magic bow, his quiver full of sharp arrows and put them behind his back. Viola then turned herself into a tiny little woman and clung to the single horn on Cyclops head while he held onto the rope and began his dangerous descent slowly down the deep abyss adventuring into the unknown.
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Cyclops climbed slowly down his rope, past the cluster of trees and bushes that had been crushed and torn by the huge falling rock he tossed down, and circumvented the rocks protruding from the bare, steep surface of the cliff. When he was half way down, he noticed that the surrounding cliff was sheer and steep with no foothold at all and no cover, making their exposed position extremely vulnerable. Suddenly he thought of something and called out to Viola who was hanging on to the single horn at the top of his head,
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“I was once attacked right here by the valiant snake-haired gorgon Medusa. Twice she charged down at me from on high while I was stuck here defenseless, but twice she changed course and let me go. Today would be the third time if she should appear and I am not sure whether she would let me go once more. Be aware of your surroundings and be on alert to any changes in case Medusa attacks us here in the middle of our descent.”
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“It’s alright Sire. I am not afraid of her. I only worry that she would not come. If she dares to come and attack us while we are hanging here defenseless, I will change back to my normal human size and use your magic bow and arrow to kill her. Yes, I will certainly kill her.” Just then in the waning sunlight a black spot appeared on the horizon, flying swiftly towards them as if curious to investigate what they were. Viola at once changed into her human shape and stepping firmly on Cyclops’ broad shoulders pulled an arrow from the quiver. Fitting it tightly to the bow, she let it fly fast as lightning towards the approaching black spot, hitting it right on target. The black spot gave a heart-rending scream and fell into the bottomless chasm. It was not Medusa, but only a large mountain eagle. “What a pity it was not Medusa!” exclaimed Viola. “If it were that snake-haired gorgon I killed just now, it would have been the be-all and end-all here and would have solved the ultimate problem.” (In Book 2 Cyclops used the magic bow and arrow to wound Medusa, who was saved by Queen Aisha. So King Dimitri’s two state treasures were separated. The bow and arrow fell into Cyclops hands while the magic sword was still held by Medusa. Unfortunately both weapons were later stolen by King Dimitri’s enemy and caused a brutal and bloody battle. It will be dealt with later in this book) As they talked, the sun was gradually setting in the west. Cyclops’ speed of descent was also growing faster and faster. The bottom of the cliff was where the entrance to Gehenna was. It was the place where Ileen was imprisoned.
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The sun was high in the sky. Maureen was sniffing the ground intently, focusing his attention on finding the scent to his mistress’ attacker. It was extremely hot and poor little Maureen, with his coat of long fur was feeling the heat. He was panting with his tongue lolling out, breathing heavily. Normally when he went out with his mistress he was never leached and could walk about freely. But as Dimitri could not see, he had to put the leach on the dog in order to know his whereabouts, whether he was going straight or turning right or left. It was a way to communicate with his little friend. No far from them came the familiar sound of the ice-bar vendor, hawking his wares through his bell. Maureen barked excitedly and ran towards the man. Dimitri knew the dog was thirsty, so he took out a dollar bill and bought a banana flavored popsicle to reward his intelligent little friend. Maureen sat down in the shade by the wall.
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Dimitri sat beside him, tore open the paper cover and offered it to Maureen who licked greedily at the stick.
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“No” he admonished the dog laughingly. “That’s not the way to eat a popsicle. Let me teach you how to do it.” He bit off a piece, chewed it in his mouth and then swallowed the sweet, soothing, icy slush. Maureen quickly understood and did the same. Some ice fell on the ground, but he paid it no heed and did not deign to lick it from the ground. Neither did he smell around telephone poles or bushes, thus proving he was a well-mannered dog. The man and the dog took alternate bites of the popsicle and soon polished it off. Across the street some young school boys just let out of school, were laughing, talking and horse playing. Maureen barked at them. Understanding that the little envied the boys and would like to go to school too, Dimitri took him in his arms saying,
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“If you were a little boy, you would be the most loveable and clever little student. But you are not. Let’s hope that in your next incarnation you could have a human form.” Saying so, he stood up and the two of them continued on their way, looking for their target.
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Dimitri and Maureen was just walking along, when they heard a high and old sounding voice call out to them,
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“Well, well, here you are Dimitri! We have all been busting our asses day and night for you. And here you are serenely walking your dog!” Dimitri at once recognized the voice as belonging to Dwarf Mickey, and called out happily,
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“Is that you Mr. Mickey? It’s great to meet you here. How have you been doing?” Maureen barked and came over wagging his short stem of a tail to sit before Dwarf Mickey. He offered the old dwarf his right paw in greeting. Dwarf Mickey shook his paw and then taking him into his arms kissed and patted him saying,
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“What a clever little dog! What an intelligent little one!” He then stood up to talk to Dimitri about the recent happenings, how they were gathering capital to buy and sell stocks, bonds and other commodities, how they were buying back the enterprises that used to belong to Dimitri etc.
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“Your activities and endeavors should not be for me alone but also for the good of the people of the whole world. It should be used to prop up the sliding global economy and for the restoration of global economic order… It’s a pity I am not the President, or I would nominate you as my Treasury Secretary. Only your extraordinary brain power could deal with the present crisis and be up to the task of taking care of finances of the whole country.” Dwarf Mickey laughed loudly saying,
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“If you were the President, I would recommend Medusa to you as your Minister of Defense. Only she could stop the war and terrorist activities around the world and bring about world peace. Only she has that power and ability, right?” The two of them looked at each other and laughed boisterously, till they almost doubled over. Maureen, affected by their happy mood, ran around them in circles. Then Dwarf Mickey turned to Dimitri and asked, “Do you know that Mr. Finger has disappeared?”
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“I not only know that” replied Dimitri, his face turning serious. “I know he is back here on earth and has brought his so-called wife Viola with him. Their mission is to seek revenge against me. But I did not think they would come so fast…The time difference between our world and that of the Kingdom of Dreams is so huge that it is impossible to fathom. But we have no time for that now, so we’ll leave that to the learned astronomers. My immediate goal is to find those two little people and talk to them. I must untie the dead knot that is between us.”
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“Do you want me to tell the others about your return?”
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“You can tell Richard, Jamaz, Big-O and Mr. Kaffee” said Dimitri after a pause. “But don’t let the beauties know about it yet.” At that moment, Maureen suddenly let out an excited yap and strained at his leach trying to rush forward. His sensitive nose had caught the scent of the scoundrel who attacked his mistress and was in a frenzy to get him.
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When Cyclops’ two feet touched the ground, it was pitch dark all around that he could see nothing. He looked up at the skies, but they were inky with no moon or stars to light up the darkness. He seemed to have landed in a deep crevice. “Could this be the entrance to Gehenna?” he thought.
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“Look, Sire!”exclaimed Viola, who was perched on top of his head, holding on to his single horn. Cyclops looked back and saw a weak gleam of light as if coming through the crack of a door. He made his way carefully in the darkness towards that crack of light, pushed at it with his hands and found it was indeed a huge stone door. Cyclops with his superhuman strength, hundreds of times stronger than a normal man, pushed against the door with all his might, but made absolutely no impact on it. In fact the door did not even budge. Discouraged and angry, he punched the door furiously with his mighty fists. The booming sound of the impact resounded in the valley, but the door did not shift in the slightest. To have come so far and reached the entrance to Gehenna, only to be stopped at the door was so maddening and infuriating that Cyclops flew into a towering rage. Viola tried to calm him down by saying,
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“Don’t be impatient, Sire” she said. “Let me have a try. I may be small in stature but in this case it might be a strong point and have its redeeming value. Let me try. It’s a method of the last resort.” Cyclops carefully lifted Viola from his head and placed her before the door. She stood on tiptoes and squeezed her body sideways inch by inch through the narrow aperture. That confining space miraculously allowed the passage of her tiny body. Viola did her best to suppress the delirious joy in her heart and concentrated all her attention on forcing her body inch by inch through the narrow gap until she got to the other side of the stone door. When she resumed her full stature she immediately realized that she faced another obstacle just as difficult, for across the double stone door was a large stone bolt locking it in place. The bolt was long and heavy and quite beyond the strength of a young woman to lift, not to say remove. She knew it was impossible for her to try to lift it by hand, but wondered if it would be possible to use her shoulder to dislodge it and immediately put her idea to the test. Placing her right shoulder under the stone bolt, she used all her strength to push it upwards. It actually moved a little. Greatly encouraged, Viola continually used her shoulder to raise the bolt and push it towards the left, once, twice, thrice…. When the skin of her right shoulder became bruised and bloody, she used the same method with her left shoulder until both shoulders were gashed and bloody. Unbalanced by the constant nudging, the heavy bolt at last leaned towards one side and fell heavily to the ground. Viola called loudly to Cyclops on the other side of the huge stone door saying, “Sire, use your strength and see if you can push open the door.” Cyclops immediately pushed hard at the door, which gave out harsh scraping sounds and actually creaked open several inches. His confidence fully restored, Cyclops bunched up his mighty muscles until the veins on his forehead and his legs bulged out. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he placed both hands on the door and pushed forward with all his might. The stone door actually clamored open with a thundering din.
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The scene before them suddenly opened up, startling and surprising Cyclops and Viola who could not believe their eyes. The full moon hung luminously in the sky, shining on calm, lake waters so crystal clear that you could see right to the bottom, without a single wave to mar the mirror-like surface. There were two moons, one in the sky and one on the water, vying for splendor. The surrounding trees and shrubs were quiet. A gentle breeze ruffled the tips of the branches until they swayed slightly in response. How could this be Gehenna? Where are the fiery fires of hell? This beautiful scenery seemed to be a paradise on earth! Could we have come to the wrong place and this is not the entrance to Gehenna? Cyclops and Viola walked on intending to explore further into this picturesque place. But they came upon scene after scene of trees and flowers bursting with blooms, which seemed more colorful and resplendent than ever under the radiant moonlight. The drooping branches of the weeping willows by the side of the lake swayed in their own reflection in the water. Cyclops and Viola doubted more than ever that they were in the right place. Just then, they heard sounds coming from the lake as if someone was wading in shallow water. Looking towards it, they were so astounded that they just stood there too flabbergasted to be able to move at all, thinking that their eyes must be deceiving them. For the lower part of a woman’s body was sitting by the bank of the lake, playfully splashing the shallow water where she dipped her beautiful shapely long legs. The top part of her body was a few feet away. Under the moonlight they could see her long hair falling about her face while she concentrated on weaving a broad waistband with strands of weeping willow she had gathered. The woman raised her head and suddenly under the bright moonlight a beautiful face, calm and serious, glowing with a sacred sheen appeared before them. To their astonishment they found it was Ileen!
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“You are here!” she said. “I am so glad. The fact that two of you are willing to brave the fiery flames of Hell, burst into the underworld to save me, makes me very pleased and happy. You are my two dearest persons on the face of the earth. Just now I heard the loud crash of your pushing open the gates to Jehenna.” As she talked, she waved and called to the lower part of her body playing by the bank of the lake, “Quick, my dear! Come back here and meet our loved ones. You only know about running here and there playing. Quick, come back here!” The long shapely legs withdrew itself from the shallow water and walked sedately towards Ileen. Ileen placed her hands on its waist, vaulted herself up and connected with the lower part of her own body. She circled the broad weeping willow belt she had just finished weaving around her waist before walking slowly and awkwardly towards Cyclops and Viola. Her movements were slow because her body had been cut in two at the waist and separated into two parts so her hands and feet could not co-ordinate well naturally. Cyclops embraced his woman ardently, muttering indistinctly, “This is such a surprise. You are not dead but still living! That’s great. That’s great. It is good that you are alive. Thank God. Thank God…” and tears sprang from his eyes. Viola too came up to embrace her mother.
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“What’s all this about, Mother?” she asked. “Is what I saw in my dreams all false, all untrue? Was it only a nightmare?”
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“No, no child” said Ileen, lovingly caressing the face of her only daughter. “All this is true. But as one’s disposition changes, everything changes with it.”
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Ileen had lived a tumultuous life full of ups and downs, life and death. Her love-hate relationship with Dimitri was hard to decipher and had been told in book 1 and 2 of this series so I will not reiterate it here. After she injected her own blood into her daughter’s body, she was condemned to suffer the penalty of the damned and burn forever in the fiery flames of Gehenna. Day and night she struggled to stay afloat in the rolling waves of fire and wondered despairingly if her sufferings would ever end. She couldn’t help thinking that if she hadn’t fought with the other beauties hoping to gain Dimitri’s exclusive favor, she would not be in the position she was in. “Dimitri did not seem to favor any beauty in particular, always treating every one of us equally, without any partiality. The fact that he did not favor me over the others angered me and put me in a jealous rage. That anger soon turned to hate which in turn resulted in this untenable position. I really regret what I had done. It was I who seduced Cyclops and committed the heinous crime of treason, almost causing the collapse of King Dimitri’s Kingdom. Hundreds of Dimitri’s loyal warriors died in battle because of me, a crime which made it impossible for him to forgive me. His sentence condemning me to be cut in half from the waist was an extreme punishment, but in light of my crimes it was a fitting one. I cannot blame him for it. I really should not have done what I did.” That flash of remorse and contrition in her heart brought about a miraculous change. The fire that had been tormenting her for so long lost most of its power and her suffering decreased as a result. Ileen was greatly surprised. She continued to look into her heart and continued her self-examination and self-reflection. “I should not have planted the seed for revenge into the heart of my beloved daughter Viola, leading her to commit crimes as wicked as mine. She took so many precious lives and destroyed Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams. The buck should stop with me. I am the culprit who brought about all this destruction. I am the responsible party and should suffer forever in the fires of Gehenna. If confession and contrition could lessen my crime and eventually gain absolution, I am willing to stay here forever.” At that moment, the fire disappeared. Ileen’s heart was full of calm and peace. She no longer felt hatred, only regret. A strong feeling of love came into her heart. It was not the sexual love between man and woman, but a love for all living things on earth. That feeling of universal love changed the surrounding environment into one of artistic and poetic beauty brimming with harmony.
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Viola’s mind was full of suspicion, but the fact that the terrifying fires of Gehenna which she saw in her dreams had really disappeared without a trace was an undisputable reality.
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“Mother” she said, “since it is so, why don’t you come with us to our home above the steep cliff. We have taken Dimitri’s brilliant and magnificent gold palace for our own use. The three of us can live happily there in the utmost luxury and comfort one can ever imagine. I will stay with you and serve you to make up for all your suffering. Won’t that be great?”
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“No, no, my daughter” replied Ileen firmly. “It is not that I do not want to live with you but I cannot leave. The crystal clear lake water you see before you is alive and magical. It is always testing me and my thoughts. In the depth of my soul, the seeds of revenge have not yet been thoroughly rooted out. If I leave here and go back with you, if ever my desire for revenge is reignited, I would really forever be consigned to the fires of Gehenna without reprieve. So I must stay here and pray and repent as penance for my sins until the day the fire for revenge is doused out forever in my heart.”
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“Is this true?” Viola found her mother’s words incomprehensible.
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“Of course it’s true” replied Ilene. “I can prove it to you and you will understand.” To persuade her daughter to believe in the truth of her situation, Ilene let the remaining fire of hatred in her heart that had not yet been exterminated flare to life again. The crystal clear lake water immediately reacted by coming to a boil and sending flames blazing up to the skies in the middle of the lake which then came roaring and pouncing towards the three of them. Cyclops ever alert immediately grabbed hold of Ilene who was not able to walk quickly and carried her to a place of safety. Viola followed behind immediately and so was not touched by the flames, but looking back at the place where they had been standing, they saw that the shrubs, trees and flowers which flourished there had been burnt to cinders and all that remained was black, burnt earth. Ileen quickly disciplined her mind to suppress all thoughts of revenge and hatred. The lake water reacted immediately and reverted back to its earlier calm and tranquility.
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“Did you see that?” she asked Viola. “This is the strictest supervision and restriction. I must stay here and repent day and night for the crimes I have committed, until all thoughts of hatred and revenge are completely exterminated.” Viola nodded silently to show that she understood. Then she looked inquiringly at Cyclops, who said,
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“I have incurred the wrath of heaven and am sure to be severely punished. I will stay here with your mother to keep her company and take care of her. I repent my sins and am willing to spend the rest of my life doing penance and praying for absolution.”
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“The climate here is perfect and the environment is ideal,” said Viola after a moment of silence. “I am sure the two of you will live comfortably here. Perhaps one day I too will come back and keep you company and the three of us can live happily together…But mother, can you tell me is there any way to let the two halves of your body be reconnected together again and become whole?” Ileen thought of the tragic circumstances of her execution and her face saddened.
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“It was King Dimitri who ordered Medusa to be the executioner and cut me in half. If anyone can counter this command, it would have to be the person who gave the command. I think only King Dimitri would be able to let me become whole again. Perhaps even he would not know how to bring this about, so it’s no use begging him. Let it be. I am perfectly satisfied with my present life. Let me live here peacefully and tranquilly, doing penance for my sins. I would be grateful and happy if I could spend the rest of my life like this.”
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“No, no, Mother” replied Viola. “I will capture Dimitri and compel him to come here and beg your forgiveness. I will make him connect the two parts of your body together again and make you whole. If he won’t do it, I will cut him in half at the waist and give him a taste of what cruel and inhuman execution feels like!”
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With Dimitri’s magic bow and arrows on her back, Viola climbed up the sturdy vine that she and Cyclops had come down on. When she said goodbye to her parents Cyclops and Ileen at the gate of Gehenna, her father had given her the weapons, cautioning her that they were for self-protection only and not to be used as a weapon to kill. From his words it could be seen that Cyclops had changed and really repented the error of his ways. He remained behind willingly to keep Ileen company so that both of them could do penance together and pray for absolution. Viola climbed steadily up using all her strength. Her mother’s admonitions kept coming back to her, “I know it’s painful to extinguish the fires of hatred in your heart because I myself have had that agonizing experience. But it is something you must do, or else like me you will be condemned to the fires of hell for all eternity. My dear daughter, listen to me. Please quench the fires of hatred in your heart.”
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“I cannot do that” thought Viola. “I can never forget the tragic scene of my mother’s savage execution, of her body being cut in half. I must have my revenge and the only way to do so will be to expand my kingdom and my power. I will command my barbarian soldiers to look for and capture Dimitri. I will drag him before my mother and make him beg her forgiveness for putting her through such cruel torture. I will then force Dimitri to put the two pieces of my mother’s body together and make her whole again. Unless I accomplish all that, I can never rest and the fire of hatred cannot be extinguished.” Her mind was in a whirl, as she climbed laboriously up the cliff. Suddenly it occurred to her that without the backing and support of Cyclops she might have trouble controlling the barbarian warriors. “These barbarian soldiers are primitive and warlike. They have a thirst for war and bloodshed. To maintain status quo I would have to afford them a way to vent their aggression and bloodthirstiness by continually keeping them on the warpath. I will make war on the remnants of the tribes loyal to Dimitri so my soldiers could satisfy their lust to kill and I could expand my territory and my power. At the same time it would force Dimitri to come out and face me so I can talk with him! Great! That’s a great plan and it would be killing three birds with one stone!” Viola finally reached the top of the cliff and stood up to walk when she realized that her two feet refused to move. She had spent all the strength in her body in the steep climb and was now on the point of collapse. But there was no time to be lost for this was a dangerous place where ferocious beasts abounded in the dark forests. Numerous fierce and malevolent eyes lurking in the dark were just looking for a chance to attack. Taking the magic bow from her back Viola waved it threateningly all around. The wild beasts recognized Dimitri’s magic bow and knew that it represented King Dimitri himself, so none dared to come forward and soon all slunk quietly away. Only then did Viola drag her leaden footsteps towards her gold palace.
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Viola passed safely through the forests and hills without being attacked by any wild animals, but the anger in her breast grew because the hills and forests were all unguarded. She had set sentinels at several strategic spots but there was not a soul around. She thought that the lazy and undisciplined barbarian soldiers must have taken advantage of her absence to slack off and go carousing with their friends and buddies, forgetting all about their duty to stand guard and protect their kingdom. She decided then and there to chop off several heads as a warning to the others after she got back to the gold palace. Almost fainting with fatigue, Viola dragged her heavy feet, and kept on walking towards her palace using all the strength she had left. When she passed the encampment of the barbarian tribes, she was greatly upset to find that the camp was quiet and empty, with no sign of life. She noticed that the camp fires were newly put out, so there must have been people here not too long ago. Where could the men, women and children all gone to? Has something drastic happened here at the gold palace? She quickened her steps and walked on.
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She came to the gate of the gold palace which looked like an open bloody mouth, pushed open the heavy gold door and walked onto the narrow winding path paved with gold. The flowers and shrubs on both sides of the path were blooming profusely in an explosion of colors. Then she came to the fountain. Nine gold dragons had been placed at different strategic positions around the fountain so that the water that sprouted from their mouths crisscrossed and formed an extravagant web of water display. Brilliant, shimmering diamonds covered the bottom of the fountain where glittering gold sand had also been scattered and where all kinds of fish swam leisurely to and fro. When she walked into the majestic and glittering gold palace, she was astonished that there were no attendants visible. She was the only one standing in the grand empty hall. Where have all the people gone to? She was just about to ascend the gold throne and rest for a while, when suddenly she felt the world spinning around her. At first she thought what she was feeling was dizziness caused by fatigue because she had expended too much energy climbing up the cliff. But in the next moments the ground under her feet trembled and she found it hard to remain still. The entire gold palace swung from right to left and then shook up and down violently. The whole of Giant Mountain seemed to be on the verge of disintegration. Viola then realized this must be the earth-quake that people talked about. She had never experienced anything so hair-raising and tempestuous in her life. Viola quickly ran towards the bank of the lake. While looking back at the gold palace which was actually tottering, a violent force hit her and threw her into the lake.
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Turbulent waves carried Viola out to the deep waters where the only thing she could see was water, water all around her, with so sight of land. Gigantic pillars of water crashed down and she struggled against the tumultuous waves trying to keep afloat and not let them push her to the bottom of the lake. Suddenly a series of ear-deafening crashes were heard. When Viola turned back to look, she saw that Giant Mountain which used to lie horizontally on the horizon was split into several parts and in the blink of an eye her beloved magnificent gold palace sank to the bottom of the lake. The forces of the traumatic change to the earth’s crust which had pushed her into the water and carried her further and further away, suddenly reversed course. A strong suction pulled her towards the center of gravity. Viola struggled against it frantically, knowing that if she let herself be pulled down into this deadly whirlpool, this pool of water would become her grave. Just at this moment, she heard the sound of neighing and saw the handsome white flying horse rise up from the waves flapping its wings. King Dimitri, with his magic sword held between his teeth, got on his horse and they flew away. Viola knew then that it was Dimitri who had caused all those drastic changes to the earth’s crust but she couldn’t figure out how he did it. Extremely angry, she took the magic bow and arrow from her back and let it fly straight at Dmitri’s back. But just then a huge wave rose up and crashed down on her, forcing her to struggle for her life unable to see whether she succeeded in hitting her target and what became of Dimitri.
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Quick as lightning, the magic arrow flew straight at its target, but as the air was filled with the aftermath of a huge earthquake with the winds howling, waves crashing, and deafening sounds of mountains breaking up, Dimitri was not aware that someone was launching a surprise attack at him behind his back. The flying arrow was indeed a magic arrow. As it got near to its target, it became aware that it was its master, King Dimitri it was shooting at and at once changed course, streaked on ahead to destinations unknown. King Dimitri flew into the skies and soon disappeared from sight. This wide expanse of lake water saw the geographic phenomena of an earthquake followed by a tsunami.
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Viola struggled desperately in the churning waters. Her strength had been greatly depleted by the steep climb up the cliff, but now in the extremely critical situation she found herself in she was forced to use the last remnants of her strength to continue swimming using both hands and feet. She knew that if she stopped moving forward she would be pulled down into the bottom of the lake by the whirlpool. Her limbs were sore, frozen and numb but she persisted in swimming on nonstop. What scared her most was the fact that with each stroke she swam, her body seemed to shrink an inch. As she swam on her body shrank inch by inch until it resumed its original size no larger than a finger. At this pivotal moment when her heart and her body almost gave out in fatigue, her hand touched something live and slippery like a fish’s tail. She clutched at it frantically with both hands. Like her, the fish was struggling against the waves, trying to swim forward and not to be caught in the whirlpool. Viola managed to grab hold of the fish firmly with her hands and won a precious moment’s reprieve. Several times the waves pushed them towards the opposite shore and then pulled them back again like a tug of war, but the roiling waves gradually calmed down. The fish seemed to have come to the end of its resources. It tail flickered for the last time and moved no more. Clutching the dead fish with a deathlike grip, Viola floated on the water with it. As luck would have it, they floated to shore and were caught by the makeshift pole Mr. Finger threw out into the water. Thus Viola had a narrow escape and was inadvertently saved by Mr., Finger.
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Dwarf Mickey watched as Dimitri’s retreating figure hurried forward with the little dog and soon disappeared from sight at the bend of the next street. He shook his head, sighed and smiled sardonically. The expression on his face was very complicated. He was thinking “Is it all worth it? Dimitri created the Kingdom of Dreams for himself, but it had also brought him a lot of trouble and worries. Is what he got from it worth the troubles and worries, or is it very hard to decide whether the pluses and minuses actually break even? Perhaps loving to play mind games is just part of human nature and Dimitri is no exception… A homeless blind man like Dimitri loves to dream and use dreams to while away the time that hangs heavy on his hands; for what else is there for a man like him to do? For while he is a blind, homeless person in thisa mundane world, in the Kingdom of Dreams he is a mighty king, rich as Midas. It is hard to say whether he is a lucky guy or a luckless person.” Dwarf Mickey laughed wryly. Behind him came the familiar sound of a car braking and he knew who it was without turning his head. Every single screw and spare parts in that dilapidated pick-up truck clanked and rattled when the car was in motion. The only thing that didn’t make a sound was the horn. Richard and Jamaz walked up to him.
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“Hey, Dwarf Mickey” said Richard “What are you doing here? Was that Dimitri who just left? I thought that retreating back looked familiar. How come he has a little dog with him? Whose dog was that? Was that man really Dimitri?” Dwarf Mickey turned around and raised his head to look at his two tall, stalwart friends.
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“I’ll answer your questions later. Dimitri left in a hurry to solve a difficult problem that had been giving him a lot of headaches. He is trying to untie a Gordian knot which he inadvertently tied with someone. Let’s not distract him…” Saying so, he shook his head repeatedly with a cynical smile. Richard and Jamaz exchanged a knowing glance. The two of them had been partners for so long that they could understand each other without words.
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“Hey, Dwarf” said Richard, “You seem depressed. Let’s go and have a good time; that’ll cheer you up. Come on, get into the car.” Dwarf Mickey got into the car in silence and sat between the two friends. Richard started up his rackety jalopy where everything rattled and only the horn was silent. They had only driven a short distance when a police car passed by. There were four policemen in it and two of them turned to glare at the dilapidated pickup truck. Richard kept saluting them with his hand in apology because no one in his car was wearing a seatbelt. However, the policemen evidently had better things to do and had no time to deal with minor misdemeanors, so they drove off in a hurry.
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The sun was slowly going down in the west and the day was drawing to a close. Richard
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drove towards a district where street-walkers gathered. Here and there on the streets, scantily-dressed hookers stood on corners trying to drum up business. Richard stopped his car and walked towards a beautiful young woman, whose short and overly tight clothing fully exposed her sexy and curvaceous figure, and said casually,
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“Hey babe, are you new here? I haven’t seen you around before. How’s business this evening?” The young woman looked at Richard who was sweaty and whose clothes were dirty and oily. He certainly did not look like a good prospect. She glanced at the tall and muscular black man standing beside him, just as badly dressed and certainly did not look like a good guy.
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“None of your business” she replied shortly. “Are the two of you cops?”
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“Oh no, no’ replied Richard. “Do we look like cops? We are just men who like to walk around here and bring you girls business, especially fresh meat like you. How about it? Want to get in my car?” The girl was young but seemed to know her way around. She certainly wasn’t about to get into the car just like that.
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“Want me to get into your car? That’s possible, but I don’t like your old, broken-down jalopy. If you want me to go with you, go get an extra long limousine!”
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“You’re kidding! A limousine?” replied Richard sarcastically. “Do I look like a guy who owns a limousine? And even if I do, are you worthy of such a car?”
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“If you don’t have a limousine, just get out of here. Scram! Don’t block my business.”
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At this juncture it was hard to say whether the conversation was banter or a quarrel. Dwarf Mickey walked out of the car saying,
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“You want a limousine? I’ll get you one right away, but then you’ll have no excuse.”
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“Here you are, girl” said Richard, pulling Dwarf Mickey towards her. “This is a bona fide billionaire. We wanted to get you for him and bring you some business.” The young girl snorted rudely and spat on the ground, showing her true colors of being just a coarse and uncivilized prostitute.
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“You want me to go with him? A midget? I ‘d rather go with a dog!” she said, glancing
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contemptuously at Dwarf Mickey’s short stature, not quite up to her thighs and thought he was old, ugly and had a white beard.
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“You…you…you…”stuttered Dwarf Mickey, so angry that he could not even speak.
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“Don’t look at a book by the cover” said Richard. “He may be short but he is a real Midas. Don’t let this golden opportunity slip away. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You will never have a second chance.”
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“You con artists” said she laughing insolently. “You guys are really green if you think you can take me in. Think I was just born yesterday? I’ve been out maneuvering in the world since I was a child and know my way around. Scram. Get out of here and stop obstructing my business.”
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“Good, good” sputtered Dwarf Mickey, so angry that he was red in the face. “You don’t believe me? I will show you.” He waved his hand towards the empty street. Lo and behold! An extra long, brand new black limousine appeared and came slowly to a stop right beside them. Mr. Kaffee, the quintessential flamboyant big shot with his expensive suit and air of authority and power opened the door and stepped out. He greeted the three of them and said respectfully,
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“Mr. Mickey, this is the vehicle Megginn ordered especially for you. Would you like to try it out and see if it suits you?” Opening the door of the limousine, he invited Dwarf Mickey to get in and then respectfully closed the door. Turning to Richard and Jamaz, he asked, “How about the two of you? Want to come along for the ride, or would you prefer your own car.?”
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“As for me” replied Richard laughingly “there’s no way I will leave my precious jalopy behind. It’s been with me for so long it’s almost like a friend. Jamaz and I will meet you there.”
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Saying so, the two of them got into their car and drove away. Mr. Kaffee didn’t even spare a glance at the hooker standing on the street. He got into the limousine and drove away, leaving the know-it-all young street-walker who thought herself so smart and savvy, standing there on the pavement dumbfounded. She stared at the departing cars thinking, “I’ve been walking the streets for so many years. I’ve always dreamed of a Prince Charming inviting me to get into his limousine… Today it really happened, but I let this rare opportunity slip away through my fingers. Was it really as that oily-tongued guy said that I let that chance of a lifetime slip away? If only I could be like that old dwarf; just wave my hand in the air and whatever I wish for will come true. Won’t that be great?” Subconsciously she too waved her hand in the air, wishing for a dazzling diamond ring, but no miracle happened.
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The luminous moonlight shone down from above, almost bright as daylight. This same moon, eternal and unchanging, had mesmerized people all through the ages. Or you can say that nothing is ever eternal and unchanging in the universe. Every second, numerous new planets are born and just as many of them die away. Take our earth for instance, the ocean can turn into fertile farmland and farmland can turn into ocean. In one second, Giant Mountain, which had lain peacefully on the horizon since the beginning of times, buckled and crumpled into several pieces, with only its head still discernable, seeming more odd and bizarre than ever.
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On the opposite side of the lake, Viola had fully recovered after a few days rest and care and seemed more beautiful and alluring than ever. She was telling Mr. Finger, who was reclining on the palm of her hand, the happenings of the last few days, how she and Cyclops climbed down the steep cliff, broke open the gates of hell and found her mother; how she then climbed laboriously up the cliff alone, went back to the gold palace and experienced the frightening earthquake and the subsequent tsunami. She told of her struggles in the turbulent waves and how she battled to swim away from the whirlpool. Finally she told him she saw King Dimitri, mouth open, biting on his magic sword between his teeth, jump on his flying horse and fly off to the unknown.
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“All this must have been meticulously planned and executed by Dimitri to destroy the gold palace I love with all my heart and annihilate the new kingdom I created with the barbarian tribes…”
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“That rascal!” cried Mr. Finger, “I was really blind to consider him my friend. I used to think he was like a broken ball by the roadside that anyone could kick around. He looked like such a Mr. Goody- good, so easy to get along with that I never realized he was such a wicked and vicious ruffian!” Mr. Finger was always an indiscriminate man, influenced only by his own likes and dislikes, regardless of truth or morals. He was fickle like a grass that bends whichever way the wind blows, always agreeing with the person he was closest to at the moment. A cold and ghastly smile passed over Viola’s face and she said,
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“No matter how meticulous or thorough his plans were, Dimitri never dreamed that I would have survived catastrophes of such magnitude and be still alive. Perhaps he never even knew that such a person as I existed. I must demand restitution from him for my mother and myself. I have to be thankful to the fish that died to save my life. Somehow I think that fish was an incarnation of the big white fish that used to carry us in her mouth back and forth from these shores. Do you remember that big white fish?”
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“Of course I do, but strange to say I haven’t seen her for a long time. Have you?”
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“No” said Viola shaking her head. “I haven’t either.” Viola’s premonitions were not without foundation. That big white fish was by nature very kind and loved to help the small and helpless. Viola never dreamed that the fish could have been raped and killed by Cyclops. She looked into the distance and her eyes stopped at the newly emerged waterfall, whose veil of fast moving and foaming water tumbled into the lake with a thundering crash.
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“What was above the water has sunk to the bottom” she muttered, “and what was buried at the bottom has at last risen to the top. The earth’s crest has experienced huge changes just as my brain has. Earth-shaking experiences have jolted my brain and I can now recall memories of my past life. I had buried such a huge trove of treasures here that it was something I had never been able to forget. To retrieve it I have reincarnated to this present life, never thinking I would have to go through such unthinkably harrowing trials of pain and hatred.
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“Treasure? What treasure? Where is it?” asked Mr. Finger urgently.
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“The treasure is there behind the waterfall” answered Viola pointing to the waterfall in the distance. “I buried it there and now it has again emerged. The value of this treasure trove far surpasses that of the gold palace. I was fortunate enough to survive unthinkable disasters and hae profited from my misfortunes in regaining my treasures. ” Mr. Finger looked to where she pointed and under the luminous moonlight with the frothy water particles dancing in the air, he saw a magnificent multi-colored rainbow in the night sky spanning across the lake. The sight was so gloriously resplendent and awe-inspiring that both Viola and Mr. Finger exclaimed in delight and excitement.
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“Look, how beautiful it is!” said Mr. Finger. “I have never yet seen one at night. How magical nature is! That can perhaps be called one of Nature’s treasures.” Viola was happy as a little girl and kept waving at the rainbow, crowing gleefully and sending it kisses with her fingers. Then she turned to Mr. Finger and said seriously,
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“If you will help me, I am willing to give all the treasures to you as a present. Their worth is astronomical and inestimable. Just help me and all of it is yours.”
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“What can I do for you?” asked Mr. Finger. “I am only as tall as a finger and have trouble fending for myself. How can I help you?”
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“You can if you want to” persisted Viola. “I know you can move freely between this Kingdom of Dreams and the mundane world. I want you to take me to the mundane world with you and look for Dimitri. I want to exact my pound of flesh from him. You only have to take me there.”
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“To help you get to the mundane world…” smiled Mr. Finger, blinking slyly, his eyes rolling in speculation. “That’s not difficult to do. You promise me invaluable riches, but treasures no matter how valuable mean nothing to me. I am so small; what can they do for me? I have this one condition… I want to be able to change my size at will like you. I want to be able to grow taller and stronger than a normal man and to shrink back to my normal size whenever I want to as you do. If I could do that I would really be satisfied. If you can do that for me, I will take you to the mundane world.”
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“You think I’m really naïve and don’t know what you are about?” said Viola giving him a white eye. “You want a strong and muscular physique so you could go around dallying with other women, right?”
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“He-he…” he snickered and did not answer her question. Viola thought for a moment and came to a decision.
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“Alright” she said. “I will do as you ask, but you must first sign an indenture selling yourself to me and swear a binding oath that from now on you belong to me, body and soul. You will obey my every order or the oath you have sworn will descend on you and you will come to no good end. How about it? Do you agree?”
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“Sure, sure…” said Mr. Finger laughingly, happily clapping his hands. “No problem…I will obey you and do whatever you say.” Mr. Finger did not put any store on his own credibility. He could swear up and down and not mean a word. He never took his own word seriously, so he made this simple promise without tuning a hair. “Let’s go back to the tree hole and celebrate
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our new partnership. We will drink till we’re drunk and then tomorrow we will already be in the mundane world.”
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“This time we are going to go to the mundane world not just for fun and sight-seeing. We are on a mission to find Dimitri and get our revenge. Remember that!”
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“Sure, sure. Whatever you say. Let’s go back home and drink to our heart’s content.”
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Viola got up and walked to the tree hole. She changed back to a tiny person, even smaller than Mr. Finger, but a sexy and curvaceous beauty nonetheless.
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Actually, this pair of little people stayed at their home in the tree hole for another couple of days because Viola insisted on going back to check on the treasure trove and make sure everything was alright. Mr. Finger, who could never resist her for long, had to give in. That evening the two of them changed to the normal human size, walked to the bank of the lake and managed to get hold of a boat that the local inhabitants normally used to get around. Mr. Finger took up the oars and rowed vigorously. Chest heaving, muscles bulging, he seemed to be stronger and more powerful than an ordinary man and sitting at the bow Viola’s alluring and curvaceous figure emphasized all the more her wild and untamed beauty. The boat flew down the lake. Because the earthquake had caused great upheavals in the earth’s crust, the topography of this part of the lake was greatly affected. A huge rock rose out of the water at the river’s estuary and the lake water splashing against it formed a waterfall 20-30 yards in width “Quick! Quick! Dash through the waterfall” cried Viola urgently as the boat neared the waterfall. Mr. Finger rowed more quickly than ever and in a mad dash pierced the watery curtain made up of innumerable dense water particles which rained down on their heads. Before them was a curving cove and Mr. Finger made for the bank of the lake. Viola quickly jumped out of the boat followed by Mr. Finger. She seemed very familiar with the terrain and soon found a narrow flight of steps. She walked quickly up, made a few turns and came to a cave. The cave was not pitch dark as was normally the case, but was lighted up by the luster of twelve enormous pearls, as big as goose eggs, embedded in its walls. Inside the spacious cave were a few dozen sturdy and magnificently carved wooden chests. Viola counted them and smiled because the number coincided with what she remembered from her previous incarnation. She opened some of the chests and saw that they were full of all kinds of brilliant, glittering gems. She grabbed a handful from each until she had filled up the cloth bag she had brought with her. She then closed the chests and happily led Mr. Finger from the cave with a light step.
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The fiery red setting sun had sunk to a 45 degree angle in the western skies. Its fierce, intimidating heat had abated somewhat, but the temperature was still unbearably hot. Office hours were over so the crowds of pedestrians and bumper to bumper cars had also disappeared. The cute and clever little dog Maureen, covered with soft, long hair, was panting with tongue lolling, his only means of dispersing heat. Dimitri too was perspiring profusely, his clothes sticking to his body while he hurried after Maureen. The two of them meandered down the street, zigzagging this way and that as the little dog tried to catch the scent of his quarry in the man-made forest. He was lost in the maze of confusing scents all around him. However, when the crowds thinned and traffic slowed down, Maureen’s sensitive sense of smell was again in full swing. His spirits lifted and he seemed to have forgotten his fatigue as he led Dimitri full steam ahead. Although Dimitri’s sense of direction was by then quite confused, he felt that the environment around him was becoming more and more familiar. Maureen seemed to be leading him towards the alley where he used to have a dilapidated shack which was later torn down. If that was the case, he had left a mattress against the wall that someone had discarded. He hoped it had not been taken away so he could have a place to rest his head that night. No matter how tiring the day, what more could one ask of life than to be able to sleep comfortably at night and have a sweet dream? Maureen seemed to have locked on to his target. He became excited and agitated rushing on straight ahead, pulling Dimitri along with him. Dimitri could not but follow behind helter-skelter, holding onto the dog leach and tapping his white cane fast and furiously on the ground to get his bearings. Sure enough, Maureen turned into the alley and stopped in front of the door of the vacant warehouse, barking loudly. Dimitri was startled. “Could they be hiding right here in this empty warehouse? How was it that I had no inkling of it when I spent the night here?” Suddenly, Dimitri changed into his heroic alter ego and spoke loudly and majestically to the closed windows and door, “Mr. Finger and Viola, I know both of you are hiding inside there. Every wrong has its culprit and every debt its debtor. I am here to talk things over with you. If you have a grievance I will right it; if you feel I owe you a debt I am here to pay it. I alone am responsible. If you feel I have wronged you, I am willing to make it up to you in whatever way you wish. Even if you think I should forfeit my life, I am willing to hand it to you with both hands. But do not take it out on other innocent bystanders. Let out your wrath on me and me alone. I will meet with you two tonight, bring the whole affair out in the open and settle our score once and for all, so that from now on you have no need to live in hiding but can live your life freely and openly in any way you choose. How about it? See you both tonight.” Saying so Dimitri took Maureen into his arms, smoothed the hair on his small head and said, “Good boy! Good boy! You have done a great job. It’s time to take you back to your mistress. She hasn’t seen you all afternoon and must be missing you.” He put Maureen down onto the ground and tapping his white cane, walked with him towards the entrance to the alley.
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On the other side of the warehouse, just separated by a wall, Mr. Finger and Viola were fast asleep on their temporary bed in a secluded corner of their secret hideout. Mr. Finger was the first to wake up. Glancing at the fiery setting sun outside the window, he yawned, feeling it was too early and there was still a lot of time to kill. The various sexually predatorial activities he had recently attempted to carry out had all failed and had brought down a firestorm of outraged protests from the residents and tightened surveillance from the police. As a result the two of them had to work surreptitiously, only going out under cover of darkness and laying low during the day. Now that he was awake, Mr. Finger’s eyes were sharp and agile as ever, looking all around him as if plotting something nefarious. Viola opened her eyes. Seeing Mr. Finger’s expression, she asked,
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“I asked you to use your brains and think of a way out of our present stagnant situation. I wanted you to find the weak link in Dimitri’s inner circle so we can get in and look for an opportunity to take one of the beauties as hostage. Did you even think about it?”
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“Don’t be so impatient” replied Mr. Finger yawning. “I was just on the verge of a breakthrough, but you interrupted me with your nagging and now I have lost the thread of my thoughts.”
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“Nonsense!” said Viola giving him a white eye. “I don’t believe a word you say! If you have any new idea, just spit it out and stop keeping me in suspense.”
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“Once I found myself in the backyard of Aisha, one of Dimitri’s beauties. She was swimming laps in her pool extremely fast and energetically as if trying to expend as much energy as possible. I hid in one of her sandals and so could see her every move clearly. When she came out of the pool, she guzzled down half a bottle of brandy. Her eyes became dazed and lusterless and she seemed to be irrational and semiconscious. Aisha was normally a calm and decorous person, well-respected by all, including Dimitri. I didn’t know why she became like that all of a sudden. Later, Jamaz, a strong and stalwart black guy, another good friend of Dimitri’s appeared. The two of them did not say a word, just looked at each other intently. Aisha gave a nod and the two of them began to have sex there by the pool. They went at it three times. I saw it all and was it a feast for one’s eyes!”
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“Wow! Was it for real? Why didn’t you mention it earlier? Hey, that’s a heaven-sent opportunity, something we could use to spoil their friendship and create controversy. Why did you wait so long? You should have said something before this!”
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“Don’t get so excited about it” said Mr. Finger slanting a glance at Viola. “I told Dimitri about it, but not only did he not punish his woman who committed adultery with his good friend, he made her his queen instead. Isn’t that strange?”
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“Really?” said Viola greatly surprised. “That Dimitri is no simple character if he could tolerate what no normal man would. It’s like a sharp knife piercing one’s heart. Instead of being furious with Aisha, he made her his queen. That is no simple man.”
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“No, no” said Mr. Finger disdainfully. “He’s nothing that great. To me Dimitri is only a broken ball by the roadside that anyone can kick around. What is a man’s worse nightmare? Isn’t it finding out that his woman had been unfaithful to him and had sex with someone else? If he is able to endure such shame without reacting, he is not a real man.”
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“No, you don’t understand” sad Viola stopping his self-righteous upbraid. “It’s because he can tolerate what no normal man could that makes him a cut above the average. I suppose I should reassess my evaluation of the man.”
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“There’s something even funnier! Dimitri resumed his close friendship with Jamaz, that big black guy who was his wife’s lover, as if nothing had happened. They’re closer than brothers. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
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“No, it’s not at all strange. It’s just another proof of his slick and evasive psychology of life. But when porcelain is broken, it could be mended and look good as new, but the crack will always be there. We must seize every chance we have. We can make use of this to break up their unity for our own purposes.” Just then a dog began barking furiously and Dimitri’s voice from outside the building sounded loud and clear in the room. Mr. Finger and Viola exchanged a look, greatly surprised.
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“That’s his voice. I’m sure of it” ” whispered Mr. Finger. Viola nodded.
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“That’s daring of him!” she said. “We haven’t been able to find him but he has found us! That’s good. It will save us a lot of trouble. We will settle everything tonight.”
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The sun had set in the west. Cars and pedestrians were few and far between. Dimitri held Maureen in his arms and stood at the crossroad thinking, “It’s a long way from here to Charina’s house. If I return this dog to its owner, I would have to walk quite a distance. Going there would be easy as I have Maureen to lead the way, but coming back would be hard and time-consuming as I would be entirely on my own with only the white cane as my guide. Also, Charina would be sure to ask me to stay for dinner and over the dinner table we would drink and talk about her favorite subject – stories of what is beyond the blue skies. I would then miss my appointment with those two little people, thereby missing the opportunity to talk about our differences and untie the knot that has been between us for so long. But if I let Maureen go home by himself, I am fully confident he would be able to do so, but that would be irresponsible of me. What if he meets the dog catcher and is taken to the pond? He may even be euthanasized if we don’t get to him in time. That would be a burden on my conscience that I wouldn’t ever be able to resolve in my lifetime. Standing there Dimitri was in a quandary and did not know what to do.
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A dilapidated pick-up truck clattered down the street with every single part rattling in unison. The familiar sound of brakes being applied sounded behind Dimitri’s solitary figure, followed by the sounds of slamming car doors and running footsteps combined with glad shouts.
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“Hey, Dimitri, you son-of-a gun! You’re back! Why didn’t you let us know ahead of time?” shouted one happy voice.
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“Damn it, I knew your disappearance into thin air was not real. You left your fucking clothes behind on the ground in the park just to fool us, right?” said another hoarse voice. A warm and happy feeling permeated Dimitri’s body. He knew who they were without turning his head. They were his best friends and life-long buddies, Richard and Jamaz. The three of them stood on the sidewalk, laughing and shouting in great glee, happily slapping each other’s backs and punching each other’s shoulders and chests while shouting boisterous obscenities. The little dog sitting on the ground felt left out and barked in protest. Dimitri stooped down to pick up Maureen and said to his two friends,
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“Let me introduce you to my little friend Maureen.” Richard and Jamaz took turns holding and kissing the little dog crooning,
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“Oh, you are that precious little dog Maureen. Look how cute you are.”
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“Dwarf Mickey told us all about you, about how brave and clever you were to save your mistress. You are really special!” Satisfied by being made much of, Maureen was as happy as the three friends. Richard carried the little dog on his shoulders saying,
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“I know great changes have taken place in your Kingdom of Dreams. We here are doing our best to help re-establish your financial empire. Everyone has been working hard and we have established secret headquarter here.”
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“I heard that you are having some trouble with some enemies and that you intend to meet them tonight. Are you going to fight with them? Just leave these little things to Jamaz and me. You don’t have to deal with them yourself at all. If you think the two of us are not enough, I can call Big-O.”
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“Don’t worry’ smiled Dimitri. “I am not going to fight anyone tonight. I am just meeting with two little people and have a heart-to-heart talk with them. I am trying to untie a dead knot that somehow entangled the three of us. Once that’s settled everything would be fine. Oh yes, at the moment I have a problem that you guys can help me with.”
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“Sure, anything you say” replied the two of them in a chorus. “Say the word and it will be done.”
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“I need to send my new little friend back home to his mistress. He has been with me the whole afternoon and I am sure she is worried and missing him.”
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“No problem. But where do we take him to? Where does his mistress live?”
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“I don’t really know the exact address…” said Dimitri. “Hey Maureen, you know your way back home, right?” Maureen barked as if saying indignantly of course he did, how could a clever dog like him not know his way home? “Well then, Maureen, you go into their car with them. If you want them to turn left, look to the left and bark twice. If you want them to turn right, look to the right and bark twice. If you want them to go straight, then look straight ahead and bark twice. If you want them to stop, bark three times. Would that do?” Maureen barked his agreement. Turning to his friends, Dimitri said, “After I am finished here, I may have to come to your garden estate and stay for a few days. Being on the streets all day increases my chances of meeting other members of the Kingdom. Do you welcome me?”
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“Hey, man” said Jamaz hitting Dimitri on the shoulder “Do you even need to ask?”
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“We’ll leave you then and wait for you at home” said Richard. Carrying Maureen on his shoulders he walked towards his car. Maureen barked at Dimitri as if saying goodbye. Dimitri waved at them until he heard the car start up, make a quick turn and drive off. The dilapidated pickup truck clanked and rattled its way down the street with little Maureen directing. Soon he would be jumping into his mistress’s arms.
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“Did you notice that Dimitri seemed distressed?” asked Jamaz. “I wonder what he would be facing tonight and what knot he hopes to untie. He didn’t want our help but I worry that he may be in danger.”
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“Don’t worry about him, brother” replied Richard optimistically. “He is a real man, of a breed apart from us and has the protection of the gods. Don’t worry. He will come out safely from any danger. Nothing can stop him.”
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Dimitri temporarily laid down the heavy burdens on his shoulders for a moment of peace and quiet. By force of habit he walked towards another street corner. He stood before a store that had already closed up for the day. He never knew what merchandise it sold. It was only recently that he found out they sold all kinds ink cartridge for computers and printers, carrying a large variety of ink of all brands. Dimitri was not familiar with the byproducts of the most advanced branches of science and had no interest in them. The reason he came here was because every afternoon at dusk when all the shops closed down it was practice time for the pianist who lived on the second floor apartment which had a separate staircase next to the store. Dimitri would sit on the ground outside and listen to a free concert of high quality music. Soon notes from the piano floated down from the windows of the apartment. Dimitri took out a cigarette and lighted it while he enjoyed the smooth and flowing music. He seemed to see waves in the water reflect the bright and luminous moonlight. As he listened entranced and enchanted, he
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thought of his life in the Kingdom of Dreams. He had hibernated there for too long. Now that he had returned to the mundane world he found that much had changed during his absence. Instruments familiar to him such as tape recorders, record players and typewriters had long been obsolete and replaced by digital machines such as the computer. He felt as if he was from another century and that he as a person was about to be abolished by this new age. He did not know who was playing the piano, but from the skillful fingers and the depth of the music, the musician was a highly proficient amateur pianist and performer. From the way the fingers touched the keys so lightly and delicately, Dimitri surmised it must be a woman. He did not know who the composer was but he was sure it was a talented one. Led by the exquisite music, Dimitri seemed to see the composer describe straightforwardly and succinctly the moon in the sky and the swaying sheen of the waves. Then he seemed to have submerged to the bottom of the water and watched the moon from beneath the oscillating waves. The music described the exquisite splendor of the moon from every angle, marveling at its unmatched beauty.This composition must have lasted for a century or two and have become an immortal piece of music, or you can call it the everlasting quintessential model. Dimitri had a strange thought. There was a connection and inevitability between classical civilization and modern technology but it was hard to determine what kind of connection and inevitability it was. The charm and fascination of classical civilization is in the fact that it could last forever indefinitely in time, while modern technology was continuously reinventing itself, striving to break through and soar into the skies. Was the relation between these two one of competition or one of restriction? It was hard to fathom. Suddenly the music stopped and the lid of the piano closed down. Dimitri knew that practice was over. Light footsteps sounded on the wooden floor and soon moved farther and farther away. Dimitri quickly checked to see the whereabouts of his two servants Imagination and Creativity and was relieved to find they were still fast asleep on the green grass of the moorlands and had not been awakened by the music. He knew that the moment they awoke, these two workaholics would surely buzz around causing sparks of strange friction leading to unimaginable fantasies that would spread out and out like ripples getting wider and wider. Dimitri greatly admired the work ethics of his two servants, but he also treasured the time they slept because only then could he get some respite, a few moments of peace and tranquility. He stood up and knew it was time for him to go to his meeting.
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Dimitri squatted on the ground under a dim streetlight, eating the food in his bowl. All around him were huge tall office buildings. It was long past office hours, so the empty streets were quite deserted. At the corner of the square, he happened to walk past a store selling Vietnamese fast food which was still open. He was very hungry and remembered that Charina had given him a bowl and a bag of dog food for Maureen. Taking out the bowl he scooped some dog food into it and ate as he walked. But dog food was hard and difficult for humans to swallow and digest. Dimitri thought it would be better if he could soften it by soaking it in water, so he walked back to the small Vietnamese store and asked the owner for some water. Then stooping under the street lights, he ate the food in his bowl feeling quite carefree. “It’s food, isn’t it? If a dog could eat it, why not humans? “he thought.
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Suddenly he seemed to hear something and stopped chewing. Empty, sightless eyes stared ahead at the nearby cement ground of the square, where there was no grass or shrubs, but he seemed to hear the sound of grasshoppers or crickets jumping around in the grass or it could be the feeble rustling of the grass as small animals walked over it.
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“Ha, ha Dimitri” sounded Mr. Finger’s familiar voice. “Look at you eating dog food! What a wretched and miserable end you have come to! Ha, ha.”
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“Is that you, Mr. Finger?” answered Dimitri, a cordial smile on his face. “Very happy to see you again. Is your bride Viola with you?”
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“Of course I am here” interrupted a female voice before he even finished speaking. “Didn’t you say ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’? So of course I am here.” Dimitri knew that must be Viola. He kept his composure and his smile and said,
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“Good. Good. That’s what I said and I will keep my word. Please put everything on the table and tell me in plain words what you have against me and where I have wronged you. If I was in the wrong I will take full responsibility for my actions.”
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“That’s great. You are a real man” answered Viola. Out of the blue, a brilliant flash of gold appeared before their eyes and the magnificent pure gold palace materialized on the square. Dimitri was shocked that his sense of sight had miraculously recovered. Actually this was not at all strange. It was all the work of Imagination and Creativity, his two loyal servants, who had come to his side unseen. Viola walked up the steps to the solid gold throne and sat down. Dimitri saw Viola was wearing a tiara with a spectacular ruby large as an egg mounted in front. All around it was an array of priceless jewels of all colors. Mr. Finger had transformed himself to the shape of a normal man and was respectfully attending to her. Viola made a sign with her hand and Mr. Finger at once bent down to hear her whispered instructions. Dimitri knew that it was time for real face-to-face battle. He remained calmly squatting on the ground scooping some more of the dog food in his bowl with his fingers into his mouth. Before he had time to chewed properly and swallow down his food, Mr. Finger said loudly in an arrogant voice,
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“Dimitri! Though you have become nothing but a pitiful beggar eating dog food, our esteemed Queen Viola recognizes the fact that you used to be a powerful monarch and a king in your own realm. She pities you and therefore has ordered a feast to accord you courteous reception.” Saying so he clapped his hands three times and melodious music floated naturally in the air throughout the palace as if an organized orchestra was hidden in the next room, but there was no sign of any musician or musical instrument. Then a procession of attendants dressed in costumes of their own country and tribe came in, carrying silver trays of food considered the best in their lands. Some dishes were steaming hot or giving off a sizzling sound. The palace was soon filled with the enticing aroma of food and wine. Dimitri scraped the last of the food in his bowl into his mouth, chewed thoroughly before swallowing and then put the bowl back into his pocket. He kept his smile on his face while he said to them,
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“Although I have now become a mere beggar on the streets, there is nothing I have not tasted. To me food is merely nutrition to keep me alive and nothing else. Please dismiss your attendants and the food and dispense with all these unnecessary protocol. Let’s get down to essentials, talk about what enmity there is between us and come to a conclusion. Then we can all go on our way peacefully and live our own lives.” Viola nodded in agreement. Mr. Finger waved his hands in dismissal and the attendants left in an orderly manner the way they came, but the moment they stepped out of the gold palace they and their silver plates of food all disappeared like a puff of smoke into thin air. They were like a mirage, coming from illusion and disappearing into one as well. The music too stopped and the two sides returned to their confrontation. The air at once keyed up and turned tense.
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The red ruby on Viola’s tiara shone with a brilliant sheen as she and Mr. Finger whispered together. Then straightening from his ultra subservient position and playing the jackal to the tiger, Mr. Finger turned to Dimitri and said in a loud and domineering voice,
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“I now represent her majesty Queen Viola in bringing you to account for destroying the Kingdom of Dreams, devastating the beautiful landscape, breaking Giant Mountain into several parts so that the place is now beyond recognition. You even sank Queen Viola’s favorite gold palace to the bottom of the lake. You have brought about an earthquake and a tsunami that almost caused her to die in the turbulent waves. Do you acknowledge your guilt? Queen Viola would have handed down the death penalty, but she is kind and generous by nature and gives you this chance to explain and defend yourself. Speak! Confess your reasons for doing so.” Dimitri’s facial expression did not change and he went on to speak calmly and confidently.
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“That beautiful landscape did not belong to anyone in particular. It was I who first went there and established my Kingdom of Dreams. I erected buildings and palaces and it was I who built the solid gold palace. But it was you, Viola, together with Cyclops aided by those barbarian tribes who set fire to my palace, overturned my kingdom and forcibly occupied my gold palace.
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What really happened is easily discernible to all and does not need to be explained or debated.” Looking around him he saw that the gold palace he was standing in was exactly the same as the one he had built, accurate in every detail, so he went on to say, “I had already sunk the gold palace to the bottom of the water, but its image has remained in your brain, and you are able to make it appear in this mundane world at will. To you, it was no loss at all as there is no real boundary between true existence and phantom impressions. It is hard to distinguish between existence and nil-existence, or it can be said that there is no real difference between them. Since you can make your beloved gold palace appear whenever you desire, why entangle yourself needlessly with the one that has already been sunk to the bottom of the lake? Isn’t that worrying yourself over nothing?”
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“Nonsense!” shouted Mr. Finger. “That’s a lame excuse! Do you know who you are speaking to…” But Viola waved her hand and stopped his harangue.
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“You have not explained why you sank my gold palace into the lake” she pointed out.
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“Also, how did you cause such natural disasters as earthquakes and tsunamis? I was almost suck into the whirlpool and died! Shouldn’t you be responsible for that?”
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“I cannot let you in on the details of this yet” he replied earnestly. “One day when the truth comes to light, you will understand. I am sorry I almost caused you to die in the turbulent waters. That is my fault, my miscalculation. Before I started the earthquake I made careful investigations in the area and knew for certain that your majesty was not in the gold palace and that you and Cyclops had climbed down the steep cliff. I used a stratagem to send away the barbarian tribes and made sure that there was no one in the gold palace and the surrounding area when the earthquake and tsunami happened. I hope your majesty will take into account the fact that I had done all I could not to harm lives.” Viola saw that Dimitri was telling the truth and was so accurate in every detail so as to make his explanations impregnable, placing her in the unenviable and embarrassing position of having nothing to say. After a few minutes of silence, she called Mr. Finger to her again and whispered in his ear.
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The two of them looked at each other as if having come to a common decision. Viola waved her hand and several cases appeared magically on the ground of solid gold. They were exquisitely carved and made of rosewood, which was the hardest of all wood and could last hundreds of years without rotting.
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“Listen to me carefully, Dimitri” said Mr. Finger. “You used earthquake and tsunami to attack Giant Mountain, almost drowning her royal majesty. But Queen Viola not only survived, she actually made a miraculous discovery. Therefore, she will not punish you for your carelessness since she profited from it and found an immense treasure trove of immeasurable richness. It is a gift from God. She is placing a small portion of her discovery before you so that you poor homeless beggar can widen your horizon and knowledge and see Queen Viola’s boundless wealth.” Dimitri’s two loyal servants Creativity and Imagination shook their heads at those words.
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“Pride goes for a fall” said Creativity to his partner. “That has always been man’s most common failing. They are showing off their wealth to Dimitri. Isn’t that ridiculous? In fact it is really foolish of them.”
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“Let them be” answered Imagination. “I think there is an objective to what they are doing. Be patient and watch, there’s more to come.” Mr. Finger walked down the steps and opened the nearest case. The bluest sapphires, bluer than the ocean were piled to the brim. The second case was full of rubies, more fiery than flames and brighter than blood. The third case contained emeralds and the fourth case was a mixture of dazzling diamonds of all colors. The dazzling, brilliant, multi-colored luster was sharp as knives but was nurturing to the eyes that behold them. Then Mr. Finger opened the last case full of pink diamonds. Strange to say there was a pair of exquisite gold stiletto lying on top of the diamonds. Both Dimitri and Viola’s eyes were drawn towards them. Dimitri was sure he had seen this pair of exquisite gold shoes before and searched in his sub-consciousness deep as the sea, for the events of his past dreams where he had seen it. Viola exclaimed softly, “Ah! The memory of my past life has come back to me! This pair of stiletto, which I have long since forgotten, was hidden here in this case. She said to Mr. Finger, “Go bring me that pair of shoes. I want to change into it.”
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The soft voice sounded in Mr. Finger’s ears like a nightingale’s song. He picked up the pair of shoes as if in a trance and walked up the steps to Viola’s throne, knelt down and took off the pair of gem-studded shoes she had on her foot. The sight of her white, jade-like foot before his eyes fully aroused him and he found it hard to control his excitement. He held her foot in his hand and carefully fondled it, even putting his face down to kiss it. In the end, he reluctantly picked up the stiletto and put it on for her very unwillingly. But Mr. Finger still knelt on the ground caressing her calf murmuring, “How lucky I am to have put my body and soul fully into your hands.” Then hitting his right palm with his left fist he added, “Signing that indenture was the best thing I have ever done in my life… I am willing to be your slave forever…” He went on hysterically, “I am so proud of myself for selling my body and soul to you…” Viola gave him a white eye smiling faintly; it was a flirtatious gesture that could enslave any man.
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“Look at you… “she said. “You act without thinking of time and place… There is a third person present here… Act accordingly. Don’t touch me above the knee. Stand up…” Though her slightly reproachful words implied condemnation, it was music to Mr. Finger’s ears, who felt good and comfortable at such reprimand. He knew his actions were a misstep, so he stood up, went to stand beside Queen Viola and no longer dared to indulge in his former transgressions. Dimitri pondered on the relationship between the two little people as he listened to their dialogue and watched their expressions and actions. At first he had frowned at Mr. Finger’s servile and fawning attitude, thinking it was beneath him to act so. But later seeing him so enthralled with Viola that he was almost at the point of publicly seeking sexual fulfillment at the most inopportune moment, Dimitri was really didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh. Mr. Finger was just such a person. You could say he was naïve and innocent, always doing what he wanted without thinking of the consequences. But to be perfectly frank, he was a person who could not distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. He acted only according to his own likes and dislikes, so his actions, no matter how strange or deviate did not surprise people who knew him. He was a little person completely lacking in logical thought, so Dimitri was not surprised at anything he did.
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“Dimitri” said Viola. “You see all this wealth before you. Their value is astronomical and immeasurable. All these precious gems will be yours if you would promise me one thing. My condition is very simple…”
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“Here it comes” thought Dimitri. Not waiting for her to finish speaking, Dimitri interrupted her saying, “Your majesty, please do not tell me your condition yet. Let me prove one thing to you. I want you to see with your own eyes my illusionary magic so you would believe in the truthfulness of what I say.”
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Dimitri got up from his squatting position and walked to one of the cases of precious gems. His two loyal servants Creativity and Imagination knew their master King Dimitri was up to something and so they held hands with their fingers tightly clasped and quickly followed him. Dimitri picked up a sparkling diamond the size of a quail egg and said,
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“Your majesty, Mr. Finger, please close your eyes and let me show you one of my magic tricks.” The two of them were quite cooperative and closed their eyes. Dimitri threw the diamond in his hand high into the sky. His two loyal servants, Creativity and Imagination, quickly pointed their free hand towards the sky and all of a sudden murmurs of thunder could be heard. The heavens opened and a deluge of rainfall poured down from the skies, followed by the sound of large pieces of hail hitting the ground. Mr. Finger couldn’t control his curiosity and slitting open his eyes a tiny bit, peeked out. He saw that it was pitch dark both inside and outside the gold palace and nothing could be seen, so he closed his eyes again. After a while, they heard Dimitri shout, “Stop!” and the rain, hail and thunder halted abruptly like well-trained soldiers obeying the orders of their superiors instantaneously, without the least hesitation. Everything was quiet and Dimitri said, “Open your eyes please your majesty and Mr. Finger.” They did so and were shocked to find that the ground, both inside and outside the gold palace even beyond places where the eyes could reach, were piled with priceless, sparkling diamonds of all colors and sizes that dazzled the eyes. What was even more amazing, some diamonds were forced to halt in midair when Dimitri gave his command to stop, and had no time to fall to the ground, so looking all around them Viola and Mr. Finger saw that the skies high and low, far and near were full of exquisite diamonds of all shapes, colors and sizes, twinkling in the air. They were stunned and astounded at the sight which left them speechless and dumbfounded.
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“You may think this is only an illusion, a trick of the eye, or a kind of con” said Dimitri as he paced leisurely before the throne. “I will not try to explain because this is a deep philosophy that cannot be described in a few words and depends on one’s understanding and enlightenment to comprehend. Suffice it to say that I think your majesty will understand what I mean. The image of the gold palace that I sank to the bottom of the lake has been deeply imprinted in your brain and memory, and you can reproduce it at will so that the brilliant, glittering palace is again before our eyes. If you can do this, why can’t I change the myriads of stars in the skies into sparkling diamonds and rain them down on the mundane world like rainfall and hale? It shouldn’t seem strange to you. As I just said, there is really no marked boundary between true existence and phantom impressions. In other words, this boundary is between existent and nil-existent, between may be existent and may not. Or perhaps it does not exist at all. Of course all this is all up to one’s own comprehension and understanding. Saying so, Dimitri waved at the skies and the quail-sized diamond he had thrown upwards, fell into his hands. His two loyal servants, Creativity and Imaginative, quickly let fall the hands they had pointed to the skies and loosened the fingers clasped tightly together as they stood hand in hand. Strange to say, it was as if a soft breeze blew over everything. The dark clouds in the sky and the sparkling diamonds that covered the ground and twinkled in the skies all disappeared without a trace. Everything returned to normal and myriads of stars dotted the night sky.
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“I originally intended to use these cases of gems as bargaining chips.” said Viola self-consciously and not a little embarrassed. “But I see that these things do not mean anything to you. Please don’t laugh at me…”
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“No, no, please don’t say so, your majesty” interrupted Dimitri before she finished speaking. “There is a treasure trove in all our hearts. You have it. I have it. Mr. Finger also has it. It is distributed impartially and equally to everyone and is inexhaustible and immeasurable.” He looked at Mr. Finger and said to him, “My dear friend, you too have a treasure trove, inexhaustible and immeasurable. Why did you sign an indenture and sell yourself body and soul to someone else as a slave? Isn’t that ridiculous?”
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“This is my personal business” replied Mr. Finger arrogantly and rudely. “I can do whatever I want with my own body. I can sell it to whomever I wish and not even ask for anything in return. I am willing to be an indentured slave to Queen Viola. What business is it of your?”
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“Yes, you are right” replied Dimitri with a mirthless laugh. “It’s none of my business. It is a private affair between the two of you and I won’t say anything more about it.” Dimitri looked at the large diamond that had fallen back into his hand from the sky and threw it back into the case he had originally taken it from. Turning to Viola he said seriously, “Your majesty, I think you took these cases of gems from the Kingdom of Dreams out of the treasure trove of Dwarf Mickey, the god of treasure. Am I right? I suggest you return these cases to where you took them from. Treasures from the Kingdom of Dreams do not belong to anyone in particular. Of course it’s not mine. You should return them.”
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“Sure” said Viola. She waved her hand and the cases of priceless gems and diamonds disappeared from sight. Viola straightened up and changed her posture. She was still wearing the tiara with a huge red ruby in the center and said frostily, “I think now we can speak frankly about the problem between you and me and my mother.” Creativity and Imagination looked guardedly at each other, knowing that the dialogue had finally come to its true subject. Dimitri was greatly agitated and said earnestly to Viola,
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“Your majesty, in the past I have often wondered whether you really existed. Normally speaking, an unformed fetus has little chance of survival if she left her mother’s womb, but I prayed desperately for a miracle, for divine clemency that would allow you to live. Only then could my guilty conscience and the self-condemnation deep in my heart be slightly assuaged. There was a time when I felt that you really existed somewhere around me, sometimes near, sometimes far. I felt your existence in the Kingdom of Dreams, within the sphere of those miraculous mountains and lakes. Then one day I heard that Mr. Finger had married a little beauty of the same size as he is. It was then that I was sure Mr. Finger’s bride was you. You had survived. For that I was happy and exultant for a long time. Because of the many things that required my attention in the mundane world, my stay in the Kingdom was usually short. I would stay only for a few days and then would go back to the mundane world. Child, all these years I have felt remorseful about my treatment of you and your mother. I deeply regretted the extreme torture I inflicted on her. It was an act that has plagued me night and day giving me no peace and plunged me into the deepest despair. But, child, I never thought that hatred was hereditary but in you I could see traces of your mother. The fact that she has endured indescribable pain and suffering in the fires of Gehenna should have been enough of a lesson for you to learn from.
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Child, listen to my sincere advice and restrain your actions. If you can do so, your tussled heart will be freed and you can fly light-hearted as a white dove in the blue skies. How carefree and comfortable that would be! Why let revenge and hatred occupy your heart? Listen to my words…”
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Ever since Viola came into contact with Dimitri, she had lost in every encounter. Furthermore, Dimitri’s words were reproving and admonishing as if he was reading her a lecture which irked her no end and aroused the rebel in her. She fretfully interrupted him saying,
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“Let the dead past bury its dead. Forget all that life and death, right and wrong stuff. Now my mother is still suffering in the roaring flames of Gehenna with her body cut in half at the waist, which was all your doing. I believe that you have the power to make her body whole again. Now I ask you only this question: Are you willing to go back to the Kingdom of Dreams with me, heal her and join her body together?”
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“The fires of Gehenna have turned into a paradise because Ileen has made a 180 degree change in her state of mind. Her surroundings change as her mind changes. Only when the remnant of the fire of hatred in her heart is extinguished will she be able to free from the fires of hell and her body can become whole again.. No one can help. Everything depends on herself alone. She alone can help herself.”
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“Then you are not willing to go with me?” asked Viola.
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“No, it’s not that I am unwilling to help, it’s that I cannot. The fire of revenge in Ileen’s heart will be extinguished naturally. Only then will she be saved. Have you heard of the words
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“More haste, less speed?” Viola did not know what to say. She waved her hand at Mr. Finger and he hastened to her, stooping low to hear her whispered words,
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“Is he telling the truth or lying?”
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“He’s just making excuses” said Mr. Finger provocatively. “He doesn’t want to go back with your majesty. He doesn’t want to help your mother. He’s just shirking responsibility.”
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Mr. Finger was just such a person, anxious to stir up trouble, happy only when things around him are in turmoil. Viola’s eyes were already irate and Mr. Finger’s words just added fuel to fire fanning the flames of anger in her eyes.
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“Then tell me what we should do?” hissed Viola gnashing her teeth, her expression ferocious and fearsome.
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“I say ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’” said Mr. Finger trying to stir up trouble and incite Viola into doing a foolish thing. “Why don’t we just kidnap him and force him to go back to the Kingdom of Dreams with us. Once we have him in our hands, we need not fear he would not do as we ask. He would have to capitulate.” This meeting was meant to solve a serious problem and was about to end successfully when the little man stuck in his oar and muddled things so badly that it became impossible to solve.
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“Didn’t you say he has the protection of the gods and it would be hard for us to get near him?”
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“Your majesty, do you see anyone by his side at the moment? No. Why don’t we make the most of this lucky break and kidnap him? If we miss this opportunity, it may never come again. Please make up your mind, your majesty and give your orders.” Viola hesitated and couldn’t quite make up her mind.
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“Didn’t you say he was blind?” she asked. “How come his eyes are bright and piercing? They seem to be even sharper than a normal human being.
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“This is strange…I wonder what this is all about…The other day when I met him on the street, I am certain he was completely blind. Could he be pretending? Or perhaps sometimes he can see, but at other times he cannot…? But no matter what, we must make full use of this chance we have when he is completely alone and take him down. That should be easily accomplished.”
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“Since it is so” nodded Viola “let’s carry out our original plan.”
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“They don’t seem to know of our existence” said Creativity to Imagination, both of whom were following closely behind Dimitri. “What do you think they will do next?”
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“When humans want to lure someone on to do something either good or bad, they do one of two things” replied Imagination smilingly. “First they tempt him with material gain. They have already tried that but failed to seduce Dimitri with priceless gems. Their next step would be sex I think. Wait and see. There’s more drama ahead.” Beautiful Imagination miscalculated this time. They did not intend to use sex to overcome Dimitri. They intended to use direct force to kidnap him.
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Mr. Finger stood up straight and said in a loud voice, “Queen Viola is ever benevolent and forgives all Dimitri’s transgressions. What is done is done and cannot be undone. She will not probe into it any more. To preserve peace and tranquility in the Kingdom of Dreams, Queen Viola is willing to cease the enmity between them and make peace with Dimitri. In spite of the great disparity of their respective positions she is willing to extend her hand in friendship. Her majesty had chosen twelve of the most beautiful young girls of our realm and trained them herself to perform a dance which she is now sharing with our illustrious guest.” He clapped his hands three times and music again resounded in the great hall of the gold palace. The sound of invisible musicians playing all kinds of drums filled the air. At first the its beat was slow, like raindrops falling on leaves, but gradually gathered memento and became terse and fast and loud, like hordes of wild horses galloping on the grasslands, their pounding hoofs trampling the ground creating a loud crescendo. Just then twelve naked young women made their entry dancing swiftly into the hall from different entrances, twirling and dancing light-footed and agile as the antelopes that roam the grassland on the horizon. They flew all around the hall, dipping, turning and jumping, their supple muscles and beautiful figures perfect combinations of feminine grace and beauty. Just as Dimitri was shaken by the music and the unbelievable scene before him, the twelve naked beauties suddenly closed in around him, forming the battle array of hunters surrounding and going after their prey. It was too late for Dimitri to make a break and try to escape.
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Dimitri’s loyal servants, Creativity and Imagination, saw the gravity of the situation, so holding each other’s hand and clasping their fingers tightly together, they pointed their free hand towards the sky. The sea of flowers behind them, boundless and limitless, began to sway and roll like waves in the sea. Viola gave the order for the dancers to act and they immediately sprang towards Dimitri like beasts of prey. Some grabbed him around the neck, some tackled his arms and legs while the others worked together to try to carry him away as their hostage. Creativity and Imagination’s fingers pointed ahead and in answer to their command the sea of flowers behind them rushed ahead like flood water bursting free of the dam.
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Wave after wave of flowers, majestic and unstoppable, swelled and rapidly gained speed as they surged forward towards the gold palace and swallowed it up whole. The sea of flowers rolled on and on, wave after wave, obliterating whatever was in their path. In the end the surrounding palaces, skyscrapers and tall buildings were all eradicated by the gentle but persistent and ever-moving sea of flowers, leaving behind nothing but emptiness. Waves of the sea of flowers rose and fell gently like a mother bathing her precious infant, spraying water on the baby’s body. Waves of the sea of flowers moved on, wave pushing wave on and on, gently, like a mother’s hand spraying water on her baby’s body, carefully washing him. Waves of the sea of flowers moved on, gently and nurturing but wherever it passed everything was destroyed. Even the waves themselves disappeared at the end of the horizon. The gold palace was gone. So were Viola and her obsequious attendant, Mr. Finger, who were pushed by the sea of flowers to we know not where. Creativity and Imagination had also disappeared and Dimitri had no notion of where they went because he had stopped using his brains. Since he had stopped using his brains, there was no way for him to know what his loyal servants were about.
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Dimitri squatted under the street lights as though he had never moved his position, but unfortunately he was again blind because his loyal servants Creativity and Imagination had temporarily left him. Normally those two were always with him. Why had they left? Because Dimitri had stopped using his brains. When he restarts, his two loyal servants would naturally be back to be at the beck and call of their master.
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Dimitri felt he was in a wilderness, surrounding by silence. Endless expanse of grassland, boundless wilderness all eerily silent extended outwards indefinitely, with only him as the lone solitary man in existence on this earth. It was as if mankind had not yet fully evolved and therefore had not yet populated the earth, so Dimitri felt lonesome and isolated as there was no other human being on this wide expanse of wilderness. But how was the earth formed? What was it like before the earth came into existence? Before this, everything was a huge ball of roaring fire, unimaginably frightening and terrifying. When the fire died down, all that remained were white ashes blowing about the earth. That was before heaven and earth was separated. It was only when the ashes gradually cooled down and solidified that land was formed. Later the land came to life and green plants and trees covered the earth. Dimitri felt as if he was the only human on the earth. There was no bird in the sky, no other animal walking on the surface of the earth and no fish and other aquatic life in the sea. He was the one solitary living thing in existence. But wasn’t this place a metropolis not long ago? Why, hundreds and thousands of people used to live and work here and cars and trucks packed the streets! People used concrete to seal up the earth and used concrete and steel to build a man-made forest that represented human intelligence and skill. That was not so long ago. Since when did all this revert back to wilderness, silent and lonely? Wasn’t this place originally a scene of desolation with hot ashes floating everywhere? Dimitri was baffled and perplexed. Ashes, wilderness and metropolis, are all stops in human development. Each one seemed to be a starting point, but also a terminal. There was really no significant difference or meaning between them because they follow each other in a cycle. Time moves on, but its speed was too slow or too fast for us to feel the movement. Things change. Perhaps the speed of change was too fast or slow for us to feel the change. Sometimes huge changes occur in a flash fast as lightning, but at other times slight changes happen only after hundreds of years of patient expectations. Dimitri thought of his recent conversation with Viola, of how he told her there was really no marked boundary between true existence and phantom impressions, that the difference between existent and nil-existence was vague and indistinct. To be more specific, these two states of existence are interchangeable.
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In the distance, a flag was fluttering in the wind, a window left open by a careless employee also creaked and squeaked in the breeze. Dimitri suddenly felt that he was back in the metropolis where hundreds of people lived together. Because it was after office hours, there was no one about, thereby giving him the impression of solitary isolation and loneliness. He also heard cries of “Dimitri! Dimitri!” from afar coming closer and closer to him. He knew it was his good friends Richard and Jamaz coming to look for him. Soon he heard running footsteps and Richard was saying,
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“Dimitri! We’ve been looking for you everywhere! What are you doing here all alone in this empty square? Come on; let’s go back to the deserted rose garden. Mr. Kaffee, Big-O and Dwarf Mickey are all waiting for you there. We have prepared a sumptuous dinner and a lot of good wine. Come quickly. We want to welcome you back and celebrate the reunion of old friends.” Richard helped Dimitri up without waiting for his reply and Jamaz picked up the white cane on the ground beside him and the three of them quickly left the deserted square.
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Chapter 3 Giant Mountain
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The crystal clear blue water of Star-Moon Lake rippled gently under the starlit skies. A dark figure flashed by in the moonlight astride a flying broom. It was not the original owner of the broom, but a svelte young woman. Ever since Amalia fell ill, she had been living in Dream-Makers Bakery under the tender loving care of Sheila and Yoko, so it could not be she who appeared in the Kingdom of Dreams. Before leaving the Kingdom, Dorna had given the broom to Deanna and it had become a convenient means of transportation for the young native girl in her work as liaison between the native tribes spread wide apart in the mountains, saving her from having to climb mountains and wade through waters. Deanna circled around Giant Mountains on her flying broom. She waited for the dust to settle and things to calm down after the two great natural disasters before visiting the area. This was her first trip back to assess the damage after the huge earthquake and tsunami. She stopped in midair to further check the head of the giant which was still discernable. Facing the decapitated head alone in the dead of night made Deanna’s flesh crawl. The atmosphere of horror and fright raised the fine hairs of her body, but she felt she had to examine the remains of the giant’s head. Giant Mountain was in disarray, having been broken into several sections. Parts of it had sunk all the way to the bottom of the lake, but parts were visible above the water. The best preserved section was the head of the giant which was still gazing up at the skies. But Deanna noticed that the upward gazing head was tilted slightly towards the right. The shift was barely perceptible, but could not escape the sharp eyes of the young girl who had grown up in these parts and who knew every mountain, every tree, and every blade of grass. “But why was the head tilted towards the right?” she asked herself. “Perhaps his huge body which had lain paralyzed on the horizon since the beginning of time was beginning to feel the effects of immobility and was numb, stiff and tired. He may just have wanted to change his posture a bit and turn to the right. He had lain in the same position for too long causing his flesh to rot and his bones to loosen so the slightest change to his posture brought about an earthquake and a tsunami, breaking Giant Mountain into several sections. But what prompted the giant who had been lying motionless on his back on the horizon since the beginning of time to move his body? Did he receive some stimulation, some unbearable pain or perhaps an intolerable itch that caused him to want to move his body? There had to be a cause and I hope I will be able to get to the bottom of this.” Deanna geared her broom for descent until she hovered two three feet above the water. She said to the broom,
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“Be good and wait for me here. Don’t you go wandering anywhere else by yourself. I want to dive to the bottom of the lake and take a look at the condition of King Dimitri’s gold palace. I will be up very quickly. I cannot let a valuable asset of the Kingdom lie buried at the bottom of the water without taking a look.” Before coming here, Deanna had already pleated her long and lustrous hair into a braid, which she now wound around her neck and then dived into the blue waters.
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Deanna was an excellent swimmer and agile as a fish in the water because this lake was like a second home to her. The luminous moonlight penetrated the crystal clear blue waves and
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lighted up her way. Then as she descended deeper, the light gradually changed to a metallic yellow hue which lighted up blue water together with silver moonlight, creating a mysterious and fantastic world of lights. As she swam a bit lower, the majestic gold palace suddenly came into view, resting peacefully and sedately on a long stretch of smooth white sand. Deanna was amazed at the sight. Who had the power to take the huge gold palace and settle it magically on this large stretch of underwater beach? Was it just coincidence that amid the chaos of the huge earthquake which broke up Giant Mountain and the ensuing roaring tsunami, the gold palace just happened to sink down to this most suitable location without the least bit of damage? This was really unimaginable! She swam around outside the palace and found no damage whatsoever. Clamping her teeth on the tail end of her long braid around her neck to keep it from getting loose, she swam into the palace. She looked around and was overjoyed to see that the lifelike sculptures of the twenty-four beauties were not at all affected by the natural disasters and were perfectly preserved. As she was busy inspecting the premises, she forgot to bite onto her braid which gradually uncoiled, forming a long pigtail behind her head which looked like a gleaming black water snake following closely behind her head. Just then she realized that the oxygen in her body was getting low and knew it was time to swim out through the window, go up to the surface for more air before coming down to resume her inspection. On her way out she felt something pull at her head and her ascent was somewhat slowed by her braid which had been caught on something. She looked back and saw that the end of her braid was caught by King Dimitri’s magic bow which was hanging on the window. Deanna was overjoyed and almost shouted out loud in excitement. She took the magic bow, slung it around her shoulder and quickly swam to the surface. She broke out of the water just under the place where the flying broom was hovering, waiting patiently for its rider. She hung the bow onto the broom and said happily,
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“My precious broom, see how fortunate I am today? I accidentally came across one of the most important treasures of our Kingdom - King Dimitri’s magic bow! I want to go down again and see if I can find the quiver of arrows as well. If I could do so, it would be fantastic! Wish me luck!” Saying so, Deanna again dived into the crystal clear blue waters. This time she was even luckier, for she saw the quiver of arrows half buried in the pure white sand and in no time pulled it out and swam back again to the top. Hanging the quiver on the broom with the bow, she cried excitedly “See here, my luck has held and I got the magic arrows as well!” The magic bow ands arrow fell to the bottom of the lake while Viola was battling for her life amid the ferocious waves of the tsunami and they just happened to land near the gold palace. It could be said that thus these two magic weapons have at last been returned to their rightful owner. Deanna jumped onto the flying broom and swiftly flew away towards the forests, hurrying to report the glad tidings to Medusa and the White Fairy to let them know that there is hope now and that King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams would be sure to revive.
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Dimitri woke gradually from his dreams amid the twittering of birds, silvery and melodious. In this deserted rose garden, lay the ruins of a house, most of which had been burnt down years ago. The small part that was left standing had become the temporary home of Richard and Jamaz. The dazzling afternoon sun filtered through the branches of the tree that scattered its rays on the flight of steps. Dimitri, who was used to a nomad life having lived most of his life in the open air on the streets, did not like to be cooped up indoors. Therefore, he took a rough gunny bag, spread it on the concrete ground under the eaves, and considered it his temporary bed. He lay down on it and by force of habit put his olive-colored safari hat over his tummy and folded his hands behind his head as his pillow. Last night old friends, exuberant to be reunited after a long separation, ate, drank and talked all through the night. Dimitri drank too much and was still feeling groggy and half awake, but he was able to connect the dots and piece together the recent events as reported to him by his friends.
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Last night after Richard and Jamaz found Dimitri sitting alone in a corner of the desolated square, surrounded by skyscrapers, they brought him back to the long deserted rose garden. From afar they could hear pleasant jazz music and smell the fragrance of meat being broiled over the fire, but alas there was also a sniff of something being burnt, for Mr. Kaffee, Big-O and Dwarf Mickey were not the connoisseur of BBQing that Richard was. Richard was indeed acknowledged to be as good as a first class chef in this respect, for his meat was always cooked to perfection: tender, juicy and just done. The old friends hugged each other, clapping each other on the back talking animatedly. Richard immediately took over the lamb chop in Dwarf Mickey’s hand and found that one side was burnt while the other side was still raw. He said,
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“Watch me! I will turn this lamb chop into one with a special flavor! Do you believe me?”
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“Of course we do.” His friends responded.
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“You are the acknowledged chef! “
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“We know what you can do.
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The old friends sat down around the fire. Jamaz popped open a few bottles of liquor and handed them around before going to help Richard with the meat. Richard worked efficiently and quickly because he knew everyone was hungry. Mr. Kaffee took a large gulp of liquor and said to Dimitri,
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“They were looking for you everywhere and I heard that they finally found you at the square. That place is always deserted after office hours with scarcely a person in sight. What were you doing there?”
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“I was just passing by when I happened to come across Mr. Finger and his bride Viola.” ” replied Dimitri, also taking a large gulp of wine. “I got entangled with them and was hoping that I could make use of this meeting to untie the Gordian knot and resolve our differences. But in the end nothing was accomplished and the dead knot was still there between us.”
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“Oh?” exclaimed his audience when they heard that he had met with Mr. Finger and Viola and all eyes riveted to Dimitri. So Dimitri told them what had happened…
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“Well, well, well…” said Dwarf Mickey, “I knew the treasure trove was still in the Kingdom of Dreams. If it weren’t for those great changes to the earth’s crust, it would be hard to tell when they would resurface… It’s hard to imagine that Viola is that master thief after several reincarnations…He is able to move cases of precious diamonds and gems to this mundane world and show them to you…Hmm, his ability is quite impressive…”
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“Actually that’s not very hard to do” said Dimitri. “Just think about it. Take a case of jewelry, for example. You can easily use your imagination to move it to somewhere else.”
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“You mean… “said M. Kaffee “that you can use creativity and imagination to take the place of objective reality? You mean you can easily make impossible things possible? Isn’t it a bit like cheating yourself?”
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“It’s not surprising that you have these doubts” said Dimitri. When certain things happen, your doubts will naturally melt away. When the internal world of your soul and the outer objective physical world are in full accord and reach the level of perfect harmony, then all infinite potentialities become possible. There will be no more questions of cheating and being cheated…” Dwarf Mickey nodded his head in agreement. He looked up at the myriads of stars in the sky and said,
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“The direction of the development of human civilization vied more towards the exploration of the material world and the deep and dark universe than towards the inner world of one’s heart. The direction of the development of modern science completely ignores the exploration of man’s innermost world and concentrates on the depth of the external cosmos.
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Actually the solution to their problem which they were so actively pursuing were buried deeply in the internal world of one’s heart, like my treasure trove that had been lost for almost a century and whose worth is inestimable is still buried in the soil of the Kingdom of Dreams whole and untouched, Isn’t this rather like rejecting what is near at hand and seeking for what is far away?”
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“You mean we should give up the exploration of modern science and concentrate on pursuing depth of the inner world of the heart?” asked Mr. Kaffee.
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“No, no, no” interrupted Dwarf Mickey. “That is not what I meant. I think we should pay equal attention on both worlds. That would be the ideal mode of approach.” The fat in the meat chops began to drop onto the charcoal fire and produced a sizzling sound. Soon Richard brought over a large plate of mouth-watering crispy lamb chops perfectly grilled to a golden brown, giving off an enticing aroma and served them to his friends saying,
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“Hey guys, you must be hungry so let’s all start eating and stop talking about this boring troublesome philosophical stuff. Leave that to the intellectuals. We should concentrate on eating our meat and drinking our liquor. Isn’t that more practical?” Everyone laughed and fell to with gusto.
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“You guys just talked about some cases of jewelry. What was that about?” asked mr. Kaffee. A friend of mine mentioned to me recently that he wanted to sell off his jewelry business. I think that he is having money trouble in this economic tsunami or he would not be willing to give up his lucrative trade. I mentioned it to Samantha who is a connoisseur of jewelry and she in turn persuaded Megginn to look into it. They told me to talk to this guy and we will be going to his large jewelry store soon and see how things go.” Dimitri took another gulp of his liquor and felt a fiery hot line go down from his throat to his stomach. Extremely satisfied, he wiped the remnants of the liquor from the corner of his lips and said,
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“Nowadays I am no longer interested in the business of making money. Let the two of them decide what to do and I will be behind them 100%.” Dwarf Mickey tore a large chunk of meat from his chop and swallowed it without chewing it thoroughly. Then he too gulped some wine and said,
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“Humans are never tired of accumulating wealth. To put it nicely they want the satisfaction that comes with self- accomplishment, but to put it bluntly, it is just plain avarice, a part of human nature that came with them at birth. But no matter what, the accumulation of wealth is one of the forces that propel human civilization forward. Young people nowadays are eloquent and are meticulous calculators, very ambitious about their future. I am out-of-date and should retire soon and let the new generation take over…” The white-bearded god of wealth shook his head and laughed wryly.
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Dimitri lay flat on his back on the cold cement ground with only a rough gunny bag under him. His body felt stiff and uncomfortable after having been in the same position for too long, so he turned sideways to the right, curled up his body and put one of his arms under his cheek as his pillow. He was wide awake by then, but kept his eyes closed and did not sit up because there wasn’t much to do and he preferred to lie there. The difference in temperature and the noise from the city told him it was about three, four o’clock in the afternoon. He just lay there quietly and did not feel like getting up because there was nothing for him to do. The only thing he could do was to let time slide quietly by unnoticed. Ever since he was a youth he had known that one day he would become blind so he used to blindfold his eyes with a dark-colored kerchief and try to experience what it felt like to be a blind man. But the action only gave him great pressure because he found it impossible to do anything when blindfolded, so he quickly took down the kerchief. He lay there motionlessly doing nothing because there was nothing to do. The only thing he could do was to let time pass him by quietly, unnoticed. He opened his eyes and found that the world was dark before his eyes. He raised his hand to pull away the kerchief but was surprised to find there was nothing covering his eyes. It was then that he realized he was blind.
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The deserted rose garden took up quite a bit of space. Years of neglect resulted in overgrown weeds and dry and withered leaves covering the ground. Wasn’t it strange that in the midst of the busy metropolis a garden like this could remain forsaken and abandoned for so long? The roses in the garden bloomed in spite of lack of care, as if trying to show off their brilliant colors. But their petals were covered with dust and tall weeds almost crowded out the rose bushes. They were like high-born, aristocratic ladies down on their luck. The familiar sound of brakes being applied was heard and soon Dimitri heard footsteps walking towards him through the grass and bushes. Dimitri’s empty, sightless eyes turned towards the noise, knowing Richard and Jamaz were back. Seeing that Dimitri’s eyes were open, Richard said,
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“Hi, Dimitri. Had a good nap? Did you have any good dreams?” Dimitri was surprised they were home so early, so instead of answering, he asked,
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“Is something wrong?”
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“No, no” said Richard. “ Mr. Kaffee told us to come back and change into our suits. He wants us to accompany Samantha and Megginn to a large exhibition a famous jeweler is giving. Samantha received an invitation two weeks ago. Mr. Kaffee said although the two of us were bodyguards, we still had to be suitably dressed in our best costumes.”
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“I hate to dress up” complained Jamaz. “It feels so confined and restricted. I can’t stand neckties either; it’s like the dog collar, really, really uncomfortable!” Saying so, the two of them went into the burnt house and started rummaging through their chests and boxes, looking for their formal suits which they hadn’t worn since they resigned from their posts as president and vice-president of World Bank. Finally they found the custom-made clothes at the bottom of their trunk. Carrying his in his hand, Richard walked out and said to Dimitri,
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“Have to leave now. We must go to the bakery, wash and dressed up before joining the others. Continue with your rest, Dimitri, we’ll bring dinner home.” The two of them walked through the weed infested deserted garden towards the gate. Half way towards the entrance Richard suddenly remembered something and turned back saying,
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“Oh yes, I forgot to tell you something. Recently a group of homeless people have been hanging out around here, thinking of moving in on us. At first, I didn’t mind and had no problem sharing the use of this place with them. I thought we were all poor and homeless vagabonds and this quiet garden is large enough for us all to co-exist peacefully. But as soon as they got here, these hooligans began to smoke drugs, indulge in sex orgies, fuck each other from behind, throw used needles, bottles and waste all around as well as urinate and relieve themselves anywhere they felt like, stinking up the whole place, making our little paradise utterly unlivable. I drove them all out and beat up anyone I see lurking around. Their leader came over with a gun and tried to intimidate us, but Jamaz and I took his gun away, beat the crap out of him and threw him out again. If they come back here while we are gone, don’t tangle with them in any way. They are ruthless and barbaric. Just go to some remote corner of the garden and ignore them. Wait for us to deal with them when we come back. Better yet, leave the garden temporarily but don’t go far. You are blind and have trouble making your way. Leave them to the two of us…”
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“Don’t worry, I won’t get into a fight with anyone” said Dimitri smiling. “Didn’t Mr. Finger say I was like a broken ball by the side of the street that anyone can kick around? If these people do come here I will go to a quiet, isolated corner or leave here altogether. You guys have work to do. Go and do your job. I’ll be alright.”
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Richard and Jamaz left as quickly as they came, but their words remained with Dimitri.
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“Yes,” he thought, “In this world there are people, rotten to the core, living miserable, decadent and corrupt lives. Their creed seems to be the more corrupt, the better. But they are not of the majority, in fact there aren’t really that many of them. I, too, am a homeless vagabond and one who loves to dream. If my life is an experiment, are the results correct or incorrect? According to the normal pattern of life , when a boy grows up to be a man he must earn his own living, get a job somewhere as a clerk or civil employee and try to live within his means on a meager salary. He will marry and have children. The plainer the wife’s appearance , the more complacent his life will be, and he will feel safe and free from pressure. As for children, one or two is the ideal number, as he would not be able to afford more. They scrimp and save and go on a family vacations when they could afford to. After a few such vacations and it would be time to retire… But my mode of life has gone the opposite way. I unconsciously walked on the path towards becoming a blind homeless person, a homeless person who loves to dream. People may pity me and feel sorry for my plight, but in reality, I could not have met my good friends otherwise. Friends are the riches I have accumulated in life and whom I cannot live without. Friends are indispensible, especially to a blind man like me. My love of dreams enabled me to build my Kingdom of Dreams with its magnificent palaces, twenty-four beauties and my Kingdom full of loyal subjects. Though I am a penniless, blind homeless person, in my dreams I am the powerful sovereign of a kingdom and richer than Midas. Who can say that my experiment of life is a failure and not a success?
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Life may be experimental, but fate cannot be changed. The ingredients that make up fate had been predestined the moment life began. These complicated and hard to understand ingredients cannot be calculated, even by the most advanced computers invented by man. When a man is born, he lives according to the route set out by fate. Some lives are smooth and successful, paved with fame and fortune. Others walk on a hard and tortuous path, full of loneliness and misfortune. The components of people’s lives may be as different as the innumerable combinations of the kaleidoscope, but the end is invariably the same – death, the great equalizer. Before the god of Fate, we are all helpless and insignificant because his decrees are final and not to be bargained with. We can only accept our fate without resistance, for resistance is futile anyway. Do you think that I, Dimitri, was willing to accept my fate as a blind man? Certainly not, but what could I do? Before Fate, I am insignificant and helpless, unable to resist in any way. My way of coping, my way to pull wool over the eyes of the god of fate, is to develop a beautiful secret garden in the innermost part of my heart without his notice. No one but me could touch this place.
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Dimitri changed from sleeping sideways to lying flat on his back on the cement ground, in exactly the same position as that giant on Giant Mountain who lay peacefully on the horizon. They both faced the blue heavens as if asking it a puzzling question that had never been answered for thousands of years. Dimitri knew that step by step he was sinking deeper into that place deep in his heart and felt drowsiness again come over him like a teasing light fog. Unwilling to give up enjoying the beauties of this spring dawn he resisted the enticement of sleep. So shouldering a shovel and holding some gardening tools in his hand, he walked along the winding path to the top of the small hill. He stopped at a spot facing the water but was sheltered from the wind. The soil there was suitable for planting flowers, so Dimitri had chosen it as the location for the beautiful secret garden in the depth of his heart. The garden was not large, but neither was it small. Dimitri had pulled up all the weeds here and in the bordering areas, and had pruned the trees, shrubs and plants using suitable tools. Multi-colored flowers were planted everywhere filling every corner, all vying to outdo the others in color and fragrance. It was really a wonderful sight. What was more wondrous and could not be seen in other gardens was, flowers of different seasons all bloomed at the same time. Dimitri straightened up to take a break and to stretch himself. He glanced at the opposite shore where the giant had been lying on the horizon since the beginning of time and then turned back to his gardening. He worked on happily and diligently under the blue skies. When next he stood up to take a break and glanced again at the giant, his heart seemed to give a lurch and he suddenly remembered that the mountain had been completely destroyed and only the giant’s head remained intact, the rest of his body having sunk to the bottom of the water. How could it be untouched? How could the giant be lying there intact? As soon as the idea flashed across his brain, the world around him began to shake violently and the very ground under his feet trembled. A series of ear-deafening crashes were heard. The world shook and spinned and Giant Mountain split into several parts. The earthquake caused traumatic changes to the earth’s crust which brought about a tsunami. It was as if the earthquake and the tsunami were again re-enacted before Dimitri’s eyes.
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Dimitri sat up on the cement ground. His panic-stricken, sightless eyes stared straight ahead, murmuring, “Did I unknowingly kill the giant who had lain on the horizon since the beginning of time? I thought he must be stiff, numb and in pain after lying in the same position for so long and only wanted to ease his discomfort by changing his position a little; never dreaming it would cause him to disintegrate completely with only his head remaining above the water untouched. I have unwittingly committed another heinuous crime, for which I could never atone.”
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A slight wind blew over the deserted garden, causing flowers to flutter and ruffled the leaves and branches. The tall weeds rustled with a noise too slight for human footsteps. It was as if some animal was quickly making its way through them. Then came a string of barks. Before Dimitri realized what was happening, a small plump furry dog jumped onto his lap. He knew it was his little friend Maureen when his hands touched those long furry ears.
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“Hey, my dear little friend, how did you know I was here?” The little dog jumped to the ground and tugged at Dimitri’s trousers with his mouth as if urging him to get up and follow him. Dimitri was greatly alarmed and asked, “Is something wrong? Where is your mistress? Has something happened to Charina? It’s broad daylight now, how can I call on Medusa to help her?
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Alas, beautiful women are more apt to get into messy situations…” Dimitri was working himself up into a fit of anxiety not knowing what to do when he heard a familiar voice calling from outside the rose garden,
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“Hey Maureen, where are you? Maureen? Did you find Dimitri? If not, come out and we will look for him somewhere else.” Dimitri was greatly relieved when he realized that it was Charina and knew that nothing had happened to her. He quickly stood up, took up his white cane and tottered out of the deserted garden after Maureen.
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When Charina saw Dimitri appear at the entrance of the garden tapping his white cane, she got hold of his elbow and said in a trembling voice,
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“Get into the car. It’s not safe here. Some hooligans are running towards us. Hurry! Come on. Get into the car.” From the trembling of her voice, Dimitri knew the situation must be getting tense. He could not see, but his movements were still quick and nimble. When his fingers touched the car door that had already been opened for him, he quickly got in and Maureen jumped after him and settled on his lap. Charina closed their car door and quickly went over to the driver’s side and got in. No sooner had her side of the car door closed when she heard fists pounding on the outside of her car and a rough voice saying,
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“Come on my pretty little filly! Come out. Don’t leave so fast. Stay. Let’s play a while. It will be fun.” Luckily, she had left the engine running, so stepping on the gas the car streaked away, its wheels squealing in protest when the car made a quick turn. After they had finally left the rose garden behind and the coast seemed clear, Charina began to calm down. Dimitri waited till her chest stopped heaving in agitation to ask,
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“What happened, Charina?”
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“Why didn’t you get in touch these last few days?” she sighed, giving him a white eye. “I have been looking for you around the lake many times but saw no sign of you. I took Maureen and visited all your old haunts, always setting him free to look for you, hoping his sensitive nose would find you. When we got to the rose garden, the weeds were so overgrown and the place seemed to be so deserted that I did not dare to go in, afraid there might be unscrupulous people hiding there. I sent Maureen in to check and you were really there! Luckily we got out in a nick of time, otherwise we would be in deep trouble!. After I sent Maureen into the deserted garden, I saw some homeless persons dressed in dirty, dilapidated clothes, sitting around with wooden expressions, doing nothing. When they saw me they laughed maliciously uttering obscenities, with saliva running down the corner of their mouths and stood up to close in slowly on me. I got really nervous and scared, but luckily you appeared with Maureen. So I opened the car door for you and left the place quickly. How could you be staying there at that really scary place? I was scared to death!”
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“Sorry. Sorry. That was all my fault. Sorry you had such a scare but the cause of it all was your beauty. It’s beautiful women who easily get into trouble and land in these messy situations, don’t they?” said Dimitri in an apologizing but also flattering tone. Charina sighed.
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“In this large metropolis criminal elements are in every dark corner and we hear of crimes being committed day or night, day in and day out. Wherever people congregate, there is sure to be all kinds of undesirable people doing all kinds of bad things, big and small. Why are there so many strange, extraordinary people that cannot live peacefully with others? It would be really wonderful if everyone could just co-exist peacefully, live and let live!” contemplated Charina in her sad and sexy tone of voice.
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“Don’t be so pessimistic and disappointed” said Dimitri. “The garden in some people’s hearts are dried up and deserted. But if heaven will send down much needed rainfall and some seeds are sown, flowers will grow in the rich soil.”
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“Hey, Dimitri” said Charina with a smile. “Since when have you become a poet and speak with rhymes and metaphors? Sounds good!”
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Charina’s hands stayed on the steering wheel and the car rolled smoothly on the streets beside the lake. She turned off the air-conditioning and opened the windows to let in fresh air, which was so invigorating.
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“Let’s stop here for a moment to enjoy this cool breeze and breathe this fresh air” said Dimitri. Charina stopped by the roadside as requested and they sat in the car enjoying the cool and refreshing air.
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“What have you been doing with yourself these last few days, Charina?” continued Dimitri in a conversational voice. “You seemed to be in a hurry to get me. Is there something I could do for you?”
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“Does there have to be something special for me to come to you? Can’t I look for you if there isn’t an emergency?” teased Charina, her large beautiful eyes glancing at him soulfully.
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“Alright, alright, teasing aside, I’ll come to the point quickly. Stimulated by our talks, I have been flooded with inspirations these last few days and my brain had recovered its creativity. I had planned to seclude myself from the outside world and take two weeks off to concentrate on my writing. This morning I drove to the supermarket to get enough groceries and supplies for the next two weeks. Perhaps I was too excited and got up too early because when I got to the store, there were very few cars in the parking lot. I saw a white dove flying around in the blue skies. It circled above my head, sometimes swooping down to fly in front of me as if to catch my attention.. Looking closely I saw it had a piece of white paper in its beak and knew at once it was a message for you from that mysterious place beyond the blue skies so I held out my hand towards it. The dove dropped the paper letting it float down onto my hand and it flew quickly away back to the blue skies.
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“What did the note say?” asked Dimitri urgently.
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“Take it easy. I’ll read it to you” said Charina, opening her handbag to look for the paper. She found it and read aloud: Dear King Dimitri: Several days ago, Deanna dived into our Star-Moon Lake. To her surprise she saw that our gold palace was completely untouched and well-preserved sitting on an underwater beach of the smooth white sand at the bottom of the shallow waters. She was also very fortunate to recover your magic bow and arrow there at the bottom of the lake. Now the two national treasures are back in our hands again and I have placed them in a shrine together with the magic sword in White Fairy’s temple. The barbarian tribes who occupied our kingdom have retreated back to their land and do not seem to have any aggressive intentions. In a few days, I intend to lead our people back to our beautiful homeland again so that they could resume their tasks of fishing, hunting or farming. Everything will be back to normal and our people would again live their peaceful and harmonious life. My dear majesty, please come back to your Kingdom. Your people are awaiting your presence and leadership. Signed Medusa.” After hearing Charina read the letter to him, Dimitri fell silent.
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“If I return to the Kingdom,” he thought “I would disrupt the peaceful and harmonious life of the people, who live secluded from the world. Why don’t I just pretend I had never been there and leave them to their peaceful life? It would be as if nothing had ever happened there, no palace, no royal concubines, no loyal subjects…But on the other hand, if I don’t go back to my Kingdom will I be content to roam around in this mundane world as a blind homeless vagabond? What and where is my final destination? Am I to roam forever in this mundane world, this infinite universe? Or perhaps roaming is my destination.” Charina’s beautiful eyes glittered as she watched Dimitri.
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“The first time I received messages for you from the mysterious place beyond the blue skies” she murmured, “it told you that Zeus, the god of heaven, wanted to talk to you. Then there was the second message telling of the natural disasters of earthquake and tsunami. This time they told you your gold palace was intact and your national treasures of the magic bow and arrow had been recovered and are in safe keeping at White Fairy’s temple in the mountains. Don’t you think that these three letters would give me enough material to write a long, moving and mysterious novel? Could you give me the lowdown and tell me the full story? I would prefer to know all the details before I begin writing. I just want to write down this amazing story for the world. The copyright belongs to you alone.”
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“Copyright?” laughed Dimitri. “That’s ridiculous. I just had a few dreams and I can get a copyright for that?” Though Dimitri was blind and could not see, he turned his eyes towards that far-away place. He knew that Charina, the young and beautiful authoress, was mesmerized by his stories and was completely consumed by them. “Of course I could tell you the story. But it is long and complicated and may take more than three days and three nights.”
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“Well then, let’s take more than three days and three nights” she replied. “I have prepared a guest room for you in my house with pajamas, slippers and all your favorite food and drinks. Why not stay with me for a few days and tell me the full story?”
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“You mean right now?”
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“Of course” she answered, “what are we waiting for?”
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“When I left the deserted garden, I did not leave any note for my good friends Richard and Jamaz. They would be very worried and would think something bad had happened to me. They might even think I had been kidnapped or killed by those hobos outside the garden.”
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“Leave a note?” inquired Charina in surprise. “That’s so antiquated, so last century. No one does that any more. Nowadays we never leave notes. Don’t they have cell phones? Why not just text them or leave a message on their voicemail to tell them you are at my place.”
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“Hey, that’s a good idea. I really am out of touch with the present day technologies.”
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“Are Richard and Jamaz the two guys who returned Maureen to me? They talk hand in glove with each other, often finishing each other’s sentences. They’re really great partners. Since they are your good friends, they will surely become mine as well.”
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“I have some more good friends. Mr. Kaffee used to be a big shot in the underworld, but now he has reformed. Another is Dwarf Mickey. From his name you know he is a dwarf and he is a white-bearded old man. But don’t look down on him. In reality he is the god of wealth and has all the wealth of the world under his control. Then there is Big-O who used to be a professional assassin but is now a devoted monk… Of course there is another one who has now betrayed me and my friends. That is Mr. Finger. I am sure that one day he will repent and come back to the fold. He is a very small person, only as tall as a finger, hence his name.”
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“Wow!” exclaimed Charina. “Your friends’ backgrounds are so diverse and unique they seem to be vaudevillians! Well, if they are your friends they are my friends too. Why don’t I open my house to all of them and invite them here for dinner. We can have a wonderful time together.” The message was sent and within fifteen minutes the reply came back saying, “Thank you for your kind invitation. We will all be there. You are right in saying we are like vaudevillians and we are also alcoholics and love to drink. Be sure to have some good wine and liquor ready for us. Thank you.”
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Dimitri wore the loose and comfortable pajamas Charina had prepared for him and relaxed on the sofa. He happily enjoyed a hot bath and was feeling pleasantly refreshed. He had shaved and looked to be in glowing health. But his hair had not been cut and was rather long. Charina said she would cut it for him in a day or two. Dimitri was drinking some Chinese Oolong tea. He knew his good friends would be clamoring for drinks when they came so he did not want to start drinking too soon. His friends could eat and drink a lot. Dwarf Mickey may be old and short in stature but his appetite was that of a strapping young man. So Charina had driven back to the supermarket and bought a lot more of food and a whole case of hard liquor for Dimitri’s good friends, so that after her guests had had enough to eat and drink they would feel right at home. Charina was busy in the kitchen where the enticing aroma of French onion soup stewing on the stove filled the air. Other side dishes such as king crab legs and lobsters had been bought ready-made. Beef steak had been marinated and would be ready to be cooked as soon as the guests arrived and Charina hummed happily as she prepared a fruit salad. Dimitri sipped his Oolong tea. On the coffee table were a note book, a pen and a voice recorder, for Charina would be coming soon to hear him tell the story of the kingdom beyond the blue skies. He was wondering where he should begin this complicated and intricate tale interrelated in innumerable ways. He thought for a moment and then murmured, “Yes, that would be a good place to start.”
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Under the hazy moon and misty fog, a wisp of smoke flew out of the dense forest, landing amid a bed of flowers at the border of the trees and changed into a white lily. In appearance it was much the same as the other flowers and bloomed silently in their midst under the gentle moonlight. The meandering line of the forest extended indefinitely towards the skies, where the flapping of mighty wings were heard. A huge snake-haired black bird with a human face flew down from on high, somersaulted when it neared the ground and changed into human form. She landed near the borders of the forest, her eyes searching all around the surrounding area.
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“That’s strange!” she thought. “This is the time and place White Fairy and I agreed on to meet. Why isn’t she here?” Her piercing eyes inspected every white flower around her until she saw a white lily and said with a smile, “Come out! I have found out which white lily is you. If you don’t show yourself, I will pull you out by the root!” A white lily changed into human form, ran swiftly towards Medusa and embraced her affectionately, throwing her lovely white arms around Medusa’s neck. Medusa lowered her head and kissed White Fairy’s rosy lips. The two of them stood there kissing and hugging for a long time, until White Fairy uttered strangling noises as if she needed air to breathe. Her feeble arms pushed Medusa away and gave her a white eye.
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“You are really greedy” she scolded. “You have sucked out all the nectar I have been gathering for a long time!”
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“Hm,” said Medusa proudly. “To be able to taste the honey made by the goddess of flowers herself is really the most inestimable pleasure between heaven and earth!” Saying so she lifted White Fairy’s beautiful face with her hands, covered the petal-like lips with her own and again started to greedily suck the sweet nectar. White Fairy did not mind and willing fed the honey she worked so hard to collect into Medusa’s mouth. The two of them stood mouth to mouth for a long time until White Fairy panted and once more pushed Medusa away. She combed through her tangled hair with her fingers, glanced reprovingly at Medusa and sadly hung her head. Medusa was greatly surprised and asked,
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“My beautiful goddess, is something worrying you? Dimitri’s national treasures, the magic bow and arrow and the magic sword are all back with their rightful owner, safely stored in your temple, In a few days I will be bringing all the native tribes back to their beautiful land. Why are you sad?”
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“I…” said White Fairy sadly, “I think… you and me…our relationship has been discovered by King Dimitri.”
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“Really? Why would you think so?”
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“Try to think back… That day just before the earthquake and tsunami happened, I thought I heard Lightning neigh happily as if he had caught sight of his beloved master whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. Then there was a period of relative calm and quiet. At the time you and I were madly making love in the depth of the forest. Then all hell broke loose when the earthquake and tsunami erupted. When things finally settled down, I saw Lightning fly down from the skies, his body dripping wet, as if he had been in the lake waters for quite some time before flying back home. I think King Dimitri rode his horse Lightning somewhere and carried out some extraordinary feats and then left stealthily without letting anyone know. Since he could come and go so surreptitiously, he could have discovered our intimate relationship.”
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“Well…” murmured Medusa with a shiver, “now that you say so, I remember something suspicious too…That day, when Lightning came back his body all wet, I was afraid something might have happened to the magic sword and went to check on it. I found the sword safely hanging on the horse’s back. To make sure all was right, I pulled the sword out of the scabbard and saw that it was covered with mud and tiny particles of rock….Could King Dimitri have ridden his horse and used his sword to stab, hack and chop at some rock and mud thus causing the earthquake and tsunami?” White Fairy raised her head and looked at the crescent moon in the skies saying,
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“That’s not what I was worried about. I was afraid that our intimate relationship had been exposed and King Dimitri knows about it now.” Medusa loosened her arms which had been around White Fairy’s waist and began to walk to and fro her expression calm and composed. She turned her piercing eyes towards White Fairy and said,
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“King Dimitri is a great sovereign, wise, sagacious and broad-minded. His motto has always been to be severe with himself but lenient towards others. He is calm, collected and reasonable. I do not think he will mind our intimate relationship. Neither you nor I belong to the human species. You are a flower, a puff of smoke and I am but a black bird. Even though we have been able to turn into human form after thousands of years of prayer and self-cultivation, strictly speaking we are not human and are not restricted by the morals and laws of man. I am sure King Dimitri is aware of that and would not mind. If he should be displeased by our actions, we can still argue our case strongly. Don’t you think so?” After hearing Medusa’s words, White Fairy’s timorous heart calmed down.
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On the day of the disaster, King Dimitri did go back to the Kingdom of Dreams. He did not notify anyone and just inspected the area where the various native tribes had retreated to. He was relieved to find that they were safe and were living a normal life, even though their surroundings were not as desirable as those in their own homeland. He had long suspected the possibility of an intimate relationship between Medusa and the White Fairy, but had never probed further into it. His suspicion was confirmed that day when he saw the two of them making love ardently deep in the forest. At first he was displeased and even a little angry, but like the ripple on the water, once it widened and dispersed, everything calmed down again. All twenty-four beauties were products of his heart and brain. Since he had created them he felt they were like his children so he should be responsible for their future and find them desirable destinations. Just as Medusa said, because they were not humans, they should not be confined by laws and morals of human society. Since they were in love with each other there was no reason why they should not be allowed to be together forever. God’s laws should be obeyed and his command that same sex marriage should be forbidden must be upheld. But Medusa and White Fairy were two mainstays of the Kingdom of Dreams. Medusa was a brave warrior and protector of the Kingdom. White Fairy was the intel gatherer of the Kingdom, willingly risking her life to take on the dangerous assignment of gathering enemy intelligence. White Fairy was the one who presented Dimitri with the magic sword and the magic bow and arrow, the national treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams. So shouldn’t they be treated more leniently? Dimitri’s displeasure was diffused by his own thoughts. He was no longer angry and wished the two of them the best of luck in their union.
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From afar, Dimitri saw his magic horse Lightning freely gallivanting on the smooth plains, stopping now and then to munch on the fresh grass. As if sensing he was being watched, the horse raised its head and saw Dimitri smiling at him some distance away. Ecstatic on perceiving his beloved master whom he had not seen for a long time, Lightning let out loud and excited neighs and galloped towards him. Dimitri made a sign for him to be quiet. Lightning immediately leapt into the air and with just a few flaps of his mighty wings stopped before his master. Dimitri patted his neck lovingly and the horse nudged him affectionately. Dimitri saw that his magic sword was safely tucked by the side of the saddle as he jumped onto the back of his magic steed. Dimitri took up the reins and said, “Let’s fly up to the King Zeus’s seventh heaven. He wants to see me for something. Let’s go and see what had happened.” Lightning flapped his mighty wings and man and horse flew up into the skies. Suddenly he stopped and flew back because Dimitri remembered he seemed to have promised to take Charina with him.
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Maureen, who had been lying quietly on Dimitri’s lap as if asleep, suddenly raised his head. Ears erect, he looked vigilantly towards the front door and jumped down to the ground barking ferociously. Dimitri had been reminiscing and recounting the stories of the Kingdom of Dreams and Charina was listening intently while taking notes. Maureen’s frantic barking followed by the doorbell’s insistent ringing interrupted their dreamlike trance. Charina looked out the window and saw it was getting dark. Then looking at the clock she saw it was already 8:05p.m.
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“How time flies! Our guests are here” exclaimed Charina and hurried to open the door. She found four and a half men of different shapes and sizes standing outside. The four tall and muscular men were of course Richard, Jamaz, Mr. Kaffee and Big-O. When Charina opened the door, the half-man who was straddled piggyback on Richard’s neck, who was of course the white-bearded Dwarf Mickey, squeaked in his high pitched voice saying,
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“Hi, we are the ones who, as you say, look like vaudevillians. We are here at your invitation and hope you have lots of goodies for us to eat. Go on, bring them out. Ha, ha…” Charina knew these were good friends of Dimitri’s, so she opened the door wide and warmly welcomed them. Richard and Jamaz she had seen before. Dwarf Mickey, like Mr. Finger, was not one to care about normal courtesies and the niceties of society, considering these rules and regulations vulgar and meaningless. He strode into the living room and was soon chasing after his old friend Maureen; the two of them playing happily together. Dimitri came over and introduced Charina to Mr. Kaffee and Big-O. Mr. Kaffee was dressed in an expensive dark gray suit, well cut and of superior quality material. He had a polished manner that bespoke a man of consequence, a big shot rich and influential. When Charina held out her snow-white hand to Big-O for a handshake, she suddenly realized that he was a former cold-blooded assassin who killed without remorse and that his hands were stained with blood. The very thought brought shivers to her body and her skin crawled. Mr. Kaffee understood the delicacy of her feelings and saw her fear, so he said gently,
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“Ah, miss, don’t be afraid. That was all in the past. Big-O has reformed and is now a benevolent monk and spends his time in prayer and helping others. If you don’t believe me, slap him on the face and he will not be angry.” Mr. Kaffee’s words, gentle and comical at the same time diffused the situation, fully exhibiting his diplomatic capabilities. Dimitri led his good friends into the living room. Richard was not one to stand on ceremony. He felt very much at home and made straight for the kitchen. He saw the steaks marinating on the counter and said, “Hey! Cooking steak is my specialty, leave them to me.” Holding the large platter of meat in one hand, he took the portable gas tank from the corner of the kitchen, as well as the frying pan and other utensils in his other hand. He stepped out of the French doors into the back yard, prepared to start cooking the steaks. A beautiful table cloth covered the dining table and Charina had spread the table with lovely napkins, plates and silverware. As she was lighting the candles she saw that Jamaz was busy opening up bottles filling the room with the enticing fragrance of wine and liquor, stimulating everyone’s appetite. Richard walked past Jamaz and cautioned him saying,
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“Hey buddy, I know this is very tempting but remember to drink from your cup and not guzzle it straight from the bottle. That’s too barbaric. You’ll scare our beautiful and cultured hostess.” Jamaz nodded. He poured some strong whiskey into a large glass, drank three glasses one after another and then wiped his mouth with his sleeves. He sighed in satisfaction and said, “Now that’s what I call a treat! I really couldn’t stand it there at that fucking jewelry exhibition. It was so stuffy I felt stifled! They served what they said was the most expensive champagne, but to me it tasted like soda water. That’s not wine at all! I won’t feel drunk even if I drank fifty gallons!” Charina’s beautiful large eyes opened wide as she stared unbelievably at this tall, muscular black man who could drink like a fish. Jamaz drank another glass before pouring the drinks into the other glasses on the table. Charina shook her head and walked into the kitchen, followed by Big-O who courteously and humbly offered to help. She took out the freshly-baked French rolls from the oven and put them into two baskets covered with checkered cloth. She handed them to Big-O saying, “Take these out to the dining room and put them at each end of the table. Then come back and help me take out the soup. Thank you.” Big-O bowed and said, ”Sure, miss.” He was soon back and took the bowls of delicious hot French onion soup into the dining room and put them on the place mat. Charina looked at him and thought, “He looks so obliging, polite and humble. It’s hard to imagine that he used to be a professional assassin, a remorseless cold-blooded killer. The molding of a person’s character is really intriguing. The luring aroma of barbequing steak from the back yard made everyone hungry. Richard knew everyone’s preference. Dimitri wanted his steak 100%well done, while Mr. Kaffee preferred his 80% done. Richard, Jamaz and Big-O liked theirs medium rare, about 40- 50% cooked, but Dwarf Mickey had no preference at all. He could eat his however it is done and could even devour his raw. Yet no matter what he ate, his stomach never gave him any trouble. Jamaz went into the back yard and helped bring the steaks onto the table as soon as Richard pronounced them done. Charina slipped upstairs to freshen up. She hastily washed her face and combed her hair, but had no time to do more. She looked at her own reflection in the mirror and thought she looked alright. It would have to do. She hurried back to the dining room, said a few words of welcome. Holding up her glass she said, “Cheers!” and dinner began. With the exception of Mr. Kaffee, the dining etiquette of Dimitri’s good friends was far from desirable. The worst offender was of course Dwarf Mickey. Taking the soup bowl with both hands, the white-bearded old dwarf drank his greedily straight from the bowl, dripping all over himself. He did not utilize his knife and fork at all but used his fingers for everything, grabbing at whatever took his fancy. When his hands were oily and dirty he would just wipe them on the napkin or the tablecloth, making a mess of everything. Even his white beard was spattered with steak sauce and Tabasco, giving him a comical appearance which made you laugh even though you were annoyed. Richard, Jamaz and Big-O concentrated all their attention on the food before them and fell to with gusto. Perhaps these homeless vagabonds had been living a nomad lifestyle for too long. Once they came into a warm, comfortable home and were together with their good friends, their appetites greatly increased and soon they had cleaned up the plates and finished every scrap of food on the table.
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Charina brought out the Italian dessert she had made for them – Tiramisu! It was her specialty made with just the right amount of rum and melted in their mouths. Her guests were delighted and were lavish in their praise. Dwarf Mickey polished off more than half of the dessert. He was the shortest of them all but his appetite was alarming. Dimitri asked Mr. Kaffee,
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“How did the jewelry exhibition you guys went to turn out? Was it well organized and successful?”
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“Ha!” laughed Mr. Kaffee. “Not only was it marvelous, I’m sure a spectacular show will soon follow. I feel in my bones that something is about to happen.”
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“Really” exclaimed Dimitri, “Why don’t you tell me in detail what happened today.” Just as Mr. Kaffee was about to tell him about the jewelry exhibition, Dimitri stopped him saying, “Just a minute. Why don’t we wait till our beautiful hostess comes back. She loves a great tale and you, Mr. Kaffee, are a great story-teller. I think she will take notes and later incorporate it into her novels.” Charina who was making coffee for them in the pantry heard Dimitri’s remarks and said happily,
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“Right. Right. I love to hear stories. You do know me well, Dimitri. Coffee will be ready soon, why don’t you all go to the living room.”
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“Why don’t we all pitch in and clean up the dining room” suggested Richard loudly. “Our beautiful hostess has worked hard to prepare the sumptuous feast for us, the least we can do is to clean up the mess we have created. Otherwise our beautiful hostess will not invite us here again.” Big-O stood up to clear the table. He took the dirty plates, bowl, glasses, knives, forks and spoons into the kitchen. There Richard, who had done a stint as dish-washer in a Chinese restaurant when he first arrived in the U.S., rolled up his sleeves, threw the bones and left-over into the garbage can and started washing. His movements were quick and efficient. Jamaz was in the dining room wiping the table and chairs and sweeping under the table, cleaning up after Dwarf Mickey, picking up every scrap of food the old dwarf had dropped on the carpet. Meanwhile Dimitri and Mr. Kaffee had already settled down cozily on the comfortable living room sofas. Dwarf Mickey grabbed hold of the plate with remnants of the dessert and sat in a corner of the living room to enjoy it. The happiest of all was little Maureen. He went from the candle-lit dining room to the kitchen, then into the living room where moonlight was bright. He would jump onto Dimitri’s lap and step all over him and then jump down to share the dessert with Dwarf Mickey. It was a mesmerizing evening, but there was a sense of tenseness and expectancy in the atmosphere.
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When everyone had found their seat, Mr. Kaffee began recounting the events of the day when he accompanied Megginn and Samantha to the high class jewelry exhibition and auction. He spoke concisely and to the point, fast-forwarding the various scenarios. For purposes of security, the organization sponsoring the auction allowed only their invited guests to pass through the exhibition hall two at a time into the room where the auction was to take place. In the exhibition hall, the priceless jewelry were displayed under bright rays of light behind thick, bullet-proof glass, emphasizing their brilliance and inestimable worth. Megginn accompanied by Richard walked quickly, stiffly and mechanically through the exhibition, stopping only for a few seconds before the last exhibition of a huge deep pink diamond, attracted by the splendor of its dazzling glitter made more showy and ostentatious by the light shining upon it. It was really a rare gem, reflecting the natural grace of a little girl strolling. The masterpiece of a superb diamond cutter, its many facets gleamed and sparkled. Megginn looked at it for a moment and then walked into the auction room. The next couple to enter was Samantha accompanied by Jamaz, followed later by Mr. Kaffee walking alone. These two legendary beauties of the world of high finance immediately drew everyone’s eyes. In this environment their mechanical and wooden movements automatically disappeared and they reverted back to their social persona of leisurely, graceful and beautiful socialites. Such was one’s natural human response to the temporary scrutiny of others. The continuity of movements of human limbs is a visual enjoyment and persistence of vision is surely God’s gift to mankind.
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Megginn and Samantha’s beautiful eyes looked through the crowd and found that the invitations had been very exclusive indeed, for the crowd was not large, composed mostly of people they knew, crème de la crème of those at the tip of the social pyramid, whose hobby was collecting priceless gems. Most were VIP customers of World Bank, merchant princes, wives and daughters of the top families. Though Megginn and Samantha had lost the titles of president and vice-president of World Bank, their aura of fascination remained and no one dared to overlook their financial power. The room lighted up on their entry. Gentlemen stood up, smiled and nodded or walked up to shake their hands. Ladies they were familiar with hugged and air-kissed them warmly and they all swarmed to sit down together. Mr. Kaffee also mixed with the crowd, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with people he knew before sitting down at his assigned seat. Soon he was chatting happily with those around him, for everyone knew this former big shot who had his feet in the financial world as well as the underworld. He may be a “has-been” now but was certainly not out of power, for his behind-the-scene backer was no other than the mysterious multi-trillionaire, who showed signs of making a comeback with the intention of taking back all lost ground. In this day and age of great recession and depression, who could say they would not need help from this big shot one day? So they took this opportunity to socialize with him, show their friendliness and pave the ground for possible transactions in the near future. Although the two stalwart men, Richard and Jamaz, were quite formally and expensively attired, people saw at a glance that they were bodyguards and were politely shown to seats at a table in a corner where they were offered food and drinks. But they did not dare relax their vigilance and kept their eyes fixed on their mistress, the two breathtaking beauties they were sent to guard.
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More guests arrived and then it was time for the exhibition and auction to begin. The organizer of the function was no other than the famous diamond jeweler, Dr. Schneider He thanked all present for attending and promised that the buyer of the priceless items on sale that day would be sure to be pleased with their purchase. Dr. Schneider was an old gentleman in his seventies. His hair was grayish white, but his eyes were sharp and alert. Though slightly overweight, he still had the physique of a much younger man. He was a legendary figure. He was born into a family of jewelers who emigrated from Europe to the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century and opened a small jewelry store on the East coast. For almost a century, this small jewelry store handed down from father to son struggled on until it came down to Dr. Schneider. He inherited the store from his father but at the beginning had little interest in the business, absorbed instead in geological research. He got a PhD in this field and published many articles which were greatly acclaimed. He specialized in field work and his footprints could be found in those areas of the world where the terrain was complex and geological structure was unique. Then one day while working on a project at a desolate and uninhabited island in Africa, he discovered ores of diamond and immediately took steps to buy the island from its government for a very low price. That changed the course of his life. From then on he took over the family jewelry business and concentrated on strengthening and expanding it until he became known as the King of Diamonds.
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Dr. Schneider then introduced to his audience the tall, thin man standing next to him who was about his age. Bright, razor-sharp eyes looking out from behind the man’s gold rimmed glasses demonstrated his intelligence and capability. Actually the gentleman needed no introduction. He was the Mr. Wolfe, famous throughout the jewelry world. Beginning life as a humble apprentice, he had been seasoned through much travail for more than half a century,
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from which he had gathered rich experience and extensive knowledge. He could distinguish between real and the fraudulent gems at a glance and could tell exactly the quality and degree of perfection of a diamond and other precious gems without having to resort to scientific instruments. He was acknowledged as the supreme authority on appraising diamonds and other precious stones. Besides being an expert appraiser, he was gifted with a pair of extremely clever hands and a talent for creating original and ingenuous designs that won him universal acclaim. As a result his jewelry was much sought after and the prices skyrocketed. Such talent naturally caught the eye of Dr. Schneider and became his right-hand man. He was the logical candidate chosen to preside over the annual exhibition and auction.
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The curtain formally rose on this long touted auction when Dr. Schneider bowed to the audience and exited the stage extending his arms towards Mr. Wolfe as if saying, “It’s all yours!” Gavel in hand Mr. Wolfe walked towards the podium and the very sight of the smiling and experienced auctioneer at his professional post galvanized the audience. An old hand at this, Mr. Wolfe certainly knew how to work the audience and the atmosphere in the room rose to a red hot pitch. The first item to be unveiled on the auction table was a huge10-carat diamond. The large screen on the wall behind each exhibit showed enlarged pictures from every angle so that the audience could have an enhanced view of the item. The gem itself was brilliant and exquisite. It had so few flaws that no elaborate design was needed to enhance its perfection and the simple cuts the jeweler used to make it into a ring only augmented and amplified its value. Bidder cards were raised in all corners of the room and offers were quickly acknowledged and repeated by Mr. Wolfe, who continuously repeated the latest bid until it was topped by another. The mood turned tense as the rich and famous from all around the world tried to outdo each other and flaunt their wealth. The auction room became a stage for them to compete and show off their financial power for to defeat your opponent and have him trounced at your feet as it were, was a great satisfaction to their vanity. The congratulations of others on their success made them feel as if they were walking on clouds. Samantha normally loved these gatherings, but on this occasion there was not even a peep out of her and she made no movement at all to join in the fun. Megginn was curious and looked at her inquiringly and Samantha smiled at her. Her eyes seemed to say, “I have already selected my target. Wait and see.” In reality, like paintings and antiques, precious stones had no set objective price or value. Everything depended on the eye of the beholder, on how much the person buying it loved it. Let us say someone gave you a famous painting or an antique. If you do not know its history or do not particularly like it, to you it would only be a piece of paper or a pile of metal scraps. But if you know the history of the painting or antique and loved it, you would be willing to pay any astronomical price to get it for yourself, so long as it was within your means. But of course unlike paintings and antiques, gems do have a comparatively reasonable market price, but that is not always objective as you have to take into consideration the emotions of the buyer. Very soon, the huge exquisite 10-carat diamond was sold for an astronomical price and the room exploded into enthusiastic clapping.
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The next item exhibited on the auction block was a large pearl, beautiful both in shape and luster. Mr. Wolfe shouted, “Attention please, ladies and gentleman! At first glance this may appear to be just another large raw pearl that the buyer could buy and plan to make into a ring or a pendant for a necklace. But this pearl is not at all common. Let me show you its fabulous properties which you may not be aware of. ” Then turning backstage, he ordered, “Lights out please!” The electricians at once went to work to cut off electricity to the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the room plunged into darkness. The only light in the room came from the pearl which gave off a gleaming lustrous sheen. The audience gasped and exclaimed in surprise. In the darkness came Mr. Wolfe voice saying, “This pearl came from the ancient Persian Empire. It is what the Chinese call “pearl that shines at night in the dark”. The light came on but Megginn was deep in thought. Bids from all around her were shouted excitedly, but she did not seem to hear them at all. She stared intently at the pearl thinking of the pearls produced in the crystal blue waters of the Kingdom of Dreams. “Deanna often swam there and bought up pearls for us to play with, some of which were large as a de-shelled litchi” she remembered. “In the great dome of the gold palace, there was a heavy gold chain holding up a huge pearl large as a human skull. They say Deanna got it from the mouth an enormous oyster at the bottom of the lake. At night, that huge pearl also gave off a soft lustrous light, which though not very bright, could illuminate the hall so that the features of one’s face were perfectly discernable. Such pearls were commonplace and could be got easily in the Kingdom of Dreams as they were everywhere, but here in this mundane world such a pearl was considered unique, which is why there is a saying, “Objects are valued because of their rarity.” Immersed in thought, Megginn was not aware of the passing of time, but item after item were sold for unbelievably high prices, and exclamations of surprise or shock could be heard.
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Then came the grand finale, the pink diamond that Samantha had targeted. Dark pink in color, the huge diamond looked like a beautiful little girl strolling and radiated a dazzling brilliance over the auction table. The workmanship of the diamond cutter was really superb with every facet giving off a magnificent sparkle. If it were made into a pendant and draped around the neck on a platinum chain, it would be sure to attract all eyes in any assembly so it was no wonder that all the ladies present looked upon it with envious and covetous eyes. Mr. Wolfe sighed and said emotionally, “This is most perfect diamond I have ever seen in my whole life. There is not the slightest imperfection in it. No one knows which genius cut this flawless gem so perfectly.
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“Who owns this diamond?” shouted someone in the audience.
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“I don’t know” replied Mr. Wolfe with a wry smile. “She is very mysterious and refuses to give her name. I can only tell you she is a very beautiful woman, so we are calling this diamond ‘Pink Puzzle’.”
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“Where was its place of origin? Which continent did it come from?” asked another.
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“I don’t know” replied Mr. Wolfe shaking his head. “I have seen many precious stones in my life, but I have no way of determining the origin of this diamond because I have never seen one this pure and of such immaculate properties. If there was a flaw, no matter how minuscule, I would be able to tell you its place of origin, but this one is so perfect it has left me clueless… Perhaps this beautiful gem flew down from beyond the skies and was God’s present to mankind.” His words stunned the audience and for a moment there was complete silence, with perhaps only the breathing of one’s neighbor vaguely audible. Confronted by a jewel so perfect that even a connoisseur like Mr. Wolfe could not tell its place of origin, owned by a mysterious person no one had ever seen or heard of and came with a price tag one could only fathom, no one in the audience dared to make a bid. Feeling that the atmosphere in the room was getting awkward and stagnant, Dr. Schneider again came onstage and said, “Perhaps the price of this diamond is slightly higher than normal and our honorable clients need privacy and time to think it over. Those interested, please contact either me or Mr. Wolfe personally and we will talk individually. Our annual auction is now ended. Thank you all for coming.” Mr. Kaffee’s report of the auction came to an end. The various fast-forward scenarios he described also stopped abruptly.
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The good friends, who had gathered together in Charina’s living room to listen to Mr. Kaffee’s account of the auction, fell silent. Suddenly Dwarf Mickey hit the coffee table so hard with his hands that the cups and saucers on it shuddered. Maureen, who was asleep in Dimitri’s lap, woke up. His ears stiffened to attention and his inquisitive eyes looked at his friend inquiringly.
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“I know it must be the work of Mr. Finger!” said Dwarf Mickey angrily in his shrill voice. “We were looking for him everywhere, worrying about his safety, while he sneaked back to the Kingdom of Dreams, found his bride Viola, who I believe to be the thief that stole my treasures. I traced him to the Kingdom of dreams and lost track of him there, never dreaming that he had incarnated to a tiny woman the same size as Mr. Finger, as if she had be designed just for him. These two little people are really a pair of strange adversaries. Not long ago, they seemed to be mortal enemies who were at each other’s throat attempting to kill each other, but now they seemed to have reconciled and are all lovey-dovey again. I think it was that woman Viola who used some kind of magic power to enable both of them to assume bodies of normal human beings. They then went to the treasure trove and brought part of it back to the mundane world and are having the time of their lives squandering money like there’s no tomorrow. They took my prize diamond that looked like a lovely little girl strolling and called it ‘Pink Puzzle’. Yeah, that name is quite appropriate. They took my treasure to the auction to get as much money as possible to support their lavish lifestyle. That’s really unforgivable!”
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“Oh, so that’s how it is!” said Mr. Kaffee, realizing what it was all about. “Do you want me to tell Megginn to buy the diamond back? The price will be stiff though and she’ll need some time to gather the funds.”
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“No, no, no. That won’t be necessary” replied Dwarf Mickey crossing his hands confidently over his chest. “You don’t need to go through all that trouble. That magnificent diamond called…what was it called?... oh yes, ‘Pink Puzzle’! That’s a magical gem. I was the one who cut it and gave it its new life. I believe it knows its way back home and will not get lost.”
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The eyes of everyone in the room centered on Dwarf Mickey inquisitively as if asking, “Oh, really? What is all this about, could you tell us?”
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“You guys want to know the lowdown eh?” smiled Dwarf Mickey. “Ok, I’ll tell you.”
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“Wait a minute, wait a minute” said Charina, her eyes bright with excitement, hurriedly turning on her voice recorder and opening her note book to record this interesting story.
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“Long, long ago…” began Dwarf Mickey, shaking his head like a bard of old. “Actually, it was about a hundred years ago. A hundred years is really not a very long time in the systematic plan of things. At the time, Dimitri had not yet come to the Kingdom of Dreams. He had not yet built his Kingdom and his palaces in this beautiful land, the last piece of paradise untouched by civilization. The people there were tranquil and peace-loving and lived a simple life according to ancient standards. They rose with the sun to work on the land and rested when the sun went down. The tribes existed peacefully side by side but rarely interacted. Then one day, this tranquility was broken. A huge snake-haired black bird with a woman’s face who spoke the human language flew into their midst from no one knew where. She called herself Medusa. She was extremely aggressive and cruel, turning people she did not like into stone with her ferocious stare. Her sharp claws were lethal and the black feathers on her body were sharp as a knife. She ordered the natives to deliver their most beautiful young virgin as sacrifice to her lover, another monster called Cyclops who had been badly wounded when he was struck by thunder and needed to drink a virgin’s blood once a year to survive. Cyclops was extremely strong physically and cruel and ugly by nature. He had one huge eye on his face and another at the back of his head and there was a rhinoceros horn on the top of his head. (See Book 1 The Dreammaker). The natives did not dare refuse Medusa’s request for then she would be extremely angry and take her revenge by turning the disobedient natives into stone with her lethal stare. The elders of the tribes could only agree to deliver one beautiful young virgin every year as sacrifice to the two monsters. As the date for the sacrifice drew near, parents of young girls would be full of apprehension and sadness, fearing that their young daughters would be chosen to be sacrificed. It was just at one such critical time, that some natives saw a beautiful little girl with rosy cheeks dressed all in pink, playing in the woods. No one had ever seen her before or knew where she came from. She was thought to be a non-local girl from another tribe. Quick-thinking parents sought to save their own daughters by sacrificing an unknown girl, so they came together and tried to close in on her several times. But the clever girl was nimble and quick on her feet and all their attempts failed. It was as if she saw through their black-hearted plan and she giggled as she slipped dexterously away from their traps or concealed ambush. The hapless natives could only stand helplessly by and watch her escape their clutches. I was present at the scene and knew at once that the lovely girl dressed in pink was no mortal girl. She must be some fabulous substance that had long been exposed to the unique beauty of this piece of virgin soil and had fed on the essence of the sun and the moon for such a very long time that she could change into human form. As to what substance that was, I could not fathom. To catch such a free spirit was no easy feat, so I fell to thinking what a little girl would love and be attracted by and came up with the notion of a doll. So I slipped unnoticed into some natives’ tents and stole some cloth and cotton, which I made into two dolls. I placed the dolls around the place where the little girl loved to roam, and lay in wait, after scattering some red strings on the ground as snares. Early one morning, the little girl appeared again skipping and playing at her favorite haunt. Her eyes shone when she saw the dolls and walked over towards them. She picked one up, hugging and rocking it in her arms while humming a song under her breath, fully exhibiting maternal love inherent in all females and the greatness of all mothers. I pulled the red string in my hands tautly and caught her ankle. The clever little girl immediately realized that she had fallen into a trap. She threw down the doll and quickly ran away. I waited till the pool of red silk thread in my hand stopped rolling and knew the girl had hidden somewhere and would not dare to show herself. So I slowly rolled up my thread, following the way it led until I came to a pile of rocks of all sizes. The red thread was buried in the pile. I worked hard moving away the rocks and was very happy to come across a large piece of diamond ore which I put into my pocket and walked home. I examined my precious stone from all angles and following its natural form cut it into the shape of a little girl walking. They called the diamond ‘Pink Puzzle’. I quite like the name. ‘Pink Puzzle’, m-m-m quite aptly named. Very good.” On hearing Dwarf Mickey’s extraordinary tale, his audience was greatly astonished.
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“You mean to say that it was you who carved and cut that fabulous diamond?” exclaimed Charina opening her eyes wide. “Then how did it get to the auction?”
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“I don’t know” answered Dwarf Mickey shrugging his shoulders. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Finger and that woman Viola about that.”
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Mr. Finger, who took the name of Emmanuel and Viola, who now called herself Salina took the special private elevator designed for the exclusive use of VIP guests of the presidential suite located on the top floor of the hotel. After failing to capture Dimitri and bring him back to the Kingdom of Dreams, Salina’s desire for revenge seemed to have abated somewhat. Perhaps Dimitri’s persuasive speech admonishing and advising her had taken effect, for her thoughts of revenge had cooled and slackened to some extent, though she herself was not quite aware of it yet. The small bag of precious stones she had brought with her from her treasure trove in the Kingdom of Dreams would last her for quite some time, no matter how lavishly she squandered it on her extravagant lifestyle. Even if she used it all up, it did not matter because there was always more where it came from. She had an inexhaustible supply of diamonds and precious stones, enough to last her several lifetimes. Her present goal was to come to the mundane world and have a grand vacation to experience all the luxuries money could offer. She had just taken a sunbath on the smooth white sands of the beach and swam in the crystal clear blue waters of the ocean. Feeling extremely comfortable, she decided to go back to the presidential suite, take a slow shower, and ask Mr. Finger to use his clever brains to think of something novel and exciting to do.
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The elevator door opened and the breath-taking sight of an unbelievably spacious rooftop garden came into view. It was an entirely man-made garden where the soil was transported by numerous trips of the helicopter but it was ingeniously designed and manifested the latest trends in landscaping as well. Luscious green lawns with exotic tropical flowers scattered around gave it a unique look, quite a break-away from the conventional practice. In the middle of the garden was a strange building in the shape of a large open sun umbrella used on beaches, made with materials which could absorb the sun’s rays and turn them into electricity. Evidently green technology was included in the architect’s skillful and innovative design. This pent-house, completely independent of the main hotel, was the presidential suite which was furnished with state-of-the-art furniture, giving the impression of streamlined motion, making the inhabitants feel both comfortable and energetic. The most striking feature was that every one of its outsized windows would give a 360 degree unobstructed view of blue skies, white clouds, turquoise seas and snowy sand beaches as well as the beautiful changes of night and day. The floating white clouds gave the impression that you just had to open the window to pluck one. It was a relaxing and happy view, one that guaranteed you would not miss any beautiful sight if you deigned to look out of the windows.
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Still clad in their bathing suits, Emmanuel grabbed hold of Salina and twirled her around gleefully in the air while his feet kept in step with the waltz and began dancing in the spacious room, asking,
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“Hey, my great rich woman, how do you like the arrangements I made for you?”
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“Magnificent!” replied Salina, tapping his head. “Your little brain has been working fine. Now let me down. Let’s take a bath to wash away our perspiration, sand and salt, and think of where to go next.”
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“Don’t worry your little brain about this. I have made arrangements for everything. After our bath we’ll drink champagne and enjoy the view here in our living room. Then we will go out and dine at a famous steak house nearby which is said to have an extraordinarily good flavor, different from anywhere else. Would you like to do that?”
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“Sure. Great!” said she happily.
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The radiance of the setting sun painted the clouds into different shades of red, yellow and purple, making the sky resplendent with variegated coloration, offering a lavish feast for the eyes. Soon the setting sun would gradually sink below the horizon and the clouds too would wind down their reflected multi-colored glory. Like the shows on the stage of human life, tragedy, comedy, separation and reunification take turns being performed. At the moment, the skies were at their most showy and on the stage of life; the comedy being performed was at its glorious climax nearing the end full of wealth and honor.
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As Emmanuel and Salina soaked in the hot tub, playing around and having even more vigorous and torrid sex, a maid came in with complimentary offerings of the hotel made up especially for their top VIP customers and were rarely seen on the open markets: a tray of delicious appetizers and a bottle of the most expensive champagne sitting in a bucket of ice. She quietly put them on the table and just as silently withdrew. The appetizers looked mouthwatering and gave off a savory aroma which enticed people’s appetites. Emmanuel and Samantha walked out of the bathroom wearing the soft white corduroy bathrobes hemmed with gold provided by the hotel. They walked over to the French windows and sat down. Emmanuel picked up two delicate crystal glasses, filled them up with the champagne which gave off a delicate and refreshing fragrance. Holding up a glass and they saluted each other and said “Cheers!” The champagne had been chilled to just the right temperature and upon drinking, brought a pleasant sensation of coolness and happiness. However, when it went down the throat, the stomach felt warm and comfortable. Emmanuel sighed and said,
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“Such is life, isn’t it?”
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“Money is good” replied Salina. “If we didn’t have any we couldn’t possibly be enjoying the luxuries we do now”. Emmanuel moved closer to her and put his arms around her slender waist, saying
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“Just having money is no use. You have to know how to spend it. What do you think of my arrangements of the last few days? Satisfied with my service?” Salina smiled and nodded. Emmanuel held a large quantity of champagne in his mouth, put his arms around Salina’s neck and kissed her, all the while feeding the wine from his mouth to hers. His hands were not idle either. Sneaking in through the opening of her bathrobe, they were busy caressing her wobbly breasts. Salina drank the champagne, gave Emmanuel a white eye and pushed his hands away saying,
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“You are really insatiable! How many times a day do you have to have sex? We just did it in the Jacuzzi and you want to do it again? You are too greedy.” Emmanuel’s expression was one of indifference; he looked at her cheekily and said,
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“Don’t forget I am your most humble servant. I will be at your service till I draw my last breath. I will never be satisfied.” Salina used her fork to pick up a piece of escargot, put it in her mouth, savored its exotic taste and said,
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“Money itself is useless. You need to have a flesh body. Without it you would not be able to enjoy the luxuries money could buy. You have signed an indenture by which I own you body and soul. You live and die by my wishes. If one day I find you have betrayed me, I will change you back to a tiny little man as tall as a finger and you will no longer be able to experience the joys of life of a normal human being. I mean it. Remember my words and don’t you dare turn a deaf ear.” Emmanuel was alarmed, but he managed to maintain a calm demeanor. He shook his head and said in his usual naive, sly, mischievous and lovable manner,
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“No, no, no, no. That would never happen. You are the love of my life. I’d rather betray Dimitri than you. Rest assured and set your heart at ease about that.” In his heart, Emmanuel knew what Salina said was true. If he were again the little man as tall as a finger, he would not only have to be on the alert against being crushed by people of normal height, but would also have to be on his guard against dogs and cats. Wasn’t he pursued once by a Pekinese dog and had to rush to Dimitri for help? “Yes,” he thought. “Dimitri saved me and took me to his Kingdom of Dreams. There in his magic kingdom I met Viola, who was of my same height. For the first time in my life, I had a woman. Then Viola found a treasure trove and now we are able to enjoy all this wealth and luxury. The twists and turns of Fate are really incomprehensible and hard to explain. Dimitri is my benefactor, not my enemy. Are my actions of betrayal against him too…? Hah, what has all that to do with me? Viola’s enmity towards Dimitri is not my affair. Why should I be drawn into it? I will just enjoy myself while I can and avail myself of the highest luxuries of the mundane world which happened to drop into my lap.” Salina was reclining on the soft sofa, her hands beneath her head, fully exposing her curvaceous figure. Emmanuel took another gulp of champagne. Looking at her he was again fully aroused, but Salina’s brows were knit in thought as she said,
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“Dimitri is really a strange creature. In his Kingdom of Dreams he has a magnificent palace and across the lake he has a pure gold palace. There are 24 beauties to accompany him and loyal subjects who love and obey him. But he doesn’t really appreciate what he has and prefers to wander in this mundane world as a homeless person at the mercy of the elements. He is often hungry and is sometimes reduced to eating dog food. Why on earth would he do that? But strange to say, he could balance these two absolutely different psychological and physical worlds into perfect accord without controversy. Adjusting the realities of the mundane world with that of the Kingdom of Dreams is no simple task, but he was able to do it. He is my enemy, but he is an enemy to be respected. I don’t know why, but my enmity towards him seems to decrease day by day. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
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“Hum. Don’t think too highly of him” said Emmanuel coldly with a sneer. “In my eyes he is only a broken ball by the side of the street that anyone could kick without meeting any resistance. No matter what I do to hurt him, he would not reprimand me. He is just such a goody goody.” At these words, Salina cast a cold and calculating look at him, which made the man hang his head, afraid to meet her glance. He suddenly remembered their meeting with Dimitri in the desolate square two days ago. At the time they were enemies but Dimitri pointed out that there was a treasure trove in everyone’s heart, that Dimitri had one, Salina had one and that he Mr. Finger had one too, only he was no aware of it yet. “I suppose what he meant was that it was beneath me to be so servile and fawning because I too have a treasure trove just as good as Salina’s. But the problem was I don’t know how to get my hands on this treasure and use it at will. The next time I see Dimitri, I will force him to tell me the secret. If he won’t tell me I will end our friendship!” This was Emmanuel’s wishful thinking. Actually getting hold of and using this elusive treasure trove was no easy task. The technique is subtle, profound and takes a long period of time of understanding and exercise to master. It was not something which Emmanuel could do at this present stage of his life. At the same time he thought of his life over the last few days, of splurging extravagantly on the whirlwind shopping spree and of throwing money around like there’s no tomorrow as if the whole world could be bought at the stretch of his hand. “Money is really a good stuff” he thought.
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Wave after wave of flowers, majestic and unstoppable, swelled and gained speed as they surged forward. Emmanuel and Salina drifted with the flow. Holding tightly onto each other’s hand so as not to be separated, they rose and fell with the waves of flowers. But in their hearts they felt not the slightest fear or anger, only peace and tranquility which was a sorrowful, moving and heartfelt emotion. They lost count of time and distance as they travelled with the waves of flowers, but after their feet touched the ground, the waves of flowers still surged on to they knew not what destination and disappeared from view. It was a most peaceful and gentle force, but also the most powerful and all-conquering. There was nothing it could not resolve. Emmanuel and Salina looked at each other and found that they were both very wet, covered from head to foot with petals, filaments, pollen and nectar of flowers. They felt very uncomfortable and sticky not with salt water but sweet nectar. Luckily it was late at night otherwise bees would be swarming around them trying to gather the sugary substance. Salina looked at Emmanuel helplessly and asked,
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“What shall we do? This is too uncomfortable. We must find somewhere to clean up and get into some dry clothing.” Emmanuel looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings which nevertheless pricked his memory. He felt somehow that he had been here before.
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“Don’t be afraid. I’m here” he said. “Just follow me” He then led Salina across several streets. It was dark so there weren’t too many pedestrians about but those who were cast surprised looks at this bedraggled pair. After passing through a few more streets, the sound of falling water could be heard. Ah! They had come to the famous water fountain in the city’s Central Park. Columns of water shot up high into the skies and then came tumbling down scattering water drops everywhere, forming a misty web. Multicolored lights of pale shades of pink, green, blue, yellow and purple at the bottom of the water fountain alternated in casting their glow on the display, adding to the poetic and romantic atmosphere of the place. It was late, but the benches around the large waterfall were still occupied by lovers whispering, embracing and kissing. There were many bronze statues scattered all around the park of great musicians, artists and writers, extremely true to life. Some had smiles on their faces as if they had received inspiration from them and saluted by raising up imaginary cups saying ‘cheers!’ The expressions on their faces were not at all wooden but were natural and vivid. Some people stood transfixed before these statues deep in thought loath to leave.
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Emmanuel pointed to the fountain and laughed, “Come on Salina, that’s our bath. What are you waiting for?” Saying so, he jumped over the barrier and plunged into the fountain. Salina followed suit. They sank their heads and bodies in the water to wash away the nectar and the flower petals sticking to them. Then poking their heads out of the water, they smiled happily and splashed water at each other in fun. Their wild and unbridled conduct shocked the people around them who were stunned and frowned in disapproval. Soon a police car appeared and a policeman and a policewoman came out of the car and walked to the water fountain. The policeman shouted at Emmanuel,
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“Aren’t you the guy that I caught sleeping on public benches last time? Now I find you taking a bath in the fountain. Come out at once or I will arrest you for disrupting public order.”
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As it happened this was the same policeman that found Emmanuel sleeping on a bench one night and told him to move on. Emmanuel was angry but had to climb reluctantly out of the water fountain, followed by Salina. He walked over to the policeman, took off his soaking wet T-shirt, wrung it dry and then put it back on again, saying defiantly,
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“Why can’t I take a bath in the water fountain? You keep saying ‘can’t do this, can’t do that’, I want to know what I can do...” The policeman looked at Emmanuel’s seemingly naïve and innocent but also sly and arrogant face and was at a loss as to how to deal with this unreasonable man who had no notion of right and wrong, of what could or couldn’t be done. Not wishing to be bogged down with such nitty-gritty headaches, he decided not to deal with him anymore but send him on his way. So he said,
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“Alright, you’re all wet so I’ll let you off this time. If you live not far from here I will take you home in my car. How about that?”
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“I have no home. I am homeless. Is that against your law too?” replied Emmanuel arrogantly. Meanwhile Salina, who was standing next to him, was soaking wet. Water streamed down from her hair onto her face and body and made the ground around her all wet. Her clothes stuck to her body like a second skin, fully revealing the contours of her shapely and curvaceous figure, making it seem that they were about to burst out of her clothes. Though it was summer, the ocean breeze around the Bay at night-time was still quite chilly and she could not stop shivering. The compassionate police-woman went to the car, opened the trunk and took out a clean towel which she handed to Salina saying,
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“Here, wipe your hair, your face and your body with this or you will catch a cold.” Salina smiled at her gratefully in thanks.
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“Is that all?” asked Emmanuel. “Can we go now?” The policeman nodded and said,
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“Alright, go. Next time obey the law or I will really arrest you.”
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“Can’t do this. Can’t do that. What is the law about anyway?” grumbled Emmanuel as he walked away with Samantha. He wants to arrest me for breaking the public peace, disrupting public order, he says. If he dares to arrest me, I will sue him for impeding my personal freedom…” The two police shook their heads as they looked at the retreating figures until they were lost from sight and then they went back to their car, started the engine and slowly drove away from the scene.
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Emmanuel put his arms around Salina who was still shivering under the towel around her body and walked aimlessly around this strange city which was also oddly familiar. The weather was not cold, but under the sea breeze Salina still shivered and felt goose bumps all over her skin.
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“Darn it” thought Emmanuel greatly irritated. “It is great to have a normal flesh body, but because of it I have to obey these crazy rules and regulations! I don’t think it’s worth it. When I lived in King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams, I was free to roam unimpeded and unfettered anywhere I wanted. In fact King Dimitri ordered all insects, fish, birds and animals on his kingdom to protect and help me. Tasty food and magnificent clothes were provided for me. Ah, all those wonderful wine and gourmet dishes! Why did I leave all that to come back to this mundane world and suffer?” But then he thought for a moment and changed his mind. “No, a normal human body is worth any price. I cannot give it all up as I have not yet experienced the pleasures and luxuries of this world. No, I cannot.” Just then, they came to a small 24-hour restaurant.
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“Excellent!” exclaimed Emmanuel greatly elated. “Let’s get out of this chilly night and have something to eat inside. We’ll think of where to go next after we have filled our stomach.”
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They walked into the nearly empty restaurant where the lights were low. It was not very late as the bars and nightclubs around the area were still open, attracting lovers of night life. Soon when they closed up, patrons would be crowding into these small restaurants for a snack. Emmanuel ordered large cups of hot chocolate and sandwiches and the two of them felt much better when their stomachs were full and they were no longer cold. An array of bottles of hot liquors at the bar caught Emmanuel’s eye and reminded him of his favorite pastime – drinking! He snapped his fingers at the receptionist at the counter by the door and called out, “A bottle of good whiskey.” The woman who was apparently hostess/owner soon came over with the whiskey and a bucket of ice.
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“Want some ice?” Emmanuel asked Salina.
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“I’ll drink the way you do” she answered. “What do you mean by wanting some ice? I don’t understand.”
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“I normally drink mine straight, but some people prefer adding ice to dilute their drinks. They think it’s more flavorful that way. It’s to each his own. What about you? Which way would you take it?”
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“I’ll take it diluted. Give me some ice.” Emmanuel poured out some whiskey into her glass and added some ice saying,
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“I like mine straight without adding anything to it. Why dilute a perfectly good drink with ice?” He poured himself a full glass of whiskey and took a large gulp. “You know, when my friends and I drink together, they would pour a glass of liquor and put me inside the glass. I would sink to the bottom of the glass, gulp down some liquor and then raise myself up again. That’s the way to drink!”
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“Really? That’s interesting! One of these days, we must find a secluded spot and try out your way of drinking. We can pour out a full glass of the finest liquor, shrink ourselves to our original size and jump into the glass. That would be interesting.” The two of them drank glass after glass until the bottle was empty and they themselves were quite tipsy. Having been busy most of the day, they were getting sleepy and fell asleep at their table. The night deepened and patrons began coming in for a snack or a night cap. The woman, who was apparently the owner of the restaurant, came to their table and pushed Emmanuel’s arms saying,
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“Hey, wake up sir. This is a restaurant not a motel. This is not a place for you to sleep; you have to go to a motel for that. If you have finished eating, you had better leave. We need to do business here.” Emmanuel was angry at being rudely awakened from a deep sleep and was about to explode when Salina took something out of her bag and put it into the owner’s hand. The woman looked at it and her eyes grew large in surprise. It was a brilliant square sapphire.
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“This is for you” said Salina in a conciliatory voice. “It’s late and we are tired. Will you let us rest for a while here? We will leave when the day breaks. Will that be alright?”
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“Of course, of course” she replied a large smile on her face. She knew a real gem when she saw one and realized it was a genuine jewel. “You may stay for as long as you like. But if you don’t feel comfortable, why not come upstairs with me to my room. There is a bed there. You can rest for a bit and it will be daybreak. Please follow me.” Emmanuel and Salina looked at each other. Salina’s eyes seemed to say, “See how powerful money is?” Emmanuel shook his head and had to admit that money was indeed powerful for in the twinkling of an eye it changed an angry and arrogant woman who was about to evict them from the premises into a fawning and subservient one, eager to please.
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When they woke up the next day, it was already noontime. Refreshed after a good night’s sleep they were physically restored and walked down to the restaurant in radiating health. The hostess/owner greeted them all smiles asking solicitously,
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“I hope you had a good night’s sleep. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” Salina shook her head, thinking, “Yesterday was a fluke and we had to stop here. With all this huge amount of money with me, who needs to sample your basic fast food anymore?” The woman continued, “Would you like to go sight-seeing around here? There are quite a few scenic spots worth seeing. You are welcome to come back afterwards. Food and board are all free of charge. Hope you come back.” Emmanuel waved her away arrogantly like a big shot and said,
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“No thank you. We will not be back.” The woman hurriedly opened the door for them, thanking them for their business and bid them farewell, bowing repeatedly as they walked out onto the street.
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The first thing that greeted their eyes was a wrinkled old woman in an electric wheelchair. She was Melissa, the owner the antique shop that also told fortunes. Seeing Emmanuel, she shouted,
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“Robber! Robber! Give me back my tortoise! It’s my antique. What made you think you could take it and just leave me $10! Robber! Robber...” Her shouting caused several pedestrians to turn their heads and stop to see what the commotion was about. Salina immediately went to her, put something in her palm whispering,” Shut up, do you hear me?” The old woman opened her hand and saw a huge square naked ruby large as a dice flashing in all its brilliant crimson glory. She became speechless. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock as Emmanuel and Salina laughed aloud and walked carelessly away. She called after them, “Hey! You’re welcome to drop in any time to my antique shop! If you go looking for antiques, don’t forget me! My tarot cards are very accurate. Come by if you want your fortune told… Come again.” But the two had walked far away and did not even turn their heads.
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The two of them walked aimlessly around the city. Salina looked at herself and said,
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“Let’s go somewhere to get some new clothes. I think it’s about time to get rid of these dirty rags and change into something decent.”
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“Sure. Let me see where we can get some high quality clothes” replied Emmanuel as they turned around the corner of the street and came face to face with a homeless person sitting on the pavement. He was dressed in ragged clothes and wore an old olive safari hat. The tinted glasses and white cane said that this was a blind man. Emmanuel was shocked and thought it was Dimitri, but on second look he realized that the stature was different. There was a cracked and dirty bowl in front of the beggar which he hit with a fork, chanting, “Spare money…spare money…” Salina looked surprised as if asking, “What is this?” Emmanuel told her this was a poor blind beggar asking for money from passersby. He also told her that Dimitri used to be a beggar just like him.
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“Poor man!” exclaimed Salina sympathetically. “He has no money and is blind.” Taking something from her bag, she threw it into the blind man’s empty bowl. The blind man was greatly surprised by the clanging of something in his bowl. He looked down and exclaimed,
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“Why, that’s a brilliant green emerald! Thank the two of you so much. Thank you. Thank you.” Saying so, he grabbed the gem as he stood up and walked ecstatically away, so excited that he forgot all about his white cane.
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“Didn’t you say he was blind?” exclaimed Salina looking at Emmanuel questionly. “He knew that what I tossed down was a green emerald and look at the way he walks. He didn’t even need his cane.”
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“I don’t know what all this is about either” replied Emmanuel shrugging his shoulders. Actually the man was a homeless friend of Dmitri’s called David, who decided to impersonate Dimitri by dressing like him and made his living begging on the streets pretending to be blind. The two of them were naïve and did not understand that there were dark elements of society that lived on cheating, swindling and deception. These two little people were really like a sheet of white paper, completely unaware of the ways of the mundane world. They did not realize that strolling along aimlessly on the streets of the metropolis put them in more danger than wandering in the wilderness and forests where ferocious beasts of prey lurked.
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When Emmanuel and Salina resurfaced, their appearances had been completely changed. The hair dresser who did Salina’s hair was a famous stylist and designer who cut and layered her long hair so that it fell just to her shoulders and could keep its shape no matter how she swung her head or how much the wind ruffled it. She wore a pink dress with butterflies embroidered in the Chinese style around the waist, which gave her a look both classy and stylish. Emmanuel bought a pair of expensive dark grey pants of the best material available and a black silk short-sleeved shirt with shiny silver buttons. The leather suitcase he was holding in his hand looked large and heavy, but with his strong and muscular arm it seemed light as an empty matchbox. This was the street where many internationally famous, high class brand name chain stores congregated and set up their flagship stores and that was where Emmanuel and Salina started their mad shopping spree. There were no price tags in these stores because those that needed to know the price before they buy would never step into them. The customers that came here to shop looked around, picked up what they wanted, never considering the cost. Emmanuel and Salina stopped at the counter selling watches and chose a pair of wrist watches, one for men and one for ladies, studded with diamonds. Salina immediately picked up the ladies watch and put it on her wrist, admiring its beautiful shape.
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“Please miss” said a salesgirl standing by, “Would you please go to the counter and pay for it before wearing it?”
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“No, I want to wear it now” replied Salina. “Can’t I do that?”
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“Of course, miss… eh…Would you like me to check the correct time and adjust it?”
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“No need. Time is of no consequence to me.” Salina then walked over to the counter, put all her purchases on it and the salesgirl registered them one by one into the computer. Salina was getting impatient. She dug into her bag again and came up with a pink diamond which she threw on the counter saying, “Don’t bother adding up the total. Will this be enough to pay for it all?” The salesgirl’s eyes brightened in surprise. They had never seen any customer pay for their purchases with precious stone, using barter, the most primitive way of exchange.
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“Could you please give me a few minutes, miss? I need to check with the manager on this.” Saying so, she picked up the sparking pink diamond and went into the manager’s office. In a few minutes a man impeccably dressed in an expensive suit came out and bowed respectfully to Salina saying,
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“The value of your diamond far exceeds the purchases you have made. Would you like us to give you back the rest in cash?”
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“That’s alright. Keep the rest for your tips” said Salina grandly. Stuffing her purchases into the large leather suitcase Emmanuel carried, they left the store, leaving the manager and salesgirls gaping at their backs, wondering where in the world these two strange customers came from.
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Salina’s long hair swung freely about her head as she strode down the street. Her wild beauty and graceful if flirtatious bearing gave off scent of an exotic foreign land. Emmanuel walked by her side, one hand holding the heavy suitcase while the other circled her slender waist. His tall and muscular figure caught the eye of the young girls scantily dressed in bikinis that fully exposed their figures. They cast seductive looks at him, and jealous but envious ones at his companion. Emmanuel walked arrogantly on, majestic as a king, with his arm around Salina, seemingly unconscious of the female admiration and made straight for phenomenally grandiose casino hotel.
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Emmanuel and Salina sat near the window in the quiet, comfortable but also classic and magnificently decorated dining room. Only two, three tables of this spacious room were occupied because it catered exclusively to the VIP customers of the grand and luxurious casino-hotel wherein it was situated and was not open to the public. Emmanuel somehow stumbled upon this dining hall. When the captain asked for his VIP card, he waved him aside, telling him they just signed in and the VIP card was being processed and pushed his way arrogantly into the dining room together with Salina, her shopping bags and his heavy leather suitcase. They seated themselves at a table near the window and settled their belongings around them. The captain bowed and went to notify the manager. The manager’s first reaction was to tell the security guards to evict the two personae non gratae, but then he remembered the latest gossip about two extravagant “jewelry customers” who were said to be frantically buying the most expensive high-end clothes, jewelry, shoes etc. and always threw down precious stones for their purchases, never bargaining, never asking about the price and gave huge tips. They spent money like water and were said to have thrown a large emerald into the tin bowl of a roadside beggar! “Could it be them?” he wondered and decided to err on the side of caution. He told the captain, who was well-experienced in taking care of VIP customers, to take care of the two guests personally. Meanwhile Emmanuel and Salina were looking at the menu with confusing items of foreign sounding food and did not know what to order.
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“What would you recommend?” Emmanuel asked the captain. The captain began reciting a string of strange sounding dishes which Emmanuel couldn’t make head of tails out of, so he cut him off and said, “Just give me a steak and seafood for the lady. The best and most expensive ones. As for the rest, bring on what you think is good.”
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“Yes, sir. Yes, sir” said the captain, who bowed and went to order their food. Salina sat there looking out of the window at the beautiful scenery extending far away in the horizon. The calm sea under clear blue skies stretched out endlessly far away until it was impossible to distinguish between the sea and the skies. The white sand of the beach nearby was very crowded. Young people were whiling away the time sitting or lying on the sand or running around having fun. Towards the right was the swimming pool and Jacuzzi belonging to the hotel. The pool was empty but there were young men and women sitting or chatting under the colorful sun umbrellas around it. Salina noticed that Emmanuel’s eyes were drawn to two beautiful blonde-haired young women with flawless white skin and alluring figures and her heart tightened in jealousy. She remembered the flirtatious glances young women cast at him when they passed the beach on their way to the casino/hotel and her obsession to excel rose to prominence in her consciousness. “With my curvaceous figure,” she thought, “if I walked onto that beach in my bikinis, I am sure to be the target of all eyes and will certainly outdo Emmanuel.” Soon the table was covered with dishes of all kinds of gourmet food, but Salina had lost her appetite and barely tasted them. Her heart had flown to the white sand beach below and she kept impatiently telling Emmanuel to hurry up and finish his lunch.
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“Come on, be quick. I want to go to the beach and take a sun bath. Look how tempting the white sand looks. I also want to go swimming. Eat faster, Emmanuel, I want to leave.” Pressed by her repeated urgings, Emmanuel wolfed down his steak and other food. Salina took out a naked pink diamond and handed it to the captain saying,
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“This is for you. Keep the change as your tips.” The captain was flabbergasted and speechless. The manager walked into the dining room and bowed respectfully to Salina saying,
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“M’am, I am sorry if our food does not meet your expectations as you have scarcely touched them.”
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“Oh no” replied Salina shaking her head. “I am just in a hurry to take a sunbath and swim in the water, so I did not want to be too full.”
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“Why yes m’am” commented the world-wise manager smoothly, “Blue skies, white sand and blue waters are an extraordinarily beautiful combination few can ignore. I am relieved that you are not displeased with our food. Please come back. If there is any special dish you would like to try, I will have our chef make it especially for you according to your specifications and if there is anything I could do for you, you need only to let us know.” Salina nodded and stood up to leave. The manager followed her saying, “I see that you have your shopping bags and a large suitcase with you. Perhaps you have not yet arranged for your lodgings. Would you like me to call the concierge and set it up for you?” Salina nodded her agreement. The room began to fill as other expensively dressed customers strolled into the dining room and in a few minutes the manager of the hotel himself hurried in accompanied by two clerks who quickly made the check-in arrangements on the spot and assigned bellboys to carry their parcels, bags and luggage. The manager himself and his two clerks led the way as Salina and Emmanuel walked out of the dining room, followed by the bellboys carrying all their purchases and the suitcase. The dining room manager and captain stood by the door smiling and bowing obsequiously, saying, “Please come back. It would be our greatest pleasure to serve you again next time.” They were making such a big to-do that made Salina feel special and very satisfied, as if she was being treated like a queen and caused the other customers to stare at them curiously, wondering just who they were to be given such special VIP treatment. That was the course of events how Emmanuel and Salina arrived at this city by the sea and came to be lodged in the presidential suite of this large and luxurious casino-resort.
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Dimitri and his friends sat in Charina’s living room drinking fragrant, freshly-made coffee and talked sporadically about Emmanuel and Salina, wondering what mischievous, underhand tricks these two strange little people from the Kingdom of Dream would come up with. They could not understand how the huge pink diamond known as “Pink Puzzle” came to be auctioned off.
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“On the surface,” said Mr. Kaffee “these grand and internationally well-known jewelry stores may seem to be rock solid and impervious to the ups and down of the financial world. They hold exclusive auctions for selected customers with all the trappings of wealth and luxury with great pomp and showmanship. But in reality, things are not going well for them. They have over-expanded and are strapped for cash in this global economic downturn.”Dwarf Mickey stood up, stretched himself and said,
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“It’s alright. Let’s drop the subject. I think the two little people just grabbed some jewels and came to this mundane world to eat, drink, make merry and have some fun. I don’t think there is much in this world to attract them so they will soon be going back. This pink diamond is fabulously expensive, worth an astronomical amount of money. But it is not the most expensive thing in my treasure trove. ‘Pink Puzzle’ is a magical gem. The person who covets it would be down on their luck and in deep trouble because it knows its way back to the treasure trove and would just disappear one day…” Before he finished speaking, loud snores were heard and they saw that Jamaz, having drunk too much wine had fallen fast asleep. Richard went over and shook him by the shoulder, saying,
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“Hey! Wake up man. It’s late. Time to leave…”
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“Oh no” said Charina. “It’s late and there are enough guest rooms to accommodate all of you. Stay. It would be more fun staying together…”
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“What?” said Jamaz groggily. “Time to leave? Okay, let’s get going.”
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“We have to go back to our own place in the rose garden” said Richard. It may be deserted and dilapidated but it’s quite in demand. If we don’t go back it may be taken over by other homeless ruffians. In fact we may even have to fight them to defend our home and hearth and throw out anyone who has taken over…”
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“Good! Let’s go!” said Jamaz, whose eyes had brightened at the prospect of a good fight. Charina looked at Mr. Kaffee and Big-O and said,
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“What! You two are leaving, too?”
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“Oh yes,” replied Mr. Kaffee. “Big-O has to go back and say his evening prayers. I am used to peace and quiet, so I would be leaving with him. The little temple by the lake suits me fine.” Charina’s eyes looked inquiringly at Dwarf Mickey, who jumped down from the sofa.
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“Don’t worry about me” he said. “I have my own place to go to.” Everyone knew that he was the god of wealth that Dimitri had put on his altar in his Kingdom of Dreams, so any temple or religious institution suited him fine. In fact he brought prosperity to wherever he chose to stop. His fervent believers would come in droves to pray and the temple would be crowded with pilgrims who brought along candles and incense and made generous donations. Who doesn’t love money? Who doesn’t want the god of wealth to shower riches on him? So Dwarf Mickey was one of the most popular gods in the temples. It is just human nature and justifiable. So Charina stood silently behind Dimitri as he saw his friends off.
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“Don’t be sad Charina” said Mr. Kaffee, comforting the hospitable hostess. “Where there is break up, there is gathering. Just give us a call and we will gather together again, right? We will be just as happy and merry as we were tonight.”
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The living room looked lonely and desolate after the guests left. Silently Charina began cleaning up the leftovers and stacking the plates, bowls and cups into the kitchen sink, to be dealt with the next day after a good night’s sleep. Dimitri wanted to help but did not know where to cut in. Sensitive to his feeling of helplessness because of his blindness, Charina helped him to the sofa. She took a small clean towel and wiped up the spills on the coffee table saying,
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“Have a seat. I’ll be right with you and want to talk to you some more.” Going back to the kitchen, she put two clean crystal glasses onto a tray and added to it the bottle of half-full vintage red wine that she had opened for Dimitri the last time he was here. She put together the finger food left on various dishes and combined them into one and walked back with them all to the living room. She sat down beside him and poured out the fragrant red wine. Dimitri inhaled the unique fragrance and said smilingly,
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“You’ve been busy all day, Charina. Aren’t you tired and sleepy? You still want some red wine?”
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“To tell you the truth, I do feel rather tired and would love to rest” said Charina with a frown. ‘But on the other hand my curiosity had been aroused and I would really love to know about all the exciting things that happened afterwards in the Kingdom of Dreams.”
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“Where did we stop at last time?”
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“You stopped at when you got on your magic horse Lightning and flew straight up to the skies to meet King Zeus. The rest should be even more thrilling! My feelings are controversial. It is hard to choose between sleep and listening to the story. Why don’t you choose for me? Tell me which is better for me…” Holding up her glass, she touched it to Dimitri’s and said, “Cheers!”
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“Why don’t we do both?” replied Dimitri drinking from his glass, after a moment of thought. “Would you like me to take you on a tour of my Kingdom of Dreams so you can see everything for yourself? You can fall asleep and let your flesh body have the rest it sorely needs, and I will take you on a tour to my Kingdom of Dreams while you sleep. How’s that?”
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“You mean to say my body can fall asleep in my bed, but my soul can separate itself from my body and go to the Kingdom of Dreams?” asked Charina as her eyes widened in surprise. “Can body and soul be separated?”
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“Generally speaking, it can be done” Dimitri replied diffidently after some moments of thought. “But strictly speaking, flesh body, soul and dreams do not exist. They are only impressions of transient existence…I will not go into this too deeply as it would leave you more confused than ever and you would not be able to enjoy your sweet slumber anymore. We can start again from where we left off.”
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“But how can we start again? It had all taken place already. It’s not like a novel where we can turn back a few pages. It had all happened before now.”
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“My Kingdom of Dreams belongs to a mysterious dimension of time, which does not belong anywhere. To be more precise, it is the point at which the universe began. Things present, past or future can all become the beginning or the end no matter where it is. At this original spot of the universe, things could never have happened or have already happened. It is very strange and mysterious place impossible to put into words.”
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“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore…” nodded Charina like a gentle lamb. “Shall we sleep together or on separate beds? I’m afraid that once we get to our Kingdom of Dreams I am not familiar with things there. What would happen if I get separated from you or get lost? So perhaps we had better sleep together”. She blushed and added, “But.. you must promise not to touch my flesh body…” Dimitri burst into laughter and said,
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“I know you are a very pretty woman. I also understand the attraction of opposite sexes and the satisfaction of combination of body and soul. But what I long for most, is the pure, innocent and naïve friendship between Adam and Eve before they tasted the forbidden fruit. Think back to the time when you were in your early teens and did not yet fully understand what sex is all about, were you ever attracted to the opposite sex? How did first love feel? Wasn’t it a feeling one feels nostalgic about? For my part, I long only for that feeling of first love when I did not yet understand sex, but was embroiled in that everlasting yearning of my heart… Rest assured, Charina, I will not offend you.”
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“Actually I am in a quandary myself. On the one hand, I am afraid you would want me…But on the other hand, in my innermost heart I welcome your advances and would love to have you possess me…Isn’t that controversial?” Her voice became lower and lower until it was almost inaudible. She held up her glass and said, “Cheers! Let’s drink up our wine and let things advance as they would.” The two of them finished off their drinks, stood up and Charina took Dimitri’s arm in her own and led him into her bedroom.
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Charina’s ears were filled with the sound of wind as it rushed by. She opened her eyes to find she was surrounded by blue skies and that she was safely nestled in King Dimitri’s strong arms and sitting on the magic horse Lightning. Lightning neighed loudly, flapped his mighty wings and flew high into the skies. Charina glanced up at this man who was leading her on a tour of his magic kingdom and saw that he looked buoyant and radiant, his expression brave and resolute, with no trace of the dejected, listless homeless person who huddled on street corners weaving dreams. Dimitri had transformed back to his true self, the mighty, brave but kind and generous king beloved by his subjects and people.
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King Dimitri tugged on the reins and at that signal, Lightning, who was always in silent accord with its master, at once slowed down its upward swing. It knew the master had changed his mind about his destination, so it changed course and turned left.
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“Let’s first touch down at the ruins of the burnt palace by the bank of the lake” said Dimitri to Lightning. “There are some things I need to do there. After that, we will fly up to seventh heaven and meet with King Zeus.” Lightning neighed and flapping his wings descended slowly.
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“Didn’t you say you would take me on a tour of your palace?” asked Charina in surprise. “Why are you changing your mind?”
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“Zeus is the father of the gods and the god of all gods” replied Dimitri in a concerned manner. “He is omnipotent. Though he likes me a lot and is very friendly, treating me as an equal, an emperor’s heart is hard to gauge. He is narrow-minded and very jealous. He sent word for me to go and see him several times. I’m afraid it’s because my gold palace has become uncovered and is again bright and dazzling. I’m afraid he is going to reprimand me for going back on my word. The outcome is not promising… I am thinking of leaving you at a safe place first and then go and meet Zeus. I am not afraid to face his thousands of celestial soldiers alone on my steed, but if you are with me and it comes to mortal combat, I do not wish any harm to come to you during the fight. So it would be much safer to leave you in the ruins of the palace and ask my two loyal friends to protect you.” Charina looked towards the left and saw a magnificent gold palace giving off a splendid and radiant brilliance under the sunlight. She cried out,
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“Is that the solid gold palace you told me about?”
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“Yes” nodded Dimitri. “I ordered it to be covered with iron to mask its dazzling glitter, but unfortunately Cyclops and Viola led the barbarian troops against my kingdom during my absence and occupied the Giant Mountains and the gold palace. They ordered their troops to tear off the iron cover; so now the gold palace has regained its original brilliance and is shining radiantly under the sun. It is grander and much more magnificent than Zeus’ own bronze palace in the seventh heaven, which is something the god of heaven could not possibly stomach. He must look upon it as a challenge to his power and authority. That, I think, is why he wants to see me.” As they were talking, Lightning flew towards the ground in a beautiful arc and landed surely and accurately by the banks of the lake.
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King Dimitri dismounted and then carried Charina down from the horse’s back in his arms. Charina looked around and saw utter destruction. Pillars had been toppled, wreckage of the destroyed building lay in ruins but the scope and excellence of the former magnificent palace were still discernible. Some pieces of classic and luxurious furniture had been broken, but with careful work could still be restored. She said confidently to Dimitri,
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“Given time, I think that I would be able to re-establish a home here.”
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“No, no, no don’t even think about it” said Dimitri shaking his head and pointing towards the left. “Cyclops and Viola are in the gold palace on the opposite shore. Any movement here will arouse the suspicion of the barbarians. If you see anyone coming towards this side of the lake by boat, you must hide yourself in the dense forests. Oh yes, I must call on my two loyal friends to come and protect you.” Saying so, Dimitri put his fingers into his mouth to issue a shrill call and then cried out, “Cortez and Kojak, where are you? Are you nearby? Please show yourselves!” The heads of two fierce tigers peeped out from the ruins. Though their old master had disappeared to they know not where, they were loyal to their post of watching over the ruins of his castle. Seeing their old master standing by the bank of the lake, they jumped out and rushed excitedly towards him, tails switching in glee. They gave out roars so loud and ferocious that the surrounding area vibrated and shook, scaring Charina so much that she hid behind King Dimitri. Dimitri made a sign for silence and the two ferocious beasts stopped submissively before him and sat down. He pulled Charina from behind his back and said to the two tigers,
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“This is my good friend Charina. She is a guest in our Kingdom. You two must do your best to protect her so that she does not come to any harm. Is that understood?” The tigers nodded. He then turned to Charina and made introductions. “This one is Kojak. That one is Cortez. They are my good friends.” The two tigers walked docilely towards Charina and rubbed against her legs like friendly kittens and Charina did her best to hide her fear and patted them on the head. King Dimitri then turned to instruct the two tigers on their duties. “If anyone from the opposite shore should discover that Charina is here and come towards this side of the lake to capture her, you two must protect her, retreat into the forest and ask for help from Medusa. Is that understood?” The two animals let out low growls and showed their fierce teeth to signify they understood and would guard her well. King Dimitri smiled and said to Charina,
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“If you are interested, you could walk through the ruins of the palace and look for treasures. Perhaps you might find material that would help your writing. I will come back for you when the moon rises and we will go back to the mundane world. So we’ll say goodbye for now and I’ll go about my business.” Saying so, King Dimitri mounted his horse. Lightning flapped his mighty wings and flew into the skies.
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Thick, heavy clouds floated in the skies like the continent floating on the wide expanse of ocean below. Lightning flew higher and higher. As they neared the thick clouds, they heard loud, booming sounds similar to the thundering of tens of thousands of hoofs, mixed with the clashing of all manners of weapons and the battle shouts of soldiers rise one after another. It seemed as if two mighty armies were battling each other to the death. Dimitri’s heart tightened. “Could some tragic catastrophe be happening in King Zeus’s seventh heaven?” he wondered “If so, I must fly there and try to help the mighty king of gods, who befriended me, overlooking the disparity of our mutual positions and treated me as a friend and an equal. I will commit myself even unto death to protecting his person and his imperial power.” Dimitri never used his whip on his beloved steed; he just softly clamped Lightning’s flank with his knees, their mutually agreed on signal, and Lightning understood that his master was upset and perturbed and wished to rush ahead and find out what all this commotion was about. He flapped his mighty wings and surged full speed ahead into the sky.
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Upon reaching the clouds, Dimitri saw groups of soldiers on horseback streak past him swift as the wind, paying no heed whatsoever to his uninvited presence. Their concentration was centered solely on the changes in the battlefield. Tens of thousands of cavalrymen were assembled on the open fields. They were divided into sections galloping at full speed, their formation uniform and strictly regimented. They separated, rejoined, and then separated again to form all manners of complex patterns. In a moment thousands of cavalrymen suddenly scattered in all directions and then just as swiftly congregated into a united whole again. They split into two and fought each other as fiercely and bravely as if they were real enemies. Dimitri looked up at the reviewing stand and saw the handsome and brave sun god, Apollo, standing there confidently commanding his troops using flags of all colors and hand signals. Tens of thousands of cavalrymen were so attuned to his command that they seemed to be extensions of his fingers and arms, co-operating seamlessly. In a second the two sections that had been fighting to the death, merged into one. Such a well-trained and well-equipped army was really invincible. Dimitri rode slowly towards the reviewing stand. The sun god Apollo caught sight of him. Rushing down, he jumped into his glittering gold chariot and hurried towards his guest. When the two met, they were both very excited, hugging and kissing each other in exuberance.
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“Brother Dimitri, we haven’t seen you for a long time. How are you?”exclaimed Apollo.
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“I am so sorry I haven’t been to see you and pay my respects to King Zeus. There were some things I had to deal with in the mundane world. I received King Zeus’ summons and am here to see what he wanted. How are you, Brother Apollo?”
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“I am fine. Everything is fine. Father Zeus is in the big tent over there watching me drill the army. He intends to lead it to restore your kingdom for you and is greatly distressed that we have not heard from you. Come on, let’s go and see him. I’m sure he would be very relieved and happy to see you.” Saying so the two of them rode towards the big tent.
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Looking out from his tent King Zeus saw two black spots far away in the horizon coming fast towards him. He knew that the one glittering bright as the sun was his beloved son Apollo and was wondering who the imposing figure on a snow white steed riding beside the sun god was. When they came near, he realized that it was King Dimitri whom they haven’t seen for a long time and a smile came to King Zeus’ normally solemn face. His eyes softened and his expression showed his relief at seeing Dimitri whole and unharmed. He thought Dimitri looked magnificent, brave and heroic as ever, belying the rumors that his Kingdom had been occupied by barbarian troops, his palace burnt and that he himself was destitute and homeless, roaming the streets of the mundane world as a blind beggar. He was glad that the rumors were unsubstantial. When King Dimitri came to the big tent, he quickly jumped off his horse, walked into the tent and bent one knee before his liege lord saying,
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“Your majesty, please excuse your vassal Dimitri for being late in answering your summons. I am now here for you to command. Please let me know what you wish of me.” King Zeus was very happy to see that Dimitri was so respectful of court protocol. He laughed heartily, and stood up saying,
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“King Dimitri, you and I are both sovereigns. We are equal so you need not kneel to me. Please stand.” Sun god Apollo was astounded to see his normally stern and dignified father treat anyone so politely and genially, which only showed his father’s high regard for Dimitri in his heart. King Zeus’ twin daughter, Charmaine and Clementine who were snuggled by their father’s side, looked at Dimitri with eyes beaming with affection. He was the man of their dreams and their hero. They had been separated from him for such a long time and only the presence of their father prevented them from showing their emotions and throwing themselves into Dimitri’s arms. King Dimitri stood up as commanded and King Zeus sat back on his royal throne.
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“It had been reported to me that your Kingdom had been invaded and occupied by barbarian troops and your palace burnt down. These soldiers had the impudence to tear off the iron cover you put over the gold palace so it is once again glittering and sparkling under the sun, outshining my bronze palace here in the seventh heaven. This is something I cannot possibly allow. I told my son to drill and train the troops, getting them ready for battle. They will swoop down and obliterate these upstart barbarians and at the same time restore your Kingdom to you. The timing of your arrival is really excellent. I am putting you in charge of my army. You give the order to attack and they will swoop down and kill all these barbarians and appease my anger.”
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“My Kingdom in the Dreams is only a tiny piece of land on the edge of the universe” said King Dimitri, bowing. “I am anxious that undeserving as I am, your majesty has seen fit to bestow your love and friendship on me but I am also extremely grateful. However, I must beg you to rescind your order. Annihilating the barbarian troops will cause savage and brutal bloodshed both to the enemy and to our own troops, which is something I would like to prevent at all cost. I have already devised a plan to restore my kingdom and drive the barbarians back to their own land without shedding any blood. I can also make the gold palace on Giant Mountain disappear from the horizon forever. I beg your majesty to take back your order.”
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“Father Zeus,” said Apollo who was standing by. “If it is possible to accomplish what we desire without bloodshed that naturally would be the best way to go. Since King Dimitri already has a plan, why not let him try? If he fails, we can always send in the troops. What do you think, Father?”
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“Are you confident that you could recover your Kingdom without a fight?” asked King Zeus doubtfully.
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“Yes, your majesty,” replied King Dimitri. “Tonight after sunset when the moon first rises, I will drive the barbarian troops back to their own land and will make the gold palace disappear forever from the horizon. I am confident of that, but…”
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“What is it?” asked King Zeus, seeing that Dimitri wanted to say something but for some reason was reluctant to do so. King Dimitri looked at the twin sisters, Charmaine and Clementine, snuggling by their father’s side and said,
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“I would like the help of your two beloved daughters Charmaine and Clementine. Would your majesty give them permission to do so?” Charmaine and Clementine were ecstatic when they heard Dimitri’s request. They quickly knelt down in front of their father begging,
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“We are willing to go with King Dimitri and help him to the best of our abilities. Please Father, let us go!” King Zeus looked lovingly at his twin daughters. Though they seemed beautiful as flowers they had no substance and no flesh body. He knew that the two of them had a deep history with King Dimitri, a sentimental relationship, so he said smilingly,
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“Why not? You two have been cooped up here for quite a while and it’s time for you to have a break. Go with King Dimitri, but you must be back as soon as the mission is accomplished.”
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“Yes, Father” said the two nymphs, their voices echoing the happiness in their hearts.
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King Dimitri sat between the twin beauties on his magic horse Lightning, who flapped its mighty wings on the long distance journey in the universe. Charmaine sat behind King Dimitri, holding fast to his waist. Now she had her own features and did not need the use of a mirror or the water surface to talk to people. This was the first time she was with the man she loved and held on tightly to his strong and virile waist. Though she had no substance and no flesh body, she still felt perfectly satisfied and happy. Clementine sat in front of King Dimitri, nestled in his arms. She was confused and at a loss. King Dimitri once gave her a flesh body which she dissolved in the lake water in order to save her twin sister. This was the first time she had been so close to the man of her dreams since that time. She realized that it was possible to feel spiritual love without having a flesh body and that love did not need the sense of touch (Please see Book 2 Kingdom in the Dreams). Lightning flew past the interminable time and space of the universe. Directed by Clementine, it gradually descended and landed on a white celestial body, wild, cold and extremely clean. It was the planet closest to the earth – the moon. Lightning raced towards the wide expanse of white wilderness, in the depth of which was a small house built of white marble and transparent glass. This was Charmaine and Clementine’s home on the moon. The three of them dismounted at the door of the house. The door was left unlocked because they were the only inhabitants of the place, and need not fear the intrusion of any uninvited guests. They walked into the house. In spite of the fact that it had been left uninhabited for a long time, the interior was clean and tidy, with not a speck of dust on the furniture. King Dimitri sat down while the sisters hurried to prepare food to offer to their guest. Having no flesh bodies, neither of them needed nourishment, but there always were some fruits and drinks to give the place a feeling of home. Charmaine brought out a bottle of wine and some wine glasses, saying
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“Try this wine. It’s from Father’s seventh heaven and is made of various blossoms and fruit. Is it good?” Clementine brought out a plate of heavenly fruit with no known name which she had peeled and cut into slices and put onto a plate. King Dimitri tried the wine and found it so fragrant and tasty that he finished his glass in a quaff. The wine, which was sweet, pure, fragrant and not at all potent, slid down his throat in a warm stream right into his belly. “This is really good wine,” he thought. Finding the fruit just as sweet and delicious, he said,
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“It is good that you two have no flesh body because then you need no food. You would never be in the position I am in now, both hungry, thirsty and in dire need of sustenance. Actually flesh body is not necessarily a good thing. Not having one saves you a lot of trouble.” The twin sisters smiled as they sat silently by, happy and satisfied as they watched King Dimitri guzzle down his food ravenously. King Dimitri continued, “After the long ride I am feeling tired. Now that I have eaten my fill, I am feeling sleepy. This is another defect of the flesh body. The two of you would never feel hungry or tired, and that is so wonderful.
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“If you are feeling tired” suggested Clementine, “Why don’t you go and take a nap in our bedroom?” Dimitri’s face turned worried and concerned as he said,
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“I can’t fall asleep even if I lie on the most comfortable bed. I have promised your father that before the sun rises, I will force the barbarian troops back to their own territory and make the gold palace, which has made your father so angry, disappear from the face of the earth. I have made the promise, but am not 100% certain I would be able to do all this. So how can I set everything aside and take a good nap? Time is of the essence. I think I had better take Lightning and go back to my Kingdom of Dreams to see how things are out there. I’ll be right back…You two wait for me here.”
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“No, no, no” said Clementine. “You do not need to go back and forth like that; it’ll consume too much of your time and energy. You can see whatever you want to right here without having to leave.”
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“Really?” replied Dimitri looking doubtfully at Clementine and glancing at the silent Charmaine who said,
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“It’s true. She is not joking with you. From here you can see anything you want to. If you don’t believe us come and see for yourself.”
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King Dimitri followed the twins into another room, which was obviously their bedroom. Twin beds were placed side by side and the beddings showed that they had not been used for quite some time. As in most girls’ bedrooms, there always was a dressing table with mirrors and combs etc on it. Here by the window, on the twins’ dressing table was a large bronze mirror, so bright and well-polished that it reflected every feature of the face, eyes, and eyebrows even to the finest body hair. Suddenly, the setting sun appeared in the mirror shining on the gold palace, making it more dazzling and radiant than ever and cast its large, imposing and magnificent shadow on the ground towards the east. The shadow seemed mysterious and diabolic as if it concealed innumerable secrets. The palace was empty. The barbarian soldiers had all been sent out to cut and gather durable vines and bring them to the edge of the cliff. Cyclops was there to pick out the strongest vines and make them into a heavy duty rope. He tied one end of the rope to a root of the big and sturdy tree that extended outwards from the cliff and bound the other end on a huge rock which he lifted over his head with his mighty arms and threw down the steep cliff. King Dimitri’s full attention was concentrated on the mirror, avidly observing Cyclops’ every move and action wondering what it was all about, when Viola appeared. She gathered all the barbarian soldiers together and instructed and exhorted them severely saying, “You must protect and watch over the gold palace while we are not here. Make sure no harm comes to it or I will cut off your heads when I come back.” Then turning herself into a figure as small as a finger, she climbed onto the horn on Cyclops’s head. Carrying his magic bow and arrow Cyclops climbed down the sturdy vine rope into the deep abyss. Without the tight control of Cyclops and Viola, the unrestrained barbarians were gave a loud shout and dispersed like a tray of loose sand, free to pursue their own destination. King Dimitri was greatly heartened at what he saw. It was as if a bright light shone in his mind. He rushed to the dressing table to get a closer look at the two and he said excitedly,
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“That’s just great. It’s the chance of a lifetime. It is as if heaven is helping me. Cyclops and Viola are going down to a place at the bottom of this steep cliff. Climbing up and down will take a long time. It will give me just the interval I need to do what I have to do. These barbarian soldiers are leaderless. Without a head, they would be easy to defeat or to instigate them to return to their own domain.” Charmaine and Clementine became excited too and said,
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“You asked the two of us to come with you and help you without telling us what you want us to do. Why don’t you tell us your plan so we can go forward with it? What mission do you have for the two of us?” King Dimitri tapped his head with his hand and laughed heartily saying,
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“It’s amiss of me not to fill you in on what my plans are. I wasn’t quite sure of my own intentions in the beginning, I only knew that though you are both beautiful as flowers, you do not have a flesh body and therefore need not fear Cyclops’ magic bow and arrow. Therefore you would be able to help me without being hurt yourself. My magic sword is in no way inferior to his magic bow and arrow. If it comes to a battle between us, I am confident of my success. But now it seems things are much simpler and I need not have worried. Cyclops and Viola have both climbed down the cliff and the barbarians are without leaders. We need only do…and then do … and we are sure to succeed! Ha, ha, ha.” After listening carefully to King Dimitri’s whispered instructions, Charmaine and Clementine’s eyes brightened and said,
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“Yes, that’s simple enough. We are sure we can do that. Oh yes, we are sure of a resounding success.” King Dimitri looked again at the mirror and said,
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“The sun is setting. It’s still early. When the moon and the stars come out we will leave here and go all out to create an earth-shaking splash that would stun Father Zeus himself!” “Look at the woman there. Who is she?” asked Clementine pointed to the mirror.
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The scene on the mirror had changed to the ruins of the burnt palace by the side of the lake. In the middle of the ruins where the former great hall had been, King Dimitri’s gold throne somehow escaped the fire and sparkled and shone under the rays of the setting sun, the precious stones embedded in it glittered and gleamed like stars in the sky. A tall, slim beauty with a pair of binoculars in her hand smiled as she sat on the throne looking at the surrounding scenery. The two ferocious tigers, Cortez and Kojak, sat on guard on two sides of the throne, just like they used to do when King Dimitri was there.
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“Oh, that my guest Charina, an authoress from the mundane world” replied King Dimitri earnestly. She wants to write a novel about the Kingdom of Dreams. I brought her along for the trip so she can see things for herself, which might help her with her writing.” Charmaine and Clementine’s beautiful eyes with their long eyelashes blinked several times and they said with a touch of envy and jealousy,
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“Does that mean that you will be adding another beauty to you court?”
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“Oh, no, no, no” replied King Dimitri quickly, shaking his head “I will never backtrack and do such foolish things any more. I won’t ever build gorgeous palaces and collect beauties from all over the world to live there. Relationship between man and woman are simple and yet complicated. It’s an immeasurable burden. I gathered 24 beauties from the mundane world and have just sent them all back there again. I certainly will not do this foolish thing all over again.”
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“What?” the two sisters cried in surprise. “You think that the relationship between man and woman is foolish?”
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“Oh no, that’s not what I mean” explained King Dimitri hastily. “I acknowledge that the union of body and soul between man and woman is very beautiful and is one of the highest enjoyments in life. It is what every man and woman should seek. But though the union of body and soul is one of the highest enjoyments of life, it is subject to change with time. I think that pure spiritual love, like the love between us is more preferable. It will last forever and will be permanently imprinted on my mind. Don’t you think so? If possible I would like you to meet Charina, the authoress I think you would enjoy talking with her about my views on love.
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“Sure,” replied the sisters. “If there is a chance, we would love to meet and talk to her. I think the relationship between us is the best testimony to your view on ideal love. We both have the appearance of a human, but have no substance, no flesh body. Yet we have for you the deepest love.”
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King Dimitri put Charina in the midst of the burnt ruins of his palace so she could roam around at will and collect material for her writing. With the two fierce tigers as body guards, she was as safe as could be, so King Dimitri rode on his magic horse and flew to the seventh heaven to meet with King Zeus and his son Apollo. Charina looked around and found herself in what must have been the great hall. Two marble steps led to a platform where King Dimitri’s throne had been; but having been exposed to fire, smoke, dust, ashes the elements, the symbol of King Dimitri’s royal authority was almost unrecognizable. Intricately carved chairs made from the most expensive wood were scattered and overturned on both sides of the throne and Charina guessed they must have been seats assigned to the beauties. They were beautiful, but broken. Charina thought that with care they could be restored and refurbished, so she took them from the ruins and dragged them over so they formed a semicircle around the throne. The immense pillars which were used to support the roof had been toppled and they were too big and heavy to be moved, so Charina had to leave them lying there but with her work, the image of what the hall had been like gradually became discernible. Charina continued her work among the ashes. Kicking among the ashes and digging in the soil, she found jewelry made with diamonds, gems and other precious stone lying everywhere just for the taking. She also found some women’s apparel lying around. Though partially burnt by fire, the excellent quality of the material and intricate workmanship left little to the imagination of the immense wealth, pomp and splendor of King Dimitri’s court, of all the beauties in their best dresses gathering at banquets and festivals. She walked forward to further explore the ruins. She estimated that she was in the side hall next to the great hall. There in the ashes and ruins, she found a slightly damaged book of poems hand written by a fine feminine hand, an unfinished dissertation on “On Life in Matriarchal Society” and also a pair of binoculars in perfect condition which Queen Aisha had been using to observe the surrounding areas during the invasion of the barbarians. She put all these precious memorabilia into her backpack, congratulating herself that she had brought the bag along with her when she left; otherwise she would not be able to bring any souvenirs of the trip back with her and return empty-handed, which would have been a terrible letdown. She thought that the unfinished dissertation must belong to the capable and learned Queen Aisha and the book of poems, which recorded odds and ends of life in the Kingdom of Dreams, was an even more precious source for her own writing for it gave her first-hand knowledge of life there. She looked at the fine, delicate writing and thought it looked very familiar, much like that of Angelica’s. The poetess Angelica was known as the “Hermit Poetess of the Rose Garden”, seldom joining any social gatherings. She left her rose garden only for her early morning jogging. Does her long hermitage mean that she had a secret route to Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams? Charina thought that she must ask Angelica about it the next time she met her. Charina walked carefully on in the ashes and came to a row of overturned cabinet, with broken glass all around it. It must have belonged to a wine cellar, she thought. Though some bottles were broken, there were still some that were left whole, all famous wine from all over the world. What looked strange to Charina was, she saw an ancient-looking porcelain bottle placed on a small square table next to the cabinet. Though the bottle had been scorched by fire and covered with dust and ashes, the strange thing was the small table it was placed on was unscathed. She walked over and pulled out the stopper. A strong aroma of liquor rushed at her nostrils. She cleaned up the mouth of the bottle and took a sip. The wine went down her throat right to her stomach. What good wine, she thought. It must be the 100-year-old mao tai wine Dorna had used to pacify Mr. Finger with. She put the stopper tightly back on the porcelain bottle and put it into her backpack as well, meaning to share it with Dimitri when they got back. Charina carefully bypassed the broken glass and continued to walk forward. She came to a place that looked like a kitchen. A lot of bowls and dishes lay in the dust and ashes but an array of complete cooking utensils hung untouched on the wall. She walked on to an open space that could have been the back garden. In the corner of the garden was a rusted water faucet with two buckets, mops and cleaning cloth. Charina eyes brightened. “Why don’t I use these cleaning utensils to wash and clean up King Dmitri’s throne so that the throne that symbolizes the authority sees the light of day again?”
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Obediently following Charina’s orders, the two tigers Kojak and Cortez took the buckets between their teeth and trotted to the lake to fill them with water; while Charina carried the mop, broom, cleaning cloth and other cleaning utensils and made her way towards the great hall. It was laborious as her feet were immersed to the ankle in ashes with each step she took. Soon the tigers were back with their buckets of clear lake water and saw that Charina was sweeping away the dust and ashes from the platform with a broom. Seeing that the dust and ashes accumulated there was really too thick, she took the buckets of water and simply splashed it on the throne one after the other and the two tigers took the empty buckets and ran towards the lake to get more. She scrubbed non-stop at the dirt, once, twice, thrice. The tigers ran innumerable times to and fro from the ruins to the lake procuring innumerable buckets of water for her until at last it was clean again and the hundreds of brilliant precious stones embedded in it once more gave forth their brilliance. Seeing there was still dirt lodged between the precious stones, Charina sprayed the gap with a bottle of cleansing fluid and then carefully cleaned every inch of the throne. Finally satisfied with her work, she splashed it again with clean lake water and rubbed it dry with her clean cloth. The throne that symbolizes the royal authority of King Dimitri at last again saw the light of day. Every gleaming precious stone seemed to be telling the history of the golden era of the Kingdom of Dreams. Charina splashed water on the platform to clear away the remaining dust and ashes, straightened up the overturned chairs and put them in their place. By then, she was very tired and her arms and legs were sore so she sat on the throne to rest. The two tigers sat one on each side guarding their new mistress.
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Charina took out the binoculars she had picked up among the ashes, rubbed on the lenses and used it to look at the mountain ranges and lake around her and at the far away forest. She saw the dazzling and brilliant gold palace towards the left on the other side of the lake. There was no activity inside the palace but she saw that the barbarian soldiers were busy carrying armfuls of vines to the edge of the sheer cliff at the back of the palace. No one even looked towards this side of the lake, so she was confident she had not been detected and therefore need not worry about her safety. She put down the binoculars in her hand and absent-mindedly stroked the backs of the tigers sitting beside the throne, finding their fur rather short, coarse and prickly, so different from the long, silky smooth fur of her pet Maureen. Suddenly she smiled as she thought of how Maureen would react when faced with large tigers a hundred times his size. The dog would probably tremble in fear. If he heard their loud, ferocious roars he would really be terror-stricken. I would have to take him into my arms, hold him tightly and comfort him to give him a sense of safety again. Suddenly a strange thought occurred to her. “What if I set up a tent here? Who is to say it is not like a home? There is so much in these ruins that by digging carefully and salvaging what I find, I can surely procure all that is necessary to make a warm, comfortable home here. Of course that will take a lot of time and effort.” Charina was suddenly struck with the thought that somehow at the back of her mind there always was a longing to make a home for Dimitri, willing to join her life to his, always thinking of the two of them as belonging together. What mysterious magnetism does Dimitri have that he is constantly in her mind? Up to a few days ago, he was only a stranger, a homeless person who sometimes appeared in her neighborhood. They would nod to each other or exchange a few casual words but that was the extent of their relationship. Then in the last few days they got to know each better. She discovered that this homeless beggar had a Kingdom of Dreams in his heart and that he was its sovereign ruler and a noble poet, confirming the saying never to judge a book by its cover. One should never look down upon lowly homeless beggars lying drunk by the wayside, for they may have Kingdom of Dreams in their hearts and are sovereign kings and poets. Charina smiled wryly at herself in self-mockery, wondering if her imagination was getting fanciful almost to the point of absurd. The sun was setting on the horizon. The moon was rising in the east. A few stars began to twinkle in the blue skies. Soon her prince would fly down on his white horse and take her back to the familiar mundane world.
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The pale crescent moon was traveling slowly towards the center of the sky, and will gradually grow to be a full moon. Under the luminous moonlight, the sea was calm with waves lapping gently against the beach. On a path by the white sand, a man and a woman were strolling along talking and laughing. Salina wore an extremely well designed blue silk dress as blue as the blue sea. In fact she looked like a nymph who just rose out of the deep sea. Her silk dress reflected luminous moonlight, giving forth a faint gleam. Her companion, who of course was Emmanuel, was in a beige suit. He did not use a tie and left the collar of his bright red shirt open, emanating an air of unrestrained, brawny masculine charm and fascination. The fawn-colored safari straw hat on his head added to his attraction.
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“You mean you really can drive?” asked Salina with a smile.
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“What’s the big deal? Of course I can drive” replied Emmanuel gesticulating wildly. “When my old friend Richard was driving, I poke my head out of his breast pocket and watch what he was doing. He just steps on the gas, turns the steering wheel this way and that. He uses both his hands and his feet and looks everywhere with his eyes. It’s simple. I know how to drive just by observing. Piece of cake. Saw you had your eyes on the jet black sports car parked outside the steak house. Yah, the car is streamlined and its shape is unique… One of these days we can buy one and play with it and I can show off my excellent driving skills. It’s a pity cars don’t fly in the air; otherwise I can fly it like an airplane and you will know how accomplished I am.” The two of them did not make use of the luxurious limousine provided by the hotel for its VIP customers but chose to walk to the famous steak house a few blocks down and enjoyed a sumptuous meal. Emmanuel and Salina had never in their whole lives tasted new York steak as good as those served to them. They asked the well-known dessert chef there to make a banana cake for them. He used butter, cheese and other ingredients and in the end poured rum over it and lighted it up before serving. That common, everyday dessert became a singular and fabulous concoction in his skillful hands. Salina was fascinated and as usual gave the chef a naked diamond for his efforts, giving rise to cries of envy and admiration of the people around them. A customer at the neighboring table was an old gentleman nearing his seventies, with gold-rimmed glasses and eyes sharp with intelligence and efficiency. He eyed the naked diamond flashing green and blue lights in the hands of the chef and knew it to be a real treasure. When Salina and Emmanuel walked out of the restaurant under the admiring looks of all the patrons, the old gentleman quickly settled his account and walked out after them with his beautiful young companion. Emmanuel walked around the jet black car parked in front of the restaurant admiringly and said to Salina.
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“This car is a thousand times better than the dilapidated old truck my old friend Richard has. It should have been thrown away long ago, but he said it’s his old friend and he loves the old thing and will not discard it. Isn’t he crazy?” Just then the old gentleman came out of the restaurant and was gratified that Emmanuel liked his car. He stopped beside Emmanuel saying,
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“This car has 600 horsepower and requires only 2-3 seconds to go from 0 to 100. It’s really amazing. At my age, driving it takes me back to the heady days of my youth when I was taking part in an 800 meter race and won the championship. This car not only has 600 horsepower, it also handles extremely well and is worth every penny of the exorbitant price I paid for it. It shifts so smoothly that it reminds me of playing basketball when I was young. I would jump up, turn at the waist and shoot at the basket combining a whole series of movements into one seamless flow. This car’s capability to shift is just like my nimbleness when I was young. I love to drive it because it brings back the golden age of my life.”
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“This car is really incredible. How much did you pay for it?” asked Emmanuel
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“Talking about price is too vulgar” replied the old gentleman. “What brings you happiness is worth any price. As a matter of fact I am thinking of changing cars. If you are thinking of getting one I can let you have this one. Price is of no consequence…. Come and see me if you are interested.” Saying so, he took out a card, handed it to Emmanuel and opened the car door for his beautiful young companion. The young woman had long blonde hair just reaching her shoulders and wore a clinging mini black dress, showing off her shapely long legs. After she was seated, he went to the driver’s side, opened the door and said to Emmanuel, “I’m sorry this sports car seats only two, so I can’t give you guys a ride. See you.” He closed the door, started the engine and the car shot out like an unbridled horse and soon disappeared from sight on the road. Emmanuel looked at the card in his hand and saw that the old man was the top designer and appraiser of a prominent jewelry store called Steve R. Wolfe. He looked at Salina and asked,
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“What about it? Are you interested in the deal? Shall we spend some money and buy it?”
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“Leave that for tomorrow. For tonight we should think about where to go next to have a good time” said Salina.
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“I have already planned what to do” replied Emmanuel. “You needn’t worry your little head about such things. We will first go to a disco to dance and drink in order to digest the large dinner. Then we will go to one of those large casinos and try our luck. How about it?”
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“You know how to gamble?” asked Salina is surprise.
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“Of course. I used to frequent innumerable gambling halls and casinos big and small with Richard and Jamaz. My stature was too small to gamble on the tables but I watched the two down on their luck guys lose their shirts. They really were pitiful and doomed to be poor. If it were me, I would have won the whole gambling hall over and make the owner pay me” said Emmanuel boastfully.
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“Alright, let’s go then” said Salina already walking away. “What are you waiting for?” Saying so, the two of them walked into the night. The night was still young.
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Some time the next day, Mr. Finger slowly woke up. He was still groggy and had a spitting headache. They had drunk too much the night before, resulting in this mother of all hangovers. He opened his drowsy eyes and found himself in a porcelain bowl full of dark brown liquor. When he licked his fingers and found it was good whiskey, he slowly remembered the evens of the night before. When he and Salina came back to their presidential suite in the hotel after carousing till the wee hours, he saw a porcelain bowl in the bathroom and said to Salina,
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“Do you know how I used to drink? They would pour liquor into a glass and put me inside it. I would drink immersed in liquor inside the glass. That’s what you call drinking! Would you dare to drink lying inside a bowl?”
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“Why not” replied Salina, also very drunk by then. “I dare to do whatever you dare to.” Mr. Finger poured the whole bottle of whiskey into the bowl and said, “Let’s change back to our original height and lie inside drinking. That what I call real drinking.” So the two of them took off all their clothes, changed back to little people small as a finger and jumped into the porcelain bowl and lay there drinking into a stupor. As Mr. Finger gradually woke up, his head cleared and his memory also came back little by little.. He seemed to remember that after dancing and drinking at the disco, they went to a large casino. Not having any cash on hand, they exchanged precious diamonds for chips. The general manager himself came to serve them and gave them a million dollars worth of chips for the first diamond. In the beginning things were fine and the chips before him were piled high as a mountain, but then like all gamblers, he became greedy. The more he won, the more risks he took to win even more until he lost all that he had won as well as the million dollars he started with. He remembered going back several times to the manager to exchange diamond for more chips, which he then lost again and again. “Oh dear, Salina’s bag of jewels must be almost empty by now. If I had known this would happen, I would not have gone to the casino” he thought regretfully. “But there are lots where this came from in the Kingdom of Dreams. Losing a bit of it is nothing! I will win it all back next time. The treasure is inexhaustible. We just have to go back and get some more.” A smile came on to Mr. Finger’s face and he was thinking confidently of future pursuits when he heard Salina crying and shouting,
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“Help! Help! I am drowning! I am drowning!” He turned and saw Salina’s hands waving in the air, legs kicking and splashing in the liquor. He pushed her shoulders shouting,
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“Salina! Salina! Wake up! Wake up! Are you having a nightmare? Don’t be afraid, I am here beside you.” He then put his arms around her and tried to comfort her. Salina opened her eyes saying,
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“I was scared to death. It was really frightening. It’s good that it was only a dream. I dreamed again of the earthquake and the tsunami. I was struggling in the enormous waves which seemed to have a magnetic force that kept dragging me down to the center of gravity. I almost died.”
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“Don’t be afraid, my pretty little darling. I am here and will protect you. You do not have to be afraid of anything. Drink some liquor.” Cupping his hands, Mr. Finger scooped some liquor and offered it to Salina. It was then that she found they were both naked in the porcelain bowl.
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“You mean to say that both of us lay in the liquor all night?” cried Salina. “No wonder I had nightmares of drowning!” She gave Mr. Finger a white eye and said, “It was all your fault!”
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“Right. Right. It’s all my fault. Now let’s get up, take a shower and wash away all this whiskey. Then we will go and get something to eat. After that we can visit that old guy about the jet black car we saw last night. What do you think? Tonight we can go for a spin along the coast.” Saying so, Mr. Finger stepped out of the porcelain bowl and then turned to help Salina out. Salina stepped out of the bowl, changed back to a normal human shape and walked into the shower. Salina was heard to say,
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“Tell me the truth. Do you really know how to drive? You said you knew how to gamble, but you lost your shirt. It would be a catastrophe if you don’t know how to drive and we go for a spin full speed on the road.”
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“Trust me” replied Mr. Finger in the steamy shower stall. “My driving skills are a thousand times better than Richard. I’ll show you. But I have forgotten how to turn on those huge, bright headlights.”
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The skirt hem of Salina’s white sleeveless dress dotted with purple flowers swayed in the spring breeze. She looked very graceful and distinguished in her new dress, which was uniquely cut and hand-made, but it could not hide the exoticism of her natural beauty and allure. She and Emmanuel strolled leisurely hand in hand on the sidewalks. Emmanuel walked on arrogantly with his head held high, holding onto Salina’s hand showing off his trophy to the world as if saying boastfully “See what a beautiful woman I have captured! What man can be compared to me? She also has a whole treasure trove of inestimable value, diamonds, rubies and other gems. Conquering this woman is akin to conquering the world!” Salina, who was walking quietly beside Emmanuel, frowned and said pensively,
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“Emmanuel, somehow I have a bad foreboding that something bad is going to happen. I cannot free myself from a sense of fear. I feel that something untoward is imminent. Do you feel anything?” Emmanuel’s strong arms held onto Salina’s waist and said with a smile,
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“Baby, this is the third time you have mentioned this. Look at this beautiful weather, this calm sea, this straight and endless road. Everything is so beautiful. Later we will go and buy the jet black car we saw yesterday and the two of us will fly along the coast having an exciting and romantic time. Everything is fine. Don’t worry yourself needlessly.”
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“Really? We are going to see the guy called Wolfe. His eyes are so piercing and penetrating; he scares me. I don’t really want to see him again.”
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“Hey, don’t be afraid, baby. I am here. What is there to be scared about? His world-famous, high-end jewelry store is just a few blocks down the street. We are walking towards it as we speak according to his directions. Why do you want to chicken out? No, no, no. I am here and everything will be fine. Don’t worry.”
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After they woke up in the whiskey-filled porcelain cup that morning, the two of them went to the bathroom and took a long, steamy shower to wash away the smell and remnants of the whiskey. Then they sat down to eat the breakfast which the restaurant for the exclusive use of VIP customers sent up to their presidential suite. It was especially prepared according to their individual tastes by the chef. Still feeling the effects of their hangover, they went back to their rooms and took a nice, cozy and comfortable nap. It was already afternoon when they woke up. Emmanuel wore his newly acquired clothes, a grey suit, and white shirt leaving his collar open without a tie. He sat on the sofa, lit up a Havana cigar and puffed away, imitating the air of a big shot like his friend, Mr. Kaffee. Salina was in the bedroom trying on all her new clothes one by one. She remembered that young woman in the mini-skirt showing off her beautiful shapely long legs, who was with Mr. Wolfe last night. Salina was competitive by nature and originally intended to wear a mini-skirt to show off her beautiful legs too, but somehow she was feeling despondent and not in the mood for competition. In the end, she chose a white, sleeveless, linen dress with small purple flowers dotting the hem and walked out of the bedroom. Emmanuel had been waiting in the living room for over two hours and was getting impatient. He was thinking of going out alone when he reconsidered. “Beautiful women are not easy to deal with, especially if they control the purse! What can I do? Wait patiently, I suppose.” Just then, Salina came out and they left the hotel room to walk to the world famous jewelry store. When they got to the front door of the store, Salina asked,,
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“Are we really going to go in there?”
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“Of course” replied Emmanuel, opening the door for her. “We are already here, why not go in?”
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When Salina entered the exhibition hall, she was dazzled by the magnificence and opulence of the room, and by the brilliant and rare precious stones in the show cases. This was the flagship store of this world-famous jewelry chain, so the items exhibited here had to be of the first waters to live up to its reputation. The exhibition hall was exquisitely designed in glass and crystal, which created a fairyland atmosphere when bright focus lights were shone on it. The show cases, designed in all kinds of unique shapes and sizes, were made of strong, transparent, bullet-proof glass and could only be opened by a secret code which was changed daily. The safety of the merchandise was really meticulous. Salina and Emmanuel walked slowly among the different showcases. They were surprised that they were the only people in the room with no other customers and no salesperson in sight. Actually they were under surveillance from the moment they stepped into the store to make sure that they carried no weapons and gage whether they were possibly big VIP prospects. A middle-aged lady with short, expensively cut hair appeared from a corner of the room. She walked and circled past several showcases and came towards them smiling in welcome, appearing very sophisticated, capable and experienced. She was dressed in an expensive business suit, showing that she was obviously not a common salesperson, but a senior staff member.
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“Welcome to our store, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Josephine. What can I do for you today?” Salina casually touched her hair with her hand, showing off the 10-carat diamond gleaming on her finger and asked,
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“Do you have anything here that is bigger and better than this ring I have on?” Josephine smiled and thought to herself, “Hm. The god of wealth has come to our store.” Turning to Salina she said,
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“You, my dear lady, must be a connoisseur of diamonds and precious gems… It is lucky that you came today because our senior designer and an authority on appraisals is here. Would you like to talk to him?” Wolfe?” asked Emmanuel, taking out a card from his breast pocket. “He is the one we came to see. Here is his card.” Josephine glanced at the card and said,
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“That’s great. Would you please follow me to the reception room? I will let him know you are here.” Salina and Emmanuel followed Josephine out of the exhibition hall. She stopped, pressed a button and the door automatically opened like an elevator door.
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Paintings of people standing or sitting hung on the walls, obviously portraits of ancestors of the family. Their clothing and features were all different, seeming to have been drawn by different painters at different periods of time. But all these portraits had one common and distinctive feature. They all had the capable, sharp and aggressive onward seeking look of the entrepreneur and long straight noses expressed their indefatigable perseverance. After two, three hundred years of hard work, the family finally produced a descendant known as the “King of Diamonds” in this area. Strange to say, all these portraits were of men. Did no female of the family inherit the dominant genes of entrepreneurship? The decoration and furnishings of the reception room emanated classic serenity and quiet, like a reproduction of the times in the 16th century, full of royal magnificence and solemnity. After Salina and Emmanuel took their seats, Josephine asked solicitously,
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“Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Champagne? Or anything else?” Her words reminded Emmanuel that he had not had anything to drink yet that day and his addiction for drinks dominated his mind to the exclusion of all else.
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“How about some whiskey?” he asked
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“Good” smiled Josephine. “Some drink to loosen up.” An attendant came in with a bottle of good whiskey and two glasses. “Would you like some ice?” she asked.
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“No, thank you. I always take mine straight” replied Emmanuel.
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“I’d like two pieces of ice please” said Salina frowning. After the attendant left the room, Josephine said,
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“Please wait just a few minutes. I will go and ask Mr. Wolfe to come and talk to you. He is also very fond of whiskey.” Saying so, she too left the room. Emmanuel quaffed from his glass saying,
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“Good stuff. Good stuff.”
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“Don’t drink too much. You need a clear head for business. My inauspicious premonitions are getting stronger and stronger and it bothers me. Don’t drink so much.”
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“Ha. Ha. Ha” laughed Emmanuel. “Don’t be afraid, baby. I will take care of you. You don’t have to worry. No one will hurt you. Come on, take a sip. Whiskey will calm you and make you more comfortable.” Salina also took a quaff and then sighed,
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“I am here adventuring in this mundane world, enjoying all the comfort and luxuries it has to offer. But actually what I am nostalgic about are the mountains and lakes of the Kingdom of Dreams, its quiet and serenity. It is the land where I was born, where I grew up and it has nourished me all these years. Also I am concerned for my parents who are still in Gahanna, deep in the bowels of the earth, repenting their past misdeeds and praying for redemption. I am getting tired of roaming in this mundane world. Let’s go back to our home in the quiet and serene Kingdom of Dreams.”
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“What so good about the Kingdom of Dreams?” asked Emmanuel taking another quaff of whiskey. “The palace has been burnt, the gold palace has sunk to the bottom of the lake and Giant Mountain has broken into several sections. It’s a wilderness back there. What’s so good about it? I promised to take you back, but only after I have enjoyed myself a few more days. When I am sick and tired of this place, I will take you back.”
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“I know. I know” said Salina, suddenly turning tense and excited. “I know now why I am having these bad omens of the future. When I climbed up from the steep cliff that day, I found that all the sentries had abandoned their posts and every one of the barbarian soldiers and natives had disappeared. Immediately after that the earthquake and tsunami happened and I almost lost my life in the turbulent waves. Why did the natives disappear?” Just then there was a knock at the door and Mr. Wolfe walked in, smiling widely, beaming with satisfaction.
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Josephine stopped before the door of an office where indistinct murmurs of conversation could be heard. When the voices came to a stop, she took the opportunity to knock and heard someone say, “Come in please.” Josephine pushed open the door and saw Mr. Schneider, the owner of this world-famous jewelry store, sitting behind his desk which was piled high with all kinds of books like a retail bookseller. The bookcase was full of all kinds of books on geology, some were opened, and some were laid on the floor. It could be presumed that this was the office of a studious academic scholar. Seated across from him was Mr. Wolfe, his right-hand man and the acknowledged authority of the jewelry world. The room was full of the smell of strong coffee and cigars. The ceiling fan was whirling; the windows were open with screens in place to prevent flies and mosquitoes from flying in. This was a typical old-fashioned office. It was here in this utilitarian, low-key office that Mr. Schneider pushed his company step by step up to the pinnacle of the jewelry world. It was evident that he was a conservative man, not given to seeking the latest fads and trends, as his office still retained the atmosphere and appearance of the 40s and 50s. The two of them were discussing the serious crisis confronting their company, which needed to be resolved immediately. In recent years they had expanded too rapidly and had over five hundred branches all over the world and more than thirty thousand employees. In face of the present devastating financial downturn, their cash flow was drying up and they were seriously short of cash. In order to downsize the company and lay off the employees they needed a sizable amount of money to pay the severance package, but the high class gems and jewelry which they had accumulated sat idle in their various branches with no potential customer showing any interest. With their assets lying inactive and bank interest for the money they had borrowed due every month, they were badly in need of a large amount of cash to cut their losses, lay off employees, downsize the company and survive to fight another day. The two men sat there troubled, racking their brains to find a way to get the required money but to no avail. Mr. Wolfe suddenly changed the subject and asked,
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“Have you heard that recently two diamond-rich customers have been going around the city on a shopping spree and paying for everything in fabulous diamonds? They seem to have no cash on hand and paid for all services and merchandise with a priceless diamond. It did not matter whether it was a dinner, a tip to a waiter or a chef, clothing, or alms for a beggar, the payment was always an enormously expensive diamond. They didn’t seem to have any money, only diamonds. It’s really mysterious, this strange couple. Wonder where they came from.”
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“I’ve heard about them, too” replied Mr. Schneider. “It’s really unheard of! They pay for everything with a diamond, regardless of whether the thing they bought was expensive or cheap. It was as if they were still living in the ancient society where everything was bartered. It was the exchange of one thing for another. It’s really weird.”
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“I saw that strange couple last night” said Mr. Wolfe. “when I was eating at the steak house nearby. They were pretty interested in my jet black sports car. I gave them my card. I wonder if they will come to look me up… This morning the CEO of one of the casinos/hotels came to my office to see me. He brought along quite a handful of very high quality diamonds and asked me to appraise them. I knew just by looking that they were the purest of diamonds of a caliber so high that even I had never seen anything like them before. The CEO told me they were given to him in lieu of payment for the chips at his casino. He said “The two of them were pretty drunk and lost everything at the tables and it was my good fortunate to have been there on the spot and grabbed hold of the diamonds. I made a bundle from the deal. I’m only afraid that in the morning when they get over their hangover, they will come back to the casino and ask to redeem their diamonds with cash. Then it would have been much ado about nothing and to me that would be more of a loss than again! ” Mr. Wolfe frowned and continued, “I’m sure you know who that CEO is without my naming him. He used to be in the mafia, then somehow became legit and is now the CEO and owner of a super large casino. Upon leaving, he smiled mysteriously at me saying, ‘These two strange people don’t seem to be citizens of any country as they had no passports or personal IDs. I don’t think anyone would look for them or make inquiries if they should disappear from the face of the earth. There won’t be any clues at all…’ and then he left.”
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“Those two people are here” said Josephine to Mr. Wolfe. “I think they are the diamond-rich customers you just mentioned. The man seemed to be an alcoholic. He is now drinking whiskey and waiting for you.” Mr. Wolfe stood up and walked quickly towards the door. Then turned his head and said to Mr. Schneider,
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“I will go and see what this is all about. Don’t come out yet and stay out of the fray for the time being. We’ll talk it over when I come back.” After he left, Mr. Schneider looked meaningfully at Josephine as if saying,” You go back there and see how things are going. Then come back and report to me.”
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When Josephine got back to the reception room, Mr. Wolfe was rattling on eloquently and incessantly about cars, singing the praises of his car as if it could even fly in the air. Emmanuel was listening rapturously with great interest, but Salina was left out of the conversation and was sitting silently in the cold on the sidelines. Josephine saw that their glasses were empty, so she went up and refilled them and added a piece of ice into Salina’s glass. Mr. Wolfe made the introductions saying,
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“This is Josephine, the business manager of our flag ship store here. I think you have already met her.” Emmanuel and Salina nodded.
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“It’s a great honor to meet you” said Josephine quickly. She poured a glass for herself and sat down next to Salina. The two men were talking earnestly about cars in great detail, about the techniques of driving, how to overtake a car, how to get away from the pursuit of police cars etc. Josephine complimented Salina on her natural beauty that needed no help from cosmetics and expressed envy for her perfect skin, dewy complexion and her delicate and exquisite figure. She exclaimed over the expensive dress Salina was wearing saying it was so classy, suave and elegant and that the choice fully demonstrated her refined and excellent taste. She then went on to tell Salina how her hair suited her and how it was the latest trend… Such extravagant flattery soon had Salina smiling and purring in satisfaction and content. Josephine then commented on the huge diamond on Salina’s finger, saying it was the largest, purest diamond she had ever seen in her life.
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“In my line of work here, I have seen many, many grand socialites and have bought and sold innumerable very expensive diamonds, gems and jewelry, but none can be compared to you and your diamond ring. Only your lovely, elegant and jade-like white hand is fit to wear this magnificent, dazzling diamond ring! You are the envy of all the women in the world and that of course includes me.” Salina was so delighted and elated by Josephine’s fawning words that she was almost on the point of taking off the ring and giving it to the woman. But perhaps the ring was not meant to be Josephine’s for just then, Mr. Wolfe suddenly changed the subject and turning to Salina said,
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“My dear classy and beautiful Miss Salina, I was just wondering why you only wear a thin red thread around your beautiful swanlike throat. If you are willing, I would like to design a special diamond necklace for you that fit your noble status and disposition.”
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“I don’t know why I am wearing this red thread” replied Salina “but it goes with this pendant I have.” Saying so she pulled out the huge deep pink diamond pendant in the shape of a girl walking that was attached to the red string. When the pendant lay exhibited on Salina’s breast, the whole room lighted up in a blaze of glory. Mr. Wolfe’s eyes opened wide and stared unblinkingly at the diamond, his mouth half open in astonishment. He murmured,
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“My dear beautiful Miss Salina, could you possibly take off the pink diamond pendant you are wearing and let me have a closer look at it?”
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“Why not?” replied Salina graciously. She took off the pendant from her neck and gave it to Mr. Wolfe, who held the diamond reverently in his hands, softly caressing its surface. He kissed it repeatedly and then held it to his cheek rubbing it gently against his skin muttering,
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“Ah, this is really a rare and unique treasure, second to none in the whole world! To live to see one is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am greatly favored to be so honored and to hold a diamond of such unique qualifications in my hands.”
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“Do you really like it so much?” asked a half-drunk Emmanuel, who walked over and loudly broke into Mr. Wolfe’s reverie. “I’ll exchange it for your car. What do you think?”
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Mr. Wolfe’s heart accelerated at these words and he thought to himself,
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“These two naïve and inexperienced fools do not know that there is an unknown force from the mafia underworld that wants to kill them and make them disappear from the face of the earth. Why don’t I take the initiative and strike first before they do? I’ll give these two my car in exchange for this rare and unique treasure that is worth an astronomical price.” So turning to Emmanuel he said, “That’s a bargain! Your word once given is past recalling.”
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“Ha, ha” laughed Emmanuel. “You can count on the word of Mr. Finger…..” Emmanuel realized his slip of tongue by calling himself with his real name and quickly covered it up saying, “I mean my word is golden. I never go back on it. So let’s get down to business.” These two little people who came to the mundane world to have a good time were really too innocent and naïve, never suspecting the malicious intents of the unsavory elements of society and the pitfalls and traps they set for their victims. They did not understand that before a sale is final, they had to sign a contract and they must read and understand every line and bargain for every benefit in order to protect their own interests. So they lightly gave away a rare and unique treasure in a barter, exchanging one commodity for another, using a primitive method of exchange, long obsolete. Mr. Wolfe enthusiastically called out his customary and professional words of concluding a transaction, “Deal!” He put the large pink diamond into his pocket and took out the keys to his car from another pocket. Handing it to Emmanuel, he said, “Here are the keys. The car is in the parking lot. The tank is full. Enjoy and good luck!” That was the unbelievable and farce like story of how the Pink Diamond happened to fall into Mr. Wolfe’s hands and came to appear on the auction block.
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The crescent moon gradually moved to the middle of the sky. The area around the gold palace was dotted with camp fires lighted by the barbarian soldiers. As the night advanced, the temperature dropped drastically and Charina shivered with cold in spite of the two tigers which shielded her with their bodies and tried to warm her with their body heat. Charina was so cold that her lips trembled and her teeth knocked together. Suddenly she remembered there was a bottle of hundred-year-old Mao Tai wine in her backpack, so she took it out and had a great gulp. Warmth immediately circled in her bloodstream and she felt a lot better, but the cold weather system still made her uncomfortable. Just as she was getting impatient about waiting, she suddenly saw two golden streaks of light appear from the darkness of the dense forests and fly towards the gold palace. She took up her binoculars to have a closer look and found that the two streaks of light were two nymphs wearing strange transparent golden garments, thin as dragonfly wings which gave off a golden light. Charina remembered Dimitri once told her about two nymphs Charmaine and Clementine, who had beautiful faces but no flesh body. “Could it be these two?” she wondered. “But what are they doing here at this place and time?” The two nymphs circled the gold palace twice singing in a sweet, lovely voice, causing great turmoil and agitation on the ground below. The barbarian soldiers were shouting and, running after the nymphs as they flew around the gold palace and their tribesmen old and young all came out to see the abnormal sight. These barbarians had never seen such beautiful nymphs, especially as these two flew down from the skies. Finally, the two nymphs landed on the dome of the gold palace and one of them said,
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“Brave warriors, why are you willing to be ruled by those two monsters Cyclops and Viola and obey their orders? You live from day to day with your hearts in your mouths, never knowing when calamity would strike and you would be killed for no reason whatsoever just on their whims. Are you willing to go on living such lives?”
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“My dear uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters” continued another nymph. “Why did you leave your familiar homestead and come to this strange land? Now that Cyclops and Viola have climbed down the depth of the steep, bottomless cliff and won’t be back any time soon, it is a golden opportunity for you all to escape and go back to your own home turf. We were sent here from the heaven above to lead you back to your homeland. Those who want to go home and escape the two tyrants, follow us.” Saying so, the two beautiful nymphs ascended lightly to the skies and flew away and the barbarian soldiers and all their tribesmen quickly followed on their way back to their homeland. Soon the area was eerily silent with no sign of human life, with only the empty gold palace standing tall on the Giant Mountains. Charina put down the binoculars in her hand and her face lighted up in a knowing smile. She understood Dimitri’s intentions well and knew this was all part of his plan. First he used strategy to draw the barbarian tribes away from the gold palace area to minimize fatalities to almost zero, because his generous heart cringed at unnecessary casualties and death. Charina shivered in the cold wind and took out the bottle of mao-tai again to get warm, but just as she tilted the bottle to drink, she heard the shrill neighing of a horse and knew that King Dimitri was back.
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The serious-looking policeman was patrolling leisurely along the streets. It was Sunday. People were all glued to their TV sets watching the World Series, to see which team would clinch the World championship, so there were very few cars and pedestrians out on the streets. The sun was setting in the east and soon it would be dark. The policeman looked at his watch and said to his partner,
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“One more hour and we’ll be done for the day. What are you planning to do tonight?”
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“Nothing much” replied the policewoman.
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“What about having dinner together tonight?”
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“Is that supposed to be a date?” asked she, with a smile. Before he could answer, a strange looking, uniquely shaped black sports car flew swiftly by on his left. The policeman swerved his car alertly towards the right to prevent being hit and muttered angrily,
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“Damn fool. That’s a solid yellow! You’re not allowed to pass, you dumb ass! You’re asking for trouble disregarding all traffic rules and passing a police car. When I catch up with you I will teach you to disrespect the law!” Turning on his siren, the policeman drove his car in hot pursuit, shouting into his microphone, “Stop! That black sports car in front, stop immediately. You have violated traffic laws. Slow down and park towards the side.” There was no way that the driver of the jet black sports car did not hear those orders, but he chose to ignore them and continued to zigzag through the cars, bulldozing his way through the traffic. The drivers around him, intimidated by his erratic driving and protective of their own safety all slowed down to make way for this crazy and aggressive madman, allowing him to zip his way through. The policeman behind him cursed in frustration, knowing his own vehicle was no match in speed to the getaway car. Taking up his walkie-talkie connected with police dispatch, he called out,
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“Reporting a strange looking jet black sports car violating traffic rules, passing on solid yellow and speeding at over a hundred mph. Too fast for me to overtake. Sending over pictures I took of the vehicle.” At the other end of the trunk radio came the voice of another police officer,
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“You just found out about this guy? That jet-black sports car has been causing huge traffic jams on city streets. We tried to stop him several times but he always rammed his way out and got away. His sports car was so fast that it’s almost impossible to outrun and was so much more superior to our old rundown ones in every way that there is no comparison. His car is unique in that it is the only one of its kind. They built only one car of this model, so there’s no second one like it in the world. It belongs to Mr. Wolfe, the famous jewelry appraiser who reported it missing recently. He sent us pictures of the car thieves from the surveillance tape in his garage, which recorded the whole process. No one knows who they are unfortunately. Wanna see what they look like? I can forward them to you.”
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“That would be great. I certainly want to see what they look like.”
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“Sure. Sending them over as I speak” said the voice at the other end. “Hey, you’ll be off the clock very soon. Want to stay on and join in the capture of these car thieves? They are driving towards the oceanside. It’s a dead-end and they would have to turn back. We have prepared road blocks and other instruments for the blockade. Interested in joining us? We are short on manpower.” The voice at the other end hesitated for a moment before saying,
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“Hey, that would be great. I really want to get this guy who thumbs his nose at the police. Watch me teach him a lesson when I get my hands on him! OK, I volunteer to join in.”
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“Ha, ha, ha” came the laughter over the phone. “We are really short of manpower and several officers had volunteered to stay on after work. We called in the fire fighters and they were willing to send in fire trucks as well. We are preparing to launch a huge blockade. Our helicopters are already overhead monitoring their every move. They have nowhere to go.”
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Two images appeared on the computer screen in the police car. One was Emmanuel, impeccably dressed in an expensive suit and the other of course was the beautiful and wildly exotic Salina.
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“It’s that guy again” shouted the policeman. “I let him go last time when he bathed in the water fountain. Now he has escalated to stealing cars and causing traffic jams on busy streets! This time I will surely arrest him and certainly will not let him slip by again!”
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“Yes, that’s them” exclaimed the policewoman. “The woman is called Salina, I remember. Why, she’s getting even more beautiful! Ah, it’s that wonderful, expensively well-tailored dress that has enhanced her appearance, but she herself is much improved from the time at the water fountain.”
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“This time I will arrest both of them” said the policeman furiously. “I will beat the crap out of that guy!” Saying so, he drove his car towards the freeway exit, in the opposite direction of where the jet-black car had sped. He suspected that sooner or later, these two car thieves would come back to the city they were familiar with, so he decided to be fully prepared and wait for them here so as to arrest them.
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Mr. Wolfe was scheming and immoral and had no compunctions about fleecing the naïve, guileless pair of their priceless treasure. These two little people were just in the mundane world to have a good time and knew nothing of the pitfalls of the world. He took them to the stairs of the parking garage and then stopped, knowing that if he went further, his image would be caught by the surveillance camera. This way, he could report his beloved car stolen later and disclaim any knowledge of the pair and there would be no evidence to connect him to them. Entering the underground garage, Emmanuel’s eyes were glued to the uniquely designed, jet-black sports car parked there at the corner. Though quiet and unmoving, the car seemed to radiate immense explosive and aggressive power, like a shark lurking in the deep sea waters, which could swiftly and with great dexterity attack its victim from any angle anytime. The car was not locked. Emmanuel helped Salina into the passenger seat, clicked on her seat belt and then walked over to the driver’s seat. When he turned on the engine, the strange looking sports car growled and jumped, giving Emmanuel a great scare. He quickly stepped on the brakes. The horsepower of the car was really formidable. Emmanuel tried a few more times and every time the car growled and jumped. After repeated trials, he finally understood how it worked and was able to manage the powerful car. Only then did he drive it slowly out of the garage.
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Only a few cars and pedestrians were about on the quiet streets at dusk. Like a just released wild horse, the jet-black sports car dashed ahead recklessly. At first Emmanuel found it hard to control this wild intractable horse, but he quickly got the hang of it, ascertained its true nature and gradually understood how to control this powerful sports car. Emmanuel treated the city streets like a recreation center, as if the ancient Roman Coliseum, where the slaves wrestled with wild animals had moved onto the modern streets. Having no notion of traffic rules or street signs, he blithely zigzagged through the traffic, forcibly forging a path for himself, oblivious of all the other cars on the road. He sped on: running red lights, passing on solid yellow, made u-turns whenever he felt like it and drove on the wrong side of one-way streets etc. Though his driving skills improved and he did manage to avoid several head-on collisions if just barely, his adventures on the road gave rise to traffic jams that paralyzed city streets. He forced an oncoming truck that was driving at full speed to brake suddenly and give him the right of way, making the maddened and infuriated truck driver stick his head out the window, give him the finger and shout obscenities at him. “Fuck you! You dumb ass, you want to die? Go to hell!” he screamed. Emmanuel didn’t care and continued playing his car game, causing mayhem wherever he went and endless horns blasted in protest. Soon shrill police sirens sounded all around him, but that only served to excite and stimulate him. He exerted himself, using all his skill to outmaneuver the police blockade and continued driving at breakneck speed, leaving the helpless police in the dust. The police, in frustration, parked two police cars sideways across the street, hoping to block him, but he managed to drive his extremely flexible and maneuverable sports car onto the sidewalks and slipped away. As the car poised in midair, the police shot at the tires, hoping to stop his mad dash, only to find that even the tires of the sports car were bullet proof, leaving the nonplussed police not knowing what to do next. One hair-raising scenario followed by another, caused the beautiful passenger in the jet-black sports car to shriek in shock and excitement, feeling extremely aroused and stimulated, never realizing the mortal danger such activities could cause to others and to herself. Emmanuel sped along the freeway, asking Salina who was sitting next to him,
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“What do you think of my driving skills? Satisfied?”
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“Good job. Good job” replied Salina, giving him a thumb up.
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Holding up her binoculars, Charina looked towards where a horse was neighing shrilly and saw King Dimitri flying towards her. Clutching the binoculars in one hand, she waved at him with the other, but though the moon was in the sky, it was after all night time. All around her was dark and King Dimitri did not seem to have discovered her position. When the two tigers saw their master sweeping past in the air, they jumped for joy and loudly roared their welcome. On hearing them, King Dimitri quickly turned around and waved his hands towards the ruins of the palace to let them know he heard them and then made a signal for them to be quiet. The tigers immediately ceased their noise and King Dimitri flew towards the gold palace on Giant Mountain. Through her binoculars, Charina kept track of his whereabouts and saw the magic horse Lightning flap its wings more slowly as it gradually decreased its speed and descended from the heights. King Dimitri encircled the gold palace three times and found that the area around the palace and the barbarian encampment was quiet and empty, with no trace of human activity. He knew then that Charmaine and Clementine had succeeded in leading the barbarian tribes back to their own domain. What he never dreamed of was that Viola had came back and was at that moment sitting on the throne of her beloved gold palace wondering what happened to her subjects as all the barbarian warriors and their tribesmen had disappeared. King Dimitri did not linger long in the area but directed Lightning towards the Giant Mountains which lay horizontally on the horizon. He flew towards a corner of the mountain and was lost from view. Charina stood up and searched for him all around with her binoculars, but he had disappeared completely. She was puzzled. Had the rocks and cliffs hid him from sight? Why had he vanished to a remote corner of the mountain and was staying there for so long? What could he be doing there? All of a sudden the earth shook with a huge rocking motion like an earthquake, which forced Charina to sink back onto the throne.
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The police officer drove slowly onto city streets. He took up his walkie talkie and reported to his superior saying,
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“Sir, I just got off the freeway and am back in the city. Where should I station myself?”
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“Very good. Wait for him exactly where you are, just off the freeway. Keep your motor running because the car thieves are on their way back to the city. That man is not only a thief; he risks his life heedlessly, driving at breakneck speed in the dark without any lights on. I think he is trying to avoid detection by our helicopters.”
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“Gosh” muttered the policeman “What kind of guy is this that takes such risks? Driving at high speed in the dark the way he does without lights on is suicidal!” Turning to his walkie talkie, he asked, “Sir, are you sure he will return to our city? He could drive on further to any city along the freeway.”
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“No” replied his dispatcher, “We are sure they will come back. We have detected that they have been staying at the presidential suite with a roof top garden on the pent house of a large casino/hotel. They are even now on their way back as we speak. With the speed he is driving they should be there in a couple of minutes. We will then close in on them.”
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“Good. Good” said the policeman excitedly. “I am getting impatient.” The voice at the other end was silent for a few seconds. Then it continued,
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“Somehow I have a feeling that this is not a simple case of car theft. The two of them were joyriding for a while along the coastline flying towards the south. Then it was as if they were satisfied or perhaps the novelty wore off, because they became tired of it and stopped at a rest area along the freeway. They left the car and went into a fast food store. While they were inside the store, a motorcycle drove up and stopped beside their sports car. The motorcyclist was dressed all in black and had his helmet on, so we couldn’t see his face but he took out a black tin box and quickly affixed it underneath our friend’s jet black sports car. Then he got on his motorcycle and quickly sped away. I think something is going to happen. We’ll wait and see.” The loud sound of an approaching helicopter could be heard and the voice over the walkie talkie turned tense as the dispatcher said, “They’re back. They’re back. They have entered city limits. When you see them, tail them and cut off any route of retreat.” Just as he was speaking, a black sports car with no lights on streaked by the left side of the police car at an alarming speed, like a shark in the deep waters that had discovered its victim and was making its sudden and silent attack. The policeman turned on his siren and quickly followed in its wake. The black sports car zigzagged its way on the streets. It made right and left turns seeming at random until it disappeared completely from sight and shook off its pursuers.
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The residential district was meticulously landscaped with tall trees, flowering bushes and well-kept lawns. The street lights were dim, giving forth an atmosphere of quiet, peace and tranquility. Emmanuel’s first impression when he stumbled upon this place was that it was a good place to hide. Abruptly he turned the steering wheel and the sports car dashed into the dense shade of trees and shrubbery. He didn’t care what plants or flowers he killed or what well-tended blades of grass were crushed by the wheels and just parked his car under a tall tree. Emmanuel turned to Salina in the passenger’s seat and said,
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“I always suspected that the helicopter hovering overhead was spying on us.”
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“You mean to say that human eyes are as keen as an eagle’s and can see all the details of what is happening on the ground below?” she asked.
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“Human eyes are of course not that keen” answered Emmanuel. “Only Medusa’s eyesight is even sharper than an eagle’s. But you cannot underestimate the power of modern science and technology. Perhaps there are ways they can see what happens on the ground below even in the dark of the night. Who knows?”
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“Medusa!” cried Salina in fright. “Don’t even mention her. Just the sound of her name
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scares me to death and makes the hair stand up all over my body!”
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“Really? I have the same feeling” said Emmanuel. “When I came back here to the mundane world, I felt that we had fallen into an inescapable snare, very hard for us to escape unscathed.” ,
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“Then who is our enemy?” muttered Salina softly. “Is it Dimitri? I don’t think so because I no longer think of him as my enemy. In fact I think he is a kind and generous man. Then who is our enemy? These people look like policemen. Did you offend them in any way? Why are they after us?”
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“I don’t know” replied Emmanuel.
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“Oh, I know!” cried Salina. “Could the premonitions of something bad happening fall on the heads of my poor, unfortunate parents who are repenting their sins in Gahanna, praying for redemption? Their safety is something that is on my mind all the time…I want…I must go back to the Kingdom of Dreams and visit my poor parents to see if they’re alright.”
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“Oh no” said Emmanuel, shaking his head violently. “That is only your imagination at work. Don’t scare yourself needlessly. I’m sure nothing has happened to them…”
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Pushing open the car door, Emmanuel stepped out and stood in the shade of the trees. Looking up towards the skies, he saw that the helicopter was still hovering nearby, which meant they were still under scrutiny and not out of danger yet. Just as he was thinking of the best way of escape, his attention was distracted by the sound of splashing water behind the wooden fence, as if someone was swimming. It must be someone’s backyard with the fence erected to protect their personal privacy from the prying eyes of the outside world, he thought. Emmanuel became curious. He climbed up the hood of his car and then stepped up onto the roof, where holding onto the fence he peeped inside. A woman was swimming in the pool. Looking around under the moonlight, he thought the place looked very familiar as if he had been there before. The contours of the house gave him a feeling of warmth. The lawn was neatly cut. Under a large opened sun umbrella by the side of the pool, there was a lounge chair and a small round table with a bottle of brandy and an tall empty glass. The woman had finished her lap and was walking up the steps of the pool with drops of water dripping down her graceful, tall and slender body. Taking up the bath towel on the chair she dried herself with it and then took off her swimming cap to let down her lovely long hair, which she wound casually into a bun at the back of her head. She then turned and lay down languidly on the lounge chair to rest. It was then that Emmanuel saw her features and realized with a start that it was Queen Aisha of the Kingdom of Dreams! Looking subconsciously at the pair of exquisite sandals placed neatly and quietly on the lawn, he remembered he had once hidden in one of them and from there he had witnessed an exciting and sexy scene enacted before his very eyes. Salina was getting impatient. Pushing open the car door she also got out and was about to ask Emmanuel what he was looking at when a low, masculine voice behind them growled menacingly,
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“What are you two doing here? Peeping Toms prying into other people’s private life?” Emmanuel and Salina were surprised at the unexpected interruption. Turning their heads, they saw the tall, muscular African American man they knew as Jamaz. All three of them stood frozen in place in shock.
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“Aren’t you the one called Salina?” asked Jamaz. “What are you doing here?” Although Emmanuel looked quite different from what he used to, Jamaz looked closely at him for a long time and then said, “If she is Salina, you must be…Mr. Finger...? We have been looking for you for a very long time…King Dimitri wants to see you two.” Emmanuel was very angry that his true identity had been discovered. To cover up his shame and anger, he jumped down from the car, looked meaningfully at Salina and the two of them opened their car doors and got into their jet black sports car. Before taking off, Emmanuel threw the following words at them through his clenched teeth, “Scram! Don’t interfere with what is none of your business” The sports car sprang to life growling and shot out like a cannon ball.
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Strong shock waves rising up from the center of the earth rocked the ground, one wave more intense and powerful than the last. Some moved up and down, some rocked from side to side. Charina clutched tightly onto the arms of the throne she was sitting on to keep her equilibrium, otherwise she would have been thrown down to the ground. Shock waves churned the calm, tranquil lake into a mass of turbulent waves making schools of fishes jump frantically out of the water, many landing on the beaches trembling and gasping for breath before stretching out unmoving in death. Wings fluttering, birds in the forests flew up to the skies, twittering, chirping, and screeching in fright. The wild animals too left their caves and ran around frantically trying to find a way out and escape what was to come. The two tigers growled and tottered about on shaky feet as if drunk. Charina patted and stroked their broad, massive backs murmuring, “It’s ok. Don’t be so nervous, King Dimitri will be back very soon.” Making use of the lull between shakes, she took up the binoculars and looked once more towards that corner of the mountain where she had last seen Dimitri, but saw no sign of him. Turmoil began to build up in these former tranquil and serene mountain and waters and was gradually increasing, foretelling of the calamity about to happen. Although Charina was stroking the tigers, trying to calm their fears, she herself was actually very anxious and agitated.
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“Where is Dimitri at this most critical time?” thought Charina. “Where has he disappeared to? Could he have abandoned me in this strange land? No, no. He wouldn’t do that. He must be hiding somewhere in a secret corner of these mountains and preparing to do something great and earth-shaking.”
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The black sports car dashed out of the deep shade of the trees and bushes. Making full use of its superb functions and unmatched speed and agility, it managed under cover of the darkness to shake off the pursuing police. However, even though it turned off all its lights, it could not escape the sharp surveillance of the helicopters in the sky above. The moment the car appeared, the police were immediately notified and with sirens wailing, all sped to the appointed place forming a formidable dragnet and began their siege.
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Jamaz stood there stock still, perplexed at what had happened and couldn’t make head or tail out of how Salina, whom he knew was the alter ego of Viola, came to be together with Mr. Finger, whose appearance and figure had been completely changed. He wondered how they could have appeared at the very spot he was patrolling. Just then from behind him came the sound of a car approaching. It was his friend and partner’s old rundown jalopy where the only thing that did not make a noise was the horn. Hearing three whistles, their pre-arranged signal, Jamaz came out of the shade and ran towards the car. Richard was still his dilly-dally self as if he didn’t give a damn about anything at all and asked,
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“Hey bro, how are things going here?” Jamaz told him about meeting Salina and Mr. Finger here at this very spot. “Hmm” said Richard, “Mr. Kaffee has really seen a lot of the world and is shrewd, crafty and very experienced. Early this morning he said that he smelled something unusual in the air, that something was brewing and was about to explode. The whole city is now being overturned with sirens wailing and police cars flying about. These last few days, Mr. Kaffee set up camp at the Dream-maker’s Bakery and Big-O too, has been pulling security duty and patrols the area very diligently. Mr. Kaffee wants you and me to be extra alert and careful about the safety of this area because Aisha and Novella both live here. He is especially concerned about Novella’s large and formal wedding with Mr. O’Brien which is to take place very soon. This is the first wedding of a member of the Kingdom of Dreams and Mr. Kaffee doesn’t want anything to happen and disrupt it…” His words were interrupted by the noise of a huge explosion followed by sirens and police cars rushing to the site of the explosion. “See, something big has happened. Mr. Kaffee is really an experienced and knowledgeable veteran! He can foresee the future and predict it with accuracy. I think you had better stay here and make sure of Aisha’s safety while I go and see what has happened. See you here in a little bit.” Saying so, Richard drove off and Jamaz went back to the shade of the trees.
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These two little persons, completely ignorant of the ways of the world, had no inkling of the boundaries of human behavior. They only intended to come to the mundane world and have a good time, but unknowingly broke the laws of society thus incurring the wrath of the police, who swore to arrest them and bring them to justice. The two of them were not aware at all that their irresponsible behavior had brought them into great danger. Neither did they know that the world was full of pitfalls and that money and riches should not be flaunted. They were oblivious of the fact that the precious jewelry they brought with them from the Kingdom of Dreams had given rise to envy, jealousy and they looked to take for themselves what belongs to others . They decided to go back to their casino/hotel, rest a while before going out to dinner. Then they wanted to find a nightclub to have a great time and while away the rest of the night, never dreaming that the moment their black sports car re-appeared, it was spotted by the police and sirens sounded all around and the police were in hot pursuit. Emmanuel stepped on the gas and the super fast and agile car dashed right and left overtaking other cars, hoping to once again throw off the police. Police cars did their best to catch up, but were no match for the unique jet black sports car and had to fall back. Just as Emmanuel was feeling very proud of himself for once again outrunning his pursuers, he heard the police loud speakers blare out orders.
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“Listen all cars and pedestrians. The police are trying to capture dangerous criminals. To prevent unnecessary casualties, all cars please stop and park by the side of the street. Pedestrians too stop walking and find a safe place to hide. Cars and pedestrians for your own safety, please co-operate. The police are trying to capture dangerous criminals……” Helicopters hovered overhead, sirens wailed relentlessly and loudspeakers blared out orders to clear the roads. Soon Emmanuel found himself isolated on the empty streets with three or four police cars slowly driving up towards him from behind. The police dragnet was closing in. Trying to force his way out, Emmanuel drove forward and tried to turn right, only to find police barricades blocking all exit. He drove on to the next street and tried to turn left, but found two huge fire trucks parked sideways on the street, leaving no space for him to slip through. The fire trucks were parked but their engines were still running as if ready for action at any moment. He thought of dashing through the sidewalks as he did before, but saw the firemen staring angrily at him as if saying, “Come on, try it and see if you want a head to head collision with our fire truck!” and made as if ready to carry out their threat. Left with no choice, Emmanuel had to continue driving on, even knowing that he was being forced towards the spot where the police would be lying in wait. When he saw a tunnel not far in front of him, alarm bells rang in his head. He knew that if the police were lying in wait for him at the other end of the tunnel and blocked all exit, he would be driving himself and Salina into the police dragnet. With the police cars in front of and at the back of them, they would be easily captured, with no possibility of escape, which was not the outcome he wanted. Salina who was sitting beside him had come to the same conclusion.
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“There is no other way; we’ll have to bail out” said Emmanuel. “We must get out of this car. When I count to three, we must open the car door at the same time, change into our original size to avoid detection and escape towards the sidewalk.” Emmanuel counted to three. The jet black sports car braked suddenly and both of them opened the car door, changed their shape, jumped out and made for a blind spot easily overlooked. Luckily the crafty Salina brought along a handkerchief as camouflage, under which they hid as they made their way now fast now slow towards a place of safety. Suddenly a huge explosion rent the air and the jet black sports car they had just been driving burst into flames and was blown into smithereens. The fire trucks that had been following them immediately rushed to the scene and began putting out the flames. The police were shocked by this unexpected turn of events and all eyes were drawn to the still smothering chars of the car. Emmanuel and Salina took advantage of their distraction and ran away from the scene.
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After the fire was extinguished, it was found that the bomb had reduced the jet black sports car to a pile of burnt wreckage. The police were gratified that while going through the wreckage no blood stains or human remains were found. In a word, there were no bodies. Where could the two live persons who were inside the car have gone to? How could they just disappear like a puff of smoke and vanish into thin air? The police were mystified. This baffling bombing incident became the talk of the town and the hottest topic of street gossips but there was not a single clue that could lead to the solving of the mystery and it became an unsolved crime, a cold case that was gradually forgotten.
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Emmanuel and Salina looked around the empty streets, free of cars and pedestrians. They quickly enlarged their bodies to the normal human size and took off running as fast as they could. But the moment they caught sight of people in the distance, they became alert and immediately changed back to their original shape. Hiding themselves under the handkerchief the two of them continued to make their escape from the scene. Some sharp-eyed pedestrians may have caught sight of two naked forms, a man and a woman, streaking past them on the street and was gone in a second. They must have thought it was a trick of the eye. Actually who could have known that in this world there were people who were able to change the size and shape of their bodies at will from tiny figures the size of a finger to the normal human sizes and vice versa? No one would credit such a tale. Emmanuel and Salina ran desperately along until they came to the only safe haven they knew, the abandoned warehouse they had once stayed in. They knew for certain that they could no longer go back to the luxurious presidential suite for it was sure to be under police surveillance.
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They squeezed through the crack underneath the door and entered the warehouse. Looking around they saw that the corners of the walls were covered with cobwebs and furniture was scattered all over the place. They were relieved to find that everything was covered with a thick layer of dust, undisturbed by any footprints which proved that no one had been here since they left and it could be a temporary resting place for them. It was only then that Emmanuel heaved a sigh of relief and tried to calm his racing heart. Salina walked to the corner where they used to sleep. She took up the bedding and shook it vigorously to get rid of the dust that had accumulated there and then turning it inside out remade the bed. She lay down languidly on top of it and sighed,
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“Gosh, I’m tired! I really regret coming to this mundane world. Although we have been able to enjoy much of the luxuries life has to offer, we almost lost our lives. No matter how you look at it, it’s really is not worthwhile.”
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“Who could it be that wanted to kill us?” mused Emmanuel angrily. “We were really lucky to get out of the car just in a nick of time. Three seconds longer and we would have been blown up into smithereens together with the black sports car. Who could this unknown enemy be who hated us so much he wanted us to die that way? I never realized we had an enemy…”
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“We were too naïve” said Salina. “We did not realize that the world was full of pitfalls and that jewels and riches were not to be flaunted. We did not think much of the diamonds and jewels we brought from the Kingdom of Dreams and spent them like water, as if they were nothing. It must have incurred the envy and jealousy of others and brought upon ourselves this catastrophe that almost killed us. Just thinking of what we went through just now makes my heart beat erratically.”
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“I think I know who did this” replied Emmanuel angrily. “It must be that guy Wolfe, the jewelry expert and appraiser or the manager of that huge casino. I don’t even know his name. You know what? It couldn’t be anyone else. I will not rest until I have my revenge on them.” Salina yawned and turned to change her sleeping posture, fully exposing her beautiful figure and Emmanuel sat down beside her on their temporary bed.
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“You know what Emmanuel?” said Salina, “Let it go. These are really bad people. We are on their turf and there’s no way we can get the better of them. As the saying goes, “What goes around comes around” I envied King Dimitri his gold palace and got in league Cyclops and the native warriors to trash his kingdom and take away from him the gold palace that I loved so much. Now these people want the diamonds we brought with us to the mundane world and we almost lost our lives because of their envy and jealousy. I say this is an eye for an eye, tit for tat. .. I think you had better come back with me to our peaceful and beautiful Kingdom of Dreams. I want to see my poor parents who remain at Gahanna repenting their past sins. I will be satisfied just to be by their side, living a quiet and peaceful life. Really Emmanuel, let go back home as soon as possible. What is there for us to stay here in this mundane world?”
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“Oh no, no, no. I cannot leave yet. I must know who it is that wanted to kill us. Why don’t you go back first and see your parents. I will be back pretty soon and we’ll meet in our nest in the tree hole. How about it…?” Salina gave him a white eye. Her sharp eyes seemed to be able to penetrate his innermost thoughts.
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“Don’t even try to use that trash on me. You think I am not aware of what you are about? You have set your sights on some beautiful woman and don’t want me around to hamper your style and foil your unspeakable, evil designs, right? You know Emmanuel, those who do wrong will not come to a good end. Go back with me to our tranquil and peaceful home in the Kingdom of Dreams.”
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“My precious darling” replied Emmanuel, again his smiling, cheeky self. “Don’t be oversensitive. With a beauty like you by my side I am more than satisfied. Why do I need to go hunting for others? Put away your suspicions; they are pointless…” Salina yawned again sleepily, so tired that even her speech was becoming slurred. “As you will then. I won’t nag any more. But I must remind you that I have your indenture papers and your sworn oath. If you dare to go back on your oath, the end will be terrible. Those who do wrong will not come to a good end. I will say no more.” Salina turned round and soon fell asleep. In her dreams she would go back to the Kingdom of Dreams she longs for. She was born there and grew up there and there is her home sweet home.
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Emmanuel took up a corner of the comforter and covered Salina’s body with it. Then creeping as silently as he could, he sneaked out from under the crack of the door. Outside the streets were empty, with not a pedestrian in sight. Flinging his arms out wide like a bird stretching its wings, he was conscious of the wind passing under his armpits. He looked up at the skies and exalted at a complete sense of freedom without Salina there to hinder and restrict him. Now he was really like a bird, able to fly freely wherever he willed, at whatever heights he wanted. Salina’s astute assumption that the real reason for Emmanuel’s unwillingness to go back to the Kingdom of Dreams with her was not because of revenge, was absolutely correct. The impression of Aisha’s beautiful and exquisite sandals had haunted him ever since he saw them lying on the lawn by the swimming pool, and it remained fresh and indelible in his mind ever since. So he ran swiftly towards Aisha’s house. Because he knew he was now the police’s most wanted list, he remained extremely vigilant and did his best to keep his profile away from people he passed. Emmanuel had little sense of right and wrong and could not distinguish between good and evil. Whatever he did was motivated only by his own personal preference and he always acted as he willed regardless of others or of consequences. He could never forget the time when he hid in one of those exquisite sandals and saw with his own eyes an extremely torrid and sexy scene. He was only the size of a finger then so he could only look on with envy but was unable to do anything about it. Now things were different. He had become tall and brawny, stronger and more intimidating than an ordinary man, so he thought he could now do whatever he wanted. His simple mind did not tell him that Aisha was no ordinary woman. She was the exalted Queen of the Kingdom of Dreams, a very important position in King Dimitri’s eyes and therefore was not someone he could think of trifle with. Emmanuel was not a man who kept his word and sprouting out serious oaths as if they were nothing was a common place habit of his, never thinking what would happen if one of them actually came true. This action of his was really foolish and idiotic.
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Among the ruins of the burnt palace of the Kingdom of Dreams, Charina was using her binoculars to search the faraway Giant Mountains for any trace of King Dimitri. She seemed to have found the center of the powerful earthquake. Under the misty moonlight, she saw that the paralyzed giant lying horizontally on the horizon seemed to be struggling to sit up, but didn’t have the strength to do so and had to lie back down. Then he seemed to be trying to change his posture by turning to his right side, but that too failed. Every time he tried to move his body, the earth quaked. Was the giant who had lain there horizontally since the beginning of time feeling uncomfortable after staying in the same position for too long? Or was it because he had received some kind of stimulus that made him long to change his position? Huge rocks and boulders blocked Charina’s view of the bottom of the feet of the giant, so she was not able to see what was happening. Actually, King Dimitri riding on his snow-white steed was flying up and down the almost 180 degrees sheer cliff that was the bottom of the giant’s feet. It was a place where neither sunlight nor moonlight ever shone so it was extremely cold, damp and moist. The geological structure of the bottom of this part of the lake was so strangely formed that strong, treacherous circles of currents and riptides were ever present to trap unwary sailors. Natives of the Kingdom of Dreams knew never to go near this part of the lake. King Dimitri drew this magic sword and thrust it into the cliff, trying to find the weakest and most sensitive part of the giant’s feet, to stimulate him to produce enough power to move or change his posture. That would be killing two birds with one stone, for not only would it sooth the giant who had lain in the same posture for too long, but in changing his posture the giant would swoop the gold palace off his chest right into the lake, which was King Dimitri’s real goal - to fulfill his promise to King Zeus. So far, his sword thrusts only made the giant produce some minor partial tremors, not enough to make him change his posture. That was the cause of the small earthquakes so far. King Dimitri suddenly thought of the story of Achilles’ Heels, the only weak and vulnerable spot of the Greek hero’s body. Could the giant’s vulnerability also lie in his heels? But the giant’s heels were under water, where dangerous and treacherous whirlpools and riptides exist to pull sailors to their death at the bottom of the lake. Just then King Dimitri’s eye fell on the coil of ropes on the back of his white horse and was greatly inspired. Taking down the rope, he tied one end around Lightning’s neck and the other around his own waist. He then said to his horse,
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“Spread your wings and float on top of the water while I dive into the lake. Hopefully I will succeed this time in forcing the giant to change his posture.” Saying so, he jumped off his horse and dived into the lake.
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King Dimitri swam downwards in the pitch black water until he reached the place where he suspected the bottom of the giant’s heel to be. He took the magic sword which he bit between his teeth and thrust it mightily at the cliff. That was indeed where the giant’s heel was, his weakest and most vulnerable spot. The giant’s huge body shivered and King Dimitri knew that he had succeeded. He quickly pulled at his rope and made his way swiftly upwards. Unfortunately he got pulled into a huge whirlpool which dragged him back down. Luckily the magic horse Lightning floating on the water felt the tug and had an intuition that his master was in trouble. Flapping his wings urgently he surged upwards a few feet thus helping his master break away from the pull of the whirlpool. With his magic sword bitten between his teeth, King Dimitri broke out of the water and swam towards his white horse. He jumped onto the horse, put his sword back into its shield and said “Let’s get going and leave here as quickly as possible.” Just then, the sound of huge crashes resounded in the air as Giant Mountain broke into several sections and sank to the bottom of the lake, producing earth-shaking landslides, earthquakes and tsunami that rocked the area. But King Dimitri was safely on his precious horse Lightning. He rose into the air and left the area.
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The thundering roar of the mountain splitting up into several sections rocked the area. Charina, who was sitting on King Dimitri’s throne felt as if she was in a boat going now up, now down, now right, now left, swaying, reeling and shaking uncontrollably. She clung desperately to the arms of the throne for support as the world around her seemed to shake and sway menacingly. She felt as if she was in a small, solitary raft being tossed around helplessly in an angry sea amid tall waves and mighty winds, in danger of being swallowed up by the waves any minute. The sky seemed to be falling down so Charina squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She calmed down in the face of imminent death and felt that eternal sleep was not as frightening as she had thought.
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After a while the more momentous of the earthquakes seemed to slow down. The sky had not fallen down and the shrill neighing of a horse broke into her consciousness. She opened her eyes in surprise and used her binoculars to search the skies above. She saw King Dimitri come flying towards her on his magic horse Lightning that flapped his mighty wings as he flew across the wide expanse of blue lake. As they came close, Lightning slowed down and landed steadily on the bank of the lake. King Dimitri dismounted, smiled at her and untied the rope at his waist. Charina could not control the excitement and agitation in her heart. She stood up unsteadily and tottered towards him. King Dimitri opened his arms and enfolded her in his embrace, patting her on the back saying, “It’s alright now. The worst is over… You must have been frightened. I didn’t think it would be that bad either. I never thought Giant Mountain would break into several sections. But it’s great that everything is alright now and no one got hurt…” He sighed and continued, “At least I have fulfilled my promise to King Zeus. The gold palace has fallen into the lake waters.” He took his arms from around Charina and patted the head of his two pet tigers saying, “Good for you two. You did a really good job protecting my guest Charina. I will reward you later on when I have more time.” King Dimitri rolled up the coil of rope and put it back on his horse and then he tightened the strap securing his magic sword on the other flank. He hugged the neck of his favorite steed and softly caressed his mane saying,
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“Thank you Lightning. If it were not for your quick thinking in springing up above the water to help pull me out of the whirlpool, I would have been pulled down into the bottom of the lake and died… Now we have to part for a time but I am sure we will be seeing each other soon. You must go back to Medusa for she will be greatly worried if you disappeared. My dear friend, adieu. Go back to Medusa…” Saying so, King Dimitri took a few steps back to give this unique creature enough space to take off into the air. There was a tacit understanding between the magic horse Lightning and its master. It knew instinctively that this was not the place for them to linger on for long. Flapping its wings, it soared up into the skies and flew towards the mountain and forests but turned its head several times to look back down at King Dimitri, expressing its reluctance to leave its beloved master.
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King Dimitri stood by the lake looking towards the right at the Giant Mountain which had broken into several sections, some of which had fallen into the lake, his eyes reflecting, sorrow, pain and regret. He stood in the cold wind, with his wet clothes clinging to his body. Charina said softly to the two tigers,
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“Go and find some dry sticks and wood and pile them behind the fallen wall. It’s not windy there and we must start a fire to let King Dimitri get warm and dry his clothes. Go quickly.” The two of them immediately took off to carry out her orders. Charina ran back to the throne and took up her backpack, rummaging for the bottle of hundred-year-old maotai wine. She handed it to King Dimitri saying,
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“Here drink some of this or you’ll get sick. You are wet through and through. The wine will help you get warm.” Dimitri took the wine and drank straight from the bottle. A warm streak went from his throat to his stomach and his body immediately felt warmer.
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“This is the hundred-year-old wine I had been hoarding for a long time. It is very lucky for you to find this small bottle in the midst of this huge debris and ruins.”
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“Go on, take another drink” replied Charina smiling. “Warm yourself so you don’t get sick.” Dimitri drank again from the bottle and sighed saying,
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“The Giant Mountain was not as lucky as you. It’s really a pity that I accidentally killed him. I hope he will forgive my unintentional crime.” He stopped for a moment, took another drink and continued, “This giant had been lying here paralyzed since the beginning of time. I thought he must be feeling stiff, painful and numb and would be more comfortable if he could change his sleeping position. I thrust my sword into his heel where he was most vulnerable, only meaning to galvanize him into action and turn over to his side. I never dreamed that his body would break into several sections. I certainly did not mean to kill this giant who had co-exised peacefully with me in the Kingdom of Dreams for so many years.”
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“This was not your fault” comforted Charina. “You meant well. The giant had been lying there for a long, long time enduring the corrosion of time and the elements. His body had long eroded and lost the ability to move. It could not possibly stand up to such drastic upheavals. I am sure he will certainly not blame you…”
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“You are right Charina’ replied Dimitri. “Look how huge the body of the giant is. It’s made up of huge rocks and heavy soil. If even such a body could not stand the erosion of time, how could the flesh body of us humans do more? After a few short decades our strength and spirits would be drained and we would face destruction and death.”
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Dimitri followed Charina to the spot behind the wall. She took out the box of matches she had found amidst the dust and debris of the ruins and hoped it would still work. Luckily it sprang to life at the first strike and ignited the dry wood and twigs into flames which gradually became a roaring fire. The tigers continued to look for twigs and dry wood to feed the fire. Dimitri and Charina looked at each other and smiled. Dimitri’s eyes seemed to say, “Your luck is so good.” Charina smiled back in tacit understanding. Dimitri took off his wet clothing which Charina hung on long sticks and waved them to and fro above the fire to dry them. Dimitri sat by the fire. It was only then that he felt cold and shivered, feeling goose pimples rising on the skin all over his body. He immediately took another drink and said,
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“Let’s sleep here by the fire. I must take you back to the familiar mundane world.” Charina nodded while she continued to dry Dimitri’s wet clothes. Dimitri’s body temperature rose and he murmured, “We should make full use of our flesh bodies while it is still warm and functioning. Why let our flesh body experience unnecessary worries and sadness? We should enjoy the happiness that body temperature brings. Our body has a fantastic brain, able to weave dreams. How wonderful it is that we could travel at will between the mundane world and the Kingdom of Dreams. It is really a fantastic treat. Yes, we should enjoy the human body and not trouble our minds about unnecessary sorrow and sadness. We do not want to be like the giant who waited too long to fulfill his dream and broke into several sections to his everlasting regret.” Soon the wet clothes were dry. Dimitri put them on and felt snug and comfortable to be dry and warm again. He took Charina’s hand and walked to the fire, saying,
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“I am so sorry, Charina. I meant to show you around my Kingdom of Dreams and never thought so many unexpected things would happen. I am sorry you were frightened and scared.”
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“There’s no need for apology. It was an adventure for me to come to your Kingdom of Dreams, a novel experience that expanded my field of vision and broadened my views. I now know that besides the city where we live there is another even broader sphere – the Kingdom of Dreams!” Saying so, they lay down by the warm fire. Both of them had gone through a lot that day and no sooner had they lain down their head than they fell fast asleep.
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The silence of the dark night was abruptly broken by shrill police sirens coming from all corners some far, some near, some loud, some remote, but all seemed to be rushing towards one designated gathering spot. Charina’s slumber was disturbed by the noise of several police cars with sirens blaring racing through the quiet and tranquil residential streets where she lived. She tossed about restlessly on the verge of waking up, but was still engrossed in her dreams. Another police car with high pitched siren screaming raced by, jolting Charina awake. She opened her sleepy eyes and wondered what had happened. Why are the police so blatantly disrupting the peace of the neighborhood and the disturbing the rest of its residents with their racing cars and shrill sirens? Was there a major crisis somewhere? She found she was back in her own comfortable bedroom. Looking over she saw Dimitri’s blank eyes staring at her but did not seem to be seeing her.
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“Did the police sirens wake you up, Dimitri?” she asked. Dimitri sighed and said,
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“In our Kingdom of Dreams we encountered earthquakes and tsunami where I almost lost my life. We come back to the mundane world and find upheavals and chaos. The police seem to be involved in a major case. Just now I heard loudspeakers shouting about capturing dangerous criminals and I was wondering if there really is such a thing as a serene and happy paradise anywhere on this planet”
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“I seemed to have heard something like that too…” said Charina, but before she could finish her sentence a huge explosion was heard in the direction of the tunnel nearby. The ominous noise sounded especially frightening in the darkness of the night. Maureen jumped onto the bed whining and whimpering as if she was really scared. Charina immediately took him into her arms and patted him comfortingly…
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“Something has happened. It has really happened. That was what I have been worrying about all along…”muttered Dimitri. “These two little people came to the mundane world to have a good time, but living in the Kingdom of Dreams, they know nothing about this world they have come to. They are completely ignorant of how to behave, but think they know everything, especially that Mr. Finger. He is a daredevil, reckless and impudent. I wonder what earthshaking trouble they have gotten into now... Let’s hope it’s not life threatening, that’s the best scenario…”
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“You mean that guy that broke into my house and tried to rape me?” asked Charina, her large eyes full of fear. “You said his name was Mr. Finger and he could change his form at will. His appearance has also been completely altered. What if in the midst of all this turmoil, he breaks in here again tonight, what shall I do?” Dimitri smiled as he turned to hold Charina shoulders and caressed it comfortingly saying,
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“Don’t be afraid. I don’t think he would dare to come. Even if he does I only have to say Medusa’s name three times and she will appear at my beck and call and come to your rescue. Don’t be afraid….” Only then did the look of fright and desperation disappear from Charina’s eyes and she regained her composure saying,
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“Can you go back to sleep? If not, I will make some coffee, get something to eat and we can enjoy a snack. We can talk about what we just went through in the Kingdom of Dreams and I will write it all down while the memory is still fresh.” Dimitri of course agreed.
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Charina hastily did her ablutions and was making coffee. The methodic and rhythmic sound of the percolating coffee pot created a comforting and calming effect in the turbulent night. Charina walked into the living room with the coffee and a plate of dessert. She sat down before Dimitri and handed him a cup of coffee. He took it and was sipping it appreciatively when Maureen, who was lying on Dimitri’s lap, smelled the fragrance of food. He raised his head and sniffed hungrily as if he wanted some too. Charina obligingly broke off a piece of cake, offered it to him and watched as he ate it happily. She sat across from Dimitri drinking her coffee in a reflective and reminiscing mood as if mentally drafting her manuscript and asked
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“From where I was sitting in the ruins of the palace, there seemed to be about a thousand barbarian soldiers at the gold palace. Was that about right?” Dimitri smiled and replied,
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“Yes, but it’s closer to four, five thousand if you include the elderly, the women and the children”
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“The two fierce tigers, Kojak and Cortes, are extremely loyal to you. Did you raise them from tiny cubs?” Dimitri shrugged and said,
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“They used to be two specimens. I placed one on each side of my throne as ornaments. Somehow they came to life. You know that in my Kingdom of Dreams anything is possible.”
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“And what about that white flying horse you ride. I have only heard of flying horses in mythology and never dreamed I would actually see one with my own eyes in the Kingdom of Dreams. What can you tell me about him? Like what is his origin and such…”
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“As to that…” said Dimitri seeming to sink into a reverie. “If you want to write about the story of the flying horse Lightning, it would have to be another separate story altogether. He is a very unique creature.”
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Charina sat before her laptop computer, fingers flying nimbly over the keyboard. Dimitri smiled at her in relief because he knew that now creative thoughts were rushing through her brains in an unstoppable flow and that her writer’s block of the past year was over. But after a while his smile vanished as he realized he was feeling an inexplicable nervous tension the source of which he could not fathom. Perhaps it was because he was worried about the two little people Viola and Mr. Finger, wondering where they were … Just then the ringing of the cell phone startled them both. Who could be calling this late in the night? Charina took out her cell phone and asked,
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“Hello, who is this?”
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“Sorry for disturbing you this late in the night” said a man’s voice at the other end. “This is Richard. Is Dimitri there? I have an urgent message that must be given to him.”
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“Of course. Hold on a minute please.” Saying so, she handed her cell phone to Dimitri.
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“What is it, Richard? It’s very late. Has something important happened?”
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“Jamaz was badly wounded and is in critical condition at the ER of the hospital.”
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“What? Tell me what happened.” In the deep and quiet night, the words from the cell phone could be clearly heard in the air.
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“It was Mr. Finger who did it. I know it was him even though he changed his appearance and assumed a normal human shape. I am quite certain of it. He also stabbed my arm with a pair of large garden shears. He is really ruthless.”
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“Which hospital are you at now? I’ll be right over.”
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“No, no. Don’t come. Queen Aisha is here. She fainted and lost consciousness for a while but has now revived. When she heard that Jamaz nearly died protecting her, she insisted on remaining at the ER to see how the surgery turns out. If you come here you will meet her. Do you think that’s wise?”
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“Oh… Queen Aisha is there. To see her now may not be the best thing to do… Let me know how Jamaz’s surgery goes as soon as you know.”
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“Of course. I will let you know as soon as the doctor talks to me” said Richard and hung up. Dimitri was devastated by the disastrous news and wondered how things could have deteriorated to such a degree and was extremely worried for his good friend Jamaz. Seeing how stunned Dimitri was at the unexpected turn of events, Charina could not concentrate on her writing. Turning to him she suggested,
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“Let’s go for a walk. I will bring my cell phone in case Richard calls. How about it?” Dimitri nodded in agreement.
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The water in the swimming pool rippled and splashed as Aisha swam back and forth from one end to the other, agile as a fish until her limbs were tired and the desired effect of the exercise was reached. She then walked slowly up the steps of the pool with drops of water dripping down her slender and graceful body. Taking up the large bath towel on the lounge chair she dried herself with it and then paced up and down the soft grass until she recovered her breath. She poured half a cup of brandy and lay down on the lounge chair to rest. She was using the strenuous exercise to give her brains a rest, but now that the exercise was done, her worries and vexations seemed to have returned. She had been trying to recall her dissertation “On Life in Matriarchal Society” which she had been writing while she was in the Kingdom of Dreams. But the barbarian tribes had invaded the Kingdom and the magnificent palace was burnt to the ground, probably turning her unfinished thesis to ashes at the same time. To try and write down the whole manuscript from memory was of course impossible. She could remember most of the contents but many of the details and fine points were hazy and textual research would have to be done on it once more. Writing a thesis was easy when compared to trying to reproduce a half-finished one from memory, which needed more painstaking care and mental labor. As Aisha’s eyes gazed at the night skies, shrill screams of police sirens in the neighboring streets broke the peaceful serenity of the residential district as police cars rushed by. This female scholar had been solely concentrated on her studies and was immersed in the sea of the mysteries of knowledge. The disruptive disturbance reminded her that there was an outside world with turbulent unrest and criminal activities. Aisha was surprised that so late on such a quiet night the police would risk waking the whole neighborhood by their sirens, loudspeakers and racing police cars. Something must be afoot. She suddenly remembered the gossips going around her neighborhood that there was a serial rapist who broke into residences by force and attempted to rape women. She rose abruptly from her lounge chair, crossed the grass on her bare feet to step into her beautiful and exquisite sandals preparing to go back to her house and securely close all the windows and doors. She never dreamed that danger was already drawing near and was right outside her wooden fence.
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Emmanuel looked cautiously right and left and was overjoyed to find that there was no one around and that all was quiet and serene. “That obnoxious Jamaz had apparently gone away” he thought “There’s no time like the present.” Stretching out his arm, he vaulted over the fence and jumped into the back yard. Aisha was stepping into her beautiful sandals and was just about to turn around when suddenly she was confronted by a tall and stalwart man standing right in front of her. She stared at him in shock and before she could shout for help, the man pressed a mechanism of the small object he held in his hand and a thin line of powder squirted out straight at Aisha’s nose and mouth. She only had time to smell a strong flowery fragrance before she fainted and lost consciousness. Emmanuel took a few steps forward and caught her by the waist before she fell to the ground. He was elated by his success and was about to carry her into the house when someone else jumped over the fence behind him shouting,
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“Hey! What are you going to do to her?” Emmanuel turned his head and found it was again that spoilsport Jamaz.
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“What I want to do is my business” replied he crossly, “and has nothing to do with you. Scram!”
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“I saw you from afar rushing towards this house” said Jamaz, with his hands on his hips. “You were too engrossed in your nefarious intentions to notice me and just hid in the bushes.” Jamaz pointed at Aisha saying, “Don’t you know who she is? She is the queen of the Kingdom of Dreams, the royal spouse of your friend King Dimitri. What are you trying to do?”
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“What rot! Who cares whether she is queen or not. Dimitri has more women than he knows how to deal with. Why can’t I have some fun and share one of them with him? I don’t think he would mind. In fact I am sure it would be alright with him.”
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“Oh, so it’s just a woman you want. That’s easy. I’ll take you woman hunting. You can take your pick and have as many as you want, but you cannot touch this one.” Emmanuel flew into a rage. He strode over the lawn, carefully placed Aisha’s unconscious body on the lounge chair and pointing his fingers at Jamaz began his tirade,
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“Shut your trap! Who says I can’t have this woman? Are you the only one who can have her? You think I don’t know what she is to you? I was hiding in her sandals that day when the two of you were going at it and saw everything from beginning to end. I was only as big as a finger at the time so there was nothing I could do about it. Now I am tall and strong as any man so I can do whatever I want whenever I want to. Who are you to stop me? Mind your own business or I will kill you.” Jamaz was at first appalled at Emmanuel’s outburst, but after he realized the guy knew what he was talking about, he changed his tune and became more conciliatory,
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“That day I was asked to come here to clean the pool and take care of some gardening work for a friend. What happened between us was a fluke. She was in a semi-conscious state, not at all in control of her senses and her reason. I was obsessed by some devilish idea when we had sex together. I swear to you at the time I was not aware that she was Aisha, King Dimitri’s royal spouse. If I did, I would never have done this horrific deed. So I am advising you not to follow in my footsteps. Do not do something that would be disloyal to your friend. To find a woman is the easiest thing in the world. I’ll take you to find one or as many as you want.”
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“Shut up. Scram. Don’t stay here yapping your nonsense. Today I am set on having this woman. Since you dare to stop me, I will kill you.” Saying so, Emmanuel took up a pair of long, sharp gardening shears and aimed it straight at Jamaz’s chest. Jamaz dodged but persisted in trying to talk some sense into Emmanuel.
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“You saved my life once, so I owe you (see Book 1). If you want to kill me, so be it, come and get me. I promise not to raise my hand against you, but I will not stand by and watch you dishonor Queen Aisha.” Emmanuel did not reply, but attacked Jamaz from all kinds of cunning and crafty angles with his garden shears. Since acquiring the body of a stalwart man, Emmanuel’s movements became as fast and deadly as the spotted leopard running freely on the grasslands. Jamaz was not aware of this change and in a moment of carelessness was wounded by a thrust of the shears on his left arm where blood sprouted out and reddened his whole arm. Jamaz wiped the blood that had sprayed onto his face with his right hand and smiled at Emmanuel as if he did not feel the pain at all, saying,
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“Sure, let the blood flow. May every drop of blood cleanse away my sin against Queen Aisha. Let the blood be my contrition. Come on, Mr. Finger, come and kill me. Today I will atone for my sin with my life and prove my loyalty to King Dimitri.” The two of them continued the uneven fight earnestly, one attacking aggressively without having to think of defense, and the other only defending himself without attacking his opponent.
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Richard drove his jalopy towards his pre-arranged rendezvous with Jamaz, his rickety truck clanging noisily along the way. He was about to whistle to announce his presence when he heard the noise of combat and shouting coming from the back yard of Aisha’s house and knew something was amiss. He quickly got out of his car, ran to the wooden fence and also jumped over. The first thing he saw was the tender green grass smeared with bright red blood flowing from Jamaz’s several wounds. His old friend was in a bad shape. He had lost so much blood that his movements were slow and clumsy, but Emmanuel still pressed on relentlessly with his sharp long garden shears and finally stabbed him in the chest with a might thrust. Jamaz tottered back a few steps and looked down at the gaping wound in his chest where blood was spurting out. He blacked out and fell to the ground. Emmanuel was shocked and only then did he realize the seriousness of his actions, that he had killed his good friend Jamaz. Richard rushed over to his fallen pal who was short of breath and whose throat rumbled with painful groans. He knelt down and putting his face close to Jamaz said,
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“My old friend, chin up. Don’t you dare die on me! Please struggle to remain conscious. You must live on. You cannot die! How can I live on alone in this world without you? Don’t black out please. I’ll get help. When you recover, we will go out on the town as usual eat, drink and be merry. Don’t die, Jamaz. Dimitri will not agree to let you die, either…” Emmanuel rushed up to them shears in hand in full attack mode. Richard threw up his arm to ward off the attack and was badly injured with blood flowing from his wound.. He had taken measure of his bearings as soon as he came on the scene and knew what must have happened. It was fortunate that he had already contacted Mr. Kaffee and Big-O and asked them both to come and meet here in case re-enforcements were needed. Richard calculated that they should already be on their way and the most important thing at the moment was to calm Emmanuel down and stall for time. That little man could not distinguish between good and evil, he should not be allowed to wreck more havoc. Standing up he faced Emmanuel who stood there fiercely with the sharp, bloody shears still in his hands, but his expression was also tinted with alarm and panic.
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“Ok, I know who you are” said Richard calmly. “Listen, although you have changed your size and your shape, from your eyes, I know you are Mr. Finger… If you still have any trace of human decency left in you, think of the past and of how I have always treated you. Look at this man lying at your feet, dying. Think back on how he treated you. How could you hurt him to such a degree? Who was it that fed you when you were hungry and got you wine when you had a thirst for liquor? Wasn’t it the two of us who took you everywhere, to bars and restaurants, casinos and brothels, anywhere you wanted to go to make you happy…? Although you had once saved our lives, you have already taken back his. Do you want to take mine as well? I, Richard am a man who believe in loyalty. If you want my life, come and get it from me…” Before he finished speaking another flying figure came over the wall. It was Big-O. Richard’s heart gladdened at the sight of the monk, for if he was here Mr. Kaffee could not be far behind.
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“You owe him your life” shouted the big monk, “but I do not. Stand aside and let me take care of him. I want to find out what kind of a hero is a man who would kill his old friend and brother.” Saying so, Big-O came to stand beside Richard and made a stance of battle. Richard’ eyes turned to a spot behind Emmanuel. He smiled effusively and said,
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“Hi, King Dimitri, when did you get here? We are just settling some unfinished business here, please don’t concern yourself with it, we can deal with him.” Emmanuel turned around but saw no one, and immediately realized he had fallen for a trick. Big-O made use of his inattention to grab the garden shears out of his hand and elbowed him hard on the chest that made him stagger back a few steps. Mr. Kaffee strolled out from the shadows to the swimming pool with a cell phone in his hand saying,
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“Hello, is that the police station? Are you looking for a serial rapist that’s been terrorizing this district? He is here. If you want him please come as quickly as you can. I can’t be responsible if he runs away. My address here is… Please come as quickly as possible. Oh yes, there are two people down, one of them with severe injuries. Please send an ambulance along as well.” Emmanuel realized that things were getting out of hand. Now that re-enforcements had arrived it was three to one and the police were coming as well, so the best plan was to vamoose! So turning around he jumped over the fence and escaped into the darkness. Big-O picked up the pair of garden shears and threw it at Emmanuel’s departing figure before Richard could stop him. Luckily it missed its target and was stuck on the fence. Big-O jumped over the fence and ran after him. Richard looked at Mr. Kaffee.
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“It’s okay. Let him go” said Mr. Kaffee. “The police will be here soon and Big-O has a long police record. It’s better for him not to be seen the police. Let him run after Mr. Finger. Nothing will happen.” Shrill sounds of police siren and the wailing of the ambulance came nearer and nearer. Mr. Kaffee looked down and saw a tiny rusty object lying on the grass. He picked it up and found it was an exquisitely made antique-looking bronze tortoise.
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“Ah”, he thought “That must be what Dwarf Mickey was talking about, the thing with magic potion inside that smelled like flowers and could make people lose their senses. This is evil and should not be allowed to exist.” Saying so, he threw it into the deep water of the swimming pool, so that this evil thing would remain forever in the water, just as the gold palace would remain forever in the lake waters in the Kingdom of Dreams. In no time the back yard was swarming with police taking photos of the crime scene and looking for clues and fingerprints. Jamaz and Aisha were put on gurneys and taken to the hospital, while Richard and Mr. Kaffee were taken to the police station as eyewitnesses to give their sworn testimony.
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Emmanuel’s movements had become much more nimble and agile after he acquired the ability to change the size and shape of his body at will. He sprang from rooftop to rooftop jumping up and down as if it were level ground. But the person following him was no mean figure. Big-O was a renowned assassin, having killed numerous targets and had his own unique technique for hunting down his prey. He followed Emmanuel tenaciously never letting up. Emmanuel knew that in the end Big-O would catch up with him, so he thought of turning back to face him, take a last stance and fight it out. But then he knew he was no match for the renowned assassin… Suddenly he remembered his old trick. He jumped down from the roof top to the ground and changed back to his original shape no taller than a finger. He then hid himself in the shade of a garbage pile. There were many alleys and side streets all around that it was like a maze. Dwarf Mickey had once brought him here to buy liquor for him so he knew the district. Soon Big-O came running, but was flummoxed by the complicated terrain. He tried one alley after another and finally chose a long and twisting one and ran on. Emmanuel was happy to have fooled his pursuer. He jumped out of his hiding place and tried to enlarge his body by shaking his head as he usually did but failed again and again. No matter how many times he shook his head, his body remained the size of a finger. Emmanuel was devastated. He remembered that he had signed an indenture document and sworn an oath to Viola that he would obey her in all things his whole life. He had not kept his oath and had betrayed Viola by his actions. Could his oath have come back to haunt him now? Emmanuel was scared and alarmed. But something worse happened. A large black cat jumped down from the roof of a house, flashing green eyes shining fiercely as it looked hungrily at the tiny figure of Mr. Finger, apparently taking him for a mouse. It crouched down low with its stomach touching the ground, moving forward by increments getting ready to pounce. Mr. Finger was in no position to save himself. In fact he was not even able to run away. Step by step he retreated from his predator until he found himself backed into a corner with nowhere to go. In desperation he cried out,
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“Dimitri! Help! Where are you, Richard and Jamaz? Where the heck are you guys? I am in trouble. Come and help me!” Suddenly he remembered that he had severely wounded Jamaz who may even have died . “Oh, how could I have done such a dastardly thing as killing my good friend? I really deserve to be punished. This is inevitably just deserts for my crimes.” The black cat pounced at Mr. Finger, who quickly lay down flat on the ground and rolled under the crack of the door of the house. In this critical moment of life and death, he again had a narrow escape and managed to save his life.
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Dimitri put his left hand on Charina’s right shoulder, holding the white cane which he is never without, in his right hand. The two of them together with Maureen, which Charina led on a leash, walked leisurely on the sidewalks around Lake Merritt. Charina seldom came out so late at night, so she made sure that her dog was leashed for fear it would take it into its head to adventure out into the night on its own. The lake water was calm and smooth, covered with a light coat of fog. Cars drove by fast and there were no other pedestrians about. Now and then a police car would drive slowly by, evidently on patrol as it did not have its siren blaring. The situation had calmed down somewhat, quite different from tense and nerve-racking atmosphere earlier in the night. Dimitri too seemed more composed. He seemed to have taken a ‘come what may’ attitude about the future, as worrying would not mend matters. They made a whole round of the lake in about an hour and Charina led Dimitri to a bench and said,
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“It’s been quite a walk. Let’s sit down and take a break.” Dimitri nodded his assent and both of them sat down. Maureen went over to Dimitri and sat down by his side. Dimitri lovingly stroked its silky smooth fur and said,
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“Did you know that I used to hang around here all the time? The rose garden we just passed was one of my favorite haunts. I would bring a bottle of liquor there and spend the night in the open with the beautiful roses. Sometimes I get drunk and worry that the flowers would wilt while I sleep… Sadly such carefree and poetic times are no more.” Charina shook her head, her long hair swaying, giving off a rose-like fragrance and said,
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“So long as there is poetry in your heart, your life will be beautiful as a poem. Poetic environment is always around, so there is no question of its disappearing and being no more…But sometimes, I have a fantasy of dressing up as a homeless person and go gallivanting to the farthest corners of the world with you. That should be a wonderful experience.”
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“The life of a homeless person is not as romantic as you seem to think” replied Dimitri smiling. “It is not the kind of life most people could handle. If you are interested, we could give it a try and you would know all the ups and down of vagabond life. A police car drove slowly by and stopped nearby. The policeman rolled down his car window and gave them a puzzled look: a beautiful and classy looking woman sitting next to a middle-aged homeless person. These two completely different classes of people were actually sitting companionably side by side. He stepped out of his car and walked over to them saying,
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“We are looking for a pair of fugitives, a man and a woman. Have you seen anyone like them around here?”
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“No” replied Charina. “We have made a round of the lake and haven’t seen another person.” The policeman sized up the pair in front of him and decided they were not the ones the police were after. He took out his notebook and asked politely,
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“May I have your names, please and your occupation?” Charina told him her name and that she was a freelance writer. His eyes turned towards Dimitri and asked,
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“What’s yours, sir?”
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“People call me Dimitri. I have no last name. I am a vagabond.”
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“May I know the name of this little cock spaniel?”
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“Maureen.”
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“That a good name” smiled the policeman. Then he said, “This is not the safest place to be, especially at night. Also we are trying to capture two dangerous criminals who are on the run. For your own safety, I suggest you two had better go back home.”
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“Yes sir” replied Charina politely “We’re sitting down to catch our breath and were just intending to leave.”
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As the police car drove off, Charina’s cell phone began to ring insistently. She opened it and handed it to Dimitri who asked nervously,
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“Richard? This is Dimitri. How are things going?”
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“Good news. Good news” came Richard’s excited voice on the other end. “Jamaz’s surgery went very smoothly and was a success. He is not out of the woods yet and is still in critical condition. The next two days will be crucial. I think his strong and robust physique will stand him in good stead and give him a greater chance to recover. Why, he used to run around the wilds of Africa, fighting with leopards. He is not that easy to kill. I am confident of that.”
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“Yes. Yes” replied Dimitri. “I have confidence in him, too. I am sure he will survive…”
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“Jamaz is now in intensive care” continued Richard. “When Queen Aisha saw that the surgery went well, she was extremely relieved and went back home to rest. Marcelina is now with him to take care of his every need. After the members of the Kingdom of Dreams learned how heroically Jamaz fought and risked his life to save Queen Aisha from being harmed by the serial rapist, they regarded him as their hero and vied for the privilege of nursing him back to health again. They made a list, taking turns to come to the ICU and see to his comfort.”
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“That’s great” said Dimitri happily “That is what human behavior should be like. Oh yes, any news of Mr. Finger and Viola? They have now made the police “Most Wanted” list. I think we should send them back to the Kingdom of Dreams before the police arrest them.”
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“Big-O ran after Mr. Finger” answered Richard, “but we haven’t heard anything from him yet. Perhaps Dwarf Mickey will know of a way to get to these two little trouble-makers. I intend to go now to the temples and places where Dwarf Mickey usually frequents and see if I can find him.”
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“Good, good. That’s a good idea.” said Dimitri. Then he asked solicitously, “How’s your wound, Richard?”
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“No problem” replied Richard proudly. “It’s only a flesh wound.”
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“Good. Keep me posted on happenings on your end. Goodbye.” Dimitri hung up with a sigh of relief.
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“Well, that’s that” said Charina with a smile. “You don’t have to worry about them anymore.” But Dimitri shook his head and said,
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“How can I not worry? If Mr. Finger and Viola are arrested, there will be hell to pay… If the police want to know where they are from, then the mysterious veil would be torn from the Kingdom of Dreams and the future of the natives living there would be seriously jeopardized. It would be hard to determine what would happen there.
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“Let’s go and wait at home” said Charina and then comforted him saying, “Who knows? Perhaps there may be good news from the Kingdom of Dreams.” Saying so, she helped him up from the bench and the two of them together with Maureen quickly went on their way back to the house. Charina then quickly went and got the blue balloon, filled it up with air, tied it up with a thread and let fly high up into the skies. She instinctively felt that there will be good news.
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Mr. Finger rolled into the room from under the crack in the door, his body covered in cold sweat. He had luckily once more escaped from the jaws of death and had not fallen victim to the sharp claws and teeth of the large wild cat. He pulled himself together and looked around. He was in a small room with an altar, on which two flickering, almost burnt out candles gave off a weak light. There were also several statues of gods on the altar. The large wild cat, angry at being deprived of its meal was howling indignantly outside the door and scratching the wooden door with its sharp claws in a fit of rage at not being able to pounce on its victim and bite it with its razor-like teeth. Neither was Mr. Finger one to take things lying down. Once he was reasonably assured of his safety, he got up from the ground and walked to the door, kicked it with his feet and again began his tirade,
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“You darned cat, you animal you. Normally I could easily choke you to death with just two fingers. You think you can get the better of me now that I am only the size of a finger? Wait and see!” He looked around to see if there was anything he could use as a weapon, but the only things he found were the two almost burnt out candles on the altar. If he threw them at the cat, the animal could easily dodge them. If he set fire to this small temple, the building would burn down with him in it but the cat would have run away and escaped all harm. That’s not worth it. He hung his head in despair and then suddenly his anger spilt in another direction and he thought,
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“You Dimitri you! You call yourself my good friend and say we are closer than brothers, but where are you when I am in trouble, being preyed upon by a cat? What kind of friend are you that you don’t come to my aid? Screw you! We won’t be friends any more.” Then he thought of Richard and Jamaz. “And you two, Richard and Jamaz. You also say you are my friend and brother. We eat and drink together, go gambling and whoring together. You said we will stick together in life and death, through thick and thin, but when I am in trouble no one is here to help. What kind of friend are you?” Suddenly a bloody scene flashed through his mind. Jamaz was mortally wounded with blood gushing out of the several wounds he had inflicted on him. Then he thrust the pair of long garden shears fiercely into his chest. Jamaz tottered back a few step and fell to the ground. Richard rushed to help and Mr. Finger remembered cutting Richard on the arm with the shears as well. It was then that Mr. Finger remembered what he had done. Large beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. He paced the room greatly troubled, rubbing his hands together in anxiety. He hit himself on his face crying,
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“I am really muddle-brained and thick-headed. What have I done? I have killed my good friend Jamaz! I am worse than an animal… I wonder how Jamaz is now. Could he have died? Oh, what a moron I am, worse than a beast…” He raised his head and looked at the statues on the altar and thought, “There is nothing I can do now. Let me pray to the gods and hope a miracle will happen.” He knelt down before the statue in the middle and kow-towed repeatedly saying, “Oh god high above, I am your undeserving disciple Mr. Finger. In a fit of rage I could not control, I mortally wounded my good friend Jamaz. He may even have died. If he has died, my sin is inexcusable and unforgivable. Please protect him and let him live. I did not kill him on purpose. I swear it. I am willing to give up my own life in exchange for his. Really, really, I did not do it on purpose. I will swear an oath to you that I did not mean to do it and I am willing to give up my life if you would spare his…” Mr. Finger looked up at the statue he was praying to and saw that it looked aloof, unmoved and indifferent, and had the same wooden expression showing no sign of having heard his desperate prayers. He again felt very angry. Jumping up and pointing his fingers at the statue, he burst into words of discrimination and condemnation. “Who do you think you are? I knelt down before you and poured out my heart, begging for forgiveness and mercy. But you didn’t even hear me and just stood there expressionless and mute like the mud figure you are. What are you but a lifeless thing? You are not the only god here. There are others better than you. I’ll go and beg them.” Mr. Finger knelt before the statue on the right, kowtowed repeatedly to it and repeated his prayers as before. But he did not get any better results. He again rose and was about to heap insults on that god too, when he heard someone laughing coldly at him and a shrill voice said,
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“Why are you praying to those mud and wood statues for? They can neither see nor hear you. You are just wasting your time. Why don’t you pray to me, a live and real god? Ha-ha. I can see you are only a fool. Ha-ha…” Mr. Finger followed this voice and saw in the shadows on the farthest left side of the altar was another statue. He walked over to the statue and saw that it had white hair and a long white beard and was wearing a small melon like cap. Why, wasn’t that Dwarf Mickey? Mr. Finger was extremely happy to see him and shouted,
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“Hey, Dwarf Mickey, old brother! What are you doing here in this dilapidated old temple? It’s a real coincidence meeting you here. Just my good luck. Looks like my luck is finally turning. Hey old brother I need your help. Please help me…” Dwarf Mickey interrupted him before he had finished speaking. He waved him over saying,
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“Hey, kneel down and start kowtowing. I want you to repeat the performance you just did for those two gods…” Mr. Finger rubbed his hands together again as if abashed. He resumed his normal cheeky behavior and said,
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“Come on. Don’t be so sarcastic. We’re friends after all and don’t have to go through all that shenanigan. I know you are the god of wealth and I greatly respect you. You heard me pray to them just now. I really meant what I said. I really did not mean to hurt Jamaz, but in a fit of rage I was not able to control I hurt him badly. It’s the real truth, I can swear to it. I really am willing to give up my life for his if his life is in danger. I really mean it Dwarf Mickey, I swear!”
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“You dare to face me after the atrocities you have committed?” scolded Dwarf Mickey sternly. “How dare you hurt you own friend… But you contrition and your willingness to give your life for his, show that you still have some shred of decency left and are therefore salvageable… Jamaz won’t die. He still has work to do. Heaven won’t let him die like that.”
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“That’s great. You have set my heart at rest” said Mr. Finger with a sigh of relief. “But what are you doing here? This dilapidated temple is too small for a great big god of wealth like you Dwarf Mickey.”
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“What am I doing here?” asked the Dwarf glaring at the little man. “I am waiting here for you, that’s why.”
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“Waiting for me?” asked Mr. Finger in surprise, pointing at himself. “Why are you waiting for me? What do you want with me?”
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“To collect a debt. Do you mean to say you are not going to pay your debt? You and Viola broke into my treasure trove and brought a bag of diamond to this mundane world and had great fun scattering it all around. Don’t you think I have the right to collect?”
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“That has nothing to do with me” said Mr. Finger righteously. “It was Viola who broke into your treasure trove. It was she who brought me with her. It was she that did everything and so has nothing to do with me.” He shoved out the palms of his hands as if to push away all responsibility. “Go and find Viola. It has nothing to do with me.”
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“Oh yes. Where is your wife Viola. Why isn’t she with you?”asked Dwarf Mickey.
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“She went back to the Kingdom of Dreams long ago” Mr. Finger replied. “She said this mundane world has lost its attraction and she is homesick, so she went back.”
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“Your wife is very clever and has gone back to where she belongs. Why aren’t you with her?”
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“I haven’t had enough fun yet. I will stay on for a while longer and have more fun.” He walked over to the door, but stopped at the threshold. He walked back and said cheekily to Dwarf Mickey, “Hey, Dwarf Mickey, we are old friends, right? I have a favor to ask. You may be a dwarf and are short in stature; you are still able to take care of the cat outside, right? Please go and drive that cat away so I can leave.” Dwarf Mickey‘s face was without expression as he said,
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“I knew you were going to default on your debt. That cat was called by me to stay by the door to block your escape. So, you are trying to escape, right? If you dare to take one step out of that door, the cat will pounce and bite your head off. If you don’t believe me, just give it a try.” But that was the wrong approach to take with the little man, who again got on his high horse and became really angry, saying
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“What? You want to scare me? I’ll let you know I am not afraid of your strong arm tactics. If you dare to threaten me I will take the candles on the altar and set fire to this temple. You old man will burn to death. I don’t care if I die so long as I take you with me. You think I don’t dare to do so?” Dwarf Mickey knew that this little man could not distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. If an idea enters his brain he was capable of carrying it out regardless of consequences. He rolled his eyes around and thought of a plan. He smiled at Mr. Finger and said,
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“Hey, old friend, have you had any wine today? I have this bottle of excellent liquor. Want to try some? The night is long and we don’t have anything to do. What about whiling away the night with good drinks?” Dwarf Mickey wanted to get the little man drunk so he could deal with him and he knew that wine was one thing Mr. Finger could never refuse. Indeed the little man took the bait and his mouth watered at the prospect of good wine. He swallowed his saliva as his mouth watered and he said,
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“Where’s your wine? Bring it out. Bring it out. The wine bugs in my stomach are rioting!” Dwarf Mickey jumped down from the altar and dove under the table, bringing out an earthen wine jar and an empty bowl. He broke open the sealed jar and the fragrance of seasoned wine filled the room. He poured some wine into the bowl and asked,
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“What do you want to do? Would you like to lie in there and drink? That’s your favorite way to indulge, right?”
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“Yeah, old friends are the best because they know all my strange habits” Saying so, Mr. Finger began to take off all his clothes and jumped into the bowl of wine and began drinking veraciously. Dwarf Mickey meanwhile took up the whole jug and began drinking from it. He knew that to let the little man remain alone in the mundane world would cause unimaginable trouble, so he decided to get him drunk and take him back by force to the Kingdom of Dreams and place him in the custody of his wife Viola. Viola would be able to keep a sharp eye on him so he would not be able to run around causing trouble. It would also set King Dimitri’s heart at rest if he didn’t have this trouble-maker underfoot.
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The door to the dilapidated temple was pushed open and under the crescent moon a shadowy figure could be seen hastily streaking into the room. It was Richard, who had been trying to track down Dwarf Mickey at the old man’s old haunts. He looked around the dimly lit empty room, lighted only by two dying candles. He saw a jug of good wine three quarters gone, an empty bowl with some dregs of wine left in it and knew what must have happened. Dwarf Mickey and Mr. Finger had been here, drinking. Knowing the little man’s eccentric habit, he must have jumped into the bowl and enjoyed his drink lying down; while Dwarf Mickey would have held the jug fast in his arms and drank straight from it. Where could the two intoxicated people have gone to? Richard was impatient to continue on his mission and so did not bother searching the room for more clues, thereby missing the chance to stop a great tragedy from happening. Since the persons he was looking for were not there, Richard proceeded to other temples Dwarf Mickey was known to frequent. He did not see the words Dwarf Mickey wrote on the thick dust on top of the altar. It said, “I have captured the little trouble-maker Mr. Finger and am on my way to the Kingdom of Dreams. I will leave him with his wife Viola, who is the only one in the world who can control and discipline him. The lost treasure trove I have been trying so long to track down has surfaced. My duty is done. I will be going back to my treasures and will sink down to the bottom of Sun Moon Lake together with them. My favorite pastime is having a good time with my friends, eating meat and drinking wine. I hate all tragic moments such as saying goodbye to old friends never to see each other again. Therefore I am leaving these words to bid you all farewell. Adieu my good friends” It was signed “Dwarf Mickey.” In his hurry, Richard did not see the note and therefore was not able to inform Dimitri of this abrupt and sudden turn of affairs, causing irreversible and eternal regret in the minds of Dimitri and all the people around him.
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The moon leaning towards the west shone down bright as day. A small canoe came flying over the mirror-like waters. The bulging muscles on the arms of the man at the oars, flexed as he paddled fast and furiously. Why, wasn’t that Mr. Finger? He has once more reverted to the figure of a tall and brawny man. The woman at the other end of the canoe was the wildly gorgeous Viola, but her expression now was gentler than and not as wild as before. When she first got back to the Kingdom of Dreams, she climbed down the sheer cliff to the depth of Gahanna to visit her parents, who now spent their days fervently praying , deeply contrite of their sins. Viola was extremely happy to find that their life was the same as it was the last time she was here, with no changes at all. Her mother Aileen’s body which had been cut in two, had miraculously combined into one. Just as Dimitri had predicted, as the fire of revenge in her heart diminished little by little, her body recovered and come together little by little as well and the day would come when she could walk like a normal human being. When Viola convinced herself that all was well with her parents, she went back to her own little nest in the tree hole. When she climbed onto the level part of the hole, she saw Mr. Finger lying on the bed, thrashing and shouting,
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“I swear…I swear… I did not kill him on purpose. He is my good friend… I swear that if I could exchange my life for his, I would do it... I swear…I swear I truly mean it… I did not kill him on purpose…” He was lying on the bed but his hands were swinging around and his feet were kicking frantically. Viola said nothing, but walking up to Mr. Finger began slapping him his cheeks hard. Mr. Finger woke from his nightmare feeling heat on his face. He opened his drowsy eyes and saw Viola hands on hips standing before him. Twisting one of his ears with her hand, she asked,
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“What bad thing have you done now? You killed someone? Who have you killed……?”
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“No, no, no…” stuttered Mr. Finger. “How can I kill anyone? It’s nothing like that at all…” and he told Viola the story from beginning to end. “You know, it’s all your fault for turning me into a tiny figure and then made it so I couldn’t change back to a large human form again. I could easily have become a meal for the large wild cat. It was really scary.”
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“Now you know my powers. Don’t forget you swore an oath and sold yourself to me when you signed the indenture papers. Your body and soul belong solely to me. You live if I let you live and die when I want you to.” Her fingers on his ear twisted harder and Mr. Finger cried out in pain saying,
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“Yes, yes, yes. I will listen to everything you say…I will live if you let me and die when you order me to. I’ll do whatever you say, please, please let go of your fingers…” Viola loosened her hand and sat down beside Mr. Finger. They sat side by side like any other ordinary couple and talked about things that happened in the past to while away the night. Suddenly they saw in the corner of the room, the cotton pouch they had used to carry the precious stones they took away to the mundane world. There were still about two dozen of them left in the pouch and they seem to be struggling inside trying to get out. Or there seemed to be a small animal inside struggling to be free. Viola looked at the cotton pouch and said as if recalling something,
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“Was it Dwarf Mickey who brought you back here to the Kingdom of Dreams?”
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“Who else? When I woke up I was lying here on the bed. It must have been him. Who else could it have been?” Viola looked at the pouch and said quietly,
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“Dwarf Mickey has returned here. He must have gone to the treasure trove and summoned all the treasures that had been scattered all over the world to come back to their original home. So that must be why those diamonds left in the pouch are struggling to join ranks with their comrades. They are useless to us here, so why don’t we take them back to the treasure trove?” Viola’s character seemed to have made a 180 degree transition. Some sacred and mysterious strength had dissipated her normally insatiable greed. That strength exits between heaven and earth and if properly channeled could make life more beautiful than ever. Viola and Mr. Finger picked up the cotton pouch, climbed down the stairs inside the tree and walked out of the tree hole. She shrugged and changed herself to a normal human shape, turning into a beautiful young woman. Mr. Finger followed suit but nothing happened. He was still a tiny person, small as a finger. Viola giggled at his frustration and said to him,
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“From now on you can change your shape only with my permission. Understand?” Mr. Finger nodded his head helplessly and said,
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“Yes. Yes. You are my master. I will listen to your every command.”
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“Alright. You may now shrug yourself and see what happens.” Mr. Finger shrugged again and immediately changed into a tall, stalwart man. They jumped into a canoe and rowed towards the roaring waterfall.
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The canoe dashed into the roaring waterfall which was noisy as a herd of racing horses. The drops of water dancing in the veils of the fall drenched Viola and Mr. Finger’s heads, faces and bodies as they passed through. After they docked and secured their canoe by the bank of the lake, Viola took out the cotton pouch she had brought with her and found that the diamonds inside were jumping and struggling even more desperately than before as if conscious that they were getting nearer to their home and so were becoming extremely excited. She untied the strings to the cotton pouch and the diamonds jumped out, changed into tiny human forms, some male some female and made frantically for the shore. They dashed up the stone steps skipping and dancing right up to the mouth of the cave, which shimmered with a multicolored rainbow of colors given off by the diamonds gathered inside. A party was in full swing inside the cave, which was full of laughter and busy footsteps, accompanied by melodious music. Viola and Mr. Finger also walked up the steps, curious to see what was going on. Suddenly they heard a female voice singing,
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“For reasons unknown, we who used to be stars in the skies,
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Have been scattered far and wide.
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Why are we gathered together here again
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Never shall we part again since we have been reunited
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Be it in the heavens, on earth or at the bottom of the water
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Never shall we part again since we have been reunited…”
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Viola and Mr. Finger stood at the entrance of the cave and peeked inside. Tiny figures, who had been changed from diamonds, filled the floor of the cave. The one singing was none other than the walking girl known as Pink Puzzle. She had been transformed into a real live girl, happy and vivacious, dancing and singing among the others tiny figures, who chimed in, singing,
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“Never shall we part again since we have been united,
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Never shall we part again since we have been united …”
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Suddenly a voice from among the dancing and singing figures cried out, “Outsiders! There are outsiders at the mouth of the cave peeping in!” A burst of uproar and commotion followed as these tiny figures transformed from unique multi-colored diamonds quickly found their seemingly preordained place in queues and hastily jumped into their own wooden box. The tops of dozens of boxes automatically closed with a bang and in no time the cave was emptied of all traces of the partying figures, with not a single diamond remaining. It was only then that Viola and Mr. Finger saw Dwarf Mickey sitting in the middle of the cave, so completely soused that he could hardly keep his dazed and blurry eyes open. The tiara studded with a huge ruby which he wore on his head was askew but he kept drinking from the pot in his hand. Then he spoke,
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“So you are here. I knew it must be you two, Viola and Mr. Finger. The diamonds you have stolen from me have all come back. They have returned, with not a single one missing…” Dwarf Mickey stood up and walked shakily towards a wooden box. Propping himself with his arms, he vaulted up the box and sat on it. Tilting his head, he took another swing from his pot of wine. He looked at Viola and said,
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“It was a great idea to store all my treasures in this cave. When the earthquake struck, the cave sank to the bottom of the lake, which was why neither you nor I could find it all this time. I thought they had changed back to stars and returned to their places in the skies. Thank heavens they resurfaced and I recovered my long lost treasure trove in the Kingdom of Dreams. That’s great. My duty is done…You two better leave…” He took another swing and muttered, “Yes, it’s a great idea to sink the treasure trove to the bottom of the water. No one will ever be able to get their hands on them again. Well, now that I have found them again, my job is done. I will remain with them at the bottom of Sun Moon Lake till the end of time. That’s a great idea. Go on, you two. You had better leave.” Viola hung her head shyly like a naughty girl who had been caught doing a bad thing and did not know what to say, but Mr. Finger tried to dissuade him saying,
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“Hey you old man, you really take things too hard! How could you sink to the bottom of the lake with your treasures? Who will be my companion and drink with me?” Dwarf Mickey interrupted him before he finished speaking. Glaring at him he said gruffly,
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“Shut up. Say no more. You two better get going. Do you really want to sink to the bottom of the waters with me?” Mr. Finger and Dwarf Mickey had been good friends and often cracked jokes at each other. Mr. Finger took great pleasure teasing the old dwarf until the latter was really riled, so he thought nothing of making the old man mad. But he also knew that the old man was a straight arrow and always said what was on his mind. He said what he meant and once his mind was made up, nothing could sway him. Suddenly the cave shuddered and seemed to be sinking. Viola and Mr. Finger looked at each other and without a word bent on escaping from the sinking cave. Both turned and ran out of the cave, rushed down the steps, jumped into their little canoe, dashed through the waterfall and rowed for the opposite shore as fast as they could. Behind them came the sound of a huge crash, but unlike last time, it was not followed by any landslides or tsunami so the two of them were able to reach the opposite shore safely.
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It was the crack of dawn; the sun’s rays had just begun to peep out in the east. Its golden rays gradually spread over the earth and naturally shone on Charina’s little back yard. As Charina and Dimitri sat before the French doors of the living room, her eyes kept roaming towards the blue balloon softly flapping in the breeze, hoping for news from the Kingdom of Dreams. Dimitri looked very solemn, his hands anxiously clutching the arms of the sofa, unable to anything but sit there waiting for news. He had heard from Richard just as day broke and knew that Dwarf Mickey had left behind a note in the dilapidated little temple. Richard had read the short note to Dimitri over the telephone, so Dimitri knew of the little old man’s intention to sink to the bottom of Sun Moon Lake together with his treasures. Richard had spent the better part of the night in the maze-like streets trying to track down Dwarf Mickey and Mr. Finger but could find no clue of their whereabouts. It was then that he came upon Big-O, panting from his search. The two of them put their heads together and decided that instead of searching randomly they should go back to the dilapidated old temple, which was the last place Richard found traces of the two and start again from there. They searched the place carefully and saw the words Dwarf Mickey left behind on the thick dust of the altar. He immediately reported to Dimitri, who said,
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“Okay. I know now. The two of you have been searching all night and must be very tired. You should both go home and take a break. There is nothing we can do at the moment except wait for news… Hopefully news will come soon from the Kingdom of Dreams… We’ll talk about this when we meet.” Charina had heard the conversation and knew the gist of things. She immediately suggested going back to the Kingdom of Dreams right away and perhaps stop Dwarf Mickey from going down to the bottom of the lake with his treasures.
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“Too late” sighed Dimitri shaking his head. “It’s too late. He had left quite a while ago.”
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“How could it be too late? In your Kingdom of Dreams there is no such thing as the starting point or the ending point. There is no beginning and no end. Any point could be the original one, and we could go back to the time before it happened. You told me it was like flipping the pages of a book. You could start at the beginning, the end or the middle. If you want to you could write a completely new book and no one would stop you. How could it be too late?”
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“Don’t forget that Dwarf Mickey may look like a short, eccentric dwarf” replied Dimitri with a wry smile, “but actually he is the god of wealth in charge of all the riches of the world. He knows what he is doing and there is sure to be a reason or plan for his actions. I know him well. Once he has decided on a course of action, wild horses could not draw him back. He will persevere to the end and no one could change his mind. Who knows what is in store? Perhaps changing the course of things he has decided on would bring about unknown tragic consequences.”
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“Really?” said Charina mystified. She remembered the first time she saw Dwarf Mickey. His dictatorial manners and sticking to his own way whatever other may say did not leave her with a favorable impression. In fact, his slovenly clothing and terrible table manners were quite repulsive. But as she grew to know him better, she discovered that he was quite witty and humorous and was a lovable old man. He was very old, with snow white long white beard and eye brows, but hated to be called old. If you did so, he would fly into a rage and turn his back on you. Charina turned to Dimitri and asked, “Richard read you the note over the phone saying Dwarf Mickey decided to go down to the bottom of the Sun Moon Lake together with his treasures. Does it mean he will commit suicide? Will he really die?”
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“I don’t know” replied Dimitri. “I cannot answer your question because I don’t have the answer. As you said, anything can happen in the Kingdom of Dreams. Nothing is impossible. It is not a question of yes or no. It has no answer therefore I cannot answer your question.
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In the wide expanse of blue skies, a white dove could be seen flying freely in the blue skies. When it saw the blue balloon, it seemed to have found its target and flew towards it. It encircled the balloon a few times and slowly descended. Catching sight of the white dove, Charina said in a trembling voice,
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“It’s here! The white dove is here. It knows me as I have seen her before. She is the messenger from the Kingdom of Dreams.” Charina opened the French doors and ran into the small back yard waving, jumping and calling to the white dove saying, “I’m here. I’m right here. Have you brought me good news?” The dove also saw Charina and opening its beak dropped the note she had been holding there. Then it turned around and flew back towards the deep blue skies. Charina ran towards the white piece of paper fluttering down from above and extricated it from the branches of a small tree. As she ran into the living room with the note in her hand, Dimitri asked anxiously,
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“What does it say? What does it say?” Charina held the note and with eyes wide open, read it slowly and clearly.
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“Dear King Dimitri: I want to report to you very good news, but I don’t know where to begin. It is quite an unbelievable mystery. Giant Mountain has reverted back to its original form. The broken parts that had sunk to the bottom of the lake have come back up and the Giant Mountain is now as good as it ever was before. The giant’s paralyzed posture however has changed. It is no longer lying prostrate but is reclining towards the right with his legs slightly bent. His right hand cups his chin and his left hand is on his abdomen. He is fast asleep, his expression serene and comfortable. He looks as if one day he would wake up, yawn, sit up and stretch himself. He may ever stand up and walk around. It is really quite surreal and unbelievable. Nothing is impossible in the Kingdom of Dreams. You must be very happy to hear of this good news. Another thing I need to report is, that huge cliff with its 30 – 40 meter waterfall that emerged at the entrance of the lake after the earthquake and tsunami, somehow suddenly sank to the bottom of the lake. Deanna swam down and found the floor of the lake smooth and clean with no trace of the fallen cliff. Isn’t that strange? I have led the natives back to the Kingdom They are fishing, hunting and farming as they used to and have resumed the old order of life. The mountains and waters of the Kingdom of Dreams are even more beautiful than they used to be. The people are all waiting impatiently for the return of their King. When will you come back, King Dimitri? Why are you still wandering around in the mundane world? Come back, your majesty. Signed Medusa.” There was no mention of Dwarf Mickey. Medusa did not seem to know that the treasury trove was in the huge cliff, and that Dwarf Mickey had sunk to the bottom of the lake with it. “Well” said Charina. “That should be considered good news. Right?” Dimitri nodded, but did not reply. With his hands on his cheeks, he seemed half asleep as he fell into a deep reverie. Charina did not want to bother him, so she took Maureen and tiptoed out of the living room. Dimitri remembered the first time Dwarf Mickey entered his dreams, and reminisced about how they later became friends remembering every little detail, each droplets of conversation. Dwarf Mickey was incredible and inexplicable. Dimitri could only save the image of his old friend intact in his heart.
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Chapter 4 Imagination and Creativity
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Under the sunlight, a slew of soap bubbles floated in the air, glistening with multi-colored sheen. A young mother holding her 4-5-year-old son walked past Dimitri. The boy looked at Dimitri crouched at the corner of the street, his clothes tattered, his disorderly beard unshaved, staring at the blue skies with sightless eyes and felt a sense of pity for the poor homeless beggar. He walked over and held out something towards Dimitri saying,
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“Here. This is for you to play with.” Dimitri held out his hands, ran his fingers over the object and knew it was a toy like the one he had played with when he was a boy. It was a small glass bottle attached with a tiny straw circled with some wire. He looked towards the boy and said,
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“Thank you very much. God bless you. It’s very kind of you.” The boy giggled and ran back to his mother and the two of them walked away holding hands. Dimitri was just feeling bored wondering what to do with his time when here was a toy he had not played with since he was small. He had long forgotten that such a thing existed. Pulling out the stopper, he dipped his tiny straw into the bottle and blew on it. A string of multi-colored soap bubbles floated into the air. Dimitri seemed to have recovered the childlike innocence of his childhood and continued to blow soap bubbles with great relish and zest. All around him were noisy footsteps, some brisk, and full of confidence. Though he was blind, Dimitri could feel the vibes of the jeering and scornful looks cast his way, looks that were completely devoid of human sentiment. They seemed to say, “Time is money. Time can produce wealth. Sitting at the corner of the street is just wasting time and wasting your life. You are a dreg of society, a good-for-nothing!” But Dimitri sat there completely ignoring those knife-like digs. As he continued to blow soap bubbles, he muttered to himself, “I live for myself alone. What has other people’s looks have to do with me? To care about the opinion of others is like asking for trouble and worrying myself for nothing…” The multi-colored bubbles floating upwards and soon disappeared. Like dreams, bubbles burst easily, but soon other bubbles float up to the skies, just as other dreams come to take the place of their predecessors.. Thus, Dimitri’s boring life became rich and full, and lacked for nothing. He comforted himself saying,” So long as there are dreams, everything will be fine. So long as there are dreams, life is beautiful and I shall want for nothing and I need nothing else.” He blew another fabulously large bubble which floated up and up towards the skies.
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Dimitri sat there blowing bubbles. The strange and comic figure of a middle-aged homeless person, whose attention was solely concentrated on blowing soap bubbles using a toy for young boys, aroused the curiosity of passerbyers. Although Dimitri was blind, he was very sensitive to the atmosphere around him and soon he felt he had become an object of interest to curious pedestrians. It was then that he realized he was in the wrong place. Across the street was a fashionable café which was full any time of the day and people were constantly coming in or going out. He stood up and walked to a street corner to escape the scrutiny of other people.
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Just at this time his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity were mingling in the crowd inside the cafe. They were like two genii hiding in the air. They could see everything but were invisible to others. The strong and enticing smell of coffee permeated the café while melodious love songs of the oldies that had recently become all the vogue, played in the background. Good songs will never go out of fashion. The patrons here all have electronic devices in front of them, some big some small. The biggest were about the size of a notebook, while the small ones fit the palm of their hands. Imagination and Creativity remembered that on their way to this café, whether it was at bus stops, or on BART, many passengers had electronic screens before them. Even pedestrians hurrying on their way glanced every now and then at something in their hands. What fascination is there on the electronic screen that could catch the attention of thus many people for such long a time? They were all so absorbed that their eyeballs stared unblinkingly at the screen!
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Imagination looked amidst the patrons curious to find out what could attract the interest and attention of so many people. She found that some were playing video games, some were trying to solve difficult and intricate mathematic problems, some were looking for and downloading information they needed from the libraries and some were shopping online, buying clothes, shoes, underwear or cosmetics. Some housewives were doing a whole week’s grocery shopping and some people were just answering or deleting e-mails. Still others were in chat rooms talking online with friends and relatives on the other side of the globe or talking to absolute strangers in foreign countries. In a word, you can buy anything you want online with the exception of drugs or medication that needed a doctor’s prescription. The web also offered all kinds of strange and multifarious information, such as teaching you how to make a bomb yourself at home and how to commit suicide etc. In the end Imagination came to the conclusion that so long as you know how to operate this handy and portable machine, you can have all the information the world has to offer in your palm. Of course there were lots of other functions of this handy and portable machine that they had not discovered.
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After making a round of this café which fused the decor of old fashioned charm and grace with that of the modern age, Imagination and her companion Creativity met in front of the large, bright, squeaky clean window. Creativity was a tall and athletic-looking young man, much like a handsome sun god Apollo. He was tall and stalwart, excluding an air of eye-dazzling brilliance like the sun. His companion Imagination was entirely different. Aside from a beautiful countenance, her character was gentle, sentimental and alluring as the moonlight and as beloved by all. Imagination was saying musingly,
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“The fact that science, civilization and technology have progressed to the present stage is really unbelievable.” Creativity folded his arms over his chest and replied,
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“Not only that. Man is also developing a means of transportation that would enable them to travel into the universe. Many years ago they had already landed on the moon. The next target must be Mars. After they have visited all nine planets in the solar system, they may even go beyond that and advance to the remote Milky Way System.”
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“Really” muttered Imagination. “Such speed is really unimaginable. I think science is progressing too fast. Man should stop and think what should be done next; or to put it more bluntly they should consider whether it is worthwhile to push forward at the rate they are doing now.”
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“What?” exclaimed Creativity, “stop? That’s impossible.” Using his chin to indicate the scene outside the windows, he said, “Look at the passing cars on the streets. Man’s technology and civilization are like cars without brakes. Once the engine is started it will never stop. Only when the gas in its tank is all used up will it slow down and stop. So once on course, the advancement of science and technology will never stop.”
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“That’s just what I am worried about” said Imagination, brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen to her forehead. She looked at Creativity and said, “Man’s behavior is like that of a prodigal son who squanders the money left him by his forefathers lavishly without restraint. They are digging and excavating everywhere, unearthing minerals and other natural materials. These are God’s gift to the planet and should not be used up so heedlessly without thought to future generations. What would happen when they had excavated everything? That is why I say man should stop for a moment to reflect and think things over and then decide how things should be done next.”
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“What should be done next…” muttered Creativity. “What is your opinion of the next step?”
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“The path of the development of human civilization has been hard, twisting and uneven. They should stop and look back on what they have gone through. Look at the ecological balance of our natural environment now and compare it with what it was before. It is completely different and beyond recognition from what was. If man goes on the way they have been doing, the result would hardly bear thinking. So that is why I think Man should stop to reflect, think things over, do some honest self introspection and decide what next step to take. Human civilization had gone through a torturous and uneven path to get to where we are today, so I feel we should go back to the time before civilization began, to that original starting point and consider and plan how the development of human civilization should go.” Creativity’s eyes were full of doubt and perplexity, he murmured,
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“Man should go back to the time before human civilization began, to that original starting point… Isn’t that saying…that we should go back to the Garden of Eden? But man had been driven out of the Garden by Jehovah, how can we go back?” Imagination and Creativity are two genii who hide in the air. Their conversation are like air communicating with air, no one else can hear or be aware of their existence.
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It was a lovely early morning in spring. The dawn fog had yet to fully recede, but in the large garden luxuriant trees and bushes were lush with emerald green leaves. Myriads of colorful and unique flowers which grew on both sides of the winding garden path, tossed their heads in the light spring breeze as if vying for attention. A man and a woman could be seen strolling down the garden path laughing and chatting and came nearer and nearer. They were naked as the day they were created. The man suddenly laughed heartily and said,
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“I have almost forgotten that your name used to be Eve. It was King Dimitri who gave you the new name of Imagination. Ah yes, I have even entirely forgotten my own original name of Adam, which King Dimitri changed to Creativity.” The beautiful young woman called Eve immediately made a sign for silence to her companion, saying
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“Sh-sh-sh! Don’t talk so loudly! Have you forgotten that the reason we are back here at the Garden of Eden is to get another taste of the forbidden fruit? The flavor of that apple so sweet and fragrant once savored is unforgettable. If you laugh and talk without restrain, you might attract the attention of Jehovah and the result would be a catastrophe. If you anger him, the punishment this time may not be so simple as being driven out of the Garden of Eden.” The two of them stopped before an apple tree. Adam said,
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“I think that serpent will show itself pretty soon and try to entice you to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.” Eve blushed slightly and answered,
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“Actually the serpent’s temptation was not necessary. I had long been curious about the apple and wanted to taste it. If not for Jehovah’s orders and fear of his reprisal I would have picked one and tasted it long before. But it was bound to happen sooner or later, I’m afraid. The serpent’s temptation only precipitated the act. The flavor was really unforgettable. Isn’t the purpose of our visit here to get another taste of the forbidden fruit?” Saying so, Eve jumped high and plucked a juicy red apple from the tree. She took a bite of the crunchy fruit and closed her eyes in ecstasy as she savored its unparalleled taste. She held the apple to Adam, who also took a bite and smacked his lips at the wonderful flavor.
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“The serpent that tempted you to break Jehovah’s law by eating the forbidden fruit was really the devil” he said. “Thus we incurred the wrath of God and were driven out of the Garden of Eden. But the forbidden fruit was also called the Fruit of Knowledge. Why should Jehovah be so angry that we ate it? Why were we punished so severely for eating the fruit of knowledge? What is the logical inevitability of this?” Imagination glanced at Creativity, saying,
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“Isn’t that perfectly clear? Jehovah created Man, who in turn created their own brilliant civilization so lustrous and brilliant that even the Creator himself was stunned and astonished that his creatures could achieve such distinguished and illustrious results. But Jehovah in his omniscience knew that man would not be able to use this knowledge wisely and that they may even misuse and misdirect it to their detriment. Look at what is happening in the world today and you know He is right. Global warming, the rising of sea levels, drastic climate changes etc. are all signs that Doomsday is on the way.”
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“Yes, you are right” nodded Creativity. “But according to your theory, we opened the floodgates of human civilization by eating this first apple. Now that we have eaten the second one, do you think civilization will surge forward even more rapidly than before?”
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“No, no, no” replied Imagination “I don’t mean that at all. I think Man should stop to reflect, think things over, do some honest self introspection and decide what next step to take. Civilization will never stop progressing. As you said, like a brakeless car, once the engine is started it will never stop. Only when the gas in its tank is all used up will it slow down. Man’s brain will never stop working either. But I hope man will change the direction of their pursuits from unlimited expansion to more introversive ones, such as searching into the depth of their own souls.”
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“Searching into the depth of their own souls…?” questioned Creativity. “I don’t understand what you mean…”
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“What’s so hard to understand about that?” smiled Imagination. “It’s very simple. In the depth of King Dimitri’s heart, there is a piece of land called Kingdom of Dreams. It is an area of infinite possibilities. Don’t you think it is worthwhile for man to visit there and see for themselves...? Actually I came to these conclusions only after a lot of internal struggle. Will man bring their modern cutting edge technology there? King Dimitri’s Kingdom is the last existing piece of virgin soil untouched by civilization. If man went there and dug and excavated indiscriminately, they would have destroyed our refuge. Where are we to find another untouched piece of virgin soil to stay in? What shall we do then?” Suddenly a few white clouds gradually moved towards each other to form the figure of a man and rumbles of thunder were heard. Creativity became frightened as he looked towards the sky and said,
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“Oh my gosh, catastrophe is here. Jehovah is furious that intruders dared to trespass into the Garden of Eden. What shall we do?” He pulled Imagination by the hand and the two of them ran out of the Garden of Eden as fast as they could, leaving the remnant of the unfinished forbidden fruit behind under the apple tree.
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A string of soap bubbles floated into the air, but soon burst and disappeared. Another string of bubbles appeared. Sitting at the corner of the street, Dimitri used his tiny straw to kept blowing soap bubbles to while away the time. He had nothing to do, or to put it more precisely there was nothing he had to do within a particular time frame, which was equivalent to having nothing to do. With too much leisure time, he felt it hard to dispel boredom. He did not know what to do with the limitless time on his hands which seemed to spread outwards infinitely. Unlike normal people who always feel they do not have enough time to do what they need or want to, Dimitri found he had more time than he knew what to do with. Time was like a flood that completely inundated him and spread outwards indefinitely. To Dimitri too much time, so limitless and unending, was like zero. If time was equal to zero, then space does not exist either. If time and space were both zero, then zero plus zero was still zero. In a second or less, time and space separate and each go its own different way. Suddenly Dimitri felt a pang in his heart and he murmured,
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“Time and space overlap and are equal to zero. When will such a phenomena happen?” He smiled wryly and continued, “I am back at my old tricks again, going off into wild flights of fancy. What is this ‘time and space overlap and equal to zero’? What has it to do with me?” Dimitri raised his hand and lighted slapped his cheeks. “It’s really just senseless ideas…Well, old habits die hard and this bad habit of mine may well remain with me for the rest of my life. But this bad habit does help me while away the limitless time on my hands, otherwise what can I do with all this leisure?” Dimitri smiled wryly and went back to his toy. String after string of soap bubbles floated into the air.
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Someone approached, plopped down beside Dimitri and elbowed him saying,
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“Hey, old dog, are you up to your old tricks again? You go into your wild flights of fancy, mutter to yourself and even slap your own face while you smile wryly. People will think you are mad!” Dimitri knew from his voice that it was his old friend, David, another homeless vagabond.
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“How are you, David?” he asked. “How have you been doing?”
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“Same old shit, different day” sighed David. “Times are tough and it’s getting harder and harder to get by. I scrounged about for half the morning and only got these few cigarette butts… Most people nowadays think smoking will cause lung cancer and so have quit. Also with the economic downturn, people have no money and cigarette prices keep going up, so fewer people can afford to smoke. It’s getting more and more difficult to find cigarette butts on the ground. Life is getting tougher and tough… Stop blowing soap bubbles, that’s kids’ stuff. Come on, I’ll give you a cigarette butt, let’s smoke.” Saying so, he took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, and carefully selected a flattened cigarette butt which he handed over to Dimitri. Dimitri took over the butt and rolled it carefully to its original round shape without spilling any of the tobacco inside. David struck a match and lighted the cigarette butt which Dimitri inhaled deeply. All of a sudden Dimitri felt his heart-rate accelerate; his head spin around dizzily and knew that his blood pressure must be sky-rocketing. “Cigarettes are the devil!” he thought. Turning to David, he said,
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“Actually smoking is really nonessential. If you have a cigarette on hand it’s pretty satisfying to have a smoke; but if you don’t have one, it’s okay too. There really is no need to spend a lot of time scrounging all over for cigarette butts flattened by other people’s shoes.”
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“That’s easy for you to say” answered David, who had also taken out a cigarette butt for himself. He inhaled deeply and continued, “This stuff is habit-forming. Once you’re indicted to it, it’s not easy to quit. I spend most of the day looking for cigarette butts to pick up. It’s okay, since I don’t have anything else to do anyway. Collecting them has become a daily routine for me. You know, it’s not too bad for me although not having anything to smoke is a pain. The alcoholics and drug addicts have it worse. When they suffer withdrawal symptoms, it’s infinitely worse…”
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“You’re right, it’s best not to be addicted to anything” answered Dimitri vaguely. David dragged mightily on his cigarette repeatedly, sucking the smoke into his lungs and then let it all out until his cigarette butt was reduced to cinders and burnt his fingers. Only then did he reluctantly throw it to the roadside and let it die out on its own. Suddenly David thought of something and asked,
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“Have you heard of two very strange incidents that happened recently?”
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“What incidents? I haven’t heard of any” answered Dimitri.
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“There is a guy called…now what’s his name…eh, he’s called… Gosh, I’ve forgotten his name. Anyway he’s a famous jewelry designer or some kind of jewelry expert. Recently he became mentally unbalanced. He would neither sleep nor eat for days and would go around asking people, “Have you seen my Pink Puzzle? Ah, the Pink Puzzle used to be the brightest star in the heavens and I was fortunate enough to get hold of it. How did it change into a common rock? Could it have flown back to the skies?” He would roam around in a crazy manner and was finally taken to the madhouse.”
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“Really?” said Dimitri, astonished by the news. “That’s really an extraordinary piece of news.” But in his heart, he had already guessed at the true story.
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“There’s something even more strange” continued David. “The owner of that luxurious casino hotel called…gosh, I’ve forgotten his name too. Anyway, he’s a really a heartless rich guy. He said that we homeless vagabonds were dirty and our clothes were tattered. He forbade us to be near the streets around his casino/hotel saying that we would tarnish the image of his business. He further said that if we dared to approach his casino, he would order his goon squad to beat us up. Several of us were badly hurt by the goons, but the owner was not a bit concerned. But this time he had his comeuppance! Recently he somehow got his hands on a batch of valuable diamonds. He put them up as collateral at a group of banks and got a lot of money for them, which he used to expand his business. But somehow the batch of diamonds turned into rocks. The banks sued him for fraud through sorcery and the courts ordered him to pay back the money he got and also closed down his luxurious casino/hotel. In desperation and frustration, he committed suicide by jumping from a high building. Isn’t that just retribution?”
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“Is that so?” exclaimed Dimitri. “As the saying goes, men die for wealth and birds die for food. It seems that ill-gotten goods are not really good for us and are like a bolt from the blue. But how many people in this world can remain unmoved in face of the temptation of wealth? Too few, too few….” Dimitri knew that all these valuable diamonds and jewels were brought into the mundane world by Viola and Mr. Finger, who stole them from Dwarf Mickey’s treasure trove and squandered them all having a good time. Now these precious diamonds and jewels have been called back to the treasure trove in the Kingdom of Dreams by Dwarf Mickey, the god of wealth. But Dimitri could not tell this inside story to outsiders. Even if he did, he would not be believed, so he could only remain silent and keep his own counsel.
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The blue skies dimmed and turned a deeper blue. Soon that deeper blue would flair up into a myriad of colors of the late afternoon sky. David looked at the skies and said,
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“I want to confess to you that I did something bad a few days ago. I put on your dark glasses, held a white cane and pretended to be you sitting at the corner of the street, begging for alms. My luck was good and the diamond couple came by. The guy was tall and stalwart, and the woman was very beautiful. She was also very generous. Perhaps she pitied my pretended blindness. Anyway she dropped something in my jar with a clang. I looked down and found it was a large glittering green diamond. I was so happy I completely forgot I was pretending to be a blind beggar. I snatched it up ran away in exaltation. I’m afraid that young couple will never again give anything to the blind, thinking they were all frauds. Though it was not my intention, I’m afraid I have hurt the prospects of real blind beggars. Later, I realized these two must have been the diamond couple everyone was talking about at the time. I went to various Chinatown jewelry stores trying to sell that green diamond. One of the store owners tried to fleece me and taking me for a fool offered me a ridiculously low price. Although I am not a professional jeweler, I am not a blind man who could be easily conned. Anyone with eyes could see that what I had was a priceless gem dazzling in its glittering brilliance. It was no ordinary jewel. I turned around and walked out of the shop. That store owner followed me and for several days wherever I went there he would be sure to turn up, beseeching me to sell my diamond to him. His manners became quite humble and servile. In fact one day he caught up with me several times and flashed large quantities of cash before me, hoping the sight of those greenbacks would facilitate a quick sale. I thought that since he was so obsessed with the green diamond, I might as well let him continue making offers until I was satisfied with the price. I would string him along and take him for all I could. But alas, perhaps I was too greedy for when I looked at the diamond which I held tightly in my hand the following day, the green diamond had turned into a common rock. Fate played a great joke on me. The bird I already had in hand just flew away. I suppose I was destined to be a beggar, not fit to enjoy enormous wealth that just dropped into my lap! My luck is really bad… I suppose if I had not been so greedy and sold the diamond for a reasonable price, I would now be a wealthy man. But I was too greedy and my diamond turned into stone…I don’t know how heaven arranges man’s destinies. Some people have more money than they can ever spend in their whole lifetime, while I am poor as a church mouse and roam the streets all day enduring hunger and thirst like a wild dog… I really don’t know how heaven distributes the wealth of the world… Is my life really so cheap and inconsequential?”
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The blue skies became deeper and darker. David was a man nearing old age. The numerous wrinkles on his face seemed to be telling of the misfortunes of his life. He spoke to Dimitri remorsefully and angrily and taking out his crumpled wad of paper, selected another cigarette butt and offered it to Dimitri.
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“No, thank you, I’ve already enjoyed the one you just gave me” replied Dimitri. “I am not addicted to smoking so you had better keep it for yourself.” David softly rolled it to its original round shape with his fingers, loosening the tobacco inside without spilling any. He lighted it, inhaled deeply and then puffed out the smoke. He continued,
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“My life is really cheap and I really don’t know how I will die. Perhaps I will become critically ill and die by the roadside. I will become an unclaimed corpse, a John Doe missed by no one. The police would release my body to some medical facility, who in turn will give it to some professor of Anatomy and Physiology to be used to teach his medical students how to dissect a human body. I will be laid on a slab in a lab and the professor will use his scalpel to open up my body, take out my heart, liver, stomach, kidney and other organs. He will cut off my limbs and my head and divide them among his students to do experiments on. I myself don’t really know what the inside of my body is like, but the professor will use my body to teach his students saying, “This is muscle…this is nerves…this is human brain… It’s really un-nerving to contemplate… In the end my body will become a heap of strips and slices. But I suppose that’s alright since I am dead already and won’t feel anything… But I am really unwilling to die without knowing what my destiny is like…When they dismember my body, perhaps they could also find what my fate, my destiny was like…Oh well, Dimitri, I think that like you I am also given to flights of fancy. What’s the use of thinking about these things? I am feeling hungry again. This stomach of mine is really troublesome. It’s like a bottomless pit that can never be filled…I suppose I would have to try my luck and see if I can find something to eat. Goodbye my old friend, let’s both go our own way to get some food.” Saying so, the aging man stood up, dusted the seat of his pants and continued on his way along the roadside.
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In the blue skies the sun, gradually setting in the west. was like a torch unwilling to be extinguished and was giving forth the remainder of his energy. After David left, Dimitri’s mind was in turmoil. He was wondering how his life would end. Perhaps it would be just as tragic and wretched as David’s, dying by the roadside and given by the authorities to medical facilities as a corpse to be dissected as experiments for medical students. To be high-minded, it would be a contribution to society to donate one’s body to further scientific research. “But my fate is even worse” he thought.. “At least David was able to see with his eyes while he was alive and his movements were free. But I cannot see, my movements are inhibited and my body suffers from other impediments caused by my disability. In the end I still cannot escape the fate of being dismembered and dissected…David hopes that after he is dead, he could know what his fate and destiny was like. That of course is impossible. No matter how minutely his body is cut up, he will not be able to see his destiny. In my case no matter how you cut me up you cannot find the Kingdom of Dreams in my heart. In this mundane world I may be a poor, disabled, penniless homeless beggar but in my Kingdom of Dreams I am a king, rich as Midas. I have magnificent palaces, numerous beauties to see to my every want and the love of loyal subjects. Everything is so perfect here. If there is a Kingdom of Dreams in my heart, shouldn’t there be one too in David’s heart? I think that in the heart of every poor and suffering person, there should be a Kingdom of Dreams. When the suffering of their bodies torments them, they can always seek refuge there and find solace and peace. There unattainable things could be gotten and indignant feelings could be soothed. But it seems that not everyone has found their innate Kingdom. I suppose I am lucky in this regard. In the depth of my heart, there is this last piece of paradise. When I find the trials and tribulations of the mundane world too much for me, I can always retreat there. Though I am feeling hungry, thirsty and tired now and before my eyes are only fuzzy darkness that makes it hard for me to find my way, all this is of no consequence because when darkness falls beautiful dreams will come to me, which I could savor and enjoy to my heart’s content.” Dimitri smiled. The setting sun suddenly burst forth with its remaining energy dazzling as gold and flaming as fire and colored the skies with its brilliant rays.
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The figure of a tall and stalwart man rushing swiftly ahead flashed by under the luminous moonlight. Ah, it was that man Creativity who so much resembled the sun god Apollo! He was carrying a woman under his arms, no other than the gentle Imagination who was beautiful as a flower. The two of them, afraid of being caught by Jehovah, had been running for their lives ever since escaping the Garden of Eden. At first they ran hand in hand, but the delicate Imagination was much slower than her partner, so Creativity swooped her up and carried her under his arms to increase the speed of their get-away. They had been dashing mindlessly along from morning till night for they knew not how long or how far, until the moon rose up. They did not know whether it was the darkness that helped them or whether it was that Jehovah had never attempted to capture them; but they seemed to have gotten away this time. Imagination spoke up from under Creativity’s arms,
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“Stop. Stop. Let me down. You are suffocating me!” Creativity stopped and let her down. Imagination stood there trying to get her breath and used her fingers to comb her tangled hair messed up by the wind, saying,
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“Jehovah did not come after us. He let us off the hook once more. To be truthful, he is really kind and did not have the heart to punish us or we would never have been able to get away.” Creativity nodded in agreement. Imagination looked up at Creativity and saw that he was calm and collected as usual. She walked up to him and snuggled in his arms. Using her slender hands to caress his broad chest she continued, “Ah, how strong you are! You have been carrying me under your arms from morning till night which doubled the weight, but you are not even panting. You are stronger than the most majestic and noble steed!” Creativity smiled in satisfaction saying,
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“I just never got the chance to compete in the Olympic marathon races that humans hold every four years. Otherwise I am sure I could easily win the championship and my record would never be surpassed!” Imagination walked away from him and looked all around saying,
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“Where is this place? It looks so familiar! The lake is not as large and majestic as Star Moon Lake in the Kingdom of Dreams and the water is not as blue and crystal clear. The rose bushes are pretty, but then again they are not as magnificent as those in King Dimitri’s garden that he planted and took care of himself. But it’s still a rather nice place in the mundane world. Ah, I remember now…Isn’t this the rose garden that King Dimitri used to come and linger around? “
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“Ah yes” exclaimed Creativity as if suddenly thinking of something. “Shouldn’t we go now to find our master King Dimitri?” Imagination smiled mysteriously and said,
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“Oh no, no, no. We don’t need to go and find him. He will come here to find us.”
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“Really? How do you know?”
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“I think our master is about to have an amorous affair and will be in danger. It will be up to us to help him out of the tangle and ensure his safety. We just have to wait here and he will come to us.”
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The sun was setting and infused the surrounding clouds with shades of brilliant color but Dimitri was still sitting at the corner of the street deep in thought. However, he was about to come out of his reverie for he had come to a satisfactory conclusion. He thought that even if his fate was similar to David’s and was to end on the lab table of some medical school to be sliced and dissected, it was alright. For then he would have made his last contribution to society with his flesh body. Feeling quite helpless, he thought to himself,
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“This flesh body of mine has been with me for many, many years. It could be said to be my best and most intimate friend. It has brought me some pleasure, but mostly it was pain and suffering. The pleasures were short and transient delights alas, mainly found in sexual encounters, epicurean delights and good wine, but they helped me forget the troubles of this mundane world. The rest of the time I was embroiled in a whirlpool of pain and despair. But luckily I have a Kingdom of Dreams where I could escape and hide from the realities of life. What can I say? This flesh body of mine brings me trouble and vexation! I have two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity who are completely free from the binds and restraints of the flesh body. How wonderful it would be if I could be like them and fly around freely between heaven and earth! They can change themselves at will and hide in the air, or change to all kinds of forms as they emerge again. My greatest trouble, it seems, is having a flesh body that encumbers me and of which I have no way of ridding myself of. I really don’t know how to treat it. This is another question I need to think about”. By then Dimitri had fully woken up from his reverie. Feeling time hanging heavily on his hands, he decided to look up his two loyal friends, Imagination and Creativity, whom he had not heard from for a long time. Dimitri proceeded to concentrate his attention on the innermost part of his heart and found that his two loyal servants were at the rose garden. He was greatly surprised and wondered what they were doing there. They seemed to be waiting for him, so he decided to join them. The full moon had risen to the middle of the sky. Moonlight shone on the large metropolis with its tall, majestic high-rises. However the relationship between the inhabitants of this large city had gradually become more and more cold and aloof. Why was that, he wondered. Was indifference and aloofness the characteristics of the modern civilization?” “I don’t believe so” thought Dimitri. “Aloofness and indifference just means that modern civilization is ill.”
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Dimitri’s bottom felt painful after having sat on the cement pavement for so long. He thought to himself, “Staying in the same position for too long is really quite unbearable. No wonder even the giant of Giant Mountain needed a change of position!” Just as he was about to get up and stretch his arms and legs, the sounds of a frantically barking dog on the opposite side of the street reached his ears. Then he heard an animal running swiftly towards him and a plump little dog with long silky fur soft as velvet leapt into his arms and licked his face affectionately, its tail switching in excitement. Dimitri petted him lovingly in return, for the large long ears told him it was his little friend Maureen.
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“Ah, my little friend” he said happily, “how did you find me? Did your beautiful mistress come with you?” Then hasty footsteps and the sound of shopping cart wheels came towards him and someone sat down right next to him on his left side. The natural scent of the skin faintly tinctured with the fragrance of roses told him that Charina, the authoress had arrived.
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“Why didn’t you even say goodbye when you left…” asked a melancholy voice.
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“I…I am sorry” replied Dimitri. “I’m afraid that I am used to a vagabond life of roaming all around, treating the skies as my tent and the earth as my bed. Occasionally I would seek refuge from the weather under the eaves of someone’s home, never having to say goodbye to the owner of the house. I did not say goodbye to you because you were still sound asleep but I did tell Maureen that I would apologize to you if you felt angry at my lack of manners.”
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“After you left” continued Charina sadly, “I found I could not settle down to my writing…. I have been looking for you in every nook and cranny of every street in the city to no avail. Just now I asked another homeless person a few blocks down about your whereabouts and was told that you were recently seen around here. Maureen caught your scent and began barking so here we are.”
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“Really? Is there something urgent to make you search for me?” asked Dimitri.
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“Have you forgotten?” asked Charina in her sad and sexy voice, giving Dimitri a white eye. “I told you I wanted to accompany you and experience the life of a vagabond first hand… So you see, I bought a shopping cart and put into it a sleeping bag, a woolen blanket, food, water, a bottle of your favorite whiskey and some things a woman needs… I am looking for you because I want to go with you while you roam the earth”
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“You prepared all this to roam around with me?” asked Dimitri incredulously and couldn’t help laughing. “But none of it is needed for a vagabond life! Look at me. Do I have anything like what you have in your cart? A real vagabond has nothing at all. The sumptuous food, water and wine you have prepared look more like you are looking for a scenic spot to have a picnic!” Then he suddenly realized that his words and tone smacked of sarcastic criticism and rebuke, so he quickly changed the subject and gentled the tone of his voice saying,
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“Since you are already here and wish to experience the life of a vagabond, I’ll help realize your dream. I will tell you about the things you ought to know about living on the streets. I think I mentioned to you once before and I will stress it again here, that the reality of the kind of life you wish to experience is not an easy one. It is arduous and full of hardship and not at all romantic and easygoing as you may have thought it to be; for reality and imagination are two completely different things. I want you to be psychologically prepared for it.” Charina was very excited to hear that Dimitri would let her accompany him and said,
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“I am fully prepared mentally and psychologically for the change. I will do whatever you tell me to.” Then Dimitri suddenly thought of something and said,
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“No, no, no, I still can’t take you with me. You are too beautiful and elegant to be sleeping on the streets. It will be dangerous for you.” Charina had known Dimitri would have such a reaction and had prepared for it. She was full of self-confidence and said to him,
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“Don’t worry about it. I have thought about this and am perfectly camouflaged. I am wearing an outfit exactly like yours: safari hat, brown jacket, and black baggy pants and round-headed black shoes. I even smeared my face with dust and mud. Nobody will think I am not a bona-fide hobo. I have cut off my beautiful long, flowing hair which I had treasured and coddled for years into a short sassy style. When I put my hat on no one will ever discover that I am a woman. Will that do?” Dimitri sighed, smiled wryly and stood up to stretch his cramped arms and legs saying,
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“Since you have already made up your mind, let’s go and roam around the world.”
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“Oh, great, great!” said Charina jumping up excitedly. “But where shall we go?”
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“Roaming around has no direction and no purpose. We just accommodate ourselves to circumstances. Since you asked, why don’t we go to…remember the rose garden near the lake I once mentioned to you? Why don’t we go there? We can go into the midst of the roses, take out our food and have a picnic out there under the moonlight.”
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“Good idea! Good idea!” exclaimed Charina in a rare ecstatic mood. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get going!”
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The two of them went on their way talking and laughing, their jolly and mirthful conversation lightening up the lonely road. Although it wasn’t very late, now that the peak traffic hours were over and the office workers had all gone home, cars and pedestrians were few and far between. Charina pushed her shopping cart and Dimitri walked along with his left hand on her right shoulder and the white cane in his other hand lightly tapping all the way. Clever little Maureen was perched in the baby seat of the shopping cart, happily looking all around at the streets.
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“Why don’t you let Maureen walk on his own?” asked Dimitri. “That would give him more exercise.”
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“I think he’s had enough exercise” replied Charina. “I took off his leach and let him run around freely on the streets looking for you while I followed close behind, always keeping my eyes on his whereabouts. A police-woman saw that Maureen was not on a leach and thought it was a threat to the passersby, so she gave me a ticket. Wasn’t that the worst of luck? I tried to explain to her that Maureen was the cleverest and sweetest of dogs that would never hurt a soul, but she wouldn’t listen and insisted on writing me a ticket. Wasn’t that absurd? I am so angry. I think the police have impeded on my personal freedom!”
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“Oh?” said Dimitri. “Perhaps I am so used to my nomad life, leisurely and carefree, secluded from the world that I have forgotten there is such a thing as law and order. Nevertheless, I would never trifle with the law.”
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“Don’t you think the police-woman overdid it and impeded my personal freedom?” argued Charina. “I agree that society needs laws to protect public order, but public servants while carrying out their duties, need to take into account mitigating circumstances. Take a clever little dog like Maureen for example. Everyone loves it! How could such a lovable little dog bite and hurt people? Don’t you think the police-woman was too rigid in dealing with this? She should have been more flexible. She poked her nose into what’s none of her business and impeded on my personal freedom”
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“Oh no, no” disagreed Dimitri. “Law is needed to preserve social order, or there would be chaos. Once a law is established it should be upheld with no exceptions. The regulation that dogs must be on a leash on the streets under human supervision is reasonable and logical. Since it is the law, we must uphold it. Otherwise human society will deteriorate back to the time of jungle law thousands of years ago, where only the strongest survived and the weak were the prey of the strong. We would be back to uncivilized primitive society. Would you like to go back to such times and live always in fear and anxiety?”
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“But I still think the police went too far and impeded my personal freedom” insisted the pouting Charina. “I feel that anarchism is more my cup of tea.” Dimitri smiled and went on patiently,
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“What is freedom? What is the true meaning of freedom? To my mind, freedom is not without limit and restraint. Freedom without restraint and limit becomes unbridled indulgence and gratification and loses its true meaning.” He stopped for a moment as if to collect his thoughts and then went on, “Take me for example. I am blind. My flesh body seems to be incarcerated for life in a dark prison with no chance of parole. But just because of this, my imagination and creativity became alive and resurrected from my flesh body. They became carefree and spontaneous and created my Kingdom of Dreams. So I came to the conclusion that absolute restriction creates absolute freedom. What do you think?” Dimitri seemed to want to clarify his meaning more and added, “I don’t mean to say that one must lose one’s sight in order to bring one’s imagination and creativity into full play. Actually some sighted people are also very good at utilizing these innate natural resources. I used myself as an example because you have been to my Kingdom of Dreams, and thus would be able to understand what I mean better.” Spell-bound and fascinated, Charina was silent trying to absorb the meaning of his words when Dimitri suddenly interrupted her thoughts saying, “Oh by the way, we must turn right here or we would overshoot our destination.” Dimitri was completely blind, but he was very familiar with this part of town and knew his way around the area.
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Turning the corner they came to a quiet and comparatively narrow street. The shops on both sides had long closed their doors. The rooms above the shops were either offices or homes but no lights showed at all in these two rows of three-storey buildings. It was as if no one lived there at all. They seemed to have walked into an empty city. As they went further on, Charina’s eyes opened wide in shock. The large store windows were riddled with bullet holes and spider weblike cracks extended outwards from these holes. The doors were also pierced with bullets. Though all the shops had pulled up their iron security grill gate, these also bore evidence of having been hit by gunfire. There were rows of machine gun bullet holes on the street sign proving that a fierce gun fight had taken place here. Remnants of brown-colored blood stains and broken glass not quite cleaned up remained on the ground. This was the site of a fierce gang battle where two rival gangs clashed over territorial rights, which ended with both sides leaving behind casualties before the police arrived. Charina gave a cry of alarm and described to Dimitri the scene before them.
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“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be nervous, but let’s move on quickly and leave this troubled spot. These scenes are common in the life of a vagabond; I have seen more than a few of them, so don’t be nervous and afraid.” Charina nodded and silently hurried towards the next street corner. Perhaps because she was too scared and nervous, she failed to notice that on the opposite side of the street a pair of eyes was staring at them in envy and jealousy. While Charina and Dimitri waited at the corner for a change of light, Dimitri said to her,
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“You come from the upper echelon of society and have always led a very comfortable life. You are highly educated and have made a success of your career. You do not know that there is another class of people living at the bottom of society, full of poverty, crime and violence. Now that you have seen the two extremes of society it would certainly be a great help to your writing.” The green light came on and the two hurried across the street towards the rose garden by the lake, closely surveyed by the pair of cold eyes.
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The sad, weather-beaten face deeply etched with wrinkles of Dimitri’s old friend David, who was already getting on in age, had seldom been happy. He pulled a plastic bag out of a broken paper box and took out a tattered and dirty blanket which he spread on the ground. He then placed the broken paper box at one end to shelter his head somewhat from the cold night wind. There had been a fierce gun battle here not so long ago, where gang members on both sides gave up their lives, so most people chose other routes and gave the place a wide berth. But David craved solitude and chose to spend the night here. He stooped by the roadside slowly smoking his cigarette butt, its dim light brightening and dimming, he asked himself,
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“Am I really old? My legs are no longer as nimble and agile as they used to be and my back bothers me all the time. The night is still young but I am already very tired. The decades rolled by so fast. My life seemed scarcely to have begun, but here it is already ending…” He threw away his cigarette butt and was about to lie down to rest, when he saw two homeless persons like him coming towards him on the opposite side of the street. One of them was pushing a brand new shopping cart while the other wore dark glasses and had a white cane in his hand. David recognized him as his old friend Dimitri and also guessed at the identity of his companion.
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That evening after leaving Dimitri at the noisy street corner, David walked on, eyes peeled for cigarette butts left on the streets. He rummaged in every garbage can for discarded left-over food, but unfortunately came up with only a few empty beer cans. He was greatly disappointed and walked towards Dream-Maker’s Bakery, knowing that they always left day-old bread and pastries that would not keep in a wicker basket in front of the store for anyone to take. It was just after 5p.m. but the store was already closed. The iron security grill gate was down and locked by a large padlock. After Dimitri left the bakery, business deteriorated and was no longer the busy and popular place where people stood in line to buy their bread and pastry. The beauties who lived in the women’s dorm next door had also dispersed, each looking for her own destiny. The wicker basket was there but alas, it was empty. David knew that the new hobos who had been loitering around the area recently must have gotten to it before him. He sighed, resigned to a hungry night without food and was about to leave when he heard a musical voice nearby saying,
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“Excuse me sir. May I bother you for a minute of your time and ask you a question?” David turned towards the speaker and was surprised to see a homeless person wearing an old olive-colored safari hat, a raggedy brown jacket and dirty black baggy pants. On his feet was a pair of over-sized block-headed black shoes. The dress code was a replica of his old friend Dimitri! The person’s face was smeared with dust and mud as to be almost unrecognizable, but it could not disguise a pair of large, beautiful, soulful eyes.
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“Were you talking to me?” asked David
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“Yes. Yes. I just wanted to ask if you had seen a homeless person called Dimitri around here recently?”
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“Oh, you mean the old dog Dimitri. He is blind, right?”
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“Right. He is a blind man. Has he been around here recently? I want to find him.” David looked at the speaker and the brand new, fully packed shopping cart he was pushing. Plastic containers, probably full of food, lying at the top, caught his eye and had him drooling.
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“Er….oh yes, yes. I just talked to him a while ago for quite a long time… He is somewhere around….” said David, his eyes locked on the food in the shopping cart. The speaker seemed to understand his unspoken request. He picked up a plastic container, a bottle of water and handed them to David saying,
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“Hope you have a nice evening.” The cocker spaniel which had been lying in the baby seat of the shopping cart suddenly stood up and barked several times, evidently having caught the scent of his old friend.
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“Dimitri should be somewhere several blocks from here. I was just talking to him a while back. Go and find him.” David thanked his generous benefactor profusely and stood looking at the retreating back as that person hurried quickly away.. Though he was wearing loose, ill-fitting clothing, it could not conceal his tall, svelte figure. When he handed over the container and bottle of bottle, David noticed that the hands were slim and white. They were a woman’s hands that had never been coarsened by physical labor. He also observed that as he walked away his bare ankles were trim and white as alabaster. Suddenly a scene from the past flashed into his mind. He remembered seeing Dimitri talking to a genteel and refined young woman one day by the lakeside. She was wearing a sky blue dress, white, broad-brimmed sun hat and white walking shoes. She was classy and elegant. This must be her! He remembered that on that day the woman had a lovely cocker spaniel with her. That just clinched it. It must be the same woman. David smacked his forehead and said to himself, “What charm and fascination could that blind old dog have that attracts such a beautiful woman to ask all around for his whereabouts? Why is it that I do not have such good luck? Such erotic (amorous) luck could never drop into my lap!”
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In the shadows where moonlight could not penetrate, David half stooped, half sat on the ground, his eyes full of envy and jealousy as he watched the two figures walk farther and farther away. Thoughts emerged one after another in his brain driving sleepiness away. He thought,
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“A man like Dimitri is like a broken ball by the roadside, which anyone could kick. He is so mellow, mild and good tempered that he is never angry. His is also a mysterious character who would disappear for months on end as if he had evaporated from this earth. No one knows where he went. Then he would suddenly reappear amongst us homeless persons and jabber about his Kingdom of Dreams and things that happened there. He says everyone has his own Kingdom of Dreams… We all think he is a crazy fool and none pay any attention to his gibberish and he doesn’t care. He is able to maintain a happy disposition that external circumstances cannot dampen, which is truly admirable! Of this I am really envious! Take all of us poor hobos for example, we are poor as church mice and have nothing to call our own, so it stands to reason we have nothing to worry about, but we still have to be concerned about where our next meal is coming from. But Dimitri seems to be able to be above such mundane anxieties and always maintains a happy mood, which dissolves all trouble until they melt away and become nonexistent. His soul seems to be able to exist independently outside of his body. This is something I admire and envy most.
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Dimitri also has made many friends. Richard and Jamaz are two half hobo and half part-time laborers who are willing to lay down their lives for him. Mr. Kaffee, that underworld big shot, is another of his friends. Though he has retired from both financial, political and gang activities, he is still a force to be reckoned with and wields great influence in the worlds he used to dominate. Another one is that cold-blooded assassin Big-O who obeys Dimitri’s every wish and order. I have always wondered what power and charm that blind old dog wields that attracts beautiful women as well as formidable men to him. I am really envious and jealous of him. Oh yes, recently a white-bearded old dwarf joined their ranks who is said to have mastered a magic feat lost to the world for thousands of years and can turn a piece of waste paper into a crispy greenback. The next time I see the dwarf, I will beg him to teach me a few tricks. I will do anything he asks me to, even if he wants me to kowtow to him three hundred times. I am down on my luck and desperate.
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David was full of pent-up grievance and frustration when it came to the subject of money, which he considered useful but also the root of all trouble. He sighed and said to himself,
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“My whole life has been frittered away. Time rolled by with nothing accomplished. Now that I am old there is almost no hope of a turnover. My life has been most unfortunate and I have never been able to break out from under the cloud of bad luck hanging over me. Why can’t I be like Dimitri and live on happily? This blasted life of mine is really, really jinxed.” David’s life has really been quite miserable, always living on the brink of starvation. He did not know who his parents were, having lived all his young life in various foster homes and in and out of juvenile hall. Later when he came of age he was incarcerated quite a few times. Then he decided to reform and got a part-time job. He actually had some savings and a woman was willing to live with him and make a home. Life seemed to be going on a smoother, upward path. But alas the good life was like the morning dew, gone in a flash. The miserly sun shut off its radiance from his life and the sky above him was once more grey and dark. There was a mortal weakness in his character, an innate inertia. He had never had any formal schooling but did know how to read and write a few words. He had some sly cleverness that he used to go after petty gains and became prone to pilfering. That in itself would not have done too great a harm to his life, but he believed that all his employers were against him and did their utmost to exploit him, sucking away his lifeblood. Therefore, he worked lackadaisically at his job, never overlooking a chance to filch whatever he could. When it came to real work he shifted it to others when he could. He would make excuses and use any pretext to get out of it. When he couldn’t, he would drag his feet and muddle through in a perfunctory way. So it was no wonder that no one would hire him and when someone did take him on, the job never lasted more than a month. As time went by, the woman who lived with him left him, his savings were all spent and he grew old. The only road left to him was to go back to being a hobo, begging on the streets. He was never willing to examine the real cause of his failure in life but became more and more cynical. He was indignant over the inequality of the social system and the injustice of the laws. Viewing the world with such eyes, he was never happy, for in this world there is no system that could equally distribute the wealth of the world.
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A popular political theory advocating the use of force to equally distribute the wealth of this world once appeared and dominated almost half the population and territory of the world. After a century’s trial, it was proved that this theory was a dead end and was thrown into the garbage can of the human history. That theory was communism. The current system of free market in use all over the world is a far superior system, but it too has major flaws hard to overcome. For instance, the gap between the rich and the poor has become wider and wider, giving rise to the adversity and antagonism of these two classes of people. Many lucky people live happily above the poverty line, but many more unfortunate people living under the poverty line struggle for their very existence. Inequality between the rich and the poor will become a hard to solve problem in the development of human civilization. David’s sad face reflected his uncomprehending quandary. He lighted up the last of his cigarette butt and smoked silently, thinking his own thoughts.
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“Is the distribution of wealth in this world solely in the hands of fate? Is the scale he holds in his hand the tool with which he deals out wealth? Then what measure does he go by? It is certainly not according to one’s intelligence for many intelligent men are poor and destitute, of which I am a prime example. On the other hand, many a simple and ignorant man enjoy great wealth. Is that Fate’s way of playing a trick on humanity or is that a sarcastic practical joke?” Looking at Dimitri’s disappearing back, he thought, “Dimitri often talks about his Kingdom of Dreams. I wonder how wealth is distributed there?”
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Suddenly like lightning lighting up the dark skies, David’s muddled and confused brain had an intuitive inspiration. His eyes lighted up as if he had discovered a treasure trove. He racked his brains and recalled Dimitri’s words about his Kingdom of Dreams. “If you can give up your longing and quest for the material things of the external world and go back to the innermost part of your heart and make good use of your imagination and creativity as naturally as the bird used its wings, then you will be able to fly freely in the blue skies “shi seng yu” (submerged?) in your boundless inner world. That is where your Kingdom of Dreams is. There your depressed heart will be liberated; your twisted, unbalanced and deformed thoughts will be soothed and once more regain balance and steadiness. Desires which you have never been able to attain will be satisfied.”
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“Really?” murmured David. “My unattainable desires will be satisfied? Well, I would like to see once more that rare and unique green diamond which I had lost. Would I be able to do so?” Something green and brilliant suddenly appeared before his eyes. He took a closer look and found it was not only one glittering green diamond, but actually a whole box of them at his feet. David was exuberant and dug his hands into the box to hold up a handful of these rare brilliant green diamonds but his hands came up empty. To his dismay he found that it was only a temporary illusion. He sat back on the ground in disappointment and wondered whether Dimitri had tricked him and was just playing him. “Oh no, no. Just now I clearly saw with my own eyes that box of glittering brilliant gems. Let me try again and see whether Dimitri was playing a trick with me.” He remembered that one afternoon he saw in the display window of a high class man’s clothing store an expensive suit made of high quality wool and of excellent cut. At the time he had thought that if he put on that suit he would become a big shot. Suddenly that suit of clothes too appeared before his eyes. David remembered once seeing some very appetizing food in a magazine and thought what a wonderful experience it would be if he could wear that suit of clothes, walk into that restaurant and order a whole table of their best dishes. All at once a whole table of appetizing food materialized before him. He seemed to be getting the knack of using the two innate tools that came with his birth, namely imagination and creativity. Like a child who couldn’t stop playing with a new toy, David couldn’t bear to tear himself away from his newly acquired skill and practiced until it came to him naturally. But these pictures were like slide shows projected onto the screen. Though realistic, clear and sharply defined, they were just individual pictures. David thought that it would be wonderful if they could be combined together seamlessly like a movie and he himself could enter into it and interact as part of the story. The moment that thought flashed in his mind the scene before his eyes changed in a bright dazzling blaze of light. He looked closer and found that before him was a large garden where myriads of multi-colored flowers bloomed in profusion. In the middle of the garden was a majestic palace built of solid gold. David walked on the solid gold pavement towards the gold fountain where sprouts of water crisscrossed to form different patterns. He stepped onto the gold bridge and looked down, amazed to find that the bottom of the fountain was covered with a thick layer of sparkling gold sand. Fish of all colors and species swam leisurely there. He then proceeded quickly to the spacious great hall of the gold palace where he was confronted by the huge portrait of a large, majestic bird with the face of a beautiful snake-haired woman whose powerful winged were soaring in flight. The walls of the hall were covered with murals and exquisite, true to life sculptures of King Dimitri’s twenty-four beauties but he had no time to spare on these magnificent art works. He rushed up the steps and plopped himself down on King Dimitri’s gold throne. David sat there looking around at his glorious and resplendent surroundings in great satisfaction and said loudly,
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“Who would have thought that I, David, am able to sit here on a king’s throne? From now on I am an almighty king in control of a kingdom. Ha, ha, ha…” His laughter resounded in the large, empty hall seeming more lonely and desolate than ever. “No” thought he. “This is not right. This is the first day of my rule. The atmosphere should be jolly, and cheerful. There should be a large orchestra making loud and merry music and lots of beautiful women surrounding me seeing to my every want.” At once the air was full of music; an endless stream of beautiful women walked in from the entrance of the hall and the room was soon permeated with the fragrance they brought with them. David’s eyes fell on a beauty who looked familiar as if he had seen her somewhere before, He stood up and walked down from his throne to dance with her. She was slender of waist, light on her feet and her features were beautiful as a painting but for the life of him he could not remember her name. After the dance David took her to the back of the palace and naturally had his way with her. While they were making torrid love together, Dimitri’s words came again to him, “What’s happening now is all an illusion. If you take all this for reality you will be thrown into a deep abyss which you will never be able to climb out of. You should realize that things in this world are like this. What is true is illusionary and what is illusionary is true. True and false, illusions and reality, there really is no real boundary between them. Only by thoroughly giving up your quest for material things can you possess everything. This is my sincere advice to you. Remember it and never forget.”
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Soon David woke up from his marvelous dream. He looked around and found that all around was poverty and dilapidation. Bullet holes were everywhere and broken glass covered the ground. The two rows of buildings were dark and silent; the streets were deserted with no sign of cars and pedestrians. It was like an empty city with only the moon high up in the sky looking down. David suddenly remembered who the beauty he made frantic love with in his dream was. She was a street hooker who worked in this area. He never knew her name, so naturally he could not recall it in his dreams. He had had his eyes on her for quite a while but had no money to pay her, so he could only exchange an occasional casual wisecrack with her when they happened to meet. Thinking of the dream, David could not help snickering. “I have actually sat on a gold throne and became the king of a realm. When I go out on the streets looking for food and cigarette butts, and see those well-dressed big shots with their luxury sedans, chauffeurs and bodyguards I will no longer look at them with envy. If I see those beautifully dressed and bejeweled society women walking into high class restaurants or shopping malls, I will no longer feel inferior or unworthy because in King Dimitri’s magic Kingdom of Dreams, my unattainable dreams have been satisfied; my deformed thoughts have been straightened; seriously unbalanced heart is now balanced and steady. I finally understand the true meaning of the saying, “Only by thoroughly giving up can you really possess”. The almighty king is the equal of the common soldier. A lowly prostitute is the equal of the noble socialite. The richest nabob and the beggar are also equals. When everything comes down to 0, everything is equal, for 0 plus 0 equals 0.” David’s heart and mind was full of brightness because the dead knot which had plagued him for so many years have been untied and he felt free and happy. But consumed in his own thoughts he was not aware that he was being surrounded by about half a dozen husky, terrifying-looking ruffians. Something was going to happen.
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Under the luminous moonlight, gorgeous roses were in full bloom. Roses of different colors and species thrived in clusters in flowers beds all around the garden. In the midst of these beautiful and magnificent flowers, two crystal glasses clinked. Dimitri and Charina were sitting on a woolen blanket with a sumptuous meal spread before them, happily toasting each other, enjoying themselves thoroughly. Charina had taken clean water and a wet towel and cleaned off the mud and dust that she had put on her face as camouflage, revealing her beautiful, elegant countenance and large soulful eyes which looked around with speaking glances. She had discarded her dilapidated safari hat, dirty heavy coat and shirt revealing the yellow summer dress with narrow straps that she wore underneath. She still had on the black baggy pants, but had changed her ill-fitting block-headed shoes for a pair of pretty sandals. It was deep into the night and there was no one around at the wide expanse of land by the lake. Wasn’t Dimitri worried about the welfare and safety of the beautiful and stylish lady by his side? Actually he was not at all concerned because as soon as he stepped into the rose garden he saw his two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity standing hand in hand underneath a large tree. They bowed respectfully to him. He returned their salute by waving his hand at them, thereby acknowledging their presence. Charina, who was standing beside him, asked who he was waving to and if he had seen a friend. Dimitri didn’t know how to reply, so he hemmed and hawed and evaded her question. He knew and trusted the abilities of his two loyal servants, so naturally he was not worried about the safety of himself and his beautiful companion and had no compunction about drinking to his heart’s content. He held up his glass and said happily,
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“I never imagined that in my lonely nomad life I would get to know you. Neither had I ever dreamed that one day you and I would be together and picnic in this beautiful garden under the bright luscious moonlight. This is really one of life’s wonderful adventures.” Charina took a cracker, put a piece of smoked cheese on it and then spread it thickly with caviar. She handed the sandwich-like appetizer to Dimitri saying,
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“Try this and see if you like it.” Dimitri took a bite and found the taste quite unique, aromatic and tasty; so he complimented her saying,
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“Good. Good. This really tastes wonderful – one of the great delicacies of this world! I cannot eat this without accompanying it with some more whiskey.” Saying so, he took up his glass and drank up half of it. Charina also made one for herself and chewed on it reflectively accompanied by a sip of her whiskey.
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“Have you any plans for the future?” she asked.
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“Plans?” inquired Dimitri quite startled by her question. “What plans? We roaming hobos have no plans and do not need any. We are but a falling leaf drifting with the wind, or like a flower that blooms and withers before falling to the ground. We have no plans.” Charina nodded her head and then said,
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“You sound pretty poetic but too passive and negative by far. Do you never think of stopping your roaming, form a family and live a normal and more stabilized life?” Dimitri smiled wryly and tossed off the rest of the whiskey in his glass. Charina refilled it for him and continued, “If there is a woman who is willing to marry you, take care of your home, cook and wash for you and even have children with you so your noble bloodline can be continued, would you consider it?” Dimitri sighed to himself and secretly thought,
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“There is goes again. As the saying goes, “The hardest thing to endure is a woman’s dedication. It’s what every man craves for but it’s also what he is most afraid of getting…” He cleared his throat, hesitant as to how to reply. “As to that…I have never…eh… thought of it before and…eh…have never met with such a situation…” Charina calmly cut a piece of pama ham and handed it to Dimitri wrapped in lettuce, saying,
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“Don’t worry about it. Have something to eat and think it over carefully. Now that you are confronted with such a situation, are you willing to consider it?” Dimitri made use of the pretext of chewing his food to stall for time. His brain was going at a furiously fast rate, thinking of how to deal with this dilemma. It was not an easy question to answer. If in trying to slur things over his answer was too vague and ambiguous, it would not convey his true meaning and certainly would not resolve the problem. On the other hand, if his reply was concise and to the point, it would hurt Charina’s self respect. Charina, after all, was a beautiful and extremely intelligent lady from a well-to-do family and an authoress of some repute. For her to say what she had just said took a lot of courage and it was an extremely high compliment to him, Dimitri, that she thought him worthy of her. How could he refuse? But if he did not refuse, there really was no way he could accept her offer… Caught up in the quandary, Dimitri was at a loss as to what to do. Finally with Charina’s piercing eyes centered on him, he realized he could not procrastinate any longer and braced himself to reply in a roundabout way saying,
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“…eh… Charina…don’t you feel… that is to say… I feel…” Charina kept smiling and looking at Dimitri as if finding his awkward and embarrassed body language and expression both funny and amusing. She held up her wine glass and said,
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“Come on Dimitri, don’t worry. Have a drink and we can talk this over.” Dimitri gulped down his whiskey and continued,
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“You know, Charina, everyone in this world has his place and plays a role. You play your role and I play mine. Two mysterious elements define which role one is to play: the innate fate one is born with and character which is developed later. Take you for instance: your innate fate is much better than that of an ordinary person. You were born into a lap of luxury, have always lived an affluent life and was very well educated. Then as you grew up your character was inclined towards the artistic and you loved to read and write. That naturally led to the life of a scholar and you became an author of some acclaim. You filled well the role you were meant for in life. It was the same with me. My innate fate was very poor. I was born with serious eye problems which later led to my blindness. From the time I had memory, I was always on the streets, begging, so it seemed to be that I was born with wanderlust and roaming has become my way of life. That was how I came to be a blind vagabond. It is result of interaction between my innate fate and character or way of life. You are like a bird, flying freely in the skies, while I am like a fish in the water. You and I are two entirely different species of animals and unfortunately it is impossible to combine the two and make them live in the same habitat. I am sure the conclusion is only ‘no’”. Charina kept looking at Dimitri with a tranquil smile and said,
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“Are you done? If so, please allow me to say something. I feel that your misgivings are based on your grave psychological obstacles. The main reason is that you don’t think you are worthy of me. Is that right? But I must tell you not to belittle yourself unwarrantedly. In your Kingdom of Dreams, you are a benevolent king whom all your subjects love and respect. You are a noble poet. It was your noble talents that made me love you at first sight and the reason why I want to marry you.” Charina stopped for a moment, sipped a little whiskey and continued, “Alright, let’s compromise. I have a plan that will dissolve the contradictions and solve our problems. During the day you can play your own role and roam wherever you want. I know you have a lot of good friends as well as your own business to take care of. But at night, please return to my house. A sumptuous meal will be prepared for you. After dinner, if you feel uncomfortable sleeping indoors, I have a large back yard. Feel free to make your bed anywhere outdoors that takes your fancy. It sets my mind at ease to know you are in my home.” Charina again stopped for a moment and eyed the sleeping bag for two spread out beside them that she had just bought. Charina’s voice dropped so low as to be almost inaudible as she blushed and continued, “I want to have children with you. It would be a pity to let your noble line end with you and not pass your royal blood along to your descendants…” Dimitri’s heart lurched when he heard her words and was deeply distressed.
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“Gosh!” he thought. “This does it! How can one reply to an offer like this from a beautiful and classy lady? If I refuse she will feel rejected, repulsed and so humiliated that I’m afraid she would jump right down a steep cliff if one was nearby. Imagination! Where are you? I need your help. Show yourself immediately!”
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Imagination and Creativity were holding hand, talking and laughing under the shade of the tall tree when suddenly Imagination became still. She had received the call for help from King Dimitri. He turned to Creativity and said,
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“Our master is in trouble and has called me for help. I must go and get him out of whatever predicament he is in. You stay here. I’ll be back.”
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“What predicament can he be in?” inquired Creativity, quite puzzled. “Wasn’t he talking animatedly with a beautiful woman under the moonlight amidst the beautiful roses? What help could he need from you?”
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“That beautiful woman is the trouble!” replied Imagination. “She has offered herself to our master who doesn’t know what to do. That’s why he is calling to me for help.”
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“Offered herself to him? Isn’t that a good thing? If you barge in now, you would be disrupting their intimate tete-a-tete.” Imagination gave him a white eye and said,
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“You are really dense sometimes Creativity. You should know how our master’s mind works by now. He does not want to be embroiled in any more amorous affairs of the heart. They twist around him like webs that refuse to go away and are impossible to untangle. That’s why he is calling to me for help.” She was about to walk out of the shade when Creativity grabbed hold of her arm saying,
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“I sense five, six people coming towards the rose garden. These are evil persons and are up to no good.”
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“I have no time to deal with these people” said Imagination. “My master calls and I must go to him immediately. Only a woman can deal with affairs of the heart. I will go and leave these ruffians for you to deal with.”
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“No problem” replied Creativity. “Leave these thugs to me.” Imagination then walked out of the shade towards the beds of roses.
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David realized that there were some people moving around him. Before he understood what was happening, his collar was tightly grasped by rough hands which pulled him up and slapped him so powerfully on the face that blood sprouted from his nose and mouth.
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“Who the fuck sent you here to spy on us?” growled a low masculine voice. “What are you doing on our turf? Are you snooping here to report to your boss? Who is he?” Before David had time to gather his wits to reply, the man jerked up his strong, massive knee and hit David’s stomach several times so strongly that he was dizzy with pain and lost control of his bowels. The man then threw the old man to the ground in disgust and kicked him viciously, saying, “Talk! Who sent you here... What? You’re not talking... Good! I haven’t killed anyone for quite a few days and I’m raring to go. Why don’t I practice on you? I will crack your head open and your noodles flow out! Wait and see…” Saying so, he took a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at David’s forehead. In fear and desperation, David cried out,
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“Dimitri! Dimitri! Help me… Dimitri! Dimitri! Help...”
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“What, you dare to make a noise? Watch me shoot you right now!” Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a short man with a narrow forehead and pointed head walked out of the shadows. His eyes were like those of a mouse, darting around furtively, advertising the fact that this was a man harboring evil intentions and full of wicked ideas. He caught the man’s arm and said,
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“Not so fast, boss. Listen, I have something important to tell you first.”
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“What the fuck!” grunted the man impatiently. “Scram! Can’t you see I’m busy?” The short guy pulled him over to the side and asked,
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“Ever heard of a dude called Dimitri Jackson, boss?”
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“No. Who is he? Never heard of him. Must be a nobody.”
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“No way boss. He is a mysterious trillionaire, really, really loaded. He owns a lot of businesses that he hires to run for him. He never shows himself in public and no one knows who he really is.”
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“What’s that got to do with me? He goes his way and I go mine. We have nothing to do with each other.”
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“Oh no, boss. I think you’ll be coming into big bucks. That dude Dimitri loves to dress up as a homeless person and fool around with other dirty and stinky homeless hobos. No one knows anything about him so it’s very hard to catch him. But recently word on the street is he has become blind so he must wear shades and carry a white cane. Just now I saw a man like that walk past us with another hobo, that my eyes told me was woman in disguise. Hey, boss that’s why I said you are about to come into big bucks. If that homeless man is Dimitri, we could easily take him. If you have Dimitri in your control, you are in control of his immense fortune. As to his companion, we can strip off her clothes when we get hold of her. The chick may even turn out to be a great beauty! So boss you may gain control of both a fortune and a beauty!” The man he addressed as chief, laughed heartily and slapped the short guy on his shoulders saying,
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“Great, bro! If I get control of this great fortune I will share it with you. Let me kill the spy first and then go and catch these two homeless persons.” The short guy with a pointed head and mouse-like eyes said,
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“No boss, don’t kill him yet. Just now he was shouting for Dimitri. What if the guy is in Dimitri’s camp? People say Dimitri is a good friend of Mr. Kaffee that retired underworld big shot who is still very powerful. What’s worse, that killer Big-O is loyal to him. We do not want to make these two angry with us. They can make our lives hell and kick us out of our turf. If Big-O comes after us, there will be no tomorrow. Why don’t we just tie up the old fellow and throw him by the roadside. We should hurry after the two hobos in the rose garden.”
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“You are right. Don’t sweat the little stuff. We should go after the important targets first.”
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Flowers swayed and leaves rustled as someone walked through the rose bushes and came towards the picnic site. The clever and ever vigilant little dog Maureen barked at the direction where the noise was coming from. Dimitri immediately caught hold of it and patted its head saying,
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“Don’t be afraid, my little friend. It’s only an old friend of mine coming to see us. Stop barking so you won’t wake up the pretty roses that are all asleep.” Then looking up at Charina, he said, “It’s a good friend of mine called Imagination. She can be invisible and hide herself in the air but she will be showing herself pretty soon. Please don’t be afraid.”
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“King Dimitri!” called a sweet voice in the air, “did you call me? What can I do for you? May I show myself?”
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“Yes, show yourself” called Dimitri to the empty air. No sooner had the words left his mouth than under the moonlight a young woman with long hair falling to her waist suddenly appeared before them. She had an alluring figure and a beautiful face, which revealed two mysterious dimples when she smiled at them. She stood under the moonlight and bowed reverently before Dimitri. “Now that you are here, please sit down so the two of you can talk together comfortably.” He held up his glass of whiskey full to the brim, finished it with a quaff and said, “I’m afraid I have had too much to drink and am feeling a bit tipsy. I think I had better go to sleep. You two can chat together.” Saying so, he laid himself on the ground, immediately fell asleep and was soon snoring. Charina’s eyes were still wide open in shock at the dramatic events that enfolded before her eyes, but Imagination curled her legs under herself and sat down quite naturally beside Charina, saying,
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“I know you are the authoress Charina. I have known you since the very first day you got to know Dimitri, only you did not know of my existence. I am a small cell in King Dimitri’s brain. I have a companion called Creativity. Our names were given to us by King Dimitri. At the moment Creativity is roaming around the area seeing to our security. You may rest assured that we are all perfectly safe here on this lonely stretch of land near the lake. We will not be disturbed or attacked here at the rose garden.”
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“Attacked? “asked Charina greatly mystified. “Who would want to attack us?”
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“In human society” answered Imagination with a mysterious smile on her face, “there are kind people of candid and open-hearted disposition, but there are more who are vicious and malicious. It is these people who cause trouble and disrupt the peace and harmony of our society. But you may rest assured that my companion Creativity is perfectly capable of dealing with any situation.”
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“Of course…” nodded Charina half-doubtfully. “But I only trust Dimitri. Since he has allowed me to come with him on his roaming, I am sure he has considered everything, including safety.” Imagination kept the mysterious smile on her face and changed the subject saying,
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“Oh, by the way, do you remember the first time you went to King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams? You happened to come across an enormous earthquake followed by a tsunami…”
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“Oh yes” replied Charina with her eyes lighting up. “It’s an unforgettable experience. Were you there too?”
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“Yes, I was there. Don’t forget I am a cell in King Dimitri’s brain” replied Imagination. “I remember King Dimitri put you in the ruins of the burnt down palace so you could gather whatever material you needed for your writing. I was with King Dimitri when he jumped on his magic horse Lightning and soared up to the skies to meet with King Zeus. Chalk it up to feminine intuition if you will but since our first meeting I have known the secret in your heart. Perhaps it takes a woman to know a woman but I have known that you wish to make a home for King Dimitri so he could live a happy life. You are willing to be with him your whole life.” Charina silently nodded and glanced at Dimitri, who was lying asleep under the roses. Under the moonlight, Imagination’s eyes glittered as she looked straight at Charina and said, “I’m afraid Charina, that your wish cannot be realized in the near future because King Dimitri is not psychologically ready yet to take this step. He has not been able to free himself of an extremely tragic event of his past. Perhaps I should tell you about it so you would understand.”
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“Really?” exclaimed Charina urgently as her curiosity had been aroused. “I would appreciate it very much if you would tell me about this.” Imagination then made use of this opportunity to relate to her Dimitri’s intricate relationship with Ileen, Cyclops and Viola (please read Book1 and 2 for details). A deep silence ensued at the end of her tale. After a while Charina raised her head, her large soulful eyes looking at Imagination’s and murmured,” Now I understand why Dimitri asked you here to tell me this story. He has not yet emerged from the shadow of the tragedy in his life. I fully understand, but my love for him will not change. With love comes the urge for a closer sexual relationship, which is perfectly natural. Is it wrong for me to want to have children with him to continue his bloodline? I don’t think so. Neither do I know how to stop loving him.”
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“Of course you are not wrong” replied Imagination diplomatically. “From love to sex is a natural progression and is part of human nature. Modern civilization has progressed too fast. In seeking instant gratification, the position of love and sex has somewhat become reversed and sexual relationship between the sexes has become as simple, commonplace and straightforward as shaking hands. Sex has taken the place of love with the result that uncurbed sex has become a rampage, increasing the number of abortions and illegitimate children. Society has become more complicated and illogical. Marrying in haste without much thought leads inevitably to divorce. Then seeking the same unattainable happiness, they remarry and get divorced again. Thus marriage and divorce has become an unending cycle, as common as eating three meals a day and soon they find their whole life had gone by, frittered away in such trivial pursuit, seeking happiness ever unattainable. I feel that this is the wrong way to go. How I hope we could go back fifty years, even a century when society was more conservative and under the constraints of morality people have a more rational understanding of love and sex. Man and woman would be willing to go through a longer period of knowing and understanding each other and marriage would no longer be an irrational decision. That is what modern society needs right now. Your idea was right. You go from love to sex, but Charina do you know that there is another more superior and noble form of love that rises above sex?”
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“Another more superior and noble form of love that rises above sexual love? What can that be?” asked Charina, quite mystified.
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“I think I will ask two nymphs from heaven to come down and explain it to you so you would better understand what I mean.” Imagination put her finger to her lips she said, “Sh-sh-sh. Be quie.” Then raising her head to look up at the myriad of stars in the skies, she cupped her hands and lowered her voice whispering, “Hey, Charmaine! Clementine! What are you two doing? Are you free? If so, why don’t you come down to earth for a moment? I want you to meet a new friend of King Dimitri’s whom I think he would like you two to meet.”
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In the skies above the rose garden by the lake floated some clouds. There were no winds so they stayed stable and unmoving as if asleep. Under the luminous moonlight, two svelte figures, one followed by another, flashed by, jumping from one cloud to another, and then to those further on. They wore flimsy clothes resembling the semi-transparent wings of dragonflies, giving off scintillating golden sparkle under the moonlight, now revealing now concealing their fascinating figures as they jumped and flew from cloud to cloud. As they got nearer to the rose garden the two of them became greatly excited. At the same time in the darkness on the ground below, some tall husky figures emerged from the shadows and were running towards the rose garden. One of figures, a short man with pointed head and small mouse-like eyes stopped the other goons and rubbed his eyes saying,
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“Hey guys! Did you see two beautiful young girls flash by on the clouds above? Did you see them?” His boss, a husky brawny tough guy snarled,
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“Shut your trap, you goony wimp, something’s wrong with your eyes. What beautiful young girls? All you can think of is women! Let’s get on with it and not waste time. If our quarry escapes it will be all for nothing!” Just as they were about to set off again, two figures in the skies above suddenly jumped off the clouds and floated lightly down to the rose garden like two feathers. That man with the pointed head and mouse like eyes pointed to the skies saying,
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“Nothing is wrong with my eyes! Was I wrong? Look! Don’t you all see it? I wasn’t wrong was I? Are you all blind? This time it’s not only one girl, it’s several! One is in the garden and two more dropping down from the sky. Hey boss, you’re in luck!” In the face of reality, the husky, brawny tough guy had nothing to say this time. He swiped his mouth with the back of his hand as if to wipe off the saliva that was drooling in his mouth.
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“Son-of-a bitch” he exclaimed. “Is there really such a thing as fairies coming down to earth from the skies? There really were two females who jumped down from the clouds. I don’t give a damn about the mysterious dude you talked about but I want these females.”
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“Hey boss, you’ll get both money and females, I am sure of it. Just don’t forget us when you do. You have the steak but we’ll get to gnaw some bones, right?” The other men also began to clamor and shout not to be forgotten. Creativity, who was hiding in the air, had long zoomed in on this group of mobsters. He thought,
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“This is human greed at work, looking to take for oneself what belongs to others. Let me teach these fellows a lesson, these toads who are hankering for a taste of a swan.”
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When Imagination saw two beautiful nymphs drifting down from the skies, their clothing fluttering in the breeze, she immediately jumped up excitedly to give them a warm embrace. The motionless form of Dimitri lying sound asleep in the midst of the roses caught the eyes of Clementine and Charmaine, who sighed and said,
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“Father Zeus has been sending out scouts to look for King Dimitri in the four corners of the earth, not knowing he is sound asleep right here in the rose garden. How unhappy Father Zeus would be to hear this! “
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“Let’s allow King Dimitri to sleep on uninterrupted” suggested Imagination “and permit me to introduce to you to a friend.” She waved to Charina signaling her to come and meet the two nymphs. Charina walked over smiling. She first embraced Clementine and felt as if her arms were clasping empty air. Then she embraced Charmaine and again felt as if she was hugging a vacuous void. Suddenly she remembered Dimitri telling her about the 24 beauties in his Kingdom of Dreams, how two of them were nymphs with image but no substance. That is to say they had no flesh bodies. She concluded that the nymphs before her must be the two Dimitri had mentioned and understood why Imagination wanted her to meet them. Little dog Maureen lay at the feet of its mistress, looking up at the two nymphs who had flown down from the skies. Clementine and Charmaine reached down and softly patted its head and teased him saying, “Ah, little dog, lovely little dog. I bet you are the cleverest dog in the whole city of humans.”
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“Come on, everyone, let’s sit down and talk instead of standing on ceremony” said Imagination. “King Dimitri had a little too much to drink tonight, so I think we should let him sleep it off.” Saying so, the four beauties sat down on the woolen blanket. Having no flesh bodies, Clementine and Charmaine needed no food or drink. Imagination knew the sisters well, having often spent a lot of time with them in the Kingdom of Dreams, talking and laughing. Ah! Those happy, carefree days were like the flowing water, gone forever, never to return. “How have you two been doing these days?” continued Imagination. “What’s been keeping you busy? Oh yes, you just mentioned that King Zeus has sent scouts out looking for King Dimitri. Do you know what your heavenly father wants with him?”
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“Actually, there’s nothing urgent” answered Clementine. “You know how Father Zeus is. He likes things around him to be lively and bustling with activity and hates it when it’s quiet and still with nothing much going on. Recently he was in a good mood and there was not much on the horizon, so he decided to give a magnificent banquet, inviting all the gods on Olympus and the kings of various kingdoms to join. Of course King Dimitri, being one of his favorite people, was an honored guests. Father Zeus sent people out with the invitation, and was frustrated when they couldn’t find him anywhere. That’s all. Also, King Zeus suddenly remembered the wonderful wine he was once offered at the Kingdom of Dreams. It was made from the nectar of a hundred flowers and tasted just out of this world, impossible to describe with words. Just the thought of this wine would make him drool with envy, so he sent the two of us to the Kingdom of Dreams to learn how to make this wine.”
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“Really?”exclaimed Imagination, greatly interested. “So the two of you must have been to the Kingdom of Dreams recently? Did you see the White Fairy? She’s the one who made the wine. I’m sure she must have given you the recipe instead of refusing to reveal her secret.”
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“Of course she would not refuse to share; we have always been intimate bosom friends. But the making of the wine is a pretty intricate procedure involving many secrets steps and it’s not something we could learn in a hurry; so White Fairy volunteered to go with us to the Seventh Heaven and make the wine there for King Zeus. Medusa said many of the flowers that go into the wine were available only in the Kingdom of Dreams and nowhere else, so she organized the loyal people of the kingdom to go out in the wilds and the mountains to gather those flowers, which she later helped us transport to the Seventh heaven. While White Fairy was making the wine, she at the same time taught us step by step the secrets of making the wine Father Zeus so loved. We were careful to have everything ready in time for Father Zeus grand banquet.”
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“So you saw Medusa recently, too” exclaimed Imagination. “How is she? Is everything alright with her?”
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“Oh, everything is fine with her, but the duty of protecting the safety of the Kingdom of Dreams is a heavy burden. Cyclops and Viola have been very quiet recently and may have left the area, but Medusa never knows when they will pop up and create more mischief. Neither can she be sure of what other schemes, conspiracy and intrigues they will cook up to destroy the Kingdom. Medusa lives from day to day on tenterhooks, ever vigilant, wary and alert, carrying out her job of protecting the Kingdom which King Dimitri entrusted to her. She is so looking forward to the day when King Dimitri would go back and take up the reins of the Kingdom of Dreams again.” After a silence, she said, “Medusa hopes that you and your partner Creativity would build a palace, grander and more magnificent that the old one that was burnt down all ready for the day when King Dimitri returns. She also mentioned that she would like to mobilize the people of the Kingdom to salvage the gold palace that was sunk to the bottom of Sun Moon Lake and put it back on Giant Mountain. But this must wait till King Dimitri returns and give the order. It was not her decision to make… “
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“Oh, by the way “interrupted Charmaine, “why were the two of us called here? Is there an emergency? Father’s magnificent banquet is still ongoing big-time in the Seventh Heaven. White Fairy is covering up for us while we slip out. She is single-handedly taking care of the wine for the whole banquet and I am sure she is having a hectic time but we sit here leisurely chatting with you guys while King Dimitri sleeps. She’ll be angry if she knew this.”
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“Oh no, no” replied Imagination. “She will never be angry. We are all good sisters. In fact I am sure she will be very happy. Actually inviting you both here to meet Charina was not my personal decision. It was King Dimitri’s idea to let you know each other and have a good heart to heart talk.”
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“Oh, is that so?” mused Charmaine. Turning to Charina, she said, “As a matter of fact, we knew you a while ago. My sister and I saw you in the bronze mirror in our palace in the moon when you were washing King Dimitri’s throne in the ruins of the palace and we knew the secret wish in your heart. You wanted to give him a home where he could settle down and no longer live the nomad life of a drifter. We saw it all and we understood.” Charina was shocked and embarrassed that the secret in the innermost sanctuary of her heart was thus exposed. She blushed furiously and lowered her head, not knowing how to answer. Clever and sensitive, Charina had guessed at the reason for arranging her meeting with the two nymphs. Just then, sounds of loud shouting and fighting were heard at the gate to the rose garden.
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A tall, stalwart, violent-looking mobster rushed into the rose garden ahead of his band of five, six ferocious ruffians. He was in such a hurry that in the darkness he hit his head hard against a protruding wall which was solid as a bastion of iron, forcing him to totter back a few steps as golden stars flashed before his eyes. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around and asked his followers,
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“You guys see any wall in front?”
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“No, boss” they replied. “We don’t see no wall in front, only empty space.”
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“That’s strange” he muttered to himself. “I know I hit a wall. How come there’s nothing there?” The short man with a narrow forehead and pointed head who was following right behind him saw everything that happened. There really was nothing in front of his boss, but then he also clearly saw him hit something solid and totter back from the impact!.
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“That’s spooky!” thought he as his sly, mouse like eyes rolled around in contemplation of the situation. “There are lots of strange things happening in this world, such as nymphs from heaven floating down to earth; so nothing is impossible. There seems to be something jinxed about tonight and things don’t look good. Better not get mixed up with it. I had better take the first chance I get to bail out and look for that mysterious trillionaire by myself. Once I capture him, I would be coming into big bucks and will be in control of unlimited wealth. If I am so lucky as to capture those two nymphs and have my way with them they would make ideal playthings.” The short man was lost in his wishful thinking…
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The big boss was not willing to give up. He braced himself and led his underlings forward again. This time he was hit by an iron fist right in the face. He fell backwards heavily against his followers and who were knocked down right and left like dominoes and the ground was scattered with bodies like so many rolling gourds. The short man with the pointed head made use of this opportunity to slip silently away. The big boss angrily picked himself up from the ground and roared at his followers in exasperation,
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“Who the fuck dares to surprise attack me, eh? Speak or I will shoot the whole pack of you good for nothing hooligans.” The thugs slowly getting up from the ground saw that the big boss really got it this time! His face was swollen, his left eye black and blue, his nose bloody and broken and blood was dripping down from the corner of his lips. To vent his anger and frustration he kicked and hit his followers, shouting, “Talk, you idiots. Who was it that attacked me? If you won’t talk I will really kill all of you!”
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“Hey, boss” said his followers enduring the kicks and insults in meek submission. “We have all been with you for many years and have made our bones and proved our loyalty to you again and again. Nobody here dares to attack you. That would be bringing disaster on ourselves! Hey boss, we swear it’s not us. You think it over carefully.”
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“They are right” thought the big boss. “These men have been with me for a long time and are scared to death of me. They don’t dare move a finger even when I am asleep. But who in the world would dare to give me a surprise attack?” He turned suddenly, took his gun out of his pocket and aimed it at the sky shouting, “Who the fuck is secretly attacking me? Come out or I’ll fire!” Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the wrist of his right hand which was holding the gun was suddenly clasped in a viselike grip and the gun was easily taken away from him.
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“So you are the big boss!” said a voice in the air. “You are the chief culprit guilty of the most heinous crimes and have no regard for law and order. Today I will teach you a lesson.” Iron fists punched in quick succession at his jaw and stomach and his buttocks received vicious kicks which sent him groveling on the ground. The world seemed to spin around him and golden stars flashed by before his eyes. This mob boss was used to bullying others and being surrounded and protected by members of his gang at all times nobody could get close to him. He was sadly out of practice when it came to hand to hand combat and was easily subdued. The tall stalwart mobster felt himself being lifted up and easily thrown through the air like a rag doll until he landed in the middle of the lake with a loud splash, causing sprouts of water to rise up high into the air. His followers could hardly believe their eyes and stood there aghast, only to be attacked by the invisible iron fist. Some were hit in the jaw causing it to be unhinged and teeth knocked out. Others were hit in the stomach and rolled on the ground in pain. Within a second all five or six of them were swept away like fallen leaves blown away by the autumn wind and then thrown one by one into the lake like their boss. A voice in the air laughed heartily and said, “All of you are bullies accustomed to tyrannizing good guys. Today I want you to experience what it is like to be beaten. I want the cold lake water to clear your brains and be aware that this is what you will get if you victimize others again.”
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The four young beauties nonpareil sat around the woolen blanket talking animatedly with melodious laughter ringing out like the tinkling of bells. Suddenly Charmaine looked up at the skies sprinkled with myriads of twinkling stars and said pensively,
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“I wonder how Father Zeus’s magnificent banquet is going on. Could he be looking for the two of us? If he knew we had slipped out to come down here, he may really get angry. His mood is mercurial and I worry that perhaps he will blame some innocent third party for our behavior…” Suddenly Charmaine pointed to the heavens and cried, “Oh look! Someone is mimicking the way Clementine and I fly!” A shadow streaked in an arc across the sky and fell into the middle of the lake. A loud splash followed causing sprouts of water to rise high into the air.
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“That’s a very poor imitation of our flying skills” commented Clementine. “We do a much better job than that! He is so clumsy that he falls into the lake. I would give him a zero for his efforts. What do you guys say?” Immediately after that five or six shadowy figures could be seen hurtling in an arc in the air towards the middle of the lake, followed by loud sounds of heavy bodies popping into the water one after another, causing the four beauties to bend in side-splitting laughter. “Well,” Clementine continued, “these stupid men must have seen Charmaine and I flying down here and tried to I imitate us. They certainly did an awful job and all fell into the icy cold lake water and took a very cold bath.”
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“These are no stupid men trying to imitate your flying skills” said Imagination seriously. “What you just saw was my partner Creativity punishing these rascals.” Then she went on to explain what had happened. “ Today we have you three here as our VIP guests - two beautiful nymphs from the faraway celestial skies and Dimitri’s good friend, the famous authoress Charina. As King Dimitri’s loyal servants, Creativity and I are responsible for your safety, so we took certain precautions. If the slightest harm came to any one of you through our negligence, our master would lose face and there is no way we could account for it to King Dimitri… The clever little dog Maureen who was sitting quietly beside its mistress suddenly growled deeply and barked unceasingly at the other end of the flower bed. That short man with a narrow forehead and pointed head had surreptitiously left his big boss and fellow hooligans when the going got tough and sneaked away to another part of the rose garden. By sheer luck he happened to wander near the place where the four beauties sat talking. He stuck his head out of the flower beds and immediately stilled as if turned to stone. Greatly excited, his body tingled and his legs grew numb and unable to move because at the other end of the flower bed, he saw four immaculate beauties chatting on a woolen blanket. Every one of the young women was astonishingly and breathtakingly beautiful. The short man thought to himself, “To capture all four of these young women would be very difficult, but even if I only get two of them I would be able to enjoy sublime fulfillment for the rest of my life. If I can also capture the sleeping trillionaire Dimitri Jackson, I could gain control of his immense fortune. Then I would have both beauties and fortune.” Just as he was lost in his wishful thinking, his position was exposed. The ever vigilant little Maureen spotted him amid the flowers and began barking frantically. “Opportunities don’t come by twice. I had better grab it while I can.” thought the short man with a narrow forehead. So he ran out of the flower bed and made for Clementine, who sat there quiet and motionless without the slightest hint of fear. As the man lugged forward to grab hold of his prey, he felt as if he was clasping empty air, lost his balance and fell to the ground. He immediately jumped up and headed for Charmaine. The same thing happened. He clearly and definitely caught hold of the young woman, but somehow he seemed to be holding a vacuous void and fell headlong to the ground again. Before he could get up, the resourceful Imagination circled behind him, grabbed hold of the heavy ice bucket and hit him on the head with all her might. The short man blacked out and fainted. Imagination was very angry and shouted into the air,
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“Where are you Creativity? Show yourself at once. I was just boasting about how resourceful you were and that with you as our bodyguard nothing untoward would happen. Now look what happened! Our three honored guests were almost assaulted by this hooligan! The fact that you made me lose face is non-consequential, but by allowing these ruffians to even enter the rose garden and upset our honored guests while they were all having an animated conversation has made your master King Dimitri lose face as well!”
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“I am sorry, so very sorry!” said a pleasing masculine voice in the air. “I was busy attending to the big boss and his group of underlings and did not notice that this slippery little eel had slipped out of the net! I didn’t know that he had somehow wandered to this place. Let me take care of him first.” The short man who had fainted on the ground seemed to be waking up and made a slight movement. Before he could really come to, he was hauled up into the air and another shadow flew in an arc towards the middle of the lake to join his comrades in the icy water. Clementine and Charmaine chuckled merrily, clapped their hands and said, “That’s wonderful! Let him go and take an icy shower too! Oh yes, we haven’t seen you for a long time, Creativity. Why don’t you show yourself?”
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“There is a new guest here. I don’t have any clothes on, so it’s not decent for me to show myself. I think I had better go and patrol the area around the rose garden. I promise you I will not let in another rascal to interrupt your conversation.” With that a slight wind rose and Creativity seemed to have left them.
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“I had better go back to my duties too” said Imagination. “You three can continue your conversation. I will be standing guard inside the garden to safeguard your privacy.” Saying so, she too disappeared into thin air. Clementine and Charmaine looked at each other for a moment.
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“I think that the two of us had better go back to Father Zeus’ banquet in the Seventh heaven” said Clementine. “We’ve been here too long and are worried about how the banquet is going. If Father Zeus found that the two of us had slipped away without telling him, there will be a big uproar. Also we cannot in good conscience leave all the work to White Fairy.” The twins looked again at each other, then two pairs of eloquent eyes turned inquiringly to Charina. Charina knew that she had to say something to let them know her feelings, so she raised her eyes to the two nymphs and said,
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“When I saw the two of you drop down from the skies, I already understood the reason for your coming and what you wanted me to know. First of all, allow me to show my respect for the pure and unswerving love you have for King Dimitri. I now understand that the existence of a flesh body is not material to true love and that time and distance is also no hindrance to it either. Love is an unchanging feeling. The idea of unconventional love which I have learned from you will be of great use to me my whole life. But I have also heard King Dimitri say that we should not fail to live up to the body temperature of our flesh body, that we should enjoy it to the utmost
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while our body is still warm and alive instead of bemoaning its loss when our body temperature is gone. I believe that by “enjoy it to the utmost” Dimitri did not mean we should seek to overindulge in carnal desire. I think he is in favor of severely controlling our lust so it won’t become wanton and unbridled. Take Dimitri and me for example. Our body temperatures are normal, our blood runs smoothly, our flesh bodies are in their prime. But from the two of you I understand the true meaning of love. I will not seek love blindly, nor will I try unceasingly to entangle myself with Dimitri. I will wait silently and patiently for the day when Dimitri is ready to accept me as the 25th beauty in his Kingdom of Dreams.” Clementine and Charmaine looked at each other and smiled, revealing their relief and gratification. Their feet left the ground and their bodies began their ascent to the skies. They said together,
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“Good luck! Good luck! We will become good sisters. One day your wish will come true and you will become the 25th member of the Kingdom of Dreams. Good luck! Good luck!” Saying so, they flew into the night sky and became one with the endless darkness.
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After watching the figures of two nymphs disappear into the skies, Charina silently went about packing up the utensils used during the picnic, put the left-overs into paper bags and then placed them all back into the brand new shopping cart. She thought about what had just happened. It seemed so real and yet so fanciful. Did the two nymphs really fly down from the skies to this rose garden? Did Dimitri really have two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity who could appear out of thin air and disappear into it at will? As for Creativity, I only heard his voice but did not see him in person. It’s really an amazing and unbelievable experience! Charina’s foot came into contact with some pieces of ice scattered on the ground. She picked up the lid and put it back on the ice bucket remembering how just now Imagination had used the bucket to hit the short man with a pointed forehead with such force that he fell to the ground in a faint. Then all this really happened? It’s really amazing how unimaginable things happen in this world of ours. Charina took some pieces of ice out of the bucket, put them into a glass and poured herself a full glass of whiskey. She sat down on the woolen blanket and thought of things that weighed on her mind. The lovely little dog Maureen knew that its mistress had things on her mind, so it sat down by her feet quietly and kept her company. Charina drank her whiskey and made a decision.
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“I will keep the promise I just made. I will be rational and calm, waiting silently and patiently for the day when Dimitri is ready to accept me as the 25th beauty in his Kingdom of Dreams… No matter whether he will do so or not, I have made my decision. I will wait and see whether he will come up with any other excuse.” Dimitri’s words rang again in her ears,
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“Fail not to live up to the body temperature of our flesh body.
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Enjoy it to the utmost while it is still warm and alive.
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Bemoan not its loss when our body temperature is gone;
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For once it is gone to the land of no return,
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It will never come back again.”
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These words sounded sad and pensive, but also had a tantalizing touch of provoking lust. Dimitri was not a playboy type overly interested in sex. On the contrary, he seemed to be more like an ascetic. Charina could not make head or tails out of the true meaning of those words, so she shrugged and decided to put it aside for the moment, thinking there was ample time to ask him about it later when she had a chance. She tilted her glass to finish off her whiskey.
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It was still summer, but late at night the wind was still rather cold by the side of the lake. Perhaps Charina’s clothing was too thin; she shivered in the cool air and finished her drink in a quaff. Patting Maureen lightly on the head she said, “I am going to sleep. What about you?” Maureen barked as if telling her to sleep in peace and it would stand guard during the night. Charina smiled, patted Maureen on the head and stood up. Dimitri had not really been asleep. He only pretended to snore, while in reality his ears were attuned to the conversation of the beauties. He heard Charina getting into her sleeping bag and everything around turned quiet. He opened one eye, winked at Maureen cheekily and waved to it. The little dog understood and curled itself into the crook of Dimitri’s arms. It was only then that Dimitri let himself slip into dreamland.
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The dreamland Dimitri entered this time was quite different. His former dreams were utterly illusory and unreal and their contents, unsubstantial and preposterous, were mostly in unconnected bits and pieces impossible to piece together into a logical whole. This time it was quite different. He was perfectly aware that he had entered a real and stable world. Everything around him reflected a golden brilliance bright as the sun but was not hurtful to his eyes. Neither was the sunlight that shone on his body too hot to bear. In fact it felt warm and welcoming. His body was surrounded in a circle of light. Dimitri wanted to know where he was and decided to find his bearing. He looked around and discovered that the sunlight did not cast a shadow of his body on the ground. If that was so, where had his body gone to? Had it died and been destroyed? Was this an eternal state of mind? Dimitri was both sad and happy at the turn of events. He was sad that this flesh body of his that had been with him for so many years, though disabled and sickly and a burden on him at times, was dearer to him than a direct relative. He felt lost and disconsolate without it. But on the other hand he was happy to find that the loss of his flesh body did not mean utter destruction of him as an entity. He had achieved ‘eternal existence’, which is his true self. A mild feeling of happiness rose from the depth of his heart. It was a feeling quite different from the conventional one that resulted from stark contrast with the stimulation of great pain. The mild feeling of delight in Dimitri’s heart was a natural feeling, one that was barely discernable but which he happened to catch. “Why have I unknowingly overlooked such a feeling in all the years I have been alive?” Dimitri wondered. Such mild feeling of happiness is a minute one impossible to express in words. All his life, Dimitri’s flesh body had suffered all kinds of worries and vexations. They wrapped themselves so tightly around him, some light as spider’s web and others tenacious as fishing net, that he was unable to untangle himself. But now in this perfect world full of brightness and radiance all his troubles, vexations and fetters disappeared without a trace. In this pure world of unending happiness, this eternal existence is my real self. So there is such wonderful state of mind in this world of ours! Why have I never known of its existence before? It’s really stupid of me! Perhaps trouble and suffering had hoodwinked my eyes. Now I finally understand that the happiness brought by piling up money and material goods is not real. They are false because such feeling will disappear when money and material goods disappear, while the mild happiness I feel now is not dependant on anything else. This is my real self in an eternal existence.
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Dimitri was enjoying his solitary walk, strolling aimlessly amid the wide expanse of brilliance, intoxicated by the mild, natural feeling of happiness and delight emanating from the depth of his heart. Suddenly he stumbled and fell into a dark abyss. His eyes could not distinguish anything so he tried to feel the space around him. It was not very big, just large enough to accommodate him. The temperature was warm and familiar which made Dimitri come to the conclusion that he had again fallen into the prison of his flesh body, a prison where he could not see the light of day. He sighed and wondered how long he would be held captive in this dark prison where he could not even see his own fingers before he would have a chance to catch another glimpse of the outside world, so thriving and prosperous. He thought,
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“Wasn’t I just walking alone in a bright and delightful state of mind? How could it be that in the twinkling of an eye I am once more back in this dark dungeon? It seems that brightness and darkness are only changes in effects of the vision and are not that far apart! Perhaps very soon I will again be able to see the magnificent radiance.” All of a sudden brightness flooded Dimitri’s eyes as his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity pried open a gap on the top of his head where his eyes were and opened up a skylight for him. From the skylight, he saw the wonderful vast starlit skies stretching endlessly before him, where the stars were arranged in an extremely orderly manner. The star nearest to Dimitri shone brilliantly dazzling his eyes and then changed into a beautiful flower of a shape he had never seen before. Dimitri turned himself into a bee and made straight for the flower. Actually, Dimitri’s sickly, disabled body had been changed into a streamlined spaceship, which he was piloting, flying in the universe, visiting the various stars. Dimitri was completely lost, not knowing whether he was actually a work bee busily dancing amongst the flowers blooming luxuriantly in the garden gathering nectar or an astronaut flying a spaceship transformed from his own flesh body in the endless universe. “Perhaps I will lose my way in the universe. I will fly this spaceship which was transformed from my flesh body and visit the flesh body of a female. But whether I am a bee or an astronaut, it is a grand adventure impossible to explain in words.” It suddenly came to Dimitri that this strange but wonderful experience was really the reappearance of the bright and radiant state of mind. Not only was it reappearance, it was superimposed on the flesh body of his which was like a dark dungeon where the sunlight never penetrated. The superimposition of spirit and flesh body is as short and accidental as the meeting of water and duckweed. Weed and water will always part in the end. Flesh body came from dust and one day will inevitably return to dust. Spirit came from heaven and earth and it too will one day revert to nature. That short and accidental meeting of spirit and flesh body is something that should be treasured. He thought, “Didn’t I tell Charina once that we should live up to and enjoy our flesh body to the fullest while we could? That was what I meant. At the time Charina didn’t appear to understand the meaning of those words. Now that I have come to an understanding of all this, I hope I will still remember it when I wake up as this will be the best interpretation and explanation of what I meant by the superimposition of spirit and flesh body” The string of unceasing barking entered his consciousness. Maureen was trying to wake him by biting and pulling at the legs of his trousers and he also heard the sounds of Charina’s choking cough and painful groans. “Oh no” he thought. “My beautiful companion is not used to life in the open. It’s her first day experiencing the life of a homeless person. Has all this been too much for her?”
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It was a heavily misty morning, but once the fog cleared it was sure to be a bright and sunny day. David had been thrown down on the ground at the corner of the street, his hands bound behind him and his mouth stuffed with rags. He was no longer terrified for himself. On the contrary his heart was full of peace. He thought, “Dimitri is really a strange guy. He led me into his Kingdom of Dreams and enabled me to enjoy the awesome life of a magnificent king, experiencing all the wealth and riches the world could offer. Having experienced all that, I would have died without regret, even if those ruffians who roughed me up had shot and killed me.” A car on the street nearby screeched to a halt and hurried footstep could be heard coming towards him. Afraid that it was the thugs back to kill him, David closed his eyes and waited for the end to come. But he felt someone pull the rags out of his mouth and loosened his bound hands. Opening his eyes he saw it was Dimitri’s good friend Richard who was crouched beside him, grinning cockily and making fun of him saying,
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“What happened to you, old dog? Got into a quarrel with someone over cigarette butts and got the shit beaten out of you? They even bound and gagged you and threw you here at the corner of the street!” David sat up, shook his stiff and numb arms and muttered,
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“No, no, no… It wasn’t like that at all! I don’t understand myself what happened last night. I just know I almost lost my life.” He then told his story to Richard haltingly, jumbling up the facts, but used to his ramblings Richard got the point and comforted him saying,
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“In this world there are a lot of good people, but there are also bad ones. It was your tough luck to have tangled with the bad elements last night. What else is there to say? You were at the wrong place at the wrong time.” He then called to Jamaz, whose extraordinary physique
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always much stronger than that of an ordinary man, had miraculously recovered from his wounds and was back to normal again. Richard asked him to bring over one of those old work pants which they kept in the trunk of their pick-up truck and gave it to David saying, “Clean yourself up old dog. Find somewhere to wash away your pee and poo. Then put on this clean pair of pants and go about your business. We have things to do so we are leaving. You take care.” Richard stood up to leave, but stopped to ask,
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“Oh, by the way, have you seen Dimitri? I’m looking for him.”
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“Dimitri? I saw him over there last night” replied David pointing towards the lake. Richard sighed and hit his forehead saying,
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“We searched for him in all his old haunts, but just missed looking in the rose garden. Let’s go there right away.”
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“No, no” said David. “I don’t think you should go there. I saw him with a beautiful young woman. She was dressed as a hobo, but I saw through her disguise right away. If the two of you rush in there, you might be interrupting their romantic tete-a tete and they certainly won’t thank you for it!” David smiled slyly and insolently and went on to describe in detail Dimitri’s young companion. Richard knew at once who she was and said,
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“Oh, it’s her! No wonder no one answered when I called her cell phone. She purposefully didn’t carry it with her! I went to her house, but everything was dark and looked empty. I thought she was out of town… So the two of them got together! Since they are together why not stay inside the house then, enveloped in the sweet intimacy of a world consisting only of the two of them? What are they doing in that god forsaken rose garden?” He shook his head, quite mystified at the turn of events and walked quickly away together with Jamaz.
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It was still very early in the morning and the street was empty of pedestrians. David made use of this to take off his dirty pants, which he used to wipe himself as clean as possible and then put on the pants Richard had given him. Once comparatively clean, his personality underwent a complete change and he walked away happily, all the while looking for cigarette butts by the roadside, hoping to stock up on them so that if he should be lucky enough to meet Dimitri he would offer them as tribute to the mighty king of the Kingdom of Dreams.
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Dimitri’s solitary figure gradually emerged from the thick fog, making his way with the help of his white cane. He did not stop long at Charina’s house after taking her home. He was puzzling over a question that had baffled him since his youth, namely whether King Dimitri of the Kingdom of Dreams just happened one day to dream of Dimitri, or did Dimitri randomly dream of King Dimitri by chance? Or was it that sometimes King Dimitri dreamed about his alternate self who was a homeless man suffering in the mundane world; and sometimes Dimitri went into dreamland to look for the noble King Dimitri? Or perhaps both of these suppositions were true. Perhaps Dimitri could move freely between dreamland and the real world, playing the role of two different characters. Perhaps these two different characters were personified by Dimitri. The question was very simple, but it puzzled Dimitri for decades and could not be resolved to his satisfaction. Take the present for example. Dimitri was piloting the spaceship transformed from his flesh body from the Kingdom of Dreams to the mundane world, but he felt as if his flesh body had never left the world for even one step. Then how could it be flying back here? Then dreamland was a kind of elusive, non-existent supposition; or was it a part of and continuation of real life? Dimitri fell into a deep reverie.
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At the crack of dawn, Maureen woke Dimitri up by pulling at the leg of his pants. He got up and felt his way towards Charina who was coughing up a storm. She seemed to be short of breath and her forehead was hot to his touch. It was then that he realized she was sick. Charina also woke up and asked,
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“What happened?”
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“You are coughing and your forehead is hot. I’m afraid you are sick but don’t worry. Get dressed. I will take you home where you can rest better.”
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“I’m so sorry to be causing you all this trouble on my very first day out as a vagabond” said she. It was only then that Charina realized she was aching all over her body. Her head was aching badly and her nose was all stuffed up. “I am really quite hopeless” she sighed.
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“Don’t say so” said Dimitri trying to comfort her. “It’s not your fault. You are not used to this harsh life. A flower raised in a hothouse is acclimated to warm temperature and the meticulous care lavished upon it, so it flourishes and blooms luxuriantly and graces the world with its beauty, exhibiting the value and meaning of its life in a special way. Once you suddenly move it outdoors and expose it to the elements, it will droop and wilt. So it is with you. That’s only natural and not your fault at all. “
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“Really? Then what about you?” asked Charina curiously. “I saw you lying fast asleep on the soil under the shadow of the rose bushes and was afraid you might catch cold or get arthritis doing so. How come you are not affected?”
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“Don’t forget that I have been living this nomad life for a long, long time” explained Dimitri wryly, “so I am used to the harsh environments and is not that affected by the hot and cold weather. I am like a migratory bird that moves with the weather. Every year around spring and summer, I fly here from faraway places and fly back there again when fall comes.”
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“Where are you going?” asked Charina tensely grabbing hold of his arm. “Will you be going to some faraway place? If you do, please don’t forget to take me with you.”
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“Oh no, no I’m not going anywhere” replied Dimitri patting her white, ivory like hands comfortingly. “I will just be taking you home. Come on. Get dressed and let’s get going and not make your cold worse than it already is.” Intelligent little dog Maureen came toddling up to its mistress dragging her old, dark brown jacket between its teeth. Charina got out of her sleeping bag and obediently put on the jacket, cap and round-toed shoes. Dimitri helped by rolling up her sleeping bag and the woolen blanket and piled them all in the shopping cart. He did not forget to pick up little Maureen and put it into the cart as well. Dimitri pushed the cart while Charina walked in front leading the way and quickly walked away from the rose garden into a thick fog. Dimitri suddenly remembered how he used to materialize before Megan in a timely fashion and help push her stalled old, heavy luxury sedan. Now he was helping Charina push this light shopping cart. Whether it was a heavy luxury sedan or a light shopping cart, he always felt it a pleasure and an honor to be able to help a damsel in distress. After a few twists and turns on the streets in the thick fog, they arrived at Charina’s house. She immediately went into the kitchen and made a cup of hot coffee, for she knew what comfort it was to someone used to life in the raw, cold weather. For herself, she boiled a cup of hot water and put in several slices of lemon for she heard that it was a great antidote for the common cold. Dimitri took the sleeping bag and the woolen blanket out of the cart and put them in the storage room. Not knowing what to do with the leftover food and the utensils, he just left them there for Charina to deal with later on.
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The two of them sat in the quiet living room. Dimitri was holding the thermos cup in his hand and expressing his appreciation with thankful noises while enjoying the hot coffee. He loved such simple pleasures of life. Charina was sipping her hot lemon drink with a feeling of delight and gratification at Dimitri’s enjoyment. After finishing his drink, Dimitri put his cup on the table, stood up and said to Charina,
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“After you finish your hot lemon drink, you should take a hot bath and then go straight to bed for a nice long nap. If you can get your body to perspire, your cold will go away without medication.” He patted little dog Maureen who was lying on his legs saying, “Stay here and keep your mistress company. Don’t be naughty and go gallivanting around.” Maureen barked as if saying “I know.”
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“Are you leaving already?”
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“Yes, I have something I must attend to.” Charina knew it was just an excuse, for what pressing business could a homeless vagabond have that was so pressing? But this time, she was wrong. Mr. Kaffee was like a cat on a hot tin roof and sent Big O, Richard and Jamaz to look everywhere for Dimitri as if something urgent had come up, only Dimitri did not know about it then.
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“When will you be back?”
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“I don’t know, but I will be back…”
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“I would like to have a definite date.”
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“I cannot be sure. Why don’t you treat me as a migratory bird, Charina. I will come when the time is right, but when it’s time to go nothing can keep me. Just let the two of us be free agents without ties. Won’t that be best?” Charina knew that she would not be able to get anything else out of him, so she fell silent. Dimitri opened the front door and walked into the thick fog. He did not really know where he should go, so he just let his legs take him wherever they would.
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Looking at Dimitri’s departing figure, Charina felt a keen sense of loss. She took his advice of soaking herself a hot bath and perspired a bit. After she got out, she dressed and fed her little dog Maureen and was about to go to her bedroom to take a nap, perspire some more hoping that her cold would have gone away when she woke up. Just then her cell phone rang. She answered it saying,
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“Hello, this is Charina. Who’s calling please?”
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“Hi Charina, this is Richard. Is Dimitri there with you? We have been looking for him all of last night. At dawn today an old hobo told us that he saw you and Dimitri at the rose garden. We rushed there but didn’t see you guys. I guess you had already left. So you are home now. Is Dimitri there?”
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“Oh, it’s Dimitri you want. He just left. Has something important come up?”
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“Yes. Mr. Kaffee is like a cat on a hot tin roof and sent everyone looking all over for him. I’m not very sure of the why though. Do you know where he has gone to?”
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“No. He said he is like a migratory bird that will come when the time is right, but when it’s time to go nothing can keep him. I don’t know where he has gone to.”
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“What? A migratory bird? Since when has Dimitri been interested in birds? But even if he is really a migratory bird he would not have flown very far away and is still somewhere in this city. We will keep looking.” With that he hung up. Charina was preparing to go into her room when her cell phone rang again,
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“Hello. This is Charina. Who’s calling please?”
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“Hi Charina, this is Angelica. Sorry to be disturbing you so early in the morning.”
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“Hi Angelica. How are you? Where are you calling from?”
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“I originally intended to jog around the lake like I normally do. But as soon as I got out, I found it was extremely foggy. My good friend and Tai Ji tutor, Lotus, once told me that doing tai ji in the fog was very harmful as the air was too damp and moist. I thought that if it’s not good for doing tai ji, it would not be good for jogging either. I am right near your house. May I come and visit you? Is it a convenient time?”
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“Why, that’s wonderful! Come on over. I was just hoping for a good friend to talk to. I have a lot on my mind that I would love to talk over with someone.”
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“Really? What happened? I would love to come but I can’t stay too long as I have an appointment with another friend of mine, Aisha Jefferson, a famous scholar of humanism. Have you heard of her? If you are interested, I could bring you with me to see her. Didn’t you mention last time that you’ve been having writer’s block recently? Aisha is a renowned scholar and writer. Maybe she would be able to help…”
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“Aisha Jefferson…that name sounds so familiar…where have I heard of it before? Oh yes, she had an unfinished dissertation on “On Life in Matriarchal Society”. Is that so? Also I remember you wrote a book of poems, which recorded odds and ends of life in the Kingdom of Dreams. I have that manuscript too.”
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“What? What did you say? I didn’t quite catch it. What manuscript is in your hands?”
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“Don’t be too excited. We’ll talk about it when you get here, okay? Come quickly.” Charina was very excited when she hung up and marveled at the wonderful opportunity that had just dropped into her lap as it were. “I could give Queen Aisha back the manuscript I rescued from the ruins of the palace in the Kingdom of Dreams as a tribute at our first meeting” she thought. “She is Dimitri’s royal consort and if she is happy to get back the dissertation she must have thought she had lost forever, she might even agree to accept me as the 25th beauty in the Kingdom of Dreams. If Angelica and the twin nymphs Charmaine and Clementine all put in a good word for me, I don’t see how Dimitri could refuse!” At that thought, Charina felt greatly energized and invigorated and her cold healed without further treatment. Her brains were working furiously as she thought of what should be done. “If I should have the honor to meet the internationally renowned scholar of humanism, I think I should dress simply but elegantly as I normally do to give her a good impression. Why don’t I wear my sky blue dress with a full skirt, a broad-rimmed white sun hat and white leather walking shoes? That was what I wore the first time I saw Dimitri. Charina stood up and went to her dressing table to put on some light make-up. Little dog Maureen cocked her head and looked at its mistress in a puzzling manner as if wondering what was going on with her.
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The fog gradually dispersed and pedestrians began to come out onto the streets. David’s deeply wrinkled face was lighted up with seldom seen smiles as he looked for cigarette butts. His former gloomy and wobegone countenance vanished and he was wreathed in smiles greeting people who passed by with a cheery “Hi!” “Good morning, sir!” exuding the air of bonneamie of a happy homeless man. It was still early in the morning. David stopped at an empty parking lot next to the back door of an office building where there was a large plate full of sand provided especially for office workers who had an urge to smoke during the work day. Smoking was prohibited inside the building, but here next to the empty parking lot smokers could indulge without causing too much air pollution. David’s eyes lighted up when he saw that there were a lot of cigarette butts inside the plate. He knew that the janitors had not yet gotten there to clean up and that no other homeless persons had reached there either. “Ha!” he exclaimed in satisfaction, “I’m the early bird that gets the worm.” He quickened his steps and pulled out the long cigarette butts and then the half-smoked ones as well, carefully folding them into his wrinkled paper towel, crowing at his bumper harvest. The cigarette plate was like a birthday cake stuck full of candles. His exuberance at his good fortune was no less than that of a financier who made a million dollar gain from a deal. He lighted up one of the butts, dragged deeply on it and thought as he walked away.
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“It seems that my luck has changed. I have always thought that I was a most unfortunate guy, scourged with bad luck, cursed with one calamity following another. The stubborn belief that I am cursed has always blocked my heart like a thousand pound stone, making it hard for me to breath. But Dimitri took me to his Kingdom of Dreams and changed my prospects forever. That damned curse that has pressured my heart all these years was broken and melted completely away. I realize I am not a cursed fellow, nor am I a symbol of bad luck. More than that, I have discovered a limitless treasure trove in my heart which could never be used up. All of us have a treasure trove in our heart waiting to be discovered. Fate is only a frame of mind. Even though the outside world has not changed in the least, so long as one’s frame of mind changes, everything changes. How I wish to see my savior Dimitri now. I want to thank him and let him know that my life has changed completely.” Just at this time, David saw a ragged solitary figure wearing dark glasses, with a white cane in his hand emerge from the mist and walk towards him. He laughed heartily and said, “Ha, it seems I am really in luck. Whatever I think of or want will materialize before me! Isn’t that guy walking towards me my savior Dimitri?”
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Sitting in Charina’s living room, Angelica’s beautiful eyes stared in amazement at the four things laid before her on the coffee table: That gem- studded double-barreled telescope, quite obviously belonging to a royal household, was the very one Queen Aisha had used to observe the scene of battle. The antique porcelain bottle used to contain hundred year old mao tai wine looked very familiar. Then there were printed pages of a half-finished dissertation “On Life in Matriarchal Society” and a notebook titled “Perceptions of the Kingdom of Dreams”. Angelica walked out of the fog whistling, wearing gray sweatshirt and pants almost the color of the fog, accenting her beautiful slim figure. Her long hair was caught in a ponytail behind her head. When she got to Charina’s house, her hostess was already waiting smilingly at the front door to welcome her. Now she took up the notebook and turned a page or two. Who else could the fine handwriting belong to except herself? Greatly puzzled, she turned her large beautiful eyes in astonishment at Charina, asking
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“Where did you get these things?”
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“I looked through your notebook. Could you first tell me how you happened to be in the mysterious Kingdom of Dreams? Then I will tell you the story of how I came by these things.”
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“It was a star-studded summer evening” said Angelica, her eyes displaying her confusion and perplexity as she began her recollections of the past. “I had just finished a poem that I considered my best and was afraid that I would never again be able to write one that would surpass it. In the summer when roses were in full bloom, a brilliant shooting star flashed over the night sky. At the time, I was filled with a sense of sadness and thought that life should end at its most beautiful moment in order to keep its beauty and immortality forever. I took up the silver pistol I have had in my possession for a long time in preparation of the day I wanted to end my life. I walked to my rose garden and was about to shoot myself, when I chanced to wake up a homeless person who had slipped unnoticed into the garden and was sleeping there. I think you could guess who that person was. King Dimitri stopped me from committing suicide and took me to his Kingdom of Dreams. There I encountered unimaginable and mysterious experiences that changed my life forever. I no longer believe that life should end at its most beautiful moment because life itself is beautiful and beyond comparison. It is stable and consistent. That is how I went to the Kingdom of Dreams… But what about you? When and how did you go there?” Like a story-teller, Charina summarized her journey to the mysterious kingdom, and told of how King Dimitri led her to a strange land, how she looked in the ruins of the burnt down palace for material she could write about. When she came to the part of how she personally survived a hair-raising earthquake and tsunami, how the Giant Mountain broke into several parts and how the gold palace sank to the bottom of the water, Angelica was so stunned and shocked that she stood up and exclaimed,
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“Oh my god! All this is too sudden and unexpected! I don’t think Queen Aisha knows anything about these changes in the Kingdom of Dreams. Let’s go and report these recent happenings to her.”
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“It’s okay, Angelica” soothed Charina. “Things are not as bad as they seem.” She took out the three short letters Medusa had sent to King Dimitri and handed them to her friend, who read them and was reassured that the strong, energetic strokes could only be the virile handwriting of the brave Medusa, Protector of the Kingdom. She patted her chest and said,
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“How perilous this all was! So the giant had only changed his position from lying face upwards to sideways and now everything is quiet again. That’s good. That’s good. But I still think we should go and tell everything to Queen Aisha.” Angelica stuffed the three letters into her bosom and asked Charina, “Do you have a handbag where we can put these four items? I think we should bring them along too. Queen Aisha should see them as they are proof that you have actually been to the Kingdom of Dreams.” Angelica’s words were just what Charina hoped for. She brought over the handbag she had already gotten ready beforehand and put all four things into it. Then the two of them hastily left the house. Maureen of course followed her mistress wherever she went.
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Two mid-sized cigarettes had been lighted. David and Dimitri were sitting by the square next to the Bart station puffing leisurely and contentedly, sending whiffs of smoke into the air where they disintegrated without a trace. It was a bright, sunny day. Crowds of people came and went, busily going about their business. Humans are really a strange breed of animals, obsessed with racing against time. Why are they always in a hurry? What is there worthy for them to be hurrying? Disorderly footsteps all around him aroused Dimitri’s interest. The footsteps of those wearing tennis shoes were soft and light and emitted a squeaky sound when rubber rubbed against cement. Some footsteps were heavy, as if belonging to a person of successful accomplishments, a middle-aged man perhaps wearing an expensive suit and leather shoes. Still other footsteps were light, quick and spritely. They must belong to a beautiful woman…Dimitri felt dazed and again fell into a reverie. After a while, he muttered,
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“Let those hard-working people go about their business. They will get their just deserts. Let those who love to dream weave their dreams, where they too will get their happiness and satisfaction. This world is just.” David who was sitting beside him threw away his cigarette butt, yawned and said,
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“I didn’t sleep well last night. Those damned hooligans roughed me up and I couldn’t get any rest. Now I am feeling sleepy. I would certainly like to find a quiet alley to have some shut-eye and have a nice dream. That would be great!”
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“Don’t you find that traveling between dreamland to real life is as dangerous as walking on tight ropes?” asked Dimitri. “The least misstep and you will fall down a bottomless abyss. That is because you cannot bring the riches in your dreams into real life. In your dreams you are a noble king rich as Croesus, but in real life you and I are humble hobos. The difference between these two are really too great. If you cannot keep your prospects in their proper balance, you will fall into a pit of pain and bitterness from which it would be hard to extricate yourself. You must be extremely careful about this. Please remember my words and beware of the pitfall.”
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“Just as you said, “Let those hard-working people go about their business. They will get their just deserts. Let those who love to dream weave their dreams, where they too will get their happiness and satisfaction. I choose to be a dreamer and a hobo. Materially speaking, I may be lacking, but I will not regret my choice of being a lazy but happy hobo. It’s my choice. I will get my happiness and satisfaction and that’s enough for me…” Dimitri nodded in agreement and then added,
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“I always thought that dreamland is an extension of real life. It is a part of real life. But I never could clearly define which is real and which is illusionary. Perhaps both are unreal and illusionary. In a word, it is impossible to use scientific methods to analyze dreams and real life. Don’t you think so...?”
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“Your words are too abstract,” commented David with a wry smile. “I don’t understand and I don’t want to understand. What is dreamland? That I can understand, but when you get down to it, I don’t seem to understand. It’s a kind of obscure and ambiguous concept.”
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“You are right” said Dimitri laughing heartily. “Life and dreamland are both obscure and ambiguous concepts. So long as it is in our hearts, things are fine. There is no need to waste time in thinking about it, for however we diagnose it is just a waste of time. It’s a problem without a solution… But I think the day will come when I will come to an understanding of this problem. Perhaps one day the solution will come to me unheralded, suddenly and accidentally, just as naturally as when your bowels moves smoothly and your stool pops out. I believe that day will come within my lifetime. Now I just to have to sit quietly and wait.” David yawned, stood up and stretched himself saying,
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“Good! You sit there and wait. Be sure to let me know when you solve the problem. I have to leave now. I am going to look for a quiet and deserted ally where I can take a good nap…Strange to say, my eyes used to be glued to the ground looking for cigarette butts people had thrown away as if that’s the only thing that could catch my attention. Now it’s different. My eyes are free to roam. Any tiny thing that happens around me could arouse my curiosity. A child went into a shop to buy a candy; a tiny weed grew out of the crevice of cement by the roadside; a dollar bill floated down from the sky etc. are all material I had gathered that could be weaved into a dream. How wonderful life is!”
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“Let me give you a gift” said Dimitri pointing to the tall, magnificent and grandiose building across the street. “Why don’t you put that building into your brain to use as material?” Dimitri was blind, but he could still remember distinctly that across the street from the BART station was the main office of World Bank.
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“Good idea!”exclaimed David, whose eyes lighted up at the thought. “Why didn’t I think of it? Well, this proves that you are the real Dream-maker, the granddaddy of dreamers. I am only one of your disciples who stand behind you waving flags and shouting.” The two of them looked at each other and laughed heartily. None of the people who walked by even noticed or paid any attention to the absurd conversation of these two hobos.
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A man dressed in the black habit of the clergy walked out from the dense shade of trees and shrubs. Brilliant sunshine spilled onto his shoulders showering his whole body with golden radiance. With long brown hair coming down to his shoulders and beard covering half his face, he had an uncanny resemblance to Jesus Christ who died almost two thousand years ago. You would have thought Jesus had resurrected again. But this man wore a pair of round rimless spectacles and was a lookalike for a rock and roll singer. Bible in hand, he would read a few lines and then talk loudly to the crowd. But he was too far away for them to hear what he had to say. David sat back on the ground next to Dimitri and said,
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“There’s a clergyman over there gesturing and reading the Bible aloud, but he’s too far away for me to hear what he’s saying. He’s walking towards us. Let’s wait and hear what he has to say.” Dimitri nodded his agreement. Just then, the clergyman came near and they heard him shouting at the top of his voice,
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“My dear brothers and sisters…you are all gentle lambs in my herd. Why do you abandon God’s house? That’s like leaving the safety of the herd to wonder aimlessly around…Don’t you know that disaster is looming? When doomsday comes, flood water will swallow the earth, fire will consume the whole world…Quick! Quick! Come back to the safety of the fold. Here is the safest place to be. Let me read to you a section of the Bible. Let us pray.
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Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
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Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
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Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors;
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Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
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For Thine is the kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, foever. Amen
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If you forgive others their transgressions
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Your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
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But if you do not forgive others,
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Neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.
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Dear brothers and sisters look through your finances and pay back the debts you owe…But write off the debts others owe you…just as our Lord forgives us our sins. When Judgment Day comes, floods and fire will destroy the world. Everything will turn to zero. You and I will be the only survivors because we are Israelites, the chosen people of God, Brothers and sisters, hasten back to the fold. The Kingdom of Heaven is coming near.. God’s Will will be done on earth as it is in heaven…This world must be destroyed. Then a new world order, a new set of morals will be set up. God’s Will will then be done on earth as it is in heaven…” The hysterical clergyman shouted his sermon at the top of his hoarse voice, but none stopped to hear. The passersby hastened about their business, oblivious of his admonitions. Some even looked contemptuously at him as they walked by. Haste. Haste seemed to be the common failing of the modern world, but the shouting of the clergyman woke a man and a woman from their deep slumber.
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Imagination and Creativity did not hide themselves in the air. This time, they hid in the brain of their master, King Dimitri. They were fast asleep on the soft green grass, arms clasped tightly around each other until they were woken by the shouting of the clergyman. They came to Dimitri’s eye socket and looked out of the window sill, just in time to see the departing back of the clergyman clad in black. He was walking through the crowd of pedestrians loudly reading the Bible, but none of them stopped to listen and bypassed him as if he did not even exist.
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“The passage that clergyman was reciting sounded pretty reasonable” said Creativity. “Why isn’t any one of those busy people stopping to spend even a minute to listen to him? Do the people of today no longer need God’s teachings? “ Imagination snorted and replied,
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“Humans have not yet evolved to the stage where they are equal to God, but they are already arrogant and presumptuous. Perhaps the wonderful civilization humans have created had gone to their heads….Perhaps the reason Jehovah was so angry when we ate the forbidden fruit and threw us out of the Garden of Eden was because he already foresaw humans could not use their knowledge wisely. If things proceed along this path, it is quite possible that the human race would run their flourishing civilization to the ground until it is completely destroyed…” Creativity was silent for a moment. Then he said,
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“You are right. War and destruction had been going on non-stop in this world. The jungle law of survival of the fittest has dominated their culture and is getting worse every day. On the surface human civilization may seem to be wonderful and flourishing, but underneath its thin veneer of respectability, it is full of evil, wickedness, debauchery and corruption. The human race is really going step by step towards a crisis, only they are still ignorant of the fact. What is more ludicrous is that they had actually invented a very formidable kind of weapon called nuclear bombs, which could blow up the earth to smithereens. Isn’t that a foolish thing to do? The weapon they themselves invented will destroy their own precious planet. The way things are going, Jehovah will not need to use flood and fire to destroy the world; humans would do it themselves.” Imagination breathed deeply to calm herself down and said,
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“The world is full of sin and unjust acts. I believe it needs to be completely destroyed before a new world order and new rules of morality could be set up. But I also feel that man’s conscience still exists and some of them could still be reawakened. Didn’t you just see the clergyman dressed in black shouting to the masses? Will the Israelites who are the Chosen people return to the fold? When Doomsday arrives, they will be the only survivors. Do you think we should look among the people and pick out those who are outstanding and kind? Then when Doomsday arrives, they would not be completely wiped out. I think we should give a ray of hope to the human race.” Creativity jumped up in excitement when he heard these words, clapped his hands and laughed aloud saying,
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“What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? By doing so, we would be helping King Dimitri and the Kingdom of Dreams will prosper again. Come on. Let’s get moving!” Saying so, Creativity took the hands of her partner and rushed out of Dimitri’s body. But they still hid in the air, invisible to others, and went searching for the good and the outstanding to later populate the Kingdom of Dreams.
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David’s eyes returned from the disappearing form of the clergyman. He took out two cigarette butts, gave one to Dimitri and lighted the other for himself. He sighed as he smoked,
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“Well, that’s one less place to eat!”
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“What do you mean?” asked Dimitri, not understanding what his friend meant. “What one less place to eat?”
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“You may not know about this” replied David, taking a big puff at his cigarette. “Let me tell you… In the slum district where we sometimes hang out, there was a small and dilapidated church. The clergyman who just walked past here was the pastor officiating there. We called him John, though that may not be his real name. He often prepared meals for the poor and hungry. Many of us homeless hobos used to line up there to get a box of food to fill our stomachs. John always used that time to preach sermons to his captive audience. His favorite topic is the one about Doomsday that you just heard. We really didn’t want to listen to his fire-and-brimstone theory. I for one always hurried through my meal and tried to slink away un-noticed before he finished. But more often than not he would catch me, and call me back, telling me to mind my manners and sit there until the sermon was finished. What could I do? My stomach was full of the food he provided, so unwilling though I was, I had to sit through his sermons. That’s why his church was my last resort. I didn’t go there unless I couldn’t find food anywhere else. I heard that gradually fewer and fewer people went there and the church became strapped for funds. The food they provided also deteriorated in both quantity and quality. The latest news is that the little church had to close because very few people went there any more. The property was sold to developers who tore the church down and built a mall on the land. Having lost his living, that clergyman John is now preaching his sermons on the streets. His future doesn’t seem too bright either…” Dimitri puffed silently on his cigarette, thinking,
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“The power of the church has weakened. In a few decades, it has lost its parishioners and the property itself has been sold. During the Dark Ages, divinity reigned supreme, intolerant of any challenge or question, allowing the church to control the ideology of man for thousands of years. But the era of divine rights when divinity rules all, is now gone forever. Nowadays man’s freedom of thought has emerged, strengthened and risen above divinity. This trend may not be a good one. The best ratio would be the balance of divinity and humanism, where the two would mutually restrain and rely on each other. But this is too big a problem for me, a mere hobo, to solve. So I had better leave it for theologians to rack their brains over.” David’s cigarette had almost burnt to the edge, but reluctant to discard it, he still took a last mighty drag into his lungs and two lines of smoke came out of his nostrils. He said,
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“When John used to rattle on and on about his Doomsday theories I always tried to sneak away. I was sick and tired of hearing about the Kingdom of Heaven, the coming of Doomsday as well as the floods and fire…I thought he was just trying to scare those rich ladies and gentlemen. For what meaning are his words to me? My primary concern was to fill my stomach so I won’t go hungry, there’s nothing more important to me outside of that…But just now, hearing him babble on about Heaven, Judgment Day, end of the world est. didn’t feel the repugnance that I used to.. especially after I had been to your Kingdom of Dreams, his talking about the Kingdom of Heaven resonated in me and made me think perhaps there really may be such a place… If there is such a place as Kingdom of Heaven, then there may also be a place called Hell! Oh yes, have you been to these two places?”
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“I…I… What were you talking about?” asked Dimitri absent-mindedly, his mind obviously somewhere else and did not hear David’s question. “Were you asking me something about heaven and hell? About whether they exist and whether I had been there? I don’t know whether they exit or not. They may, but again they may not. I’m not sure. I may have been there, but again I may not. I don’t remember. It’s possible that they both exist and that I have been there. I am really sorry I cannot answer your questions. I really don’t remember. Perhaps they do not exist and I have never been there. I just don’t remember.” Hearing his words, David knew that Dimitri’s mind was somewhere else, so he didn’t pursue the subject any more.
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“I’m exhausted…Didn’t sleep much last night…Don’t even want to move, so I will just take a nap here.” He looked at the magnificent and grandiose building across the street and said sleepily, “The most practical would be to get what I can and put the World Bank into my brains to weave a fabulous dream. I don’t need to think of anything else.” Saying so, he lay down on the ground and was soon snoring away. Dimitri seemed to be talking to the sleeping David, but he seemed more to be talking to himself,
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“You not only can put that magnificent and grandiose building across the street into your brains, you can put the whole world there too. You can even put the whole universe into your brain. Then you will realize that time and space do not exist any more and everything is equal to zero.” In the bustling, flourishing metropolis, pedestrians were busily going about their own business. No one would pause or pay the least attention to the two dirty and ragged homeless persons, one sitting and one sleeping. If this society were a huge and precise machine, these two hobos would be the useless discards and waste material it produced.
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The flowing crowd of people hustled and bustled about swarming into the BART station wave after wave and surging out just as busily. Imagination and Creativity stood hand in hand among the crowd, looking at the sea of human faces, wondering which were the ones they could pick. It was Creativity‘s sharp eyes that caught sight of their target. She squeezed Imagination’s hand, threw him a warning glance and said,
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“What do you think of that one?” At the gate of the BART station, there was a middle-aged man in his fifties holding a brief case, who was walking towards the parking lot. He was neatly dressed. His chiseled features were clear cut, solemn and aloof, obviously not a man to be trifled with. “Do you know what’s in his briefcase?”asked Creativity. Imagination glanced at the old-fashioned briefcase, his x-ray like eyes penetrating into its interior and responded,
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“He’s a lawyer. There are lots of files in his suitcase, all of them material about his client who was a famous athlete.. That was an old case that exploded onto the social scene years ago and captured the attention of the whole nation. It even led to social unrest, insurgence and racial tension… His client was enraged at an affair between his wife, who was 20 years younger than he, and another man and in a fit of jealous rage, killed them both. Then he tried to make a run for it, but was stopped at the border by the police and brought back. All the evidence pointed to his guilt.”
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“What happened then?” asked Creativity. “What was the verdict? Since he killed two people intentionally he should get the death penalty, right?”
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“No” replied Imagination indignantly. “Not only did he not get the death penalty, the jury acquitted him and he was released! Wasn’t that outrageous?”
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“Really!” exclaimed Creativity. “How could that be?”
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“The defendant was a famous athlete and a multi-millionaire. He could afford to gather together a group of the best defense lawyers in the country known as the “Dream Team”. These were old hands of the court room and knew every trick of the trade. They were experts at manipulating the law and knew every loophole. In the end, they got the murderer off scot- free.”
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“If I were the judge” cried Creativity angrily “I would never let that happen in my court. This is another example of miscarriage of justice. These lawyers who make their living manipulating the law instead of upholding it will never be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Dreams and disturb that bright, serene paradise on earth.” Imagination frowned as if engrossed in thought.
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“You can’t tarnish the whole profession in one broad stroke” he protested. “There are so many laws and they are so complicated that a lay person could easily be caught in its web and not know how to get out. Then they would badly need the help of law professionals…As for the rest, let the humans worry about them. They are not our concern. As to whether we need lawyers in the Kingdom of Dreams, we had better leave that in King Dimitri’s hands…”
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Another woman talking animatedly on her cell phone walked past the two of them. She had just parked her expensive luxury car at the parking lot and was hurrying towards the entrance of the BART station. She wore a pair of tight, old-fashioned jeans which had been washed till it was faded in color, white casual walking shoes, white short-sleeve t-shirt and her short hair was neatly cut. She was no longer young, but had retained a slim figure. Her sharp eyes revealed her
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shrewdness and capability. Her voice was a little hoarse, perhaps due to indulging in alcohol and smoking.
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“Yes” she said as she talked on her phone. “I am the CEO on duty. What is it? So many people not coming in today... Have you asked them why? … What? Going to ball games... Absurd! …Don’t these people know that every minute of their time is paid for by the company?… Every minute of their time should be spent working for the company, or else they are guilty of dereliction… These people are really without conscience!... Don’t they know that recently competition is so fierce that our company is having to fight harder and harder to stay ahead of our competitors? So many people not coming to work all at once will greatly affect our production. Who will be responsible if we fall behind on our quota, cannot finish our work on time and miss the delivery date?...Tell the people in Human Resources that all those who did not come to work for no valid reason will be fired. Tell them that I said so. Our company does not want irresponsible employees who think only of their own pleasure and are not at all concerned about the good of the company. Why do we want to keep such people? Fire them all… What? They are protected by union contracts and cannot be fired?...Oh… Then tell them that there will be no pay for the time not put in and put their names on the black list. Their contracts are not to be renewed when this one expires. I want all of them to get their pink slips then!... I am on my way to the office. We’ll talk about it then…” She hung up and hurried quickly into the BART station. Obviously she was an upper management CEO type and was still muttering angrily as she walked away, “Who on earth is so stupid as to organize ball games on a week day? Just to see people playing ball. That’s absurd! A big ball park can hold tens of thousands of spectators at a time. It’s wasting energy that could have been put to good use at their jobs. All those tens of thousands of people could have produced a lot of economic value. Have those people organizing ball games ever thought of that? That’s so much waste…” Imagination and Creativity looked at each other, shook their heads and sighed, obviously not agreeing with that woman’s words.
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“I think that woman must be a mammonite” said Imagination. “She measures everything by its economic value. She is not young but has kept her figure. That means she must exercise a lot, or she would not have been able to manage to look like that. Since she herself loves exercise, why does she censure her employees for watching ball games? There is an old saying, “Do unto as you would that they should do to you.” That woman is too selfish.”
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“Labor and management have always been on opposite sides in any dispute” said Creativity. “Their relationship has become more and more strained and the controversy has become deeper than ever. Both sides think their relationship is one of exploitation and being exploited. Actually that perception is too rigid. They should look at it from another prospective. The relationship between labor and management is one of co-operation. One offers capital and the other offers labor. Together they produce a valuable product. The gain can be shared and everyone will be happy. Why let things deteriorate to such a state that there is so much bad feeling, distrust and enmity? …Actually labor and management rely on each other. I don’t see why they are always in controversy and rubbing each other the wrong way. If both sides took a step back and thought for the other side a little, I am sure things would ease up and both sides could co-exist peacefully.”
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“Human society is trending towards large metropolis, with large populations crowding into limited space” said Imagination. “I don’t like that at all. I prefer the old pastoral way of life, like the one in the Kingdom of Dreams. The Kingdom is not large but the population is also small. Life there is simple, just farming, fishing and hunting and you can choose what you want to do. If you don’t want to do anything, and want to shut yourself inside you home and sleep; that’s ok too. No one will interfere with you. There is no question of exploiting or being exploited there. There is so much grain and food piled up in the granary, that no one will ever be lacking in anything. Children play in the courtyards; women weave inside the hut. Life is simple and serene. No one has to worry about feeding themselves and their family. How I wish to go back to the Kingdom of Dreams and live the life there. You get up when the sun rises and go to work. You rest when the sun sets. But our master King Dimitri does not seem to intend to go back there.”
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“Right” echoed Creativity. “Every morning with the hoe on my shoulder, I would walk towards the fields at the dawn’s first light. I would work hard and let sweat flow from my body into the soil, watching with happy satisfaction as the seeds I planted, sprout and grow into wheat. Then when the sun sets I will go back to my hut, eat a full meal and then close the door and have a good night’s sleep. I like this simple but fulfilling life too.”
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After leaving the noisy metropolis with its crowds of people and unending traffic, Imagination held Creativity’s hand and stopped at a place where there were beautiful hills and water. It was a serene house in the suburbs. Imagination stood by the lake looking at the crystal clear sparkling lake water. Then she gazed at the nearby hills where there were quite a few houses, classic looking and artistically built, giving forth a jolly atmosphere of liveliness.
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“How lucky are these people living here!” said Imagination. “They can enjoy the serene hills and lake water, but also have the use of all the modern conveniences. How I would like to keep this very good memory of life on earth forever deeply etched in my memory, never to be forgotten. I could bring it out and wonder upon it any time I want.” Creativity laughed and said,
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“You needn’t spend too much time pondering over this beautiful scenery. It is only a section of your impressions. Everything will change. Don’t forget that your name is Imagination and mine is Creativity. Whatever you can imagine, I can make it reality. Only thus can we improve and advance, right?”
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“You are right,” said Imagination smiling and nodding her head. “You are right. Your name is Creativity and mine is Imagination…” Among the many people strolling around the lake under the brilliant but serene sunshine was a young couple pushing a stroller. The young mother’s face was wreathed in happy smiles as she said,
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“Thank the Lord my decision was the correct one. Look how healthy and lively our son is!” Her husband and father of the boy, who was walking next to her, said,
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“I’ll have to admit that your decision was the right one. However, you do have an irregular heart, which could have been very dangerous during pregnancy and childbirth. But you were so determined to go through with it that I couldn’t stop you. Luckily everything turned out right and both you and the baby were safe. We have really been extremely fortunate. God has been especially good to you.”
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“At the time” replied the young mother reminiscing about the past, “when the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant, I was so happy! That tiny speck of life was God’s gift to me to be temporarily lodged in my womb. I decided to take great care and protect it until I could bring it safely into this world. Not only that, when God gave me this great gift, he also buried his instructions in the mind of this new life, to be gradually unfolded as he grew up.” Just then two beautiful large butterflies appeared, one flying slightly higher than the other. They hovered around the stroller causing the baby to giggle with laughter, waving his two chubby arms in delight as if mimicking the dancing of the butterflies. After a while they flew away, disappearing into the flower beds causing the baby to break into tears. The young mother quickly picked him up and hugged him close, soothing him with words and gentle kisses. The baby’s clear and childish cries caused his mother to increase her tender, loving care. After a while, the baby stopped crying and smiled through his tears because he saw the two butterflies hovering over some flowers sucking honey from them. To a baby, new to this world, every little thing was novel, curious and interesting. His recent tears, not yet dry on his eyelashes, sparkled under the sunlight.
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“You know” continued the young man “that women, with health problems and not suited to pregnancy, just like you used to be, often have abortions. Others had no choice but to have the procedure done due to family or moral issues, such as rape or incest. Of course there are many other reasons why women chose to stop their pregnancy such as economic or family difficulties etc. But some women do it because they do not wish pregnancy to interfere with their happy and carefree life as a bachelorette.” The young mother put the baby back into his stroller and pushed it slowly forward with her husband by her side. He continued as they walked along, “There are many reasons why women chose abortion. But the womb is a part of a woman’s body whose main function is procreation. Of course women have a right to use and control their own bodies, with a right to choose to be pregnant or to have an abortion. But to me babies are gifts from God and his instructions are imbedded in their thought to be gradually unfolded as they grow up. In that I believe firmly and have no doubts whatever.” The young man walked on deep in thought. His young wife only knew that he was a wealthy medical doctor, but did not know that he did abortions as well.
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Dimitri did not change his position as he squatted by the square in front of the BART station. With everything pitch black in front of him, he had nowhere to go and there was nowhere he wanted to go. David lay there beside him on the hard, icy cold pavement, snoring loudly. In this densely populated metropolis full of busy traffic and noisy streets, it was amazing how he could be totally oblivious of all that was happening around him and remain sound asleep, a feat not many people were capable of. Dimitri wondered who the happier person was: the workaholic busy toiling from morning to night to get ahead at his job and to support his family or this snoozing hobo lost in dreams he had woven. Hard to say. Dimitri listened intently to the disorderly footsteps around him trying to hear if any resembled those of his loyal servants Creativity and Imagination. Then he remembered that the two of them could hide in the air so their footsteps would naturally be soundless.
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“Oh yes” remembered Dimitri. “Not long ago, the two of them told me they were off searching for out-standing and good-hearted people to be citizens of the Kingdom of Dreams. I wonder when they will be back. My two loyal servants are really great. They are enthusiastically going about rebuilding my palace on an even grander scale than before and make it into a magnificent, grandiose and awe-inspiring structure. Actually it was these two who originally urged me to enter this mysterious and magical world and build my own Kingdom of Dreams…Ah, this is a long and fantastic story, one full of twists and turns. On my first day in this wonderful domain I had just discovered, I was walking in the densely wooded mountains when I came across a small temple and met White Fairy, who generously gave me gifts of the magic sword, bow and arrow. Using these weapons I was able to defeat and tame the gorgon Medusa, who later became the protector of my Kingdom of Dreams. In the end it was Viola and Cyclops who were jealous of me and through treachery and deception destroyed my kingdom by fire.
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Dimitri had a strange thought. “Did I create the Kingdom of Dreams all by myself? It doesn’t seem so. Consider the tall and magnificent mountain ranges, the crystal clear and icy cold Sun Moon Lake. They were there long before I showed up. I did not create them because they were already in existence when I chanced to come upon them. So I was not the creator of the Kingdom of Dreams, I was only the discoverer of the place. But the august and resplendent palace, the twenty-four beauties from all corners of the earth and my loyal subjects had all been gathered together by me. I always thought my creation of the Kingdom of Dreams was clear cut and definite, but now it isn’t that clear anymore and I am beginning to have doubts about it. Is the world of dreams the product that I single-handedly created, designed and brought into existence? Or was it already in existence when I came across it by chance?...Perhaps I can put it this way. The world of dreams was already quietly and serenely in existence when I happened to stumble across it. After I discovered the place, I took great pains to meticulously design it and then brought my plans to successful completion. Look at David here. He has already entered his own dreamland and is building a Kingdom that belongs to him alone. Everyone has a world that belongs to him and therefore can build his own Kingdom according to his wishes and inclination. There is a treasure trove inside all of us, only some have not been discovered and therefore had not yet been developed.
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Imagination and Creativity walked among the crowd hand in hand, looking for honest, kind-hearted and outstanding people for the Kingdom of Dreams, but after spending a lot of time on their endeavor they still came up empty-handed. Imagination sighed and said,
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“Such people are hard to find. Some are kind-hearted but not very intelligent. Therefore they would not be of much use. Others are clever and intelligent but crafty and scheming so they are not a good choice either. It seems that good, kind-hearted and out-standing people who are also clever and intelligent are not easy to find. Let’s go back. King Dimitri is still waiting for us and might be getting anxious.” Creativity nodded his head in agreement,
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“Yes, suitable candidates are hard to find. We have been walking about for quite a while and have not found a single one. You are right, we should be turning back and report back to King Dimitri. He might have things he wants us to do. By the way, do you remember the woman with disorderly hair that we met at the pharmacy? You said her two nipples had been badly bitten and was in great pain, so she was at the pharmacy to buy painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication. “
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“Humph” snorted Imagination. “Why are you still worried about that slut? Do you know what she did today? She told her family she was going to class but she first went to a beauty parlor to look for her lover, a hair dresser and made use of the time before his first customer came in to have sex with him. Then she went to the neighboring community college. The time was early so the campus was still pretty empty. She came across the janitor with whom she had had casual sex with. They looked knowingly at each other and made for the restrooms. While they were having sex there, the janitor was so consumed with lust that he brutally bit her nipples until they were split and bloody and left numerous black and blue bruises all over her body…Why are you worrying about such an immoral and slutty woman?”
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“Oh no, I am not worrying about that woman” replied Creativity. “It is her husband that I am sympathetic to. If I were that woman’s husband and knew that she had betrayed me in such a way I would really be so angry that it might even drive me to commit a serious crime. So many people in this mundane world commit spur of the moment crimes and then had to pay for it in the court of law. Her husband had been arrested by the police on grounds of domestic violence. It’s just not worthwhile!”
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“That’s correct” said Imagination. “The people in this world are divided into two sexes, men and women. The relationship between them has developed into countless ever-changing variations. Couples that get along well, are not that numerous. Most couples are in a state of semi-cold war. Behind closed doors there are always lots of things that are kept from the outside world.” Creativity circled his arms around Imagination’s slim waist and said,
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“No matter what, the two of us will never betray each other. At least it is so with me because I know there is no woman in this world that suits me better than you.” Imagination gave him a white eye and then smiled sweetly, showing her two lovely dimples saying,
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“Don’t be so confident. Maybe one day, just like the time when we ate the forbidden fruit, I may betray you just to find out if the experience is as rousing and stimulating as people say “ Creativity laughed and said,
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“I am very confident that you will never do so because in your heart you also know that in this world there is no other man that suits you as well as I do. You are a bone taken from my ribs. Heaven meant us to be a couple and we will never betray each other.” Imagination pretended to be angry, glared at him and said,
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“Let’s stop joking around and report to King Dimitri that we did not find any suitable candidate because we had no standard or criterion to go by. How are we to measure who is kind, good and intelligent enough to be our choice.” Saying so, they had come to the square and saw that Dimitri was so bored that he was yawning again and again and seemed to be getting sleepy.
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David’s snores were even and regular, now high now low, as if he was making music or humming a song out of tune. Dimitri was squatting beside him with nowhere to go and nowhere he wanted to go. Listening to David’s snores, his thoughts became muddled and his eyelids seemed to getting heavier and heavier until he was getting really sleepy. He conjured up the image of the magnificent and grandiose World Bank and put it into his brain. Then he put the whole world and the whole universe into his brain. His consciousness became more and more muddled and disoriented. Time and space gradually stopped expanding and seemed about to solidify at zero but David’s snores, out of tune as they were, seemed to be a rustic tune that was driving Dimitri into slumber. Dimitri’s eyelids became heavier and heavier as if dragged down by lumps of iron. Soon he could no longer resist and his eyes closed. The myriads of stars in the heaven also fell. Just as he was poised between slumber and wakefulness, his heart jumped as his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity came back and woke him. He opened his eyes and the state of zero was broken. Just now time and space interposed on each other to form zero which no longer existed. Time and space expanded outward. Myriads of stars were again presented before his eyes. Every star was rotating in its orbit. Dimitri was greatly surprised, and thought, “Just now when I closed my eyes, did the whole universe disappear and then reappeared when I opened my eyes? “ Dimitri saw that a fresh flower just opened on one of the myriads of stars in the universe “Isn’t that the place where human civilization began? That flower will proliferate into spring with its profusion of color. But human civilization has not yet been fully developed to its highest level and may perish half way because it seemed to have gone astray on the wrong track and is on the course to destruction. Dimitri did not think so because he felt that human civilization still had the ability to awake and veer away from the wrong course they were on. He was sure they would gradually get back on track to peace and prosperity. Dimitri did not have time to think more on the subject because his loyal servants Creativity and Imagination were back and wanted to report to him about their quest for good and intelligent candidates to populate the Kingdom of Dreams.
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Creativity and Imagination held hands and tip-toed into Dimitri’s brain. Here was their homeland and perching place, an endless spread of tender green grassland, where everything was so familiar it filled their hearts with endearment. But they knew that they had disturbed the rest of their master King Dimitri, so they sat silently on the soft and comfortable grass, not daring to talk or laugh out loud, waiting to be called and questioned by their master. Dimitri knew that his two loyal servants had returned, so he gradually woke from the drowsy and confused state of semi-sleep and asked,
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“So the two of you are back. You have been out looking for candidates for my Kingdom of Dreams. Any good results?” Imaginaion was the first to answer and told his master about their quest. Creativity continued,
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“We are so sorry, your majesty. We have not been able to find any suitable candidate and therefore have not fulfilled our duty. Perhaps we should look in places farther away…” Dimitri did not reprimed them at all, but smiled and said,
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“Even before you left, I had known that you would not be able to find any suitable candidates. Perhaps I should put it this way. In this world there is no person perfect enough to be eligible to live in the Kingdom of Dreams. But on the other hand, there is no one in this world that is not eligible to enter it either. I mean everyone is qualified to enter the Kingdom of Dreams because in this world there is no one that is 100% clever, intelligent and good. Neither is there a person who is 100% bad. In other words, most people are a mixture of good and bad. Some have more good in them than bad but others have more bad than good.”
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“Your majesty” asked Imagination, “Do you have some criterior which we can use to measure the people we meet to see if they qualify?” Dimitri thought for a moment and then answered tentatively,
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“I don’t really have any rules or criterior for you two to follow. Just as you said, some people are good but not intelligent so you didn’t choose them. That’s not entirely correct because the reason they did not seem intelligent to you was because that part of them had not yet been fully developed, just as some treasure troves have not yet been discovered. Once developed they will become good and intelligent people. You also said some people were very clever and outstanding, but they were crafty and scheming so they were not a good choice either. That is not entirely the case. The good part of their nature had temporarily been covered up by the bad, like clouds covering the blue skies. Once the black clouds are blown away and dissipated, the blue skies will come out again. I think that man’s true nature is predominately good and intelligent. If we cultivate and guide them on the right path they will all be eligible to enter my Kingdom of Dreams. They only need a positive and upward striving heart, endeavor to hold themselves to the highest level and aim for perfection. That would be enough.” Imagination and Creativity repeated Dimitri’s words under their breath, “They only need a positive and upward striving heart, endeavor to hold themselves to the highest level and aim for perfection. That would be enough.”
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Seeing that the two of them did not really get his meaning, he continued to explain further,
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“Your names used to be Adam and Eve. You greatly angered Jehovah by going against his orders and tasting the forbidden fruit. For that you two were driven out of the Garden of Eden. Jehovah knew that humans would not be able to use their intelligence wisely. Take things in our modern world for instance. The more developed our science and technology is, the more flourishing our civilization would be. But morality, on the other hand, had deteriorated drastically and had lost all sense of human decency. The reason I changed your names to Imagination and Creativity was because I believed they are the best part of human nature. Those who could retain these two traits are sure to be the best and most intelligent of people. Human civilization has not yet been fully developed to its highest level. They still have quite a way to go. But so long as humans aim high, seek perfection and continue striving upwards their civilization would not be like a brilliant meteor that flashes brightly but all too briefly across the sky, only to fall into the eternal dark abyss of the universe.
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Imagination and Creativity were greatly inspired and encouraged by Dimitri’s words. Their eyes brightened with a radiant look, but their expression was still slightly perplexed and mystified. So Dimitri continued to explain,
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“Since the two of you have been able to construct a dreamland for me with a Kingdom of Dreams, I am sure that you are also fully capable of transferring this dreamland to the mundane world. Why should we be actively seeking to escape to the world of dreams? No matter how perfect this Kingdom of Dreams that you have created for me is, with tall and magnificent mountain ranges, crystal clear and icy cold Sun Moon Lake, august and resplendent palace, a lot of beauties and loyal subjects, don’t you feel that it is too passive and negative to just hide in dreamland and be afraid to face reality? Why don’t we bring this wonderful dreamland to the real world? We can share our dreams with everyone, turn dreams to ideals and realize them in this real world. Don’t mistake my meaning and think I am belittling dreamland. On the contrary, I think that establishing a Kingdom of Dreams for oneself is absolutely necessary because there always will be setbacks, defeats and reverses in one’s life. No one can control fate. No one knows where fate will take you. When unfortunate and catastrophical things happen, dreamland is the best place to retreat to. There we can rest, lick our wounds, gather up our strength and wait for an opportunity to start anew. Actually there is no conflict and contradictions between dreamland and the real world. The two are actually complementary to each other. They could exchange information and learn from each other. You can travel freely to and fro between these two worlds without hindrance. Everyone has a dreamland in their hearts and everyone is the ruler in their land of dreams. The earth is the most precious present God has given to the human race. Every flower, every tree on this planet should be treasured and loved. No one would destroy the environment by ceaseless logging or plundering and pillaging natural resources. No one wants to be the black sheep who destroys the family by his extravagance. Everyone understands they should have a positive and upward striving heart and endeavor to hold themselves to the highest level and aim for perfection. Then everyone would have become a model citizen of this earth. By then there would really be no need to look for suitable candidates for our Kingdom of Dreams, right?”
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For a while, Imagination and Creativity hung their heads deep in thought. Then Creativity broke the silence saying,
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“Your majesty, I think I have an inkling of your train of thoughts. You mean to tell us that in order to change the world, we must begin by changing the way people think… You mentioned that people must have a positive and upward striving heart, endeavor to hold themselves to the highest level and aim for perfection. This I think I understand. I know what it is to strive upwards and aim for perfection, but don’t quite understand what upward striving means. How do they strive upwards and towards which direction should they go? Could you please clarify that point for me?” Dimitri smiled and nodded his head in satisfaction, saying
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“The fact that you can ask such a question shows me that you have got to the essence of the question. Just as I said a while ago, you two angered Jehovah by eating the forbidden fruit and were driven out of the Garden of Eden. But driving you out did not solve the problem. Jehovah was too soft-hearted to destroy the two of you who were masterpieces created by him, his most precious gift to the world. Out of the kindness of his heart he drove you out of the Garden of Eden, casting you adrift to roam the world and live or die as a matter of course…” The expressions on Imagination and Creativity’s faces became very emotional when they heard this and Dimitri paused for a moment to let them regain control of themselves. Then he went on to say, “You two can go back through the times and carefully reminisce about the past, starting from the time of your rebirth as the most basic of elements. Many millions of years of evolution had wrought great changes to your external appearances, especially your brain, which became bigger and could process more complex and meticulous thoughts. Or you can say that on the very first day you were born into this world, the seeds of imagination and creativity were sown in your brain; but at the same time the seeds of avarice and ambition also germinated. Imagination and creativity were forces that propelled civilization forward, but avarice and wild ambition took it in the wrong direction. Look at the world today. It is full of boundless cravings trending towards the jungle law of survival of the fittest. The avarice in man’s heart is like a relentless flood that uncurbed flood its banks, overwhelming everything it meets. The wild ambition in man’s heart is like a flaring flame capable of reducing everything it encounters into cinders. The Doomsday prophesy will soon be realized, so I say Jehovah did not solve any problems by driving you two out of the Garden of Eden. Jehovah is benevolent and did not want to destroy his masterpiece, his most precious gift to the world himself. What he did not expect was that mankind created such a brilliant, glorious and spectacular civilization that it stunned and amazed Jehovah himself.” Imagination and Creativity again bowed their heads deep in thought and then asked,
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“Is our fate destined to be walking step by step towards destruction? Is there no way to reverse this tragic trend? Can’t we find a path to save ourselves?”
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“Oh no, no” replied Dimitri smiling confidently. “Man’s future is not that tragic at all. Of course there is a way to save yourselves. It depends on whether or not you are willing to take my advice.” The eyes of Imagination and Creativity brightened as the fire of hope was lighted in them. They asked urgently,
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“Please tell us what we must do to help ourselves, your majesty… Please tell us what to do to save ourselves….” Dimitri maintained his calm and kind demeanor, smiling as he said,
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“Don’t worry. Settle down and listen to me. Actually it is very simple and easy and it’s something you two can easily do…” He stopped for a moment and said,
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“Go back to the Garden of Eden, to the time before you ate the forbidden fruit. Recapture the state of naiveté and innocence of heart you had then. Let your brain become empty and innocent. Everything will be different then.” Imagination and Creativity were greatly alarmed at their master’s words and exclaimed almost in one voice,
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“What? Go back to the Garden of Eden? That’s impossible! “cried both of them in shock. “ We can’t possibly do that! Even if we were willing to listen to your advice and do as we were told, Jehovah will never accept us back to the garden because we had broken his command and ate the forbidden fruit. How could he forgive us and let us go back into the garden?” Dimitri’s smile broadened and became deeper and more meaningful as if he knew some secret that they did not. He said,
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“Oh no. Don’t say that! Jehovah is benevolent. If you are willing to go back to the Garden of Eden, to the time before you ate the forbidden fruit and recapture the state of naiveté and innocence of heart you had then. If you let your brains become empty and innocent, Jehovah will take you back and let you live once more in the Garden enjoying the carefree life you used to take for granted…” Seeing the unbelieving expressions on their faces, Dimitri continued, “…alright, let me express myself in another way. What I meant by returning to the state of naiveté of the time before you ate the forbidden fruit was actually just adjusting your heart to zero. I know that is hard to do. After millions of years of evolution, man’s brain had become bigger and can process more complex and meticulous thoughts. Man is used to using their imagination and creativity as their mode of thought and it had become a habit with them. To give this up and change to the zero mode of thought will be very difficult. But this is the only secret and the tortuous path to regain entry to the Garden of Eden. There are no other choices left. Do not be mystified by my zero mode of thought. It does not mean that everything becomes zero and therefore no longer exists, like the black hole in the universe. All that comes near its magnetic field is absorbed, swallowed and disappears without a trace and the ultimate outcome is death and destruction. My concept of zero, on the contrary, incorporates infinite possibilities. Zero is neutral between have and have not, like the relationship between zero and one. Zero can turn to one and one can become zero. So the relationship between zero and one, existent and non-existent is repetitive, rotating backwards and forwards forever. Only by returning to zero can one be free of the constraints of wild ambition and avarice and truly reach the goal of thought, introspection and holding themselves to the highest level.”
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After listening to Dimitri’s explanation, Imagination and Creativity seemed to have only a vague idea of what he meant and still had a lot of questions. Creativity asked,
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“…Your majesty, you just said that we had to give up our brain’s present mode of thought. I do not understand what that means. Could you please explain it further for us?” Dimitri was still smiling and answered calmly,
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“That’s a very good question and just to the point! I will answer it like this. I am very grateful for your good intentions and your kindness in rebuilding my burnt down palace into one that is even grander and more magnificent than before. I saw it. But others have not seen it yet because they use the traditional, physical way of thought. Even if they used the latest scientific methods and the most intricate mathematical calculations, they would still not be able to ascertain the existence of our Kingdom of Dreams. But neither could they negate its existence. You and I have seen it, so the impression of the palace is freshly engraved in our brains and cannot be erased by anyone else. That was because I had again entered the state of zero. Zero is not entirely nihil between existent and non-existent. It is an area full of all kinds of potential. In this state of zero I dimly saw a grandiose and mammoth outline. Then the outline gradually became more distinct because in the state of zero everything will appear. Under the bright moonlight of the Kingdom of Dreams, I saw the extravagant, magnificent and awe-inspiring palace which I knew the two of you had built for me. So in order to enter the Kingdom of Dreams, one’s brain must give up using the traditional way and use instead the simpler more direct way. Can you understand what I mean?” Seeing the expression on their faces turn to “Ah, so that’s what it is,” as if a sudden burst of understanding had reached them, Dimitri gave a sigh of relief that at last he had explained himself clearly to his loyal servants. He continued to say, “You two have perched in my brains for a long time and have turned the tender green grass there into your home and yourselves into my loyal servants. That is an expression of your modesty and humbleness. I do not think of our relationship in that way at all. To me, the three of us are equals. We are a trio of equal, co-operating partners. But for the sake of spiritual unity and in order to march in step, the two of you must listen to my commands, marching or halting when I tell you to. We cannot act as we did before, with the three of us riding in our chariots but pulling in different directions, each doing things his own way. That will make a mess of the matter and prevent us from realizing our aim of holding ourselves to the highest level. The two of you are very generous and built a palace that was bigger, more grandiose and magnificent than my old one. But that was not what I needed or wanted at all. Like two indefatigable workaholics, one of you brought her imagination and intelligence into full play and painstakingly drew the blueprints, while the other worked night and day without stop to create the mammoth palace. Your non-stop labor disturbed me and made it impossible for me to have the ease of mind to concentrate on the state of zero. Now that is not good for any of us. Of course I know that the two of you had used imagination and creativity the traditional way for millions of years. It is hard for you to stop and change to another way. It is like taming a wild horse, but don’t be afraid, I will always be here for you and help and advice you because we are a trio of equal co-operating partners. We are indispensible to each other and cannot accomplish anything without each other. Only by uniting together and marching in step can we have the strength to accomplish our goal. Entering the state of zero takes years of learning, groping and practice. When you can go in and out of this state freely and easily, and use imagination and creativity within the state of zero, then you will understand its secret...
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Some passersby were curious about the two hobos, one sleeping and one sitting by the side of the square. Such sights were not unique by any means, but these two were somewhat different. The one sleeping on the ground was snoring loudly completely oblivious of the noises and traffic around him. The other one looked even more curious. He was smiling widely, sometimes nodding and sometimes shaking his head, all the while muttering to himself as if conversing with someone. Sometimes he raised his voice and gesticulated with his hands to make his point as if he were talking rhetorically. Curious pedestrians stopped to hear what he was muttering about and caught fragments of words such as “…Garden of Eden…Jehovah…Kingdom in the Dreams…state of zero…” Though his words were incoherent, they were fresh and curious enough to make people stop to hear more. Soon there was a small crowd surrounding the two hobos. Some stood outside the crowd pointing their fingers and gossiping amongst themselves. Jeering sounds and laughter could be heard here and there.
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“…Look at that crazy man!”exclaimed someone in the crowd. “He looks as if he was giving a speech!...”
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“…Hey, his eyes are blank and look straight at you. I think he is blind!...”
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In this highly civilized society, mentally ill people with abnormal behavior were getting more and more numerous. Was this because society is ill or was civilization itself broken? Richard passed by in his dilapidated jalopy and saw a crowd of people surrounding something or someone. He wondered what had happened and got out to find out for himself. He pushed through the crowd and was greatly surprised to see Dimitri sitting there muttering to himself and gesturing with his hands as if he was talking to someone. He was indignant to find that his friend Dimitri whom he had been looking for all day had become the center of attention of this curious crowd of onlookers. Richard immediately walked over to Dimitri, patted him lightly on the shoulder and said,
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“Hey Dimitri, wake up…wake up… Are you day dreaming again?... I was looking for you everywhere, but all this time you were sitting here day dreaming! Wake up, Dimitri! Hey, wake up, quick! Mr. Kaffee is very worried about something and sent all of us to look for you, so wake up pal!” Then turning to the crowd of curious spectators he waved his hands at them as if he was herding ducks and said, “Go! Go! You people! What is there to see here? Scram all of you, vamoose!!!” Seeing Richard’s brutish figure and ferocious looks, the crowd scattered. A few of them stood their ground, waiting to see if there would be any more dramatic developments. Richard rolled up his sleeves, showing his formidable muscles and said threateningly, “What? Are you guys still here? Want a taste of my fists?” Not wanting any trouble, they slunk away, muttering, “Bad luck meeting another crazy guy!” Turning back to Dimitri, Richard helped him up saying, “Come on, Dimitri. Let’s go and see Mr. Kaffee. He’s like a cat on a hot tin roof!”
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“Why does he want to see me? Has some emergency come up?”
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“I’m not very clear about this. You’ll know when you get there.” Richard saw then there was another person sound asleep on the ground. He took a closer look and exclaimed, “Hey! That’s old David! What’s he doing here? He is sleeping so soundly that fireworks won’t wake him!”
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“Sh- sh-“ shushed Dimitri with his fingers to his lips. “Don’t wake him. He is in his dreamland weaving pleasant dreams … Let’s leave now and not keep Mr. Kaffee waiting…”
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Mr. Kaffee was pacing back and forth in the small back yard of Dream-maker’s Bakery, moving around to release some of his tension. On the glass window was a notice, “We are closed for one week due to internal repair. Welcome old and new customers to come back after we open for business next week.” Mr. Kaffee had not been notified of this change beforehand and was wondering,
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“Could this be Mary and Sheila’s way of playing a prank on me?” But this didn’t look like a prank. He felt that something was wrong when he got Megginn’s note last night and came here quickly to see how things were. He found that not only was the shop boarded and closed but the luxurious three story apartment house prepared for members of the Kingdom of Dreams was also empty. It was then that he was sure things were seriously wrong and sent Richard, Jamaz and Big-O out to look for Dimitri. Just then, Jamaz and Big-O rushed in panting and sweating. Seeing their dejected expression, he knew that they had not been able to find Dimitri. He thought to himself, “What could have happened? We have looked at all the places he frequents to no avail. Could he have disappeared into thin air again for no reason at all just like last time?” Greatly mystified and alarmed, Mr. Kaffee felt that the burden on his shoulders was heavier than ever. He could not possibly shoulder the burden of managing Dimitri’s financial empire alone. Just as he was wondering what to do, his cell phone rang. When he saw Richard’s number reflected on the screen, he intuitively felt that perhaps there was good news this time. He flipped open his cell phone, his voice trembling with nervousness and excitement,
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“How is it Richard? Did you find him?”
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“Very good…Very good…You’ll be here in two minutes? Why, that’s wonderful!”
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“The faster the better. The faster the better. Goodbye.”
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Mr. Kaffee gave a sigh of relief and collapsed onto a chair like an airless ball. He was thinking that if steps were taken right away, the management of Dimitri’s financial empire could still be retained in their hands. Otherwise it might be too late. Soon the familiar sounds of Richard’s car coming to a stop outside the gate were heard and Dimitri walked in quickly, his hand on Richard’s shoulder. The first question he asked was,
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“Where is Amalia? They couldn’t have just left her here all by herself when they left, could they?” The appearance of Dimitri at once set Mr. Kaffee’s mind at peace. He also knew the important position Amalia held in Dimitri’s heart, so he smiled and said,
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“Don’t worry. Don’t worry. You know that Sheila and Yoko treat Amalia like she was their own mother and take meticulous care of her. They would never leave an old lady suffering from Alzheimer’s disease alone here when they leave. They must have taken her along with them.”
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“Yes, I think so too…But what could it be that made them all leave so suddenly, leaving just an empty building here?”
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“I think what happened was this” said Mr. Kaffee who had calmed down by then and regained his sharp senses.. “Novella will be marrying Mr. O’Brian soon. The relationship between the beauties of the Kingdom is very close, so they must have closed up shop to help with the wedding. They may be gathered together somewhere and having a reunion! I think they are probably at Novella’s mansion. It is big enough and has enough bedrooms to accommodate everyone… I will ask around and we will be able to know more definitely how things are.”
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“That’s good. That’s good. Let them get together and have a good time…” Then he suddenly thought of something and asked Mr. Kaffee. “Richard just told me that you were frantically looking for me. Is something wrong?” Mr. Kaffee immediately took out his cell phone, scrolled it to the text that Megginn had sent him and handed it to Dimitri saying,
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“Look, that’s the text that Megginn sent me. How can I not go out of my mind with worry?” Then he quickly took his hand back and smiled awkwardly in great embarrassment saying, “Sorry. Sorry. I am so worried that I forgot you cannot see. Let me read it to you.” Then he read, “I have established a new foundation called “The Dream-Maker’s Foundation” and put all King Dimitri’s astronomical wealth entrusted to me into it. I think King Dimitri will agree to the steps I have taken. Signed Megginn.” Dimitri fell into a reverie after hearing those words and muttered,
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“Astronomical wealth. Astronomical wealth. How much is that? How much is astronomical wealth? During my lifetime I seemed to have owned a lot of wealth. But it was accumulated and then lost. Lost and gained back again. Lost and gained back; gained back and lost for I know not how many times. However, now I seem to have been liberated from the confines of this astronomical wealth. How much really is astronomical wealth? I think it must be near to zero…” Dimitri roared with laughter at the thought. He clapped his hands and shouted, “That’s wonderful. I am free again. I was originally a vagabond. Now everything has come back to zero!”
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Chapter 5 Where My Dream Is
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The gentle spring breeze blew on softly, over and over, back and forth with no one knowing from whence it came. It veered about as if it had lost its direction, loitering aimlessly and leisurely around, hesitant to leave. The gentle spring breeze blew on softly, over and over, back and forth caressing the poor, barren earth’s withered brown grass. It blew on softly and repetitively until the grassland was covered with different hues of green. The gentle spring breeze blew on softly, over and over, back and forth like a beautiful girl’s even breathing; her swelling breasts rose and fell faintly with each inhaling and exhaling breath, exuding the fragrance of flowers. No one knows from whence she came. It only loitered around aimlessly and leisurely, reluctant to leave. Perhaps it came from the valley or the faraway ocean, or even from the other end of the world beyond the horizon. Perhaps it had lost its direction and had gone adrift, So it was loitering aimlessly around the plains and prairie, loathe to leave. The gentle spring breeze blew on softly, over and over, back and forth.
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The spring breeze was like a naughty urchin on his first day of adventuring to the outside world. Everything was curious, fresh and novel to him. At the moment, he was prowling around freely in Aisha’s back yard. Look! An ever-widening circle of ripples marred the smooth surface of the water in the swimming pool. That naughty urchin must be stooping by the side of the pool ruffling the water with his small hands for fun. The swing by the corner of the wall was swaying rhythmically. It must be him again oscillating, flying and dancing in tempo with the breeze. Can’t you hear his gurgling laughter resounding in the air? In the garden, budding flowers swayed and danced in the spring breeze, as if the naughty urchin was shaking every one of their branches, shouting “Spring is here! Spring is here! Why aren’t you showing your beautiful faces?” That meddling is quite superfluous of the little fellow, for you would think those beautiful budding flowers already know that spring was here! The spring breeze flew high into the sky. The naughty urchin flew with it to the roof of the house, his eyes caught by the chimes hanging on the eaves. Out of curiosity, he shook and hit at them with his little hands, filling the air with the tintinnabulation of the musical instruments. The tinkling sound of these mystical chimes was like a bugle call to the flowers, telling them spring was really here; so they all bloomed at once in one accord, flooding the garden with blossoms of numerous shapes and colors. The spring breeze had really heralded to the world the advent of enchanting spring.
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The spring breeze was like a petty thief, a remarkably skillful one at that, capable of climbing walls and getting inside houses without much ado. There was no wall in the world thick enough to stop her; no window she could not get through. After all, windows have cracks and the spring breeze can get through all apertures, however narrow they may be. But spring breeze never had to use its special talents in this respect for in the season when all things appear fresh and gay and the air is warm and fragrant with the scent of flowers, all windows are open to welcome the coming of spring. Aisha is no exception to the rule. Like other people, she had opened her French windows to let the warm spring breeze blow inside her house. White lacy curtains fluttered in the spring breeze, like the hem of some bride’s elaborate wedding gown. The spring breeze circled around every room looking at the hundreds of books filling the bookcases around the walls. Actually, it did not really want to steal anything but was only curious to find out what the mistress of the house was doing. She was not putting on make-up before the mirror, but was reading quietly. The spring breeze was really too nosy!
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Aisha, wearing her long hair loosely coiled in a chignon (bun), was sitting tranquilly on the sofa before a window leisurely reading a book, with her hair loosely She often lifted her head to look at the white lacy curtains fluttering in the spring breeze like the hem of some bride’s elaborate wedding gown. Slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes only added to her mature and enchanting beauty and limpid and lucid eyes, deep as a crystal clear autumn pond were the very symbol of wisdom. Looking down, she began to read Angelica’s latest book of poems. Aisha read on slowly and attentively trying ferret out the meaning between the lines where the poetess usually unwittingly revealed the secrets of her heart. Aisha seemed to understand what Angelica was trying to say and gained complete knowledge of her thoughts. Angelica was a very talented poetess; but her quest for perfect beauty always tangled with self-destruction which leaned towards a suicidal tendency. King Dimitri often warned Aisha that Angelica was like an exquisitely beautiful but fragile crystal easily shattered, so Aisha was very attentive to all Angelica’s words and action. She was gratified to find that Angelica’s latest poems were no longer tinged with alarming, terrifying or shocking sensations, but on the contrary revealed typically feminine sentiments such as tenderness, elegance and refinement. Her mode of writing had changes, which meant that her way of thinking had changed as well. Formerly in the Kingdom of Dreams, Aisha was the Queen of the realm, beloved by all her subjects. Now back in the mundane world, she reverted back to the status of a common citizen, but still kept in contact with all the younger beauties of the kingdom. The beauties loved and respected her just as they did when she was their queen and their relationship was deep as one between sisters. They always consulted her when confronted with problems or unhappiness and Aisha’s advice was always treasured. Aisha always set aside some time from her studies and research to spend with the beauties, taking seriously her mother like+ position as their friend, sister and confidant. She spent less time on attending conventions and refused all opportunities to go abroad. That day she had made an appointment to have breakfast with Angelica so they could have a nice chat about how the beautiful poetess was doing. Aisha looked at the clock on the wall. It was eight o’clock sharp. The door bell rang. Aisha knew it must be Angelica who was always punctual. She stood up to open the door, never imagining that outside the door there was a stranger with Angelica, a young woman she had never met before, holding a clever little dog, Maureen on a leash.
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A brand new imposing looking black limousine drove slowly up to the gas station and came to a stop. No one knew which big shot had arrived. The person who pushed open the car door and stepped out was not a liveried chauffeur, but a svelte young woman with an enticing figure. She was dressed for the summer in a mini skirt and a tank top, exuding the vigor and vitality of youth and the sophistication of the city dweller. She stood before the gas pump looking a bit perplexed as she hadn’t had to drive herself for quite a while not to mention gas up the car by herself. She was surprised that she had forgotten how to do such a simple and familiar task and wasn’t sure where to begin now. Perhaps it was because these last few days her heart was beset with complex and incomprehensible sentiments making her feel tense, uneasy and fearful. She looked up at the wide expanse of blue skies above her head, as if only it was capable of calming her troubled spirits and then set her mind to remembering the steps needed to add gas to her car. Taking a credit card from her handbag, she pushed it into the slot beside the computer screen and typed in her zip code and pocketed the credit card when it slid out. Then taking the long gas pipe nozzle in her hand she walked to her car and was aghast that she couldn’t find where she was supposed to plug it into. The limousine was bought expressly for Megginn by Mr. Kaffee when she ascended to the throne of CEO of World Bank. The limousine was for her own private use and came with its own chauffeur to drive her around. After all, the car was not only a means of conveyance but also a status symbol as well. Therefore Megginn never had to drive herself and certainly did not have to get gas for it. She walked around inspecting the car and at last found an opening on the right side just before the front door. She uncapped it quickly and plugged the gas nozzle into the hole and let gas flow into the tank. Then she put the cap tightly on and replaced the gas pipe on its hanger. She tore out her receipt from the machine and walked to the driver’s side of the limousine, got into the car, stepped on the gas and drove slowly out of the gas station under the wide expanse of clear blue skies.
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Megginn drove on hands clutching the steering wheel, eyes on the road straight ahead and foot sometimes stepping on the accelerator, thoroughly enjoying the exhilarating exuberance of speed. The limousine performed spectacularly, maintaining a smooth and even balance throughout. Every now and then Megginn would look up at the blue skies above as if afraid it would have disappeared without her knowing it. Recently she had been experiencing such feelings of restless uneasiness for quite a while, afraid that the blue skies would somehow suddenly escape. “Why would the skies, so high, so deep and huge and so far-reaching that it covers the whole earth, want to disappear?” she thought. “Where could it go? It has nowhere to escape to! But why would I want to disappear? Everything is going so smoothly...The ownership and management of World Bank has been taken back. All Dimitri’s former industries, companies and properties have also been recovered. His huge financial empire had not only suffered no loss, but had on the contrary expanded quite a bit. Whatever I painstakingly designed and carried out myself worked perfectly like clockwork, so where did this feeling of unrest and uneasiness come from?” She diagnosed it as her own psychological conditioned reflex. The one who wished to escape was herself; only she transferred such feelings to the blue skies above her head. Just then the profound, psychological and insinuative words Aisha once said to her suddenly came to mind. ‘Everyone one is like a long string of astronomical numbers, followed by seventeen or eighteen zeros. It’s really hard to read out such numbers. If the first of these numbers, the capital letter ‘I’ disappears, then what meaning do all the zeros that follow have?’ Megginn suddenly thought, “Why, that’s just what is happening to me! I have worked tirelessly to see that World Bank and all his other assets, which had struck out to become their own independent entities, were fully recovered. Dimitri’s huge financial empire is now even stronger than it had ever been before. But his astronomical wealth, with all the zeros after it, is meaningless without the capital I, Dimitri, who had disappeared without a trace. I worked this hard because of my love and loyalty to Dimitri. What motive have I to go on without him? Aisha was right. If the first of these numbers, the capital letter ‘I’ disappears, then what meaning do all the zeros that follow have?” Last night Megginn made her final decision and texted it to Mr. Kaffee, after which all the fatigue and exhaustion accumulated from months of hard work collapsed on her. Laying her head down on her desk, she fell sound asleep and did not wake until the following morning. She stared dumbfounded at the blue skies outside the window lost in thought. Then her eyes fell onto the string of astronomical figures on her computer screen, changing every second as if they were alive. Her eyes moved backwards and forwards between the blue skies and the computer screen two or three times. She suddenly stood up, as if she had come to a certain enlightenment. Walking to her private room behind the office, she took off her somber, dull but very expensive business suit and changed to the casual but lively and youthful attire she used to favor – mini skirt and tank top. The whole building was silent with no sound of human activity as she walked out of her CEO office. It was the silence before another busy and hectic day. Megginn took the elevator from the 24th floor down to the spacious lobby. She walked out of the front door of World Bank, and crossed over to the parking structure reserved for the senior staff. Raising her head to the blue skies, she again felt her own insignificance. Nodding to the parking lot attendant she walked over to her car and drove away, eager to talk to Aisha as soon as possible about the decision she had made. She had come to this decision inspired by Aisha’s words, so Megginn thought Aisha would approve. As she drove, Megginn thought about the dramatic happenings that enfolded in the last twenty-four hours. She drove more slowly and just got off the freeway exit, which was about ten minutes away from Aisha’s home, when suddenly the emergency alarm in her car sounded and red lights flashed on and off on all the gauges and instruments on the dash board. The speed of her car suddenly slowed to almost a stop and crawled along like an old ox pulling a broken cart. Megginn was greatly alarmed and immediately pulled her car to a stop near the sidewalk. She quickly turned offal the systems in her car and sat there at a loss, not knowing what had happened.
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Megginn gazed at the blue skies as if hoping to once more gather strength from the endless stretch of blue atmosphere high above. She gradually closed her eyes while keeping the impression of the clear blue skies before her. She took this impression deep into her heart and felt her fear and alarm quickly subside. She was once more at peace, her brain calm and cool, her senses sharp and agile as before. After adjusting herself mentally, she opened her eyes and tried again to start her car. Once. Twice. Thrice. Nothing happened. This luxurious limousine had really stalled and broke down by the roadside like a pile of rubbish. The strange thing was this car was practically brand new, having just come off the assembling line not so long ago and had been performing flawlessly. The brand name itself was a guarantee of the highest quality. How could it have broken down so quickly? From the way it was acting up, the trouble did not seem to be a minor one. Something was drastically wrong. But where was the problem and why did this happen now? Megginn again looked towards the blue skies while her mind raced back frantically to the time she drove the car out of the parking structure and went over everything she had done since then, not overlooking even the smallest detail. Suddenly she found the crux of the matter and exclaimed out loud, “Oh gosh! That’s it!” She realized that the mistake had been made when she took the gas nozzle off the hanger. She had injected diesel fuel into her gas tank instead of regular unleaded gas! For a gas engine, the influx of a large quantity of diesel fuel was detrimental. Megginn slapped her thigh with her hand as if angry with herself and muttered,
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“What a fool I was… I had not been feeling quite myself since early this morning, but how could I be so absent-minded as to add diesel fuel instead of gas into my car? What I did was equivalent to murdering this noble brand name car. Even after it had been fixed, its life span would surely be shortened.” Megginn was a very sentimental person who was warmly attached to people she knew and things she had used and never discarded old things lightly. It was not that she was cheap, but was because she was sentimental. Take that old beige-colored sedan of hers for example. It was the car she had ridden in since she was a child. It could be said that the car grew up with her and to her it was a dear old friend, older than she was. Although the engine of the jalopy did not work well anymore and took a long time to start, Megginn was not willing to dump it in the junk yard to be dismembered and crushed. She thought that was no way to treat an old friend. So too soft-hearted to dispose of it, she let that old beige-colored sedan stay in her garage, no longer used, but retired it in comfort. If that was the way she treated old friends, she could feel no less for her brand name, new friend whom it seems she had unwittingly murdered! That regrettable fact couldn’t help but make her sadly repentant. But the blunder had been made and there was no possible recourse to resort to.
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Eyes reddened and moistened, Megginn seemed to be on the verge of tears. She was truly remorseful and heartsick to be the one who had accidentally caused her new friend such serious harm without meaning to. She used her hands to softly stroke the steering wheel and the luxurious leather seat beside her, hoping to comfort this new friend with her caressing touch. But what was done was done and could not be undone. After a while, she began to laugh disparagingly and hysterically,
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“These last few days, my mood had been so abnormal and absent-minded as to make me add diesel fuel to my gas tank… It’s really like a farce. If people knew of this, they would really laugh their heads off.” Megginn took out a tissue and wiped the corners of her eyes, opened the car door and walked out. She looked around and saw neither car nor pedestrian, for who would be out and about so early on a Sunday morning? Most people would be taking it easy at home. In fact, subconsciously she was hoping that Dimitri would suddenly appear before her as he used to do. Actually Dimitri did come to her rescue quite a few times when her old beige jalopy was stranded on the streets. Megginn would sit in the driver’s seat and Dimitri would push with all his might and the engine would purr and come to life. But this time things were different. Even if Dimitri appeared, he would not be able to help because the engine of this luxurious brand name car had been totaled. No matter how hard you push it would not be able to move. Also Dimitri had vaporized from the face of the earth for so long without a trace that there’s no knowing whether he was dead or alive. Megginn waited for a few minutes longer by the roadside, but of course she was disappointed for Dimitri did not appear. But that was only what she expected. Megginn sighed and looked down on the beautiful but flimsy semi-high heeled sandals she was wearing. It was only ten minutes by car to Aisha’ house, but would take at least an hour or more on foot. The streets were not even and slopped up and down. Megginn again sighed and thought,
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“I just trashed my brand new car almost beyond repair. Now I will be subjecting my beautiful sandals to the torture of long distance walking on these streets while carrying the weight of my body. It’s really disheartening!” But there was nothing else she could do, so Megginn set out to trudge her way forward carefully so her beautiful shoes would not come to too great harm.
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Megginn had only taken a dozen or so steps when suddenly from behind her came the explosive sounds of a powerful engine as loud as the roar of ten or twelve wild puppy beasts as well as a string of honking of the car horn that seemed to be calling her, “Megginn! Megginn!” She turned her head and saw a bright red convertible flash by and came to a stop just a little beyond her. She joyfully recognized it as belonging to her good friend and partner, Samantha. Indeed, the door opened and Samantha came out, waving to her and shouting,
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“Hey! I saw you as soon as I got off the freeway. I saw you park the car by the roadside and start walking on the street alone. Why did you stop? Why didn’t you continue driving?” When Megginn walked over and told her the story of how she had injected diesel fuel into her gas tank instead of regular unleaded gas, thus ruining the engine, Samantha began to laugh so hard she could hardly stand up straight. After a while, she turned serious and said,
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“No, no, that cannot be. You are the smartest one of us all. You run King Dimitri’s enormous financial empire so efficiently that now it is even stronger and better than it was before and you saw to it that all his other assets, which had struck out to become their own independent entities, were fully recovered. How come that after just an absence of two days you have become so absent-minded that you allow such crazy things to happen to you? Are you not feeling well? Do you want to see a doctor?”
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“No. No. I am perfectly fine,” answered Megginn shaking her head. “It’s just that these few days I have not been myself. I was going to see Aisha and talk to her. She seems to have a particularly attractive magnetic field that just coming near her could settle me down and bring peace. Her words are also comforting, so I always visit her from time to time. She is really worthy of being our Queen Aisha.”
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“Right,” said Samantha. “I feel the same way. I’ll give you a ride, as I am just going there, too.” So opening the door of the car Samantha waved her hand to invite her friend in, saying at the same time, “I am taking her white wedding gown to her for the final fitting. She had tried it on several times already so it should be perfect this time. Because Aisha is our queen, I am paying her the special respect of bringing it to her myself. The dresses of all the others have been sent to Novella’s mansion. They’ve all been tried and fitted numerous times and should be alright. I hope you will go and try yours on when you have time and have whatever changes you want made done before the important day. The choosing of materials and patterns, the making of the wedding gowns as well as fittings and subsequent changes have taken me more than half a year. Now everything is finally done.” Seeing Megginn settled in her seat, Samantha walked over to the driver’s side of the car, got in, turned on the engine and the car flew forward to Aisha’s house.
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Two happy smiling faces greeted Aisha when she opened the front door. One was of course Angelica; the other was an equally beautiful face, but one she did not know and had never seen before.
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“Hi Aisha, good morning” said Angelica. “I brought along a new friend that I have mentioned to you several times before, the authoress Charina. I am sorry for not asking you for permission first. Hope you don’t mind.”
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“Hi Aisha” said Charina. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”
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“Welcome. Welcome “said Aisha. “Come on in. Of course I don’t mind.”
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“I have my little dog Maureen with me. May it come in as well or should I leave it outside in the yard and let it roam around by itself?”
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“Oh no, no, of course it can come in too” replied the hospitable hostess. “That’s a cute little dog you have there. It is my new friend too, so come on in all of you.” Before they had time to walk into Aisha’s hallway, the sound of a powerful engine was heard and a red streamlined sports car quickly appeared and stopped accurately on the driveway. Two car doors banged shut and a voice was heard saying,
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“Hey, wait for us. Don’t close the door. We want to come in as well.” The three of them looked back and saw it was two more guests, Samantha and Megginn. In this lovely spring weather, Samantha was not one to miss the opportunity of showing off her curvaceous figure. She was wearing white shorts and a uniquely cut orange t-shirt. Angelica quickly introduced them to Charina and the five of them walked together into Aisha’s living room. Little Maureen followed their hostess into the house with a dignified air, neither meek not pert and joined the circle of human society, sitting silently down on the carpet at the feet of its mistress when everyone settled down. It looked up at Aisha, understanding in its intelligent mind that this elegant and regal-looking lady would have a great impact on the future of its mistress. Charina had trained it well, so it restrained its normally outgoing and bubbly nature and sat there docilely, afraid to set a wrong foot forward. It was obvious to everyone that this was an accomplished and well-trained little dog, a really lovable one.
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“Aisha” began Angelica, “I have brought along some things I want you to see. I am sure you will be very much interested in them and will also be very much surprised…” Saying so, she looked (searched) in her handbag and took out an old and rustic-looking porcelain bottle that used to contain 100-year-old mao-tai wine, which she handed to Aisha.
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“This looks like a wine-bottle from ancient times,” said Aisha after she had looked it over carefully for a long time. Then she pulled out the cork. Although the bottle was empty, a strong fragrance of wine permeated the air of Aisha’s spacious living room.
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“This bottle may not be familiar to you. You may not have seen it before… Here is something else that will be quite familiar. It’s something you had used before…” Saying so, Angelica rummaged in her hand bag and produced a gem-studded double-barreled telescope with a flourish as if she was a magician performing a magic feat. Aisha’s hands seemed to tremble as she took over the instrument. This was hers. How could she ever forget the time when she used it to watch from afar the tragic battle on Giant Mountain? She held it up, looked through its lenses and then set it down, softly caressing it with her hands saying,
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“This…this telescope… Where did you get it? I remember it was buried in the ruins of the magnificent palace in King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams! How did it fall into your hands?...Could you have…could you…you…” Angelica seemed to be bent on teasing Aisha.
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“Don’t be impatient,” said Angelica, who seemed bent on teasing Aisha, “There are still more astonishing things to see… Look at this! Whose papers do you think these are…” Saying so, she took out a stack of papers and handed them to Aisha, who caught a glimpse of the heading on the title page saying “On Life in Matriarchal Society”. Aisha quickly scanned over the first few pages and confirmed that it was indeed her unfinished dissertation that was lost in the ruins of the palace in the Kingdom of Dreams. These last few months, she had been laboriously wracking her brains trying to reproduce from memory the material she had written, but had not been able to do so to her satisfaction. She was only able to remember parts of it and had been frustrated in her efforts to put together the whole dissertation. Yet here was her manuscript, magically returned to her. Happy and astonished, she held the stack of papers tightly in her hands, her priceless possession! But then she thought that something was not quite right about this. It happened too suddenly and unexpectedly. Her face turned solemn and serious as she asked,
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“Did you go back by yourself to the Kingdom of Dreams? Otherwise, how you have gotten this manuscript? I have repeatedly told you all not to go back there because the area is still occupied by the barbarian tribes. If they should get hold of you the result would be disastrous! Why did go against my express request and went back to the Kingdom of Dreams all by yourself?” Megginn and Samantha had never seen the soft-spoken Aisha so angry before and were too scared to speak out and to help Angelica. But Angelica kept smiling. Taking out some pieces of paper from her bosom, she said,
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“Don’t be angry, Aisha. Read these letters first before you read me the riot act.” Aisha unfolded the papers and saw at first glance that the bold handwriting belonged to Medusa. She looked for the signature at the end of the letter and confirmed it was really written by Medusa. Eyes opened wide, expression fearful and agitated, she began reading the contents of the letter and everyone’s heart tightened, too. But as she read on, her expression gradually calmed down, until towards the end her lips curved in a slight smile. It was only then that everyone’s heart eased and they breathed a sigh of relief. Aisha then passed the letters to Megginn and Samantha and asked them to read them too. Her voice gentled as she turned to Angelica and asked,
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“Can you tell me what this is all about?”
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“You want to know what this is all about?” repeated Angelica with a grimace. “I’m afraid I can’t make head or tails about it either. I think we had better ask our authoress here to tell us her story from beginning to end.”
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Young Dorna was fast asleep. She was really too tired. The night before, she swam in the pool most of the night before showering and going to bed. She was making use of the week that Dream-Maker’s Bakery closed shop to visit Aisha. Normally each was busy with her own schedule and did not have much opportunity to meet. The two of them were very close in the kingdom of Dreams. It was almost a mother-daughter relationship, so Dorna made use of this rare opportunity to spend some quality time with Aisha. The enticing fragrance of spring flowers seemed to waft through the cracks of door and windows into the room. Dorna half opened her sleepy eyes and saw that it was already bright and sunny in the garden outside the windows. Spring flowers were in full bloom and trees rich with tender buds danced in the spring breeze. Dorna again closed her sleepy eyes while the chirping of birds mixed with soft human conversation filled her ears. She drowsily remembered that Aisha had told her Angelica was coming for breakfast early this morning, but there was more than two voices outside. There seemed to be a third one as well. Just then loud sounds of a familiar car engine were heard which she knew to be Samantha’s expensive sports car. All of a sudden the air outside became lively with greetings and laughter so Dorna surmised that other beauties had also arrived. Then she heard them all walk into Aisha’s living room and were soon chatting happily together. Dorna was a sociable girl who dearly loved hustle and bustle, so she scrambled out of bed excitedly and quickly donned her clothes. Hastening through her morning ablutions, she walked towards the living room and saw that a strange young woman was telling a story about King Dimitri. Not wishing to interrupt her, Dorna silently greeted the guests with her eyes and sat down quietly beside Aisha. She saw a cute little dog sitting on the carpet looking at her. Being a dog-lover, she picked it up quite naturally and placed it on her lap instead. That little act won her the firm friendship of this new visitor.
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Charina was telling the story of under what circumstances she met Dimitri, how she got to know him, how he offered to provide her with material for her writing and personally brought her to the Kingdom of Dreams to let her see the place for herself. Being a novelist, she made such good use of her powers of narration that her audience was captured by the eloquent, dramatic and vivid portrayal of her story which she described in great detail in her easy, flowing style. She was in the process of telling about how she was looking for material for her writing in the burnt out ruins of the palace while Dimitri flew up to the seventh heaven on the back of his magic steed Lightning to meet with King Zeus, when a huge earthquake followed by a thundering tsunami shook the area. She told of how King Dimitri courageously riding on his snow-white steed flew up and down the almost 180 degrees sheer cliff that was the bottom of the giant’s feet. He drew his magic sword and thrust it into the cliff, trying to find the weakest and most sensitive part of the feet but was not able to locate the precise point to stimulate the giant to move or change his posture, which was the cause of the gigantic earthquake that rocked the whole area. Giant Mountain broke into several sections, shrugging off the gold palace in the process which fell into the bottom of the lake. Everyone listened heart in mouth with abated breath, at the most scary and dramatic parts, only breathing a sigh of relief when they heard that King Dimitri survived and arrived back safely and unscathed.
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“Then King Dimitri returned back to the mundane world after that?” asked Aisha.
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“Yes, he is back” replied Charina. “That is something I don’t understand. With so many beauties around him, why would he choose to live the nomad life of a homeless person?” Aisha was silent, her expression sad and sorrowful.
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“That old dog is really too much!” cried Dorna in exasperation. “He promised to take me with him on his adventures but he went into this all alone. He knows that’s what I am most interested in but he left me out! Wait till I see him next time. I will certainly give him a piece of my mind!” These words fully exposed the willful nature of this wild girl who so often acted before she thought. It also showed how King Dimitri spoilt this youngest of his 24 beauties.
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“Hey, don’t interrupt, little girl” interrupted Angelica. “Charina has more to tell us. You may express your thought after she has finished, okay?” By then everyone had basically put together the whole story by bits and pieces like a jigsaw puzzle, but at these words all eyes again switched to Charina.
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Then Charina went on with her story starting from how she disguised herself by smearing her face with dust and mud as to be almost unrecognizable. She cut off her beautiful flowing long hair and put on an old olive-colored safari hat. Then she dressed herself as a homeless person by putting on a raggedy brown jacket, dirty black baggy pants and a pair of over-sized block-headed black shoes, looking from afar like a replica of her old friend Dimitri. She did all this because she was determined to bum around with Dimitri and experience firsthand the life of a homeless person. Then she told of how while she and Dimitri were having dinner under the moonlight in a corner of the rose garden, he called to his female servant Imagination to come out and meet Charina. She continued,
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“That beautiful female servant appeared suddenly from out of the empty air and scared me to half to death. It seemed that she could hide herself in the air and appear and disappear at will. To them it was a commonplace occurrence, so I too gradually took it as a matter of course. Dimitri whether accidentally or by design had partaken of quite a lot of wine and went to sleep it off under the shade of some rose bushes, leaving Imagination and I to chat by ourselves. Imagination called out to Charmaine and Clementine and the two beautiful nymphs came floated down from the sky like falling leaves and the four of us sat down and talked face to face. Just at this time, some local mobsters and hooligans who prey on women rushed into the rose garden. Creativity, another of Dimitri’s loyal servants, stopped them and beat them up. Then he threw them all into the lake as punishment. Creativity is Dimitri’s male servant. He was said to be a tall, husky man, very handsome and resembled the sun god Apollo. Knowing the etiquette of our society, he did not show himself because he was naked at the time. These two hid in the air and therefore had no need for clothes, so I have only heard him speak but had never seen him. Later Imagination also disappeared into thin air. She did not go far, but was patrolling the area with her companion, acting as look-outs and bodyguards to assure our safety. I chatted for a while longer with the two nymphs. Then they too left to go back to the Seventh Heaven. Before leaving they gave me their blessing and congratulated me that one day my most cherished wish would be granted and I would become the 25th beauty in the Kingdom of Dreams…” Charina lowered her head and glanced surreptitiously at her hostess to gauge Aisha’s reaction to these words and see if there was any change in her expression and attitude.
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“Clementine and Charmaine congratulated you on becoming the 25th beauty in the Kingdom of Dreams” teased Angelica. “What about you yourself, Charina? Is that what you wish, too?” Charina blushed and lowered her head even more before replying in a very low voice,
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“Of course, it is. Only I felt shy about being the one to ask.”
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“What is there to be shy about?” continued Angelica. “Why don’t you just say loudly ‘I want to become the 25th beauty of the Kingdom of Dreams?’ Or you can say even more forthrightly, ‘I want to marry Dimitri’. That’s all it takes!” Young and warm-hearted Dorna, who was a busybody, pushed Aisha’s arms begging,
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“Come on, say yes, Aisha. Please say ‘yes’. Such a beautiful and intelligent authoress is naturally eligible to become a member of the Kingdom of Dreams. Say ‘yes “quickly Aisha! I beg you.” Aisha knew that it was time to take a stand, so clearing her throat she turned to Charina and said seriously,
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“I understand your wish. Since King Dimitri had taken it upon himself to show you his Kingdom of Dreams, the veil of secrecy about it is no longer a concern and I have no need to conceal anything from you. On the contrary, I can talk frankly and candidly. After the magnificent and grandiose palace was constructed, I was the first person Dimitri invited to live there. As the palace was too big and empty, he decided it needed more inhabitants to liven things up so that the palace would be a happy and exciting place full of life. So gradually over time he brought more members to live there. Every one of them had their own unique personal history and background and came from different strata of life. The reasons why they wished to come to live there are also different, which I presume you well know, or we could talk about that later. The time we spent with King Dimitri on the whole was full of happiness and excitement, though there have been dangers and catastrophes, all of which are events we will never forget. King Dimitri seemed to be a prophet who could foretell the future, for he knew in advance that a great disaster was about to happen. He told the beauties he had gathered from different places in the world to leave the Kingdom of Dreams and go back to the mundane world. Indeed, soon after that his arch enemy Cyclops led an army of barbarian warriors invaded the Kingdom of Dreams and burnt down Dimitri’s magnificent palace. I was the last one to leave the Kingdom. Back here in the mundane world we all reverted back to the status of a common citizen and are living a normal life. Everyone has the right to fall in love, marry and set up a happy family. King Dimitri thought that his presence could hinder the beauties from seeking this future happiness for themselves, so he simply evaporated from this earth. Just now you asked why with so many floral beauties around him, would he choose to live the nomad life of a homeless person. This is the best answer. He purposefully steered clear of the beauties to give the members of his kingdom ample room to bring their intelligence and abilities into full play. Actually there was no need for him to do so. Back in the Kingdom of Dreams, although we lived in the magnificent palace as his royal spouse and imperial concubines, in reality most of the beauties had never have intimate physical relations with him. Our love and esteem for Dimitri come sincerely from the bottom of our hearts. He does not owe us anything. There was no necessity at all for him to disappear from the earth so totally and abruptly as he did. But since he had decided to do so, I thought it was my duty to respect his wishes. If I accept you into our midst as the twenty-fifth beauty, the number of beauties would be increased instead of decreased. That would go completely against King Dimitri’s wishes. So…so…I…I…cannot grant …” Seeing that Aisha was about to deny her request, Charina said,
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“I’m sorry. Would you excuse me for interrupting you, your Majesty and allow me to say a few more words? I know it was rather impertinent of me to arrive at your doorsteps uninvited, especially when I came to make such a bold and troubling request. But that is my dearest wish, something that has been lodged in my heart for some time and which I find I simply must act upon regardless of consequences. I used to be rather proud of my looks, but today after meeting you all, I find that every one of you is a matchless beauty. Of course there are dozen others I have not met yet, but I am sure they too are diamonds of the first water, which makes me feel embarrassed that I dare to presume to join your ranks. On the surface, Dimitri is a non-prepossessing blind man, a penniless homeless person who can in no way be a match for you all in any form or way. Yet you all love him and willingly follow him to the Kingdom of Dreams. There you found him to be a wise, good and brave king. He is generous, kind and never cruel to anyone, so he is beloved by all his subjects. As a result he easily captured your hearts. I was fortunate enough to get to know him and spent some time with him. He personally took me on a guided tour of his Kingdom of Dreams, where I saw another side of him which made me fall in love with him. Perhaps that was what fate destined to happen. I would think it an honor to be allowed to become a member of the Kingdom of Dreams and join your ranks. I will be satisfied even if I can only get 1/25th of this man’s love. That is why I have laid off all pretenses and personally come to your majesty with my bold and troubling request…” Charina lowered her head; with her chin almost touching her chest. She blushed furiously, her eyes moist and red with tears threatening to fall. For a proud and beautiful young woman like her and a notable authoress to boot, to humble herself before so many to petition to marry an old and ugly homeless man and be refused really put her in an untenable and embarrassing position. Angelica stood up and walked over to sit on the right side of Aisha, while Dorna sat on the left side, sandwiching Aisha between them.
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“Your majesty” said Angelica in a beseeching voice “Let me say a few words. Now we know King Dimitri did not evaporate from the world but is still living. But he chooses to avoid us. You are now our Queen and your word is law. Charina is earnest in her petition and her words are reasonable and logical. It really moved me. I think you should accept her, or else how are we to resolve this? I think one day if we see King Dimitri again, he will not blame you for it.”
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“Yes, yes” said Dorna shaking Aisha’s arms. “Angelica is right. I think that Charina has done you a great favor by bringing back your unfinished dissertation that was lost in the ruins of the palace in the Kingdom of Dreams. Just for that great meritorious deed, you should grant her request. Look at how you have embarrassed her. If you don’t grant her request, she is going to cry! That would be too bad. You are our Queen, beloved by all your subjects, why are you in such a quandary and can’t make up your mind about such a small matter as this?”
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“I don’t think King Dimitri will have any objections” continued Angelica. “When he took Charina to the Kingdom of Dreams himself and showed her around, I think he had already thought about her becoming a member of the Kingdom. Your granting her request would just be carrying out his original intentions… He not only won’t scold you, I am sure he would praise your intelligence. Don’t you think so?”
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“If King Dimitri scolds you” interrupted Dorna, “I will jump out and argue with him till the end. He dared to go back to the Kingdom of Dreams and experience the earthquake and tsunami and all those grand adventures without me, after he had given me his word that he would take me along! You know I love adventure. I think the earthquake and tsunami would be something like riding on those roller coasters I haven’t gotten on his case yet, so he would not dare to scold you. Don’t be afraid. With me as your general, standing by my beautiful queen, protecting you, who dares to say anything objectionable to you?” With the two of them chattering by her side non-stop, wheedling and cajoling half playfully and half in earnest, Aisha began to have second thoughts about her position. She looked inquiringly at Megginn, who was intelligent and calm and was her right hand in the Kingdom. Megginn looked at her steadily as if saying, “Go on. Grant her request. It’s hard to find such an intelligent and clever authoress even if you lighted a lantern and went looking for one. She will be an asset to the Kingdom. Since she is adamant about joining us, let her!”
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“This is a very hard decision for me to make” said Aisha. She finally nodded and said “Alright, so be it. I will make the decision for King Dimitri and grant your request to become the 25th beauty in the Kingdom of Dreams. In the future if King Dimitri should reprimand us, I alone will be responsible.” At her words, everyone laughed and clapped and expressed their satisfaction and agreement. Charina was so happy she burst into tears. Her heart’s desire had at last been granted. Encouraged by the happy atmosphere, Little Maureen jumped down to the floor and began shaking its head and twisting its body and rump (butt), dancing the cha cha which its mistress had taught it. Everyone laughed heartily and Dorna shouted,
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“Hey, great dancing Maureen. That’s just great. Let’s break out the champagne and celebrate!”
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“Oh no, Dorna, you are getting too excited again” said Queen Aisha. “It’s still morning and too early for drinking. Drink too much and you waste the whole day being befuddled and not able to do anything. There is a custom in the Kingdom of Dreams that whenever a new member joins us we give a party to welcome her. I never thought we would hold another such a welcome party again, but today we have a new member joining us! Why don’t we organize a grand party to formally welcome Charina to our midst? We haven’t held such a party for quite a while and it’s time for us to have a good time.”
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“Leave it to me” said Samantha. “I am good at organizing parties. I will make sure that there is good food, good drinks and everyone will have a grand time. I am sure you will all be satisfied.”
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“Speaking of food, I’m feeling hungry. My stomach is growling” said Dorna. “I know a newly opened restaurant. Let’s go there and try it out.” Saying so, she began walking to the door.
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“Come on back here” ordered Aisha, pretending to be angry. “You are always in such a rush you don’t think first. There are still a lot of things to talk over that is unsuitable to be done in a public place. Things about the Kingdom of Dreams are not for other ears. Let’s all set about making breakfast ourselves here in my kitchen. That would be both cozy and merry.” Everyone concurred to Aisha’s suggestion. Queen Aisha had their heartfelt admiration and could always convince them with her sensible and practical ideas.
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The enticing aroma of coffee perking, bread toasting, bacon and eggs frying permeated Aisha’s kitchen amid the chattering and laughter of five six women, all working busily in the kitchen, cutting up fruit, tossing salads or squeezing juice. Soon the table was spread full of simple but tasty breakfast food and everyone sat down to eat and talk. In this relaxed and casual atmosphere, they naturally no longer adhered to strict court protocol but acted and spoke informally as common citizens.
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“Oh yes Aisha” said Samantha “I have brought your wedding gown. You’ve had several fittings now, so it should fit you perfectly this time. Try it on later and see.”
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“Good” replied Aisha putting down her coffee cup. “I’ll do so later.”
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“What... wedding gown...?” exclaimed Charina, her face clearly showing her shock and mystification. Turning to Aisha she stammered, “Are you… are you…getting married…?” Aisha sighed and then replied,
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“As the newest member of our Kingdom, you are naturally not aware of our plans. Actually, I should have told you about it. It’s like this... Novella, a member of our Kingdom whom I don’t think you have met, is getting married to Mr. O’Brian and they plan to have a big and lavish wedding. All of us consider it a privilege and honor to be one of King Dimitri’s wives but though we are nominally his Queen and royal concubines, it is really regrettable that not one of us had ever gone through a formal wedding ceremony. So some of our members suggested that we should make full use of this elaborate wedding of Novella’s and formally say our marriage vows to King Dimitri at the same time in a group wedding. In a way it will also be a conscientious and responsible summary of one stage of our lives. At first I had reservations about this, fearing it would become headline news that would bring down the unwelcome attention of the paparazzi and news media, thereby causing us all kinds of inconvenience and mischief. It would also be against King Dimitri’s customary low-key style of life. Just think of this: seventeen of us marrying one single man, and that man is not even present at the ceremony, his whereabouts unknown. A wedding with no groom is unheard of and will become a fiasco, mocked and laughed at in society. Since this was sure to turn into a mockery and fodder for the scandal sheets, it would be better not to go through it at all. But then after thinking things over, I felt that this suggestion had its merits. As I just mentioned, we are all King Dimitri’s wives, but most of the beauties had never had physical intimacy with him and became one of his wives without going through any formal ceremony. I realize that this was not fair to them, so participating in a group wedding would be one way to make amends to them psychologically, while satisfying their wish to be married to him. At the same time, we would be saying goodbye to one chapter of our lives, that beautiful, happy and exciting time we spent in the Kingdom of Dreams. Though we hate to think that things have come to an end, but it is a reality. From this time on, all of us will do as King Dimitri wishes and go forth and seek what he calls “a happy life”. So this group wedding is not only a beautiful full stop, but also a brand new beginning of our future life.”
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“What beginning? What full stop?” cried Dorna impatiently. “I don’t know what you are talking about. From what you just said, it seems as if marriage and divorce are almost the same thing and there’s not much difference between a wedding and a funeral! It’s too frustrating and disappointing. I don’t want to wear that darn wedding dress. It’s so tight, stiff and uncomfortable. What’s it all for anyway? I don’t care about saying goodbye and all that stuff you just said. Wait till I see the old dog again, I won’t let him get away with it so easily this time. I will follow closely on his heels, even if he goes to the end of the world! Wherever he goes, I too will go. You just wait and see.” Aisha glared at Dorna reprovingly and Angelica murmured,
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“Hey you naughty girl, don’t monkey around. What’s wrong with wearing wedding gowns? The seventeen of us will all be wearing the same style of formal white wedding gown and will look so good. And you, my pet, will be the prettiest of us all. So sh-sh, don’t gripe any more, Aisha is looking melancholy…” Glancing up and seeing Aisha’s sorrowful expression, Dorna knew the queen was angry, so she immediately shut her mouth and said no more.
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“If that is so…” said Charina, “since I am now a member of the Kingdom of Dreams, should I also go and have a wedding dress made and take part in the group wedding?”
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“Of course” said Aisha, nodding her head. Turning to Samantha, she asked, “But time is short, would they be able to make another one in time?” Samantha hastily swallowed the lettuce in her mouth and drank some fresh orange juice before replying,
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“There shouldn’t be a problem. All our wedding gowns were made by hand at one of the world-famous wedding dress shops which specializes in doing high quality work. It’s very time-consuming, but by working three shifts, they should be able to have one ready before the wedding date. The owner of this world-famous shop that specializes in making wedding gowns by hand, would surely accommodate their VIP customer who ordered a total of seventeen such expensive high-end gowns at the same time! I will guarantee there won’t be any problem, but after we finish eating, Charina must go there with me to let them take her measurements and have the work started as soon as possible.” Angelica suddenly thought of something and said,
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“Oh, by the way, your majesty, there is something important that I must ask you about. In order to ensure that this grand and elaborate wedding go smoothly, we have been busy preparing for almost a year now. Mr. O’Brian has established a special preparatory committee to oversee the event. They have booked the city’s grandest historical church for the wedding ceremony and asked a famous and much-respected pastor to officiate. I was responsible for issuing the invitations and tallying up the responses. By yesterday, all the replies were back and except for the few who were abroad, or who had businesses they could not leave, 95% of those invited said that they would be able to attend. From the list of the guests who would be attending, you could surmise that Mr. O’Brian came from a family of blue bloods with enormous wealth as well as innumerable prominent social connections, for among the guests were members of many royal families and the elite of political and financial personages. This wedding will surely turn out to be the wedding of the century! I gave the list to the preparatory committee yesterday and they wanted me to inquire if all the members of the Kingdom of Dreams intend to attend the wedding dinner. They need to know this to order the food and arrange seating at the tables.” Aisha was silent for a moment still thinking over the question over when Dorna interrupted scornfully saying,
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"Really Angelica, I think you are making much ado about nothing! It’s Mr. O’Brian who is getting married and he has lots of people under him to take care of everything. Why do they need you to run around doing all these things? You’re only making unnecessary work for yourself.” Angelica did not get angry, but answered Dorna patiently and pleasantly,
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“Don’t talk like that you naughty girl. It’s not nice. Novella is the first member of our Kingdom to get married. We had always been on very good terms with each other and she is just like a sister to us. So why shouldn’t we get involved in her wedding plans and help out as much as possible? Lotus is doing the flowers for this event. This is called “acting in concert and pooling everyone’s wisdom and efforts.”
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“Acting in concert and pooling everyone’s wisdom and efforts… Sounds good, but I think you are just fooling me…” Dorna stood up and strolled about saying with a very straight face, “I think it’s you who want to get married so badly that you have gone cuckoo! Otherwise, why are you going all out and doing your utmost for Novella’s wedding? Wasn’t it you who introduced her to Mr. O’Brian? It’s you who want to get married…” Saying so, she slipped behind Aisha’s chair and crouched down to escape Angelica’s wrath. Dorna’s words made everyone in the room laugh out loud. Even Angelica, whose face turned red with indignation, couldn’t help smiling as she scolded Dorna saying,
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“You naughty girl, you! What do you mean I want to get married? I want nothing of the sort! Tell me whom I want to marry. Go on, name him! If you can’t do so, see what I am going to do to you today…” Angelica, too, stood up from her chair and made as if she was going after the naughty girl. Aisha knew that the two of them often kidded each other in fun, so she did not take their altercation seriously, and just said,
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“Stop your horseplay you two, and sit down please… I have something serious to say… First of all, after hearing Angelica’s words, I think that we should make some changes in our plans. In the beginning, I just thought it was an ordinary wedding. I did not know that it would be so lavish and elaborate as to be attended by royalty, princes of commerce and big shot politicians as well as so many other important guests. Minus Novella, who will be marrying Mr. O’Brian, there will be sixteen of us saying our vows and all marry one man, who isn’t even present at the ceremony. It will most certainly cause a great uproar and disrupt Novella and Mr. O’Brian’s wedding. The media would accuse us of trying to capture attention and shock the world. This will go completely against King Dimitri’s low-key style of life. So I think our plans need to be modified… Since preparations for the wedding are mostly complete and the wedding date set, that need not and cannot be changed. Novella and Mr. O’Brian will get married as planned. Our group wedding, however, will be postponed till after all the guests have left the church. We will ask that much respected and prestigious pastor to stay behind and officiate a second short but solemn ceremony for us. It does not matter if there are no guests present. Secondly, because we have no groom, I don’t think we should take part in the wedding dinner either. It will only sadden us to be in that happy, celebratory feast. Also, the presence of sixteen of us will be sure to overshadow Novella and divert everyone’s attention to us instead. We should step aside and let Novella be the star at her wedding, the center of all attention. It is a great day for her, when she should shine, glimmer, charm and fascinate. It’s only right that we leave the stage to her. But on the other hand, Novella is the first of us to marry. It will be unjust to her if I do not attend and all the rest of you are absent too. The bride will feel a sense of loss and unbalance. I will find a chance to explain our predicament to her. Elina is Novella’s cousin, so she should go. Samantha has always been responsible for the p.r. of the Kingdom, so it is only right that she represent us at the wedding dinner. What do you think about these changes I have made? Although I do not intend to attend the dinner, if any one of you would like to go, I have no objections at all. You are all at liberty to do whatever you wish, just so you do not attend as a group of brides! But you must all keep the secrets of the Kingdom and not let outsiders know about us.” Aisha’s decision was so steady and well-balanced and had taken every aspect into consideration, that no one had anything further to add. So everyone hastened to finish their breakfast.
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“We must make the best use of our time to get things done” said Samantha. Then turning to Charina she continued, “You come with me now to the wedding gown shop so they can take your measurements and start on making your dress without delay.”
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“Megginn’s car had broken down, so I will take her home,” said Angelica. “Then I will go to Lotus’ place and see if she needs help.”
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“All you ladies go about your own business” said Aisha I will drive Megginn home. There are still some things I need to talk to her about.” Dorna looked at Charina and said,
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“Charina, would you like to go to the dress-maker’s with Samantha and leave your lovely and clever little dog with me? It’s a too glorious a day to spend indoors. I can take it out on an excursion.” Charina looked at her pet Maureen, which barked ‘bow wow’ as if saying, “That just what I would like to do; only I didn’t want to be the one to suggest it…” So everyone hastily stood up and set about helping to clean up. Some carried the used plates, cups, dishes and utensils to the sink and mopped the kitchen table, while others scraped them clean and put them into the dish washer, still others were taking care of the left-overs… Dorna walked over and made two large sandwiches with the food that had not been touched and put them into zip lock bags and then placed the bags into a box.
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“Hey naughty girl,” said Angelica curiously, “Why have you made two more sandwiches? Are you still hungry?”
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“No, I am quite full,” replied Dorna. I’m making these so that I can put them where homeless people often show up. Who knows who will pick them up? Perhaps one of them will be King Dimitri in disguise.” She glanced then at Charina and everyone knew that the naughty girl, who loved to play practical jokes, was making fun of the newest member. Nobody paid much attention to her and everyone hurried to leave and go about their own business. Dorna quickly changed into pink shorts and socks, white short-sleeved shirt and white tennis shoes. Then she pushed her beloved bicycle out of the garage, put Maureen into the basket in front of her bike and the box of sandwiches on the rack at the back. Then waving a suave goodbye to Aisha and Megginn she rode out towards the shadowy woods and plains.
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Rows upon rows of books were neatly lined up on the bookshelves, which covered almost all the walls in Aisha’s room. In fact, books, which were the main content of the room were also stacked on every available surface even spilling out onto window sills, corridors and even the bathroom, fully demonstrating the academic absorption and high level achievements of the its mistress. The huge amount of printed matter gathered there gave forth a faint odor of paper and ink, which mixed naturally with the lingering feminine scent of the lady of the house, much like a rare orchid of a secluded valley, growing, flowering and fading naturally by itself, giving off its heady fragrance regardless of whether or not it had an audience to appreciate it. Aisha led Megginn back to the living room and the two of them sat on the sofa enjoying a cup of fresh coffee. Megginn looked around at the rich collection of books in the room and said,
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“I really admire you, Aisha. You can sit here amidst this vast collection of books and leisurely roam the sea of wisdom seeking intellectual nutrition to turn into profound and insightful knowledge.” Aisha smiled and replied,
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“Don’t you go flattering me, Megginn. Aren’t you doing the same thing? You put your astute and perceptive knowledge of economics into practical use. You have not only turned around King Dimitri’s failing financial empire but have managed it so expertly that it has since increased in value many fold as well! Isn’t that an excellent example of putting knowledge of economics into live use?” At her words, an anxious expression filled Megginn’s face and she said heavy-heartedly,
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“King Dimitri is back. I thought that since he chose to evaporate from this earth, he would not be coming back. Now he has returned, but I have liquidated all assets of his huge financial empire and transferred them into an account called “Dream-Maker’s Fund” a non-profit philanthropic organization, working for the good of society in general. That’s just wonderful, isn’t it? I have really turned him into a penniless homeless person. I won’t blame him for being angry at me…”
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“No, he won’t be angry at you” said Aisha smilingly. “I got your text message telling me you had established “Dream-maker’s Fund” with King Dimitri’s assets and I think it’s a great idea. Remember how we were just talking about how the essence of knowledge is to use it effectively? Accumulating wealth is great, but using it wisely is even more important. You not only knew how to accumulate wealth, you understood how to use it wisely and effectively by putting King Dimitri’s huge financial empire to the best and most appropriate use. That’s what I would call financial genius. I am sure King Dimitri will not find fault with your action. If he does, he would not the King Dimitri we all love and respect.”
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“You sure…?” murmured Megginn half believing and half doubting “I really can’t believe that…You really think he will not blame me…?”
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“Don’t worry about it,” said Aisha very confidently. “Let me give you another example. The wonderful time we spent in the Kingdom of Dreams was really a fantastic and intriguing adventure. The Kingdom of Dreams was a marvelous space in time where anything you wish for could immediately become reality. You have lived there too for a time and know what I say is true. King Dimitri once said that there is a treasure trove in everyone’s heart. If you knew how to tap, develop and use it, it would be a perpetual and infinite resource forever at your fingertips. Now you, Megginn, know how to use your knowledge of business and finance very effectively. You were not only able to tap and develop your resources, you understood how to use it most efficiently and effectively. I am sure King Dimitri will be extremely gratified at what you have done and will certainly not blame you for it. He is a man of great talent and bold vision. The so-called “financial empire” which he put under your care and management is but a very small portion of his huge, limitless treasure trove, just a drop in the ocean as it were. He would hardly miss it. So don’t worry, he won’t criticize your action. Don’t worry.” Megginn’s vivid and intelligent eyes brightened and sparkled with new understanding as she said,
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“I think I am beginning to see the light. This is really too awesome! Dreams and reality can be linked together, even though tentatively and fragilely, but they can be connected…” Aisha smiled, pleased and happy, slight wrinkles gathering at the corners of her eyes. She nodded in satisfaction and said with a dreamlike expression on her face,
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“Recently I have been thinking over King Dimitri’s words. He often said that dreams are a part of real life and also its extension. There is really no real boundary line between dreams and reality. Things that happen in real life are neutrality between existent and non-existent. If raised to the abstract level of philosophy, his words could be constituted to be the concept of dreams which covers a man’s whole life from birth to death, from death to birth. According to Dimitri’s theory, there is no real boundary between life and death either. These last few days I have been reflecting on whether the Kingdom of Dreams appeared in my dreams or whether I am in the Kingdom of Dreams and dreaming about real life. If it is as King Dimitri said that there is not any real demarcation between dreams and real life, then everything in our real life be it the things we see - a flower, a tree, the clothes we wear - a fragment of cloth, a dress, or what we eat - rice or wheat, are all tightly connected to the concept of dreams. We just talked about King Dimitri’s belief that there is a treasure trove in everyone’s heart. If you know how to tap, develop and use it, it will be a perpetual and infinite resource forever at your fingertips. Then the concept of dreams would be a part of this vast and infinite treasure trove. That is a blank and novel area where no humans had hitherto set foot in. It has lots of potential and is worthy of intelligent exploration and further research and study. What do you think, Megginn?” Megginn was silent thinking over Aisha’s words. Then she raised her head and replied,
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“You are right…But I am more concerned about…whether we will ever see King Dimitri again in this life…”
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“I’m sure we will” said Aisha firmly. “We will all see him again. He is like a traveler who loves to roam around the world. When he is tired, he will come home. We just have to wait patiently in our dreams; he will be back one of these days…”
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The pipe-like saxophone puffed out strains of rich, zesty musical notes. Sweet melody, so happy, bold and flowing, played with the enthusiastic style and rhythm of jazz was accompanied by the melancholy, passionate and ringing notes of the violin. The violinist was using the most intricate, flowery and luxuriant techniques at his command to send his music soaring to the masses gathered there. The two instruments were very different, one classical and one modern, yet they collaborated so seamlessly as they performed, one asking and one was replying. The clever teaming up of two instruments one classic and one modern produced a spectacular impression that led the audience into a realm of deep thought. Mixed in the music was the rhythm of drums, so vivid and full of life, as if coming from the mysterious African jungles. Of course the participation of the base guitar was inevitable to add to the rhythm and volume of the music. The people stopping by the square to listen to the street performers grew more and more numerous, many of whom really liked what they were hearing and threw down more and more coins and paper bills. People in the crowd were pointing and chattering saying,
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“Hey, look! The musician playing the saxophone is blind! His clothes are so old and raggedy he looks like a homeless person; but his music is not bad!”
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“What’s so strange about that? The violinist seems familiar. He looks like Mr. Kaffee, that mobster that dominated both the underworld and the world of high finance a while back. Yah, yah, that’s him, that’s him alright! How come he is so desperate now that he has become a street musician in the company of hobos? But his violin performance is first class!”
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“Hey, I know that drummer. He is Jamaz. That one playing the base guitar is Richard. These two are inseparable pals. When they were flush with cash they lived a life of debauchery, eating drinking and womanizing. When the money was gone they would do odd jobs. I didn’t know they were also pretty good musicians.”
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“Who is that guy in a monks’ habit on the fringe of the crowd doing security work?”
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“You don’t know him? If the violinist is Mr. Kaffee, that monk must be his henchman Big-O, that #1 assassin. The tattoos on his chest is his trade mark. See it? See it? Don’t get too near him. He could break your neck with one twist of his hands.”
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“Hey! The guy over there stooping on the ground picking up coins and paper bills is that poor hobo who is always around here picking up cigarette butts. Now he has been elevated to the job of collecting money for the group. Looks as if fortune has smiled on him and he will be making some money.” The square was quite windy and the paper bills people threw down could easily be blown away by the wind, so David was busy collecting the bills and thrusting them into his bosom while throwing the coins into a tin box before him. When the paper bills thrust into his bosom for safe-keeping became a thick wad, he looked meaningfully at Big-O, as if telling him they’ve got enough money for food and drinks that night and the old monk nodded. Big-O strode to the front and shouted,
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“That’s it! Thank you everyone for your kind contributions. We are done for the day. We’ll be back here tomorrow. Hope you come again.” His booming voice seemed to have the effect of a military order and the crowd obediently dispersed. The good friends gathered together to carefully put away the musical instruments, the tools of their trade that they rely on for their livelihood and cannot be damaged. Richard was the one who thought of the plan to form a band and perform on the streets to earn some money. They wouldn’t get rich by it, but it was enough for the friends to get some food and drinks for the day. Not enough for them to get really quality good liquor perhaps, but they were satisfied with cheap whiskey.
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That day Richard led Dimitri to the back yard of Dream-maker’s Bakery where he met with his old friends. Dimitri was not too distressed to learn that Megginn had donated all his assets to the Dream-maker’s Fund. He was a poor hobo and did not set great store on money, which to him was transient and as quickly vanishing as cloud and smoke. But his friends were in dire straits and Dimitri wanted to do something for their daily expenses. At the moment they had no roof over their heads and no place to call home. Richard, however, was not worried.
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“Don’t worry” he said. “We are not picky and don’t need much. It’s not hard to think of something we can do to feed ourselves.” Suddenly, he seemed to have hit upon a bright idea and rushed outside, coming back soon with a large case that obviously held some valuable musical instrument. Knowing that Richard’s business dealings had always been somewhat non-conventional and questionable, his friends had long learned to turn a blind eye and not inquire too closely. He opened the case and a shiny gold tenor saxophone came into view. He joined the two separate parts, added a reed to the mouth piece and handed it over to Dimitri. Dimitri was greatly elated to find that it was his favorite instrument, so familiar to him.
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“Now I get your point” he said. “You think we can play on the streets and earn our keep as street musicians. Although I used to play the saxophone when I was young, I haven’t touched it in decades. I don’t think we can make a living by it.” Mr. Kaffee threw a glance at Big-O, who was standing behind him. Big-O quickly left for their temple which was just nearby, and soon returned with a leather case.
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“Why don’t you try?” suggested Richard. “How could you know if you are good enough or not without trying? Maybe after some practice you will find you are as good as you ever were!” Dimitri’s two loyal servants, Imagination and Creativity, who had been hiding inside his brain, also cajoled their master, saying
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“Sire, why don’t you try it out as they want you to? Didn’t you tell us that everything will be okay if you just let yourself enter the state of zero. Why don’t you enter the state of zero and leave the rest to us?” Dimitri followed the advice of his loyal servants and entered the state of zero. Taking up the saxophone, he began playing. He first tried out some sounds and keys, playing the scales a couple of times and keys familiarizing his fingers. Then the pipe-like saxophone puffed out strains of rich, zesty musical notes. Mr. Kaffee also opened up his case and took out a classical looking violin, whose lines were old and simple and looked as if it was at least a couple of centuries old. It was Mr. Kaffee’s favorite instrument, one which he never parted with even at the most stringent point of his life. He tuned it and then putting his bow to the strings and using his spectacular technique played an intricate, flowery and luxuriant Italian song. Even if the great legendary violinist Niccole Paganini were still alive, he could not have done better. Richard was ecstatically exultant and cried,
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“I also have an instrument. My base guitar and Jamaz’s African drum can provide great background music. Hey guys, we have enough instruments to organize a band!” Thus, this strange-looking band, hastily put together was born. But it was already late, so they practiced for a while and decided to go on the road the next day and begin their career as street musicians.
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David opened his fuzzy eyes and saw myriads of stars dotting the evening skies. The large clock in the distance chimed four times, announcing to the world that it was 4a.m., almost dawn now. David sat up in shock. He remembered coming to this square the morning before when the traffic was heavy and there were lots of pedestrians coming and going. That meant he had been sleeping for almost one whole day. He looked around and confirmed that he had not moved and was still at the same square.
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“Where is Dimitri?” he wondered. “He has disappeared! That blasted old dog just up and left without waking me!” But then he hysterically slapped himself on his cheeks and muttered, “It was Dimitri who changed my life. He is my savior. I should not be foul-mouthing him behind his back.” His heart gave a lurch when he felt a cold, wet patch on the crotch of his trousers, but then he remembered that last night he once more visited Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams where he again sat on King Dimitri’s pure gold throne. The air was full of wonderful music and an endless array of the most delicious food was brought before him. Beautiful women from all the countries of the world surrounded him. They were palace attendants whose duty was to see to his every want. After eating his fill, he had a great time dancing with the palace attendants one by one before choosing two of them to accompany him to the back of the palace where he was able to fulfill his wildest sexual fantasies... “Well I suppose my cold, wet pants are proof of that dreamlike experience. I haven’t had wet dreams for so long that I scarcely remember the last time I had one. It must have been years ago. I thought only young men had them. Does this mean that youth and vitality are again back in my withered and rickety body? I thought that I had lived my life in vain and would never have a second chance, as Lady Luck would never smile on someone who picked cigarette butts on the streets all day. Who knew that towards the terminal of my life I was to experience a surprising second revival? Only now do I really understand what life is all about. If youthfulness again visits this withered and rickety body and I can revert back again to a young man, full of vitality, I will not waste my life like I did. I will plan it and then step by step carry out the plan in a down-to-earth manner. But though life can be planned, can fate be experimented with? I don’t think so. The reason why my life was turned around was because I met Dimitri. He is my savior. I should follow him closely.” David jumped to his feet at the thought and walked onward on the thoroughfare. So early in the morning, this huge metropolis was empty and desolate. He walked on aimlessly searching for his old friend, with one goal in mind, “So long as Dimitri is in this world, I will certainly find him. When I do, I will follow him wherever he goes for the rest of my life.”
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Noontime sun shone brightly on every corner of the metropolis. Cars rushed by like fishes swimming freely in the rivers. Pedestrians walked with quick steps busily seeking to fulfill their dreams or just making a living. While David looked for his old friend Dimitri, he was also busy searching the pavements for any cigarette butts he could find. He had been to all Dimitri’s old haunts, but could find no trace of him. Trying to find a man in this large metropolis was really like looking for a needle in a haystack. Tired, thirsty and hungry, David was just about to sit down in the shade of a tall building to rest for a while when he caught sight of a white box and a bottle of water on top of a nearby garbage can. His sixth sense and past experience told him that it was food. He quickly walked over, pounced on them and opened the white box. In it were two sandwiches, clean and untouched, not half-eaten leftovers thrown away by its owner. Too famished to think of anything more, David opened his mouth and fell to with gusto. Not taking time to chew his food well, he swallowed large chunks of it and choked. Quickly opening the bottle of water, he drank thirstily and washed his food down. In no time he had polished off the two sandwiches and burped in satisfaction. He walked back to the shade of the tall building, lighted up a cigarette butt and leisurely enjoyed his smoke leaning back on the pillar, thinking, “I am really in luck. Just as I was feeling tired, hungry and thirsty, someone prepared two delicious sandwiches for me and put them right before me! That was really, really unexpected! I never thought Lady Luck would smile at me!”
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Dorna who was standing at the corner of the opposite side of the street watched as the homeless person took her sandwiches and ate ravenously with obvious enjoyment. Though disappointed that it was not Dimitri, she was happy that her efforts had not gone to waste and that she was able to do something for the homeless people. She turned her bike around and rode towards the lake. Knowing that most of the beauties were gathered at Novella’s mansion these days, she decided to join the fun as she had nothing much to do anyway. She was not interested in trying on wedding gowns but did want to find someone to chat with. Alas, unbeknown to her, by leaving the area she lost the best clue of finding Dimitri.
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People intent on their own business, walked quickly past David as he sat in the shade with his back to the pillar, for homeless people sitting on the sidewalks nodding off in sleep was such a common sight that no one paid him any heed. David nodded off for he knew not how long, but strands of lively tenor saxophone music in the distance woke him up. Curious as to what was going on, he walked towards the source of the sounds and came upon a crowd of people at the edge of the square. He elbowed his way through the crowd and to his surprise saw that the musician playing enthusiastically on the gold colored saxophone was his savior Dimitri! He also recognized the man playing African drums was Jamaz, and the base guitarist was Richard, both of whom he was familiar with. After a while he got to know the violinist Mr. Kaffee and the security guy Big-O and was given the job of taking in the money thrown down by the audience. David was soon squatting on the ground busily collecting the bills and thrusting them into his bosom for safe-keeping, while throwing the coins into a tin box before him until he had quite a high pile of them. Then when the sun was setting and the impromptu performance ended, they calculated their first day’s takings and happily found that it was not a bad haul. The first thing they bought with the money was cheap whiskey and then used the remainder to buy meat and other food. Upon leaving the store, Jamaz snatched up a bottle of whiskey, opened it and started guzzling down the liquor.
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“Hey, old pal, don’t start just yet” said Richard. “Wait till the meat is cooked and then eat and drink the two together. Won’t that be more fun?” Jamaz wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, hiccupped and then sighed, saying
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“Can’t wait. The liquor worms in my stomach are clamoring. I have worked hard on the drums for hours and think this tired body of mine has earned the right to be compensated!”
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“You’re right. You’re right” agreed Mr. Kaffee. “Go on and drink as much as you want. You can drink till you drop!” Dimitri did not have a great capacity for liquor; nor did he need a lot of food, but he was very happy to see his friends in such good mood and the group of them walked on in high spirits towards the only gathering place they had – the deserted and overgrown rose garden. On the surface, a group of homeless people gathering together to eat and drink is not unusual. But quite often unusual things happen under quite normal circumstances.
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The tall, majestic and intricately carved front gate was tightly closed, but the side door was open. Dorna pushed her bicycle through it and waved at Yolanda, who was on duty that day at the lodge. Yolanda was an elderly woman nearing sixty, with very intelligent eyes and was a trusted aid to her mistress. She smiled and waved her through. Because Novella, the mistress of the mansion, was preparing for her elaborate wedding, a dozen or so of her intimate companions had moved in with her to keep her company and help in whatever way they could. The increase of inhabitants naturally meant a lot more foot traffic in and out of the house, so Yolanda memorized the faces of the beauties who had moved in and let them pass through freely without calling for verification. Dorna was one of the beauties so she had free access. The long driveway before her was shaded by tall trees and had been swept clean of all fallen leaves and dry twigs, so Dorna got on her bicycle and rode on. This was a huge mansion. To the left of the driveway were the mini golf course, tennis court and swimming pool. Beside them was the gym and Jacuzzi. Anything that was needed to keep a healthy life style was all there. Underground was a large parking lot with the capacity of parking at least thirty to forty cars. To the right of the driveway was the large, professionally manicured garden where myriads of multi-colored flowers large and small bloomed. The trees and floral displays looked all the more picturesque and luxuriant in spring under the warm and brilliant sunshine. Dorna was perplexed because it was so quiet. Normally there were always a few of the beauties strolling or sitting around the garden talking and laughing with each other. But today there was an unusual stillness, a hushed silence. Just then she saw an old, bent figure emerge from the trees and flower bed. It was an old man with white hair, white eye-brows and a long white beard, Novella’s trusted old retainer whose family had served hers for generations. Dorna knew him but could not remember his name. The old man was old and had long retired, no longer responsible for the odds and ends of estate management. Actually he was Yolanda’s father and had watched Novella grow up and she always treated him as a faithful and trusted family servant. Now that he was old and had retired, Novella let him stay on at the small cottage at the edge of the garden where he could live out the remainder of his life in peace and comfort and pass the time working among the trees and flowers at will. Dorna waved at him and the old man bowed his bent body politely in salute. Dorna increased the speed of her bicycle and soon passed the fountain with its multi-swishing, crisscrossing jets of water. She stopped at the front door, jumping off her bicycle in a graceful and agile movement.
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Dorna agilely and gracefully got off her bike, parked it and took little Maureen out of the basket. She set it on the ground so that it could move around freely. Maureen was very curious about the new environment it found itself in, so it ran happily around sniffing inquisitively at places that aroused its interest. Just then a tall, slim figure stepped out the door. Dorna was happy to see that it was the famous ballerina Natalie, who stepped into the sunshine and waved at Dorna saying,
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“Hi, Dorna! How are you? Haven’t seen you for two days. How’ve you been doing?”
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“Hi, Natalie” said Dorna, wiping perspiration from her forehead. “How are you? Why haven’t I seen any of the others around? Where have they gone to?” Natalie walked over to Dorna, wearing the leotard she usually put on during her dancing practice and plain white tennis shoes on her feet instead of her ballet shoes. When she saw a cute, pudgy cock spaniel with a coat of shiny, long black fur and two long ears running out from behind the water fountain, she stooped down and opened her arms as if to embrace it, cooing,
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“You must be that clever little dog Maureen…” Maureen ambled over barking, as if to say, “You’re right. That’s me… How did you know my name?” Then it jumped into Natalie’s arms. Carrying Maureen in her arms, Natalie stood up and put her finger to her lips, saying, “Sh-sh-sh. Don’t bark. You will wake the others…”
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“How did you know its name is Maureen?” asked Dorna greatly surprised.
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“I not only know its name is Maureen, I even know its mistress is called Charina, a well-known writer” replied Natalie smiling mysteriously. “I even know that Charina is the newest member of our Kingdom, the 25th beauty. Am I right?”
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“What?” cried Dorna, her eyes opened wide in amazement. “How come you know everything? Do you have a crystal ball like the gypsies and can tell the past and the future?” Natalie giggled in glee at Dorna’s dumbfounded look.
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“Of course not” she said, and nodded towards the parking lot. Dorna looked over and saw that among the few cars that were parked there was one which belonged to Angelica. “Angelica came over early in the morning” continued Natalie “and told us everything that happened at Aisha’s house. How else could I have known? Also Samantha just called and said that she would be coming here later on and bring the famous writer Charina with her to introduce us to the newest member of our Kingdom and the 25th beauty.”
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“So that’s what happened!” exclaimed Dorna. “Since Angelica is here, where is she? Also where are the other beauties? Why aren’t any of them about?”
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“Lotus took Angelica to the back to look at the flowers and talk about floral decorations for the wedding banquet.” Dorna nodded. Then she thought of something and asked,
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“Just now you told Maureen not to bark or else she would wake the others. What’s that all about? It’s almost noon now. Are the beauties still sleeping?”
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“That’s a long story” sighed Natalie. “It just happened early this morning, so of course you couldn’t have known… Why don’t you and I walk over to the flower gardens? Lotus, Angelica and I will update you on the most recent happenings.”
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At four o’clock in the morning, the skies were still dark. Darkness spread out continuously, coloring the skies into deep somber hues of dark blue, ornamented only by a few scattered stars. Dim flickering path lights shone on the narrow paths leading into depth of the large, dark garden. Lotus, the beauty gentle as the full moon, was dressed plainly like a peasant girl in cotton shirt and skirt and rubber boots. With an umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other, she was slowly walking on the narrow path, inspecting the flower beds. Sometimes, she would walk into the beds, turn on her flashlight and scrutinize the growth of a plant or flower, snatching away the occasional slug or snail that dared to venture out under cover of darkness and feast on her precious plants. She knew exacting where the flower buds ready to burst into bloom were and which flowers were faded, drooping and about to fall onto the soil. Though she could not enumerate the exact number of flowers in the garden, she knew that the number of budding and blooming flowers far exceeded the fading and withering ones. The whole garden exuded an aura of thriving and flourishing growth, which greatly comforted her. Gentle breeze ruffled her long, soft, black hair as if telling of her happiness and satisfaction. Thus she walked along the paths before the break of dawn, using the flashlight to inspect her beloved flower beds and soon found that she had made more than half a round of the large garden. Just then the automatic sprinkler came on. Alerted by the timer, a number of water nozzles, some taller than the others, raised their heads from the soil. They had been strategically placed and designed to cover every inch of the garden and were timed to gush out sprays of water as scheduled. In the dim light, thin crisscrossing streams of water soon covered the garden with a cloud of misty water particles that drenched and inundated the area, presenting an almost mystic, and fairy land world. Lotus opened her umbrella and turned on her flashlight to finish her inspection of the rest of the garden before taking shelter in a straw hut by the edge of the garden. The humble straw hut at the edge of the meticulously manicured garden gave it a rustic touch, quite similar to Lotus’ homeland, so she often loved to come here to rest and while away the time. Suddenly she was startled to see a figure running towards the shed from the misty and watery garden, but seeing that it was someone slim and agile, she figured it must be one of the beauties, so she called out,
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“Who’s there? Come over here and get out of the rain” and then turned on her flashlight to illuminate the way. Hearing Lotus’ voice and seeing the light, the figure rushed over and dashed into the hut. It was the famous ballerina Natalie. Lotus who was quiet and serene as the full moon smiled and handed her handkerchief over to Natalie saying, “Wipe away the water from your face, hair and arms or you would catch a cold.” Natalie gratefully took the handkerchief offered to her and did as she was told, saying,
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“It was a fine starry night when I started out of the house. How come it began to rain all of a sudden?” Lotus pointed towards the garden and said smilingly,
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“Look closely. Is that rain?” Natalie looked at the misty night outside and couldn’t help laughing. She stopped wiping her face and holding the wet handkerchief in her hand she looked carefully at the scene outside the straw hut, saying, “I don’t normally come out to the garden this early in the morning, so I didn’t know the sprinkler system comes on at this time.”
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“So what happy event made you dash out this early into the garden then?” asked Lotus.
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“It was nothing special, really…” replied Natalie, smiling shyly. “I had problems sleeping last night. In fact I didn’t sleep all night and suddenly thought of White Fairy and her ethereal figure dancing amidst the flowers. I got up impulsively and thought about going into the garden and dance among the flowers like she did. I just danced for a little while when it started to rain. No, no… when the automatic sprinkler system came on… Why are you up so early and walking about the garden?” Lotus sighed and said,
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“I came to see how the flowers were doing. I want Novella to have the best floral arrangements possible for her wedding banquet, but in order to do so I need a lot of fresh flowers. The garden here produces a lot of them but it would still be far from enough. Angelica said I could pick whatever I wanted from her garden. I went over to see what was there and found that even if I took all of hers, it still wasn’t enough. So I was worried about this and couldn’t sleep either…”
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“Couldn’t you buy good quality ones from the nurseries and flower markets?” asked Natalie.
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“Of course I could” replied Lotus. “That’s doable, too. But I thought that if all the flowers were produced by the gardens of the bride, it would be extra special and meaningful…”
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“How many flowers do you need? The numbers should be staggering if the total is more than what two gardens could produce.”
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“I don’t know exactly how many I would need. Novella is the first among us to marry, so I wanted to make it extra special. So many VIP guests have been invited that the banquet site is huge. I want the place to be decorated with masses and masses of fresh flowers as if it were an indoor garden or you could say as if it were located in a sea of flowers. Then the guests would have the extraordinary feeling that they were surrounded by flowers. Just think of a candlelit table amidst myriads of fragrant blossoms. Won’t that be a scene to remember and make them feel as if they were in heaven instead of in this mundane world of ours? On top of it all, bubbly champagne in tall crystal wine glasses, shiny expensive silver utensils uniformly laid out, plates full of the tastiest food, wonderful music floating in the air and couples dancing on the dancing floor… Wouldn’t that create never-to-be-forgotten impressions and memories in the mind of the guests?”
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“Wow!” exclaimed Natalie. “Your plan blows my mind away! But to realize it would not be easy, if not impossible…. I think… I think I know of someone who could help you realize it though…”
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“Really? Who would that be?”asked Lotus.
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“White Fairy!” replied Natalie
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“Oh! Why did you think of her all of a sudden?”
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“Have you forgotten that ballet “The Bear and the Flower” that King Dimitri wrote, directed and choreographed?” asked Natalie. “In the second scene, it was written that “When the first rays of dawn flashed across the skies, it was the time when the Flower Fairy was born. A sea of exuberant flowers raised their voices to the skies to hail the birth of their new-born fairy.” That Flower Fairy was the incarnation of White Fairy. I am sure she would be able to help you. Isn’t the sea of flowers mentioned in the ballet similar to the decorations you envisioned for the wedding banquet? That’s why I thought of her. Also I was out there in the garden just now trying to emulate the Flower Fairy’s wonderfully graceful and elegant dancing…”
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“But White Fairy is far away in the Kingdom of Dreams” said Lotus. “How can she come to the mundane world in time to help me?”
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“Don’t forget what King Dimitri often told us. He said that dreams are a part of reality. In fact it is an extension of the real world. You can say there is no boundary between dreams and reality, so the Kingdom of Dreams exists inside the real world. So long as there are dreams in your heart, those dreams can be realized. I’m sure you still remember King Dimitri’s words…”
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Miracles do happen. A wisp of light smoke suddenly flew out of the mystic, fairy land world covered by a cloud of misty water particles, as if it was a small part of that miraculous world which had decided to separate itself from the whole and flew swiftly towards the straw hut by the edge of the garden. Lotus and Natalie were so taken aback by this sudden turn of events that their mouths opened in astonishment and they completely lost the power of speech. The wisp of light smoke flew right into the straw hut and changed into human form. It was no other than White Fairy. Lotus and Natalie shrieked in joy and surprise and the three of them came together in a tight embrace. They had been companions closer than sisters and were elated to be reunited again after a long separation. Lotus was moved to happy tears and it was a while before they calmed down and separated.
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“Oh White Fairy, we haven’t seen you for such a long time. You can’t imagine how we have missed you!” said Natalie. “How come you are here today?” White Fairy combed her tussled long hair with her fingers, took a deep breath and replied,
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“I first went to the back yard of Dream-maker’s Bakery. Then I tried the women’s dorm next door, but found them both empty and abandoned. I flew around the area trying to find some clue as to your whereabouts, but could not find any. Just a moment ago I flew over this garden and was attracted by the straw hut. Then I looked closer and saw two figures under it that looked familiar so I decided to fly down and see what’s going on… You just asked why I am here today, right? Medusa sent me to find King Dimitri to report some good news to him. But I looked everywhere and could find no trace of him anywhere. Do you have any information I could use? But I am sure you are in contact with Queen Aisha. I think it would be the same if I reported the good news to her.” Even the normally silent Lotus was moved to words and said,
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“Look at you! You are perspiring all over! What’s the good news that you are in such a hurry to report? Tell us and let us be happy too.”
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“Yes,” prompted Natalie excitedly. “Tell us! Tell us! Don’t keep us in suspense!”
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“It’s great news!” said the White Fairy. “King Zeus actually granted our request to dredge up the magnificent gold palace from the bottom of the lake and place it at its old site on Giant Mountain. The gold palace can again see the light of day and sparkle bright and shiny under the sun. Isn’t that great news?”
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“Really?” exclaimed Natalie. “That King Zeus was so jealous of our pure gold palace that sparkled and shone brighter under the sun than his bronze one in the Seventh Heaven, that he ordered King Dimitri to destroy the palace. King Dimitri first mobilized his whole Kingdom to coat the palace in iron to cover its brilliance and then had to resort to a hurricane and tsunami to topple the gold palace to the bottom of our Sun Moon Lake. I heard that King Dimitri almost lost his life in that endeavor. Why has King Zeus changed his mind and is allowing the gold palace to be dredged up and see the light of day again?”
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“Right, “said Lotus. “Isn’t that treating all this as a joke? Like children playing house? What really happened?”
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“Yes, it is” sighed White Fairy. “To make this long story short I’ll try to summarize it in a few words. Recently, King Zeus became addicted to the wine I make out of a hundred flowers, so he often summoned me to the Seventh Heaven to make it for him. I got tired of making those long trips, so I suggested teaching his twin daughters Charmaine and Clementine how to brew the wine so he could enjoy it whenever he wanted to. He was happy to agree and that of course let me off the hook forever, as once the two of them knew how to brew the wine I would never have to go back there again. One afternoon while the three of us were resting between the work of wine-making, we somehow got to talking about the gold palace. I said that the gold palace was so magnificent and was the culmination of thousands of years of human civilization and technology and also lamented that it was such a waste to let it sink to the bottom of the lake. Charmaine agreed and said that it was she who falsified Father Zeus’ command and ordered celestial artists and workers to go down to earth and finish building the gold palace within one night. She also thought it a waste to let the gold palace remain in the water forever. The two sisters decided they would talk their heavenly father Zeus into rescinding his command and let the gold palace resurface again. At first they did not succeed for King Zeus stubbornly refused to reconsider. But the two of them did not despair and broached the subject again and again attempting to wear down their father’s resistance over time by never giving up. Finally seeing that their strategy was not working, they decided to change to hard-line tactics and use threat as well as cajoling. They told their father that if he did not agree to their request they and White Fairy would stop making the wine for him and he could never have his favorite drink again. You know King Zeus is a glutton, a lover of good food and wine and Charmaine and Clementine are the apples of his eye, whom he could not live without, so in the end he relented and allowed the gold palace to be brought up from the bottom of the lake. It was just that simple!”
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“This is really ridiculous” sighed Lotus shaking her head. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
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“Yes, it’s really like a farce…” The three of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. White Fairy stood up to go and said,
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“Well, I have told you the good news. Day is breaking and the sun will be up soon, so I had better leave now and go about my business.”
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“Hey, wait a second” said Natalie pulling at White Fairy’s hand. Lotus has a favor to ask of you.”
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“A favor from me?” Turning her questioning eyes to Lotus, she asked, “What can I do for you?” So Lotus told her the whole story in detail and revealed her grand plan for the wedding banquet, adding
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“We need fresh flowers to decorate the wedding banquet, but have no way of getting such a huge amount of good quality ones. I was just worrying about what to do.”
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“I see I must congratulate you all” said White Fairy her face lighting up in happiness and excitement. “Finally all of you are getting your wish to formally marry King Dimitri in a group wedding… I must go back to the Kingdom of Dreams as soon as possible and let all the loyal subjects know these happy tidings…” But then her expression changed and she seemed somehow ashamed and saddened. Natalie and Lotus both knew all about her intimate relationship with Medusa, so they did not say anything.
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“I think that Medusa and I would not be able to come to your wedding” said White Fairy…but we would like to give you a wedding present…I would like to present you with 100,000 fresh flowers as our wedding gift to all of you. Would that be enough?” Exclaiming with great emotion, Lotus and Natalie jumped up and each held one of White Fairy’s hand which they shook with excitement and joy.
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“That’s just great” exclaimed Lotus. “I knew that you were the one to ask. You are the Flower Fairy in charge of all the flowers and see that they bloomed at the right season. Just imagine 100,000 flowers! That’s more than enough!” White Fairy looked at the misty garden outside the straw hut and said,
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“I’m afraid that the branches of the trees and bushes out there cannot withstand the weight of 100,000 flowers. Let’s do it this way. Starting from today when the first flush of dawn breaks in the skies, I will order one third of the 100,000 flowers to bloom in this garden. This will go on for three days and you will have all 100,000 flowers. You must organize gardeners to cut them at their prime early in the morning and store them properly. I guarantee that they will remain fresh for ten days…That’s it then. I have to leave now and bring the glad tidings to all the people in the Kingdom of Dreams.” Saying so, she turned back to a wisp of smoke and flew into the night skies. Lotus and Natalie watched as the wisp of smoke flew farther and farther away until it was out of sight altogether. At the same time they noticed that day was breaking
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and the first flush of dawn lit up the morning skies. They seemed to hear joyous sounds of flowers near and far hailing their Flower Fairy and celebrating their birth into this garden. Lotus and Natalie turned their eyes back to the garden around them and saw to their amazement that myriads of multi-colored flowers of all sizes and shapes were blooming on all the trees and branches. Each and every flower represented a brand new idea.
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Standing by the porch, Dorna looked towards the large garden and saw that in the distance there were lots of gardeners busily cutting down the flowers. Then there were others who carefully sorted them out by species, bound them into bunches and then put them into carts which took them to the cool underground parking lot. There was water supply there and humidifiers, which could keep the blossoms moist and cool.
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“Everything is going according to schedule” said Dorna. “All seems fine, so why are you sighing and looking so miserable?” Natalie arms seemed to be aching, so she put little Maureen down to the ground and exclaimed
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“Hey, you are no light weight, Maureen! You can walk by yourself, but don’t wander far, keep within our sight.” Turning to Dorna, she added, “Just now I just told you half of what was happening. There’s still the other half. Don’t be impatient, I’ll tell you the rest.” Saying so, they continued talking and walking towards the flower garden.
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The wisp of light smoke, personification of the White Fairy, flew farther and farther away until it blended completely into the first light of dawn. Natalie felt an indescribable melancholy rise in her heart. She was remembering the time when King Dimitri directed and choreographed the ballet “The Bear and the Flower.” In one of the scenes, the Flower Fairy, incarnation of White Fairy, was born. It could be said that it was King Dimitri who created White Fairy and gave her life. But now she had decided to go her own separate way and live her life according to her own free will, choosing her own destination and happiness… Lotus, on the other hand, was happily dashing in and out of the flower beds, carefully examining the colors and shapes of the newly born blossoms, silently designing in her head the floral arrangements she would be creating in the banquet hall. Suddenly the harsh and piercing noise of glass shattering, the loud crash of heavy objects falling to the ground, mixed with distressed cries and shouts rent the calm, serene silence of the dawn.
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“Oh my gosh!” cried Natalie in distress. “It must be Amalia acting up again! I’ve noticed that in these last few days her actions have become more and more abnormal and weird. Last night when we were all in bed, she suddenly turned on all the lights so the whole house became brightly lit from top to bottom. Then she knocked on every bedroom doors shouting loudly, “Hey! It’s day time, girls. Lazybones, it’s time to get up! Why are you still in bed? You sleep from morning till night. Isn’t that enough, you sluggards? Up! Up! Get up at once!” It was like that several times last night, so none of us was able to get any rest… As I couldn’t sleep anyway with Amalia acting up, I decided to get up, go to the garden, and try out some of White Fairy’s dance steps as well as some of my own which had gotten rusty with lack of practice. The way it’s going, I’m afraid Amalia’s condition is going from bad to worse… Sheila and Yoko have really done a spectacular job of taking care of Amalia, silently enduring a lot of hardship and inconvenience without complaint. I don’t see how we are to resolve this in the long run…”
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“Oh yes,” agreed Lotus. “These two have endured a lot and you can see they have dark circles beneath their eyes all the time because of overwork and lack of sleep. Sheila told me that Amalia has been very destructive recently. She used to love flowers, so they kept the vases in her room filled with fresh flowers. Nowadays she would get up stealthily at night, pull the flowers out of the vases, and snap the stems in two. Then she would pull off the petals of the blossoms and scatter them all over the floor, creating a big mess. They spend a lot of time every day cleaning up after her, so Sheila bought some beautiful, realistic-looking silk and plastic flowers to put in the vases, thinking Amalia would not be able to snap them in two or tear off the petals. But that night, Amalia took the vases to the faucet and filled them with water! After a while she would pour out all the water and later refilled them. She spent the whole night doing that, preventing others from getting any rest at all… All the beauties are loving souls. I think that in the future we should all take turns taking care of Amalia. There are quite a few of us, so it should work out. It is not fair to burden Sheila and Yoko with all the work… But, Novella’s grand wedding is drawing near. I hope and pray that everything will run smoothly and nothing untoward would happen to mar the event… Well, I think we had better go back to the house and see what’s happening there…”
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“I really respect Sheila and Yoko a lot” said Natalie. “The two of them are so kind-hearted, devoted, faithful and loyal. Yoko was abandoned at birth and taken in by Amalia, who literally brought her up, so Yoko treats Amalia like a mother or grandmother. As for Sheila, we all know her tragic history. When she was rescued from the clutches of the barbarian tribes by Amalia and brought back to the Kingdom of Dreams, we all saw that she was a cripple with one leg shorter than the other and limped very badly. Amalia had magic powers which could be used once and once only. She originally meant to use that once in a lifetime magic power to cure her only son of his blindness, but she had lost track of him since he was a boy; while here right before her eyes was a poor girl that needed her help. Out of the goodness of her heart, Amalia used her magic powers to cure Sheila. She first shrank the girl’s body to the size of a finger and swallowed her whole, feeling her pass through her abdomen and reach her womb. There she was made whole and reborn into the world with a new body. Sheila was unique in being the only person in the whole world to go back to the womb and be reborn again. She had been reborn, normal and complete in every respect, including her virginity, which had been so savagely taken away by gangsters. Her legs were long, straight and even, to help her face a normal life (see Book 1 The Dream Maker). Because of all this, Yoko and Sheila have taken care of the old lady selflessly and without complaint through thick and thin all these years,. They were always by her side, taking good care of her, reciprocating her kindness and favor by selfless devotion. Their loyalty and selflessness has made me respect and love them more than ever…”
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“Yes” said Lotus after a pregnant pause. “I feel the same as you do. I often ponder over the reason why we humans must face old age, sickness and finally death. The process we go through from birth to death is an unchangeable law. Take Amalia for instance. She has the ability to break though the time and space barrier but still cannot escape this unchangeable law. Do you remember that moonlit night when Amalia appeared over the skies of the Kingdom of Dreams for the first time? She flew in tipsily on her magic flying broom, so unsteady on her seat that she was swaying dangerously from left to right until she fell headlong into the cold waters of Sun-Moon Lake. It was fortunate that Deanna, who had the ability to remain in the water for three days and three nights, was there. It was she who dived to the bottom of the lake and dragged Amalia to shore. Amalia’s actions may seem strange, odd and bizarre at times, but she is extremely good hearted and kind to all the beauties, acting like a kind and benign elder… But she too is no exception to this universal and unchangeable law. She has grown old… What can I say? Do you remember the winter nights when the winds were howling outside and the snow was falling? We would sit around the warm crackling fire and listen to Amalia telling us stories of what happened centuries ago? I still remember those wonderful stories with delight and nostalgia. Then there were also evenings when we sat by the side of the lake under the luminous moonlight with the spring breeze ruffling our hair, listening to Amalia recount strange and outlandish tales and events that happened thousands of miles away…Ah! Those happy days are gone forever, never to return… If King Dimitri knew how sick Amalia has become, I am sure he would be extremely distressed and worried…” Natalie and Lotus walked on as they talked. Their footsteps quick as they went back to the mansion.
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“Your words remind me of something that has always been rather puzzling to me” said Natalie. “What is the real relationship between Amalia and King Dimitri? Or has something happened to strain their relationship? It’s like an enigmatic puzzle, impossible to solve. King Dimitri is very respectful to Amalia, much like how a son treats a mother. Amalia really treats him like a son sometimes, but then at other times, she treats him like an enemy, like a thorn in one’s flesh that must be plucked out… “
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“I don’t know either” replied Lotus. “This puzzle is like a hot potato. I don’t think even King Dimitri and Amalia know the reason for their behavior, so how could we know? We can treat them only as a pair of mother and son who has their own love-hate relationship to solve…”
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The hurricane came quickly and was over just as fast! When Natalie and Lotus got to the mansion, Sheila and Yoko were kneeling on the ground before Amalia, grabbing hold of her legs and comforting her. Amalia was tiring. Having thrown a great fit, she was beginning to calm down. She pulled up Sheila and Yoko and the three of them hugged together and cried. Elina walked over to the trio smiling. Being an ophthalmologist, she had more medical knowledge than the others and knew that now was the best time to calm down an unstable patient. Knowing that Amalia loved sweets and candy was her pacifier, she handed her a piece of chocolate, saying,
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“This is my favorite brand of chocolate. Try and see if you like it.” Amalia took the chocolate and put it in her mouth. “How was it? Do you like it?” Amalia nodded. “Good. If you like it, I will give you a whole box tomorrow.” Amalia nodded again. Elina poured some water into a cup and gave it to her saying, “Have a drink of water and take this vitamin pill. You haven’t slept all night; the pill will replenish your energy.” Amalia obediently swallowed the pill. Actually the medication Elina gave her was not a vitamin pill but a sedative, because she knew what Amalia needed most was sufficient sleep. Soon Amalia was nodding off, so Sheila and Yoko helped her walk upstairs to her bedroom and tucked her into bed. The old lady had left, but a heavy cloud still hung over the large living room. Everyone was worried about the swift decline of Amalia’s health.
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“We should take Amalia to see her personal physician tomorrow” said Elina. “Her condition is worsening so her medication may need adjusting. It’s useless for us to worry in vain about it, because her treatment is job of medical professionals.” Though Elina’s common sense words were true, it could not lessen the heavy suffocating atmosphere of the room.
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“Do you know who Lotus and I met in the garden at dawn this morning?” said Natalie, wanting to lighten up everyone’s mood. “You’ll never guess… It was really a great surprise…” She proceeded to describe in great detail the meeting with White Fairy in the flower garden. The story succeeded in distracting everyone’s attention. The eyes of the beauties opened wide in surprise. Their eyes lighted up and all began talking at once,
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“Where is the White Fairy?”
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“We haven’t seen her for a long time…”
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“I really miss her…”
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“She was in a hurry to report our happy news back to the people in the Kingdom ” replied Natalie, “so she left rather hastily…”
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“You should not have let her go. I have a lot of questions about the Kingdom of Dreams I wanted to ask her…”
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“Oh yes” added Natalie, “She told us that King Zeus actually granted our request to dredge up the magnificent gold palace from the bottom of the lake and place it at its original site on Giant Mountain. The gold palace can again see the light of day and sparkle bright and shiny under the sun. Isn’t that great news? Medusa is already rolling up her sleeves preparing for action…”
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“That’s great.”
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“Yes, that wonderful news!”
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“Our Kingdom of Dreams will regain its past glory…” Everyone was excitedly discussing this latest happening when the landline telephone rang. Novella answered,
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“Hello, this is Novella… Is that so... Really? Good. I already know about it… From now on, tell everyone to stop their normal work routine and concentrate on gathering up all the flowers that are blooming in the garden…But caution them to be careful and not crush or harm any of the beautiful flowers…Tell everyone that this work will go on for two more days. It will be the same tomorrow and the day after… If you think we are short of staff, just hire more gardeners to help. Hire as many as needed…Thank you… I know… Thank you.” All eyes turned to Novella as she hung up the phone, so she explained saying, “That was Yolanda. She was on duty last night at the lodge. She said that when she went to make the rounds of the grounds early this morning; the trees and bushes were heavy with flowers of all colors, shapes and sizes. She said that never in her life had she seen so many flowers all bloom at the same time and that the scene was really majestic and awesome. She congratulated me saying that this was a good omen for my upcoming wedding!”
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“Of course it’s a good omen. Look at the hundreds and thousands of flowers rushing to bloom, all vying to take part in your wedding banquet. How could that not be a good omen?”
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“The wedding is not only about me. It’s all of yours as well!” said Novella. “The group wedding of so many fabulous beauties marrying King Dimitri will surely become the talk of the world! These hundreds and thousands of flowers that rush to bloom are all vying to attend your group wedding!” Everyone was talking and laughing happily and excitedly, when Elena made a sign for quiet and said,
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“Sh-sh-sh. Tone down your voices, ladies, or else you will wake up Amalia, whom we had just put to sleep! I suggest that everyone go back to bed and make up for the sleep you all missed last night. There are lots of things to do after you wake up.” The beauties took her advice and all trooped upstairs to their rooms to catch a little more sleep; but Lotus and Natalie stayed in the living room talking quietly, too wired up by the morning’s events to be able to sleep. The skies brightened and the morning sun peeked out in the east. Soon Angelica arrived and joined them. Lotus took her out to the garden to oversee and direct the work of cutting and storing the flowers.
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On the way to the garden, Natalie told Dorna the second part of the events so far so Dorna was at last able to get the entire picture.
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“As you just said,” continued Natalie “everything had gone very well and everyone should be happy. But the fact that Amalia’s Alzheimer’s disease has worsened and she seems to be going swiftly downhill, have put a damper on everyone’s spirits. It’s hard to imagine what the future will hold…”
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“Don’t worry about Amalia’s condition. I am able to deal with it” said Dorna full of self-confidence. “Leave it to me. If you don’t believe me, just wait and see …”
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“Alzheimer’s disease is no joking matter” said Natalie, giving Dorna a white eye. “Even the best doctors and the most modern science and technology have been stumped and can find no cure. What can you do? Only professional doctors and pharmacists can think of ways to slow the progress of this disease that up to now has no cure. Amalia’s condition is a very important issue to us and is one that we treat seriously and with great caution. So don’t you go and try your half-baked ideas on her. They not only won’t cure her, they may even cause great damage… Then what?” Just then they saw Angelica and Lotus walking towards them from the other end of the mansion. Lotus waved to them and pointed towards Dorna’s back. Not knowing what Lotus meant, Dorna looked to see what was going on and saw Maureen running back towards the mansion. So she shouted,
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“Hey Maureen, what are you doing? Come back here. Don’t you go running all around the place…” and made as if to go after the little dog. Natalie held onto her arm and said,
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“Let it go, Dorna. It’s a clever little animal and must have found something of interest…” Just then Lotus and Angelica reached them and Lotus said,
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“Hi Dorna, haven’t seen you for a while. Is that little cocker spaniel that is running back towards the mansion called Maureen…?”
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“I got a call from Samantha a couple of minutes ago” Angelica added, “saying she was only about two blocks away and will be arriving momentarily. She also said she was bringing Charina, the 25th beauty and the newest member of the Kingdom, so we could get to know each other…”
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“So that’s why Maureen was running back towards the house” said Lotus. “It must know somehow that its mistress is coming…” Just then the loud sound of purring engines reached them and Samantha’s bright red, streamlined sports car flew around the water fountain and came to an abrupt halt at the front door.
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Samantha brought the happy and excited Charina to the front door of the luxurious mansion, intending to introduce the 25th beauty to the other members of the Kingdom. But the moment they stepped into the hallway, they became aware that all was not well and the atmosphere was very tense. Amalia was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the room. She had woken up around noon and as was her custom, had immediately woken up every one of the beauties, who had to get out of bed, get dressed, quickly do their morning ablutions and then hasten downstairs to wait on Amalia. Sheila and Yoko had made fresh coffee for those who wanted any. Amalia did not drink coffee, so they made tea especially for her. Samantha walked into the room and saw that the beauties were all throwing warning glances at her. Then she noticed that Amalia’s eyes were staring blankly straight ahead and realized that the old lady’s illness must have acted up again. But since both she and Charina had already walked into the room and were both seen by Amalia, there was no alternative but to go ahead and greet her…
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“Hi Amalia!” said Samantha. “How are you? I am Samantha…Let me introduce you to the newest member of our Kingdom of Dreams. This is Charina…” The old lady erupted into a furious tirade before Samantha even finished speaking, shouting angrily in great irritation,
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“Go away! I don’t know you… Scram! ... Go get me Dimitri… Why hasn’t he been to see me for so long? Is he so afraid of seeing me…? Go get him…” Charina was shocked by this rude reception. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she wished she could just sink to the ground. Understanding her feelings of awkwardness and shame, Samantha squeezed her hand tightly as if telling her to calm down and not be alarmed, that Amalia was a very sick old woman. The beauties were so appalled by Amalia’s rude and unfriendly greeting that they were struck dumb and did not know how to react. Luckily Dorna and the three others got back just in time. Seeing the helpless expressions of the beauties and Charina standing there with her head hung low and her face red with humiliation, the sharp and sensitive Dorna immediately realized what had happened. Natalie glanced at her as if saying, “A moment ago you said we could leave everything to you. Well, now is the time to show your stuff! Do something.” Dorna strode over casually and confidently towards Amalia, bowed respectfully to her and then said,
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“Hi Amalia. I am Dorna… Do you remember me?... I used to play hide-and-seek with you. Have you forgotten?...” Amalia’s face remained wooden and expressionless. It was hard to tell what she was really thinking and feeling. Dorna drew an arc in the air before her and asked,
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“Do you remember you used to have a magic flying broom? I have learned to use it too. Would you like me to take you out and play?” Saying so, she made a movement of getting on a broom and about to fly off. She was hoping to distract the old woman, get on her good side and diffuse the situation. But far from being pacified, Amalia got angry and shouted,
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“Scram! I don’t know you. Stop bothering me… Go and get me Dimitri. Why hasn’t he been to see me?... That devil!” However, Dorna was not daunted by the rebuff. She walked over to Angelica, whispered something in her ear which made Angelica turn and leave the room. Dorna walked back to Amalia, stooped down, clapped her hands and said,
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“Come here Maureen! Come over and say hi to Amalia.” The intelligent little dog walked over to Amalia and sat down. That cute, pudgy little cock spaniel was really quite adorable and few who saw it could resist its charm. Amalia had been so busy ranting and raving that she did not noticed there was a little dog sitting at the foot of its mistress. When she saw it appear before her, her eyes lighted up and a smile appeared on her face as she mumbled,
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“Little dog… Cute little dog… Its fur is long and shiny…. Look at it, so fat and cuddly. It looks just like Dimitri when he was small… Ah yes! This must be my son, Dimitri!!!” Amalia stooped forward to pat Maureen’s head and stroke its smooth, shiny coat of fur. The beauties were amused by Amalia’s strange, rambling words, but did not dare laugh out loud though it was really hard for them to suppress their mirth! But then they thought it was really sad to see to what condition Alzheimer’s disease could reduce the human mind. It was also very worrisome to realize that this disease was something that modern science has no cure for and they had yet to learn how to prevent it. Just then lively and joyful music of the cha-cha dance flew into the room. That was what Dorna asked Angelica to do. Dorna patted Maureen’s rump and said,
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“Good boy. Good boy. Now’s your chance to show off your wonderful cha-cha dance to Amalia! Go on! Do your stuff! If you can make Amalia smile, I will give you a great reward later.” Maureen barked, “Bow wow!” as if saying, “No problem. It’s all on me.” It proceeded to get up and dance the cha-cha, twisting its pudgy body and swinging its head according to the music. Amalia was so enchanted with the dancing dog that she laughed until she was bended over. The beauties had never before seen a little dog dance so rhythmically to music either; therefore they too were enthralled by the performance, clapped loudly and laughed. Merry, tinkling laughter more musical than any melody filled the large living room, dispersing the tense, belligerent, and awkward mood that had covered it earlier. Dorna gently pulled Amalia up from the sofa and began dancing with her and Amalia danced on, her slow and sluggish movements keeping time to the music. Dorna looked triumphantly at Natalie as if saying, “See how I’m doing? You didn’t believe I could do it eh? Do you believe me now?” In this happy, peaceful and joyful atmosphere, Samantha once again introduced Charina to the beauties so everyone could get acquainted. The beauties welcomed her with open arms and flattering words of welcome saying,
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“Look how beautiful you are! And what wonderful figure!”
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“Ah, but your style and noble disposition are even more superior, fitting for a famous authoress!”
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“Oh! How do you keep your skin as a smooth as silk and as velvety?”
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“Enough! Stop complimenting her” shouted Dorna as she danced by with Amalia. “Too many compliments will sound hypocritical. Everyone here is beautiful. I am also beautiful. We will soon all be beautiful brides. Everyone here will soon become a bride. There are so many brides here that we can establish a New Brides Club, what do you think? We all have a dual identity. We are members of King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams as well as members of the New Brides Club. What do you think of my suggestion? It’s like killing two birds with one stone.” Everyone burst into laughter at her words. Lotus went over to Sheila and Yoko saying,
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“Amalia is in a good mood now. Could you two try to coax her into trying on the Chinese Manchu gown I made by hand especially for her? Everyone will be in white, but her dress is red. That will stand out in a sea of white. Don’ you think so?” Novella agreed and suggested,
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“I think we should all try on our wedding gowns for the final time later on, to make sure that everything fits perfectly. There is still time for last-minute alterations now. After today it may be too late.” All the beauties thought it was a good suggestion and agreed to do a final try-on. Novella suddenly thought of something and asked Charina,
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“Your wedding gown is perhaps not finished yet. Did you know that each of us has a special flower that represents us? It has been embroidered onto the veil and to the hem of our wedding gown. When you see the flower you will automatically know whom the gown belongs to and there will be no confusion. Take me for instance, my flower is the clivia and it has been embroidered onto the hem of my wedding gown and veil. What is yours?”
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“Rhododendrons. I love them, so I chose it to represent me.”
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“Ah, rhododendrons…! That’s great! I love them too. They are beautiful, elegant and classy - a suitable representative for a famous authoress.”
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“I’ve been thinking that someone is missing here,” exclaimed Elina. “but have been wondering who that was. Now I suddenly remembered it was Chanel. Where could she have gone to all alone?”
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“If she is not here, she must be somewhere in the garden” answered Novella. “Don’t worry. She won’t get lost. She’ll turn up sometime.” Samantha walked over from the other end of the living room and said to Novella,
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“This morning Aisha said that we should give a welcoming party for Charina. Since, most of us are already here with only Aisha and Megginn missing, why don’t we give the party today?”
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“Why, that’s just what I was thinking about too. There’s no day like today. Let’s do it…” Then turning to Charina she said, “We will all be going upstairs to try on our wedding gowns, leaving you alone here downstairs. I hope you don’t mind and won’t find us lacking in hospitality!”
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“How could I?” replied Charina. “Now we are all members of the Kingdom of Dreams and as close as sisters. Don’t be oversensitive. Of course I don’t mind.” Then looking towards her handbag on the sofa, she added “I brought my camera along today with the intention of being your photographer. I want to take pictures of each and every one of you. If you don’t mind, may I also take some of this luxurious and classic living room? “
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“Of course” replied Novella. “Please do as you please.” The cha-cha dance ended. Amalia was panting a little, her forehead covered with slight perspiration. She was tired but still elated and in great spirits. Everyone gathered around her and accompanied her to the second floor, where they too went to their own rooms to try on their wedding gowns. All of a sudden Charina was the only one left in the large living room.
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This luxurious living room was of classic design and large enough to easily accommodate a hundred guests without anyone feeling cramped. It was brightly illuminated and created an impression of serene happiness. It was only then that Charina began to feel free of anxiety and a leisurely calm descended upon her. She examined the arrangements and decorations in the room and wandered from one furniture group to another, each different in age and nationality. The Persian carpet under her feet was thick and soft, extremely comfortable to the touch of her feet. Her attention was caught by the marble fish pond towards the southwest corner of the room. She walked over and saw foot-long, multicolored carps swimming around. In the middle of the pool were extremely realistic miniature mountains dotted with open caves through which apertures spring water gushed out, providing fresh water for the pool. If those fish had feelings, they would be extremely grateful to have been chosen to live in such a pampered environment. The only flaw in an otherwise perfect setting was they were not able to swim freely in their natural habitat. Charina walked on and came to a bar stocked with famous liquor from around the world. The surface of the bar was extremely clean and shone like a mirror and the bar itself was exquisitely made, with every corner rounded and polished. It looked dense and heavy, made of some unknown, high quality wood. At the edge of the living room near the garden was a small room whose door was left slightly ajar. There was a crucifix hanging on the wall. Just below it was a predieu with a space in front for prayer books. Charina looked in and saw someone dressed in a white wedding gown kneeling on the predieu, hands folded, praying fervently, a large Bible opened in front of her. Charina was moved. She held up her camera and took a picture of the praying bride. Unsatisfied with only one shot, she softly pushed open the door and tiptoed into the room. She once more held up her camera and took a portrait in profile of the praying bride. The interior of the room was rather dark, which triggered the flashlight of the camera. The sudden strong flash startled the bride, who slowly turned around, pushed aside her veil to look at the intruder. A smile lighted up her calm face as she said,
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“Although I have never seen you, I guess you are Charina, the newest member of our Kingdom and its 25th beauty. Am I right?” Charina felt shy and uneasy as she murmured,
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“…yes…yes…I am Charina… I am so sorry to have interrupted your prayers. It was really thoughtless of me. But the sight of you praying fervently was so moving that I felt a great urge to capture the moment and keep it forever as a portrait. I am so sorry…so sorry…I hope you will forgive me…” From the purple passion flower embroidered on her veil and hem, Charina knew she was the ex-nun Chanel. Chanel’s face retained its calm smile as she said,
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“Don’t blame yourself too much. I have come out of my reverie and have received God’s revelation, so my prayers are at an end. You did not interrupt me.” Chanel tried to get up as she spoke, but because she had been kneeling for a long time, her legs were cramped and she could not do so. Seeing Chanel putting her hand on the priedieu to help herself up, Charina rushed to her aid and said,
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“Really? You have received God’s revelation? Would you be willing to share it with me?” Chanel stood up, moved her cramped legs around and said,
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“I came here to take leave of God, because King Dimitri asked all the members of his Kingdom to seek a normal life. His words were ‘to seek their own future happiness’. I was in a quandary because I had thought that the Kingdom of Dreams was my final destination. Although the Kingdom has been destroyed, I was proud and satisfied to have been one of the 24 beauties, and was willing to live out the rest of my life thus. But King Dimitri asked us to seek our own happy future. I was mystified. What is a normal life? So I came here to pray and seek revelation from God. In the silence of prayer I seemed to hear someone say to me, “There is only one truth. It is either in my hands or in King Dimitri’s.” Thus, the problem had been simplified. I just had to choose between the two. Immediately after that words from the scriptures came into my mind. “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.” The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib he had taken from the man and brought her to the man…” It seems that God agreed with King Dimitri’s way of thought and the truth is in King Dimitri’s hands. A normal life is the union of a man and a woman. I will no longer be mystified or be in a quandary. I will go forth as King Dimitri suggested and seek my own happiness and future.” Charina nodded silently and said,
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“…perhaps your quandary is my quandary and the answer you came to is also my answer…” Chanel’s calm smile was enhanced by the joy of comprehension and realization.
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“Let’s go outside” she suggested. “The others must have finished their final try-on by now and will soon be coming down. Your camera will be put to good use then.”
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Chanel led Charina out of the private chapel and walked to the center of the living room, where an expensively carved classic grand piano stood in its full splendor in a cleared out space uncluttered by furniture or ornaments. It seemed to be the place for piano concerts or small indoor musical performances. Chanel sat down on the stool before the instrument, opened it and was about to play something when they heard the swishing sound of skirts and dresses as stiff material rubbed together and the merry sounds of laughter and chatter of young girls.
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“Don’t push!” said Dorna. “Look! You are stepping on my skirt…”
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“Who’s pushing?” said a voice that sounded like Angelica’s. “You’re the one who’s shoving and jostling. See! You have made my veil off center!” Soon, the members of the newly established New Brides’ Club trooped into the room. Chanel immediately played the notes of the Wedding March and Charina clicked away with her camera, taking close-up shots of all the beauties.
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The first to rush down the stairs was of course the clever little dog Maureen. As soon as it reached level ground, it began barking and jumping excitedly to express its exhilaration. Then came Amalia leading the procession down the stairs dressed in her red Manchu gown. The white-haired old lady was helped by two tall and slender young girls, Sheila and Yoko, both dressed in their snow white bridal gowns but with veils thrown back as they were busy seeing to Amalia’s safety and comfort. The hems of their gowns were embroidered with their signet flower, Sheila’s being the camellia and Yoko, the cherry blossom. As they walked slowly down the stairs, the strongly contrasting colors of red and white were especially eye-catching and striking. Amalia was joyous and jubilant, as if sensing this was no ordinary day. She was busy calling out,
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“Hey, Dimitri! Dimitri! Don’t go gallivanting around. Come back here to my side…” She was still calling the little dog Maureen by her son Dimitri’s name. Once that outrageous idea got caught in her twisted mind, it was hard for her to change. Behind her, with hand softly touching the banister came a regal and elegant bride, dressed in full regalia for a grand and formal wedding. She floated down the stairs light as a cloud, her face half-concealed under a mid-length veil made of silk tulle with different versions of the bold and colorful flower clivia embroidered by hand at its corners which was also adorned with multicolored gems. The veil was held in place by a “halo” tiara mainly of rubies encircled with diamonds. This was Novella, star of this wedding of the century. Her movements had to be slow and careful as her wedding gown had a nine-foot long train, which was also dotted with colorful gems and lace appliqué of the beautiful clivia. Elina, her cousin and bridesmaid, dressed in her own wedding gown embroidered at the hem with gold and silver jasmine, walked behind her holding onto the train of the bride so Novella won’t trip on the stairs. All the wedding gowns were made uniformly of the same design and all were made from ivory and white satin. The long-sleeved lace and satin gown looked both modern and traditional and had a satin bodice narrow at the waist but flaring out at the hip with boxed pleats resembling an opening flower. Different flowers, representing the different wearers were hand cut from lace and hand sewn onto the hem of the ivory satin wedding gown and veil. The only difference being that Novella’s gown alone had a long train. Those of all the others were floor length and much easier to manage. As this was only a try-on, the brides did not bother to wear their jewelry. On the day of the formal ceremony, when they put on their finest rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets, the dazzling display of pearls, diamonds, rubies, sapphires and other precious gems would be sure to add an aura of brilliance and splendor to the event. The long galaxy of the dozen or so lovely brides all dressed in their elaborate white wedding gowns proceeded sedately down the stairs. Some of them demurely covered their faces with their veils, while others lifted them slightly while walking down the stairs. The most unruly bride was of course Dorna. She was restless and had always been in the habit of striving to be the first, so she shoved and pushed to get ahead. She naturally did not bother to wear her veil properly and pushed it way back from her face so it wouldn’t bother her. Last to walk down was gentle Lotus, who did not like to jostle and thrust and didn’t mind bringing up the rear.
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Click, click, click went Charina’s camera. The flash of each take lighted up the room while her mind concentrated on catching the most memorable and precious moments. Alas, though she could store up these invaluable memories in her camera, it was impossible to capture the passage of time. Nothing in life is perfect. So long as those memorable scenes had been captured, we can only let the passage of time be lost forever… That is something that is irretrievable and irredeemable. The fourteen brides in their bridal gowns strolled around the huge formal living room in small groups of twos or threes, their pure white wedding gowns representing the sacred and pure vows in the depth of their hearts. The fourteen brides were somehow all under the misguided illusion in the depth of their hearts that they were still living in that beautiful and faraway Kingdom in the Dreams, but that they had somehow transferred that beautiful Kingdom to the mundane world. None of them could explain or clarify why they thought so. In their hearts there was only a vague and intriguing feeling of futility. According to King Dimitri’s theory, dreams were a part of real life and also its extension, so there was no real difference between the two. To be more precise, the Kingdom of Dreams existed in the real world, so there was no need for explanations or clarifications.
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Click! Click! Charina’s camera clicked again twice and the flash exploded at the same time. In the corner of her eye she saw Natalie walk towards Chanel and whispered something in her ear. Chanel nodded and the hem of her skirt embroidered with the purple passion flower moved with the slight motion of her feet on the pedals as magical notes flew from her nimble fingers. Ah, it was the theme song in Act 2 of King Dimitri’s ballet “The Bear and the Butterfly” where a sea of exuberant flowers fluttered and swayed in joy hailing the birth of the flower fairy when the first ray of sunshine appeared. Natalie took down her veil and held it between her thumb and forefinger. Then she kicked off her dainty silver stiletto and began dancing to the music. A classic ballet dancer, Natalie had been strictly trained over a long period of time to freely control her muscles, so although she was wearing a close-fitting wedding gown tailored to her specific measurements, she was still able to expand or contract her muscles to give herself freedom of movement within her clothes to easily perform highly difficult and technical moves. She seemed to be half-floating in the air as her nimble feet danced, jumped and circled, touching lightly on the thick, soft Persian carpet. The gladiolas embroidered onto the hem of her skirt seemed to open and close as she whirled by, leaving her audience gasping in amazement. Her expertise was such that every time the tip of her toes touched the ground, she could always avoid being tripped by her heavy long skirt, which showed that strict discipline and training were effective and a solid foundation was not for naught. The thin veil that she held between her fingers was transparent as the wings of a dragonfly, and resembled a puff of smoke or fog as it flew up and down with her dancing figure. The mesmerized beauties watched as Natalie danced on light and ethereal, fluttering and swaying delicately, enthralling them so completely that when the dance ended and the music stopped, they were still too enchanted to react. It was only after a few seconds of silence that they realized the show was over and began clapping and calling out “Bravo! Bravo!” enthusiastically.
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Dressed in their white bridal gowns of the exact same design, the dozen or so beauties crowded around, watching Natalie’s exquisite dance. But one lone figure detached herself from the group and walked towards the windows. Charmed by this beauty whose walk was as elegant and graceful as a drooping willow dancing gently in the winds, Charina clicked her camera and with a flash of light captured the view of her back. Who is she? The red roses on the hem of her skirt and veil, now revealed, now hidden, gave away her identity. It was the world class fashion model Samantha. No wonder her walk was so bewitching! Taking her cell phone out of her purse, Samantha walked over to the window to make a call. Too far away to hear what was being said, Charina’s eyes went searching for other interesting subjects to record…
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“…Hi Megginn, this is Samantha…Where are you at...? When will you be able to get here...? We’re having a ball here. Fourteen of the gowns have been tried on and they fit perfectly. Only you and Aisha haven’t tried yours on yet… Charina’s won’t be ready for other two, three days, but they promised it would definitely be delivered the day before the wedding… Come on over, Megginn. We’re having a really great time. Amalia has put on the red Chinese gown that Lotus made for her and everything looks so beautiful and striking. We’re all waiting for you…”
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“Good, I just finished up my work here and am on my way over. If there is no traffic I should be there in about half an hour… Is Aisha there...? Not yet...? That’s great, because it would look bad if she got there before me. After all, she is our queen…”
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“Aren’t you with her? You were there with her at her house when I left with Charina to order her wedding gown…”
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“My car broke down this morning by the wayside and Aisha drove me to the World Bank because there was some unfinished business I had to attend to. She wanted to work on her thesis so she went home…”
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“So that’s how it is. Well, I called Aisha around one or two o’clock this afternoon. I asked her to come for the final fitting at Novella’s place and told her everyone is here waiting for her. She said she may not be coming because she wanted to work on her thesis, but when I told her we were giving a welcome party here today for the newest member of our Kingdom since everyone was already here, she promised to show up a little later… Somehow, I had a feeling that something was weighing heavily on her mind and she wasn’t very happy. Do you know why...?”
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“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine…It’s just a woman’s private thoughts. Can’t you understand? She is our queen, but on the eve of our group wedding, King Dimitri, the bridegroom, is still missing and whereabouts unknown. Naturally she is not feeling good about it. But don’t worry. Queen Aisha has always been able to control her feelings. You saw how stoic she was and never even blinked when faced with the invasion of the barbarian tribes and the destruction of the Kingdom. She calmly took care of things the best she could and was the last to leave the Kingdom. Why worry about her now?”
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“Yes, you’re right. Your analysis is very logical and convincing... Queen Aisha is our queen and I have full confidence in her. Since everything is alright, you just come on over as soon as possible. We’re all waiting for you.” With that both of them hung up.
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Charina seemed to have found a new target. Lotus was standing by the fish pond feeding the carps. Charina held the camera to her eye, on the ready to capture the next interesting moment that came up. Lotus looked at the dozen or so large, multi-colored carps crowding by the edge of the pool waiting to be fed. When she threw some feed into the fish pond, the carps in the water fought and scrambled to get their share, their large bodies thrashing powerfully in the water causing it to foam and splash. One of them actually leapt high up above the water and made a somersault in the air before dropping back into the fray. Charina clicked the shutter at just the right moment and recorded this interesting somersault for prosperity! Lotus had already stepped back from the pool after throwing in the feed, knowing ahead of time of the frenzy that was to happen, so when that large carp fell back into the pool sloshing and splattering water all around, Lotus was already away, scolding good-naturedly,
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“You guys are so bad! You naughty things want to get me all wet, eh? Well not today! I am not going to play because I don’t want to get my new wedding finery wet and dirty!” Saying so, she threw the rest of the feed she held in her hand into the water and walked away towards the rest of the beauties. Charina’s camera had caught another subject. Dorna was pulling Marcelina by the hand as she walked towards the bar. The hem of Dorna’s wedding gown was embroidered with sprightly cyclamens, while Marcelina’s was embroidered with beautiful magnolia blossoms.
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“You wanted to learn how to make cocktails, right?” said Dorna as she walked. “Well, come along and I will show you. It’s not complicated at all. In fact, it’s really easy…” The restless girl could not remain still for any length of time. She walked behind the bar, rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. To her credit, she remembered not to get her brand new bridal gown dirty before the wedding. Marcelina walked into the bar after her and copied all of Dorna’s movements. She also rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. Dorna told her which bottles to get from the cabinet and put on the counter, while she got an empty glass from the cupboard, saying
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“Look carefully! This is gin. Pour a suitable amount of tonic water, just like this, add some ice cubes, swirl it with a straw and voila, you get gin tonic! … Now this is rum. Add some coke, twirl it and you have rum coke… This is vodka, add a suitable amount of orange juice, twirl it and you get ‘screwdriver’… Simple and easy, isn’t it? But of course these are only the most basic cocktails. I will teach you the more complicated ones later….”
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“Well” said Marcelina “that was quite interesting. But you had better not make these drinks too strong. Queen Aisha isn’t here yet. You don’t want her to arrive and find us all intoxicated, would you?”
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“Of course I know that, silly!” said Dorna. “Don’t worry; I have made them very light…” She looked around and saw the golden haired Mary standing by the window, contemplating the sunset lost in thought. She raised her voice and called out,
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“Hey Mary! Would you please come over here for a minute?” Hearing someone calling her, Mary quickly turned around, her heavy, long golden tresses revolving with her at the move. Charina saw her chance and immediately clicked her shutters to record the split second action of the girl smiling over her shoulders, her long hair swiveling as she turned. Seeing Dorna waving and calling her, Mary walked over; the golden yellow daffodils embroidered on the hem of her skirt complementing the long golden tresses on her head and looked very pretty together…
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“These cocktails are some simple art I casually made to show Marcelina. Would you like to take them over to the beauties and ask them to sample them?... What would you like to drink yourself, Mary?... Would you like me to make some Bloody Mary for you?”
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“Bloody Mary?” exclaimed Mary “What a frightening name! No, I don’t want that. Make me something else…” Saying so, Mary smiled, took the drinks and walked away.
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Mary took her tray of drinks to where Amalia was sitting and offered them first to her and then to her two companions Yoko and Sheila. She proceeded to play waitress to the beauties walking to and fro between the bar and the beauties with her tray of cocktails. When she went back to the bar, she saw that Dorna and Marcelina were still busy making all kinds of cocktails. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of two beauties whom she had not yet served. One was wearing a wedding dress with ivory white plum flowers embroidered on the hem and the hem of the other was embroidered with bluish-purple wisteria. They were Laverne and Romi, heads close together talking in low voices.
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“It’s strange that Queen Aisha is not here.” said Laverne. “Could something have happened? She should have been here early…”
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“Yes,” replied Romi. “Something important must have come up or she would have been here long ago…Have you ever thought that as things are, Queen Aisha is under a tremendous lot of pressure? No one else other than her would be up to dealing with what she is facing…”
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“There are seventeen of us, including Charina, the latest member of our Kingdom living in this real world” mused Laverne frowning. “If you don’t count Aisha, there are still sixteen. Though we are all capable and independent people, there are always troubling vexations in our lives that make us feel the need to go to her for counseling and guidance. It’s really gracious of her to always carefully and cautiously help us deal with the details of our lives that worried us. Aisha is like no other woman. She is so intelligent, decisive and capable that her advice and decisions are always orderly, methodical and to the point. She is also a great scholar and spends what time she could on her studies. I don’t know anyone else who could do what she does…”
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“Yes, that is so” agreed Romi. “There are seventeen members of the Kingdom living in this real world, not counting Stephanie and Ileen who had passed away (she did not know that Ileen did not die but was living a life of repentance in Valley of Gahanna) and Marianna, whom we had never seen. Then there are still White Fairy and Medusa living in the Kingdom of Dreams, Charmaine and Clementine living with King Zeus in the Seventh Heaven and Deanna who had never stepped out of the land of her birth and had never seen the outside world. I don’t think any of them would be coming to the wedding. Even if they do intend to come, I don’t think there is enough time to make wedding gowns for them…”
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“I don’t think they will be coming…”said Laverne still frowning. “Deanna is in the faraway Kingdom of Dreams and Charmaine and Clementine are still farther away in the Seventh Heaven. There is no way to let them know of this grand and elaborate wedding…To be perfectly frank, the fewer the attendants, the fewer will be the things Aisha has to take care of… If all three of them came, Aisha would have three more people on her hands. Her cup which is already full to the brim would be overflowing…” Just then Mary walked over with her tray of drinks saying,
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“Hey, you two must be thirsty after chatting all this time. Come have some drinks that Dorna just made…” and handed them each a cocktail.
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“Thank you so much, Mary” said Romi. “You shouldn’t have to wait on us. Give us a call and we would have walked over to get them…” Mary smiled and said,
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“It’s okay. We are all sisters and can dispense with all this politeness…” Marcelina also walked over and gave each of them a small dish of finger food from her tray. Dorna stood behind the bar and looked around to make sure that everyone had been served. She took off her apron, rolled down her sleeves and said to Angelica,
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“Hey dj, what about some music?”
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“No problem” replied Angelica nodding. She turned and left the room, her skirt with hibiscus embroidered at the hem, swaying as she walked. Soon the large living room was filled with the delightful music of a classical waltz. Dorna walked over to Amalia, bowed as respectfully as any gentleman and extending one hand towards her said solemnly in a deep voice,
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“May I have the honor of this dance, Ma’am?” Sheila and Yoko were convulsed with laughter. Seeing that Amalia was still in a good mood, they pulled her up from the sofa and walked around the dance floor with her several times as if strolling and exercising in the park with Maureen following behind. Then, fearing she would twist her ankle on her high heeled shoes or fall down, they led her to a sofa to rest. Dorna went over to Novella and said,
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“You can’t possibly dance with that nine-foot long train, so you can only sit and be a spectator!” Then turning to Elena, the bridesmaid, she said, “But you, beautiful bridesmaid, don’t sit there in a daze doing nothing. Come and dance with me!” She pulled Elena up and they walked towards the dance floor. While dancing, Dorna called out in a loud voice, “Hey, pianist! ballet dance specialist! Come and join the dance or else this lovely music would be wasted! What are you guys waiting for? Come on, join in everyone! You too, great photographer. You have been busy taking pictures of everyone else; it’s time you enjoyed yourself too!” So Charina in her blue dress and with her camera still hanging by a strap around her neck, joined the throng of white bridal gowned brides on the dance floor. This make shift dance floor was not large and could not accommodate all the brides with their flaring skirts, so everyone was just swaying to the music, careful not to step on their own or other people’s long skirts. Suddenly the music changed. The waltz stopped and changed into a lively, fast paced jitterbug. There was a rustle among the white-gowned brides as they scattered to the sides to allow two figures, also dressed in bridal gowns have the floor as they swung energetically around in the new dance. The hem of the skirt of one of the dancers was embroidered with the magnificent and colorful peony, while the whirling skirt of the other was embroidered with the noble and stately orchid! Ah! Queen Aisha had arrived and was leading Megginn happily jitterbugging. She had let loose the chignon she normally wore at the back of her head, releasing her long brown hair, allowing it to sway and turn freely with the hem of her skirt as she danced vivaciously along.
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No one was around the deserted street corner at night. The dim street light shone on an old dilapidated truck parked under it. The car was not locked. It was just a pile of junk that no one had the remotest interest in stealing as it was at best a pile of metal scraps that was still able to move. Behind the narrow sidewalk was the deserted rose garden, where the sounds of laughter, conversation and jazz music could be heard. This jazz could only be enjoyed as background music and could not be used to dance because its tempo was irrational, sometimes quick and sometimes slow and its sound now loud now soft… a far cry from the classic waltz in Novella’s mansion which all the beauties were dancing to. Five or six homeless men sat around an open fire in the deserted garden eating and drinking. There was a metal grill of sorts made of wires placed above the fire and someone was turning the meat placed on it to and fro, sending off mouth-watering aroma of baking meat into the air. There wasn’t an abundance of pork and lamb chops, so they had to ration and share, but the liquor was more than sufficient. It was cheap, strong whiskey, quite unlike cocktails which were only good for show and recreation. There were no women around the fire, just five or six homeless males, among whom was the missing bridegroom Dimitri whom no one knew where to find. Dimitri drank heartily from the chipped glass in his hand and said,
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“I have had enough of the meat and whisky and am quite full. You guys go on and enjoy… Just give me a piece of bread soaked up with some of the meat sauce and I’ll be OK…” David was sitting next to Dimitri. The expression on his face that used to be permanently full of misery and anger was now different. Though still wrinkled and weather-beaten, it was flushed after imbibing a lot of hard liquor and sitting around a roaring fire. He laughed and said,
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“Hey Dimitri, don’t be so polite. Eat and drink some more. Everyone one of us is used to hunger, why should you alone be the one to suffer? You are our King… Am I right?” he asked turning to the others. Every one, Mr. Kaffee, Big-O, Richard and Jamaz, nodded, saying,
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“Of course. You’re right. Come on, everyone, Gan-bei!” Mr. Kaffee took the lead and emptied his glass at a quaff. Jamaz who never used glasses grabbed the bottle on the ground, threw back his head and guzzled appreciatively. Then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he took a piece of meat and said,
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“That old bastard David never used to have anything good to say, but this time his words are true.” Dimitri was clearly uncomfortable with their appreciative words. Elbowing David, he said,
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“You old bum. You don’t know how to do anything, but what a great flatterer you are! I know you so well; you have some devilish idea in your head. Come on, spit it out, what is it you want this time…?” David waved his hands and said,
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“No, no, no… I am not flattering you and I have no devilish ideas in my head. I am speaking the truth. Last night, I snuck again into the Kingdom of Dreams and sat on the gold throne. For one night I was the almighty king of a realm…Ha-ha…it was really a great experience… a really wonderful, wonderful experience… But I thought I heard you say that the gold palace had been sunk to the bottom of Star Moon Lake. However, the last two times I went there, it was right where it always was, by the side of Giant Mountain. How could that be?” On hearing this, Dimitri began to laugh. He quickly chewed and swallowed the piece of bread he was eating, drank some liquor to wash it down and then said,
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“Actually it’s very simple. Let me explain it to you this way. The Kingdom of Dreams is in a very magical sphere of time where the past, present and future all exist at the same time. It is completely different from this real world we live in. Here in our realm of time, the past is gone and no longer exists. The future is not here yet, so it does not exist either. We live only in the present. But what is the present? The present is nonstop becoming the past without a second’s delay. The future is constantly evolving into the present without a second’s delay either. So the relationship between the present, past and future is extremely indistinct and hard to control. I’ll give you another example. In the Kingdom of Dreams time and space are like a big book. What you see depends on which part of the book you cut into. If you turn to the beginning of the book, the gold palace had not yet been built. If you turn to the middle of the book, the gold palace had already been built but was occupied by the barbarian tribes. You David are a lucky dog because you happened to turn to the part of the book when the gold palace had already been built but had not yet been occupied by anyone, so you had been able to come and go at will. If you turned to the part where it was occupied by the barbarian tribes, you would have been captured and beheaded by the barbarian occupiers and your bloody head would have been hung on the eaves of the palace gate. So I say you have really been lucky. You have been able to go twice to the gold palace, sit on the solid gold throne and enjoy the life of a monarch, experiencing what it is to be royal and almighty… I used ‘a big thick book’ as an example to make it easier for you to understand. Actually, a more appropriate way to explain it would be to say that time has no beginning and no end.” Mr. Kaffee quaffed his wine and seemed to sink into deep thought. After a while he murmured,
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“I seem to remember having been to that magic sphere of time… Yes…I am sure I once led a legion of about 200,000 soldiers of the ancient Roman Empire and laid siege to your Kingdom of Dreams which looked like an impregnable castle. Later…later…you rushed out of the castle leading about ten thousand warriors to fight with my Roman legionnaires. The bodies of your warriors were made of clay and they were welding weapons made of stone. They rushed fearlessly into the midst of the Roman soldiers, who evaporated into dark clouds. These dark clouds gathered overhead and torrents of rain poured down, falling on your warriors, who began to melt back into the soil from which they were made. In the end, dust turned to dust and soil turned to soil, each reverting back to its original state. So, that battle ended with both armies completely wiped out. No side won and no side was defeated… (See Book 1 Chapter 2 The Dream-maker)”
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“At the time” said Dimitri, “I wanted to stop the invasion of the Roman soldiers, so I transformed myself to a husky savage deity, with a rhinoceros horn at the top of my head, one huge eye on my face and another eye at the back of my head. I just wanted to scare them with my image, never realizing that there was just such a person chained in a cave at the back of my kingdom. Later, I gave him the name of Cyclops…” He then added “Just now you spoke of war, and that touches me deeply. Since the beginning of time when man first appeared on this earth, innumerable wars big and small have been fought. Every war inevitably becomes a cruel and gruesome scene of death and bloodshed, with corpses piling up on battle fields where blood had dyed the ground red, fully displaying the remnants of cruel and ferocious animal instincts still alive in human nature, namely killing and pugnacity. Neither have the human race learnt any lessons from their experience in previous wars. If they could be cool-headed and analyze things soberly and calmly before the war began, they would be able to decide which war is inevitable and which could be avoided. In wars between nations, whenever national sovereignty, interest, honor or sanctity are involved, the situation becomes especially explosive and could be set off with a touch, get out of hand and become an irreconcilable mess. The scope of warfare has also escalated, involving from hundreds of thousands of people to millions and tens of millions of people and has come to the point when those involved were willing to risk total annihilation if necessary. Such irrational madness will one day lead to the destruction of the world. On this earth we human beings have no natural enemy and no outside aggression has threatened us. It is we ourselves who have pushed the human race to the borders of self destruction…Why? I really do not understand…If we take a long-sighted view and look back on our history, at the wars that had become larger and larger in scope, we would find that most of them were unnecessary and could have been avoided. But people decided to settle problems with violence. But using brute force, the most simple, direct and barbarous way to settle problems is certainly not an expression of clear-headedness and rationality. In the future, if humans are willing to give up brute force and violence as a means of settling disputes and establish new rules to do so by other means, then human civilization would have reached a brand new stage, much closer to Truth.”
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Silence greeted Dimitri’s long monologue. Everyone seemed to be thinking about his words. Meat was cooking on the wire grill, its sauces dripping hissing and sizzling onto the charcoal below. Richard suddenly raised his head and said,
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“Hey Dimitri you are always telling us about this Kingdom of Dreams we have never seen. Why don’t you take us to this magical place and show us around? That would be an eye-opening experience and will be certain to widen our horizon…”
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“Yeah. That right. A good idea” agreed Big-O and Jamaz. “Why did you never take us there?”
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“Although I have been to the magical Kingdom of Dreams,” said Mr. Kaffee, “I only walked outside on the perimeters and never went inside. I am also very curious about the place.”
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“Ha” hooted David gleefully. “You guys had never been there? I have been there twice and can be your guide. I will be able to cut into the Kingdom at the most desirable spot, let you sit on King Dimitri’s solid gold throne and experience the thrill of being an almighty monarch! Oh! That was an indescribably good feeling…”
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“Sure” said Dimitri smiling. “It is time I went back there too. You guys follow David back to the Kingdom. I still have some things I need to take care of here. I will join you all later.” The group of homeless hobos quickly put out the fire and each chose a spot on the ground under the eaves to lie down and sleep. Mr. Kaffee was not comfortable sleeping outdoors, so he walked into dilapidated house, half destroyed by fire, chose a corner to lie down more comfortably and went to sleep. Being under the influence of alcohol, they were all yawning sleepily. Soon snores were heard and got louder and louder.
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The luminous full moon shone on the earth, making it almost as bright as day. Dark figures of five men could be seen standing together on a small hill shadowed by Giant Mountain. They were King Dimitri’s good friends who had been led by David to visit the Kingdom of Dreams. They were staring unbelievably straight ahead at the Sun Moon Lake in front of them, where innumerable open fires blazed and streams of people were busily walking to and fro as if getting ready for some momentous event. There was no trace of the magnificent gold palace. Only deep grooves were left on the ground of the site where it used to stand. David hit his forehead with his hand and said,
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“Gosh! This is terrible! Our timing was all wrong! We missed the best time and angle to cut into the Kingdom of Dreams and did not make it to the time when the gold palace was just built and there was no one occupying it. This looks as if the hurricane and tsunami had already hit and the gold palace has fallen to the bottom of the lake. This is really terrible. We missed it just by a millisecond, but we are way off the mark. Look where we landed!” Standing on the little hillside, Mr. Kaffee looked carefully into the distance and pointing towards the bank of the lake said,
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“Look at these people standing there by the side of the lake. They seem to be discussing something. From their gestures, they seem to be attempting to raise the gold palace from the bottom of the lake… We should be calm and stay put. Let’s watch and see what happens next…”
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A tall huge and powerful man stood by the side of the lake. He had a rhinoceros horn at the top of his head. One huge eye was on his forehead but the other was at the back of his head. Bulging muscles covered his body displaying his extraordinary energy and strength. He was naked except for a leopard skin covering his waist and lower body as he stood talking to a serpent-haired woman who was very beautiful but looked frosty and aloof. She was tall, strong and athletic, with eyes that were bright and piercing. Why, wasn’t that Medusa? Standing beside her was a young girl with long white hair that resembled the mist and smoke. Hey, that was White Fairy! The woman standing next to Cyclops had obvious red marks of recovering wounds around her waist. Why, that was Ileen whom Medusa cut in two by the waist! Now the two parts of her body had been put together. The red marks on her waist had not quite faded but she seemed to have fully recovered She was as alluring and beautiful as before but the treacherous, vindictive and malevolent look was no longer in her eyes. In fact, she looked gentle, gracious and womanly. Cyclops and his nemesis Medusa, the pair of dead enemies, had also made peace and were talking amicably together, discussing how to raise the gold palace from the lake. Such dramatic changes were really quite unthinkable. Just as King Dimitri had said, nothing is impossible in the Kingdom of Dreams…
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That day White Fairy left the Seventh Heaven and returned to the Kingdom of Dreams after teaching Charmaine and Clementine the final procedure of brewing the wine made from a hundred blossoms. She brought back with her King Zeus’ approval of the petition of the people of the Kingdom of Dreams, allowing them to raise the pure gold palace from the bottom of Star Moon Lake and restore it to its original site by Giant Mountain. The gold palace would again see the light of day and sparkle with radiant brilliance under the dazzling sun. White Fairy was so very happy to be back. She stopped for a moment in the air above the Kingdom of Dreams and looked all around searching for traces of Medusa, eager to let her partner know as soon as possible about the great news she had brought home. Seeing a black spot in the far distance coming swiftly towards her, she knew it was Medusa back from her daily patrol; so she stopped in midair and waited. Medusa’s sharp eyes had also seen a puff of immobile white smoke in the air as if waiting for her and knew at once that it was White Fairy; so flapping her huge, mighty wings she made quickly for the puff of light smoke. The two of them met in the air above the Star Moon Lake. White Fairy put her arms around Medusa’s neck and hugged her. The two of them flew slowly together as they descended towards Giant Mountain. After encircling the air several times, Medusa did a somersault and changed to human form as she touched the ground. White Fairy too floated lightly down to earth and changed into a young girl with white hair reaching her waist.
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Medusa walked excitedly around what was left of the foundations of the gold palace, rubbing her hands as she murmured,
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“…how can I raise the gold palace up from the bottom of the lake?...all by myself?...no, that’s not possible…but what else can I do?...” White Fairy smiled and walked over saying,
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“…of course you can’t possibly do it all by yourself!...But if you add in Cyclops, with his superhuman strength and matchless energy together with the united efforts of the people of the whole Kingdom, I am sure we would be able to accomplish this daunting task… Oh and don’t forget, we also have a magic flying horse…” Medusa slapped her forehead at White Fairy' words as if just waking from a dream and said,
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“Oh yes, you are perfectly right! I had forgotten all about Cyclops. To accomplish this formidable task we would certainly need his help…” Then her face fell as she said, “But…but…the two of us have a long and complicated history of love, hatred and enmity …there is certainly no love lost between us…would he be willing to help?...”
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“Where there’s a will, there’s a way” replied White Fairy decisively. “If we don’t even try, how are we to know whether he would be willing to lend us a hand or not? I am quite sure I will be able to persuade him. But I haven’t seen any trace of him around here for quite a long time. Do you think he could have left the Kingdom of Dreams?”
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“No” replied Medusa confidently. “He hasn’t gone far and is still hiding somewhere within our Kingdom. I once saw him climbing up the sheer cliff from the fathomless abyss which people say is the entrance to Hell. I think that he is hibernating down there doing I know not what…”
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“Really? That’s great!” said White Fairy happily. “So long as there is a cue of where he might be, it would not be hard to find him... You stay here and wait for me… I’ll just go and take a look. I will first fly down the sheer cliff to the bottomless pit and see what’s there. I’ll be right back…” Saying so, White Fairy changed into a puff of smoke and flew towards the cliffs.
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White Fairy hovered in the air above the cliffs and saw that below her was a dark and bottomless pit. Could that really be the entrance to Hell? She had flown around the area multiple times, but had never gone down there to look around. The cold and frigid air rising from the bottom of the pit caused her to recoil and shiver with apprehension. But then she thought to herself, “If I don’t go down there, who else has the capability to fly up and down at will? If I don’t go down there, how could we find out where Cyclops is hiding? Without his help, how could we raise the gold palace from the bottom of the lake?” At the thought, White Fairy clenched her teeth and resolved to conquer her fears and accomplish her goal. She closed her eyes tight and braced herself as she descended slowly down the dark abyss towards the gates of hell. Winds gushed by her ears and it grew darker and darker until she found herself surrounded by utter darkness. Fear struck her heart. She opened her eyes to find that it was pitch dark all around. Calming herself, she accustomed her eyes to the darkness and gradually saw that there was a shred of light not far away and knew that she had at last reached the bottom and was nearing the entrance to hell.
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White Fairy then slowly floated towards the ray of light in the darkness. Actually the light came from the huge stone gates of Hell that Cyclops pushed open but had never closed properly. Entering through the gate, White Fairy found herself in a completely different environment. Flowers bloomed and branches of the willow trees swayed with the breeze. Amidst the flowers was a pool of water and in the distance were straw huts with spinning wheels inside. This did not look at all like the much feared Gehenna, but was more like utopia with its calm and beautiful rural setting. Suddenly the sound of rippling water was heard and from the banks of the pool amidst the flowers came a beautiful naked woman with bright red wounds circling her waist. She stooped down, picked up a coarse white cotton robe from the ground and put it on. She turned around while tying the belt around her waist and White Fairy saw that she was Ileen, the traitor of the Kingdom of Dreams. She was as alluring and beautiful as before but the treacherous, vindictive and malevolent look was no longer in her eyes. Her expression was now peaceful and gentle. Ileen too saw White Fairy, who had changed to the shape of a beautiful young woman with long white hair falling to her waist. The two of them looked at each other with smiles on their faces, their former enmity and hatred forgotten. In the past Ileen’s affair with Cyclops and their plot to rebel and overthrow King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams were discovered by White Fairy and it was she who exposed their treachery, so the two of them had become mortal enemies. But now with a smile of mutual understanding, their hostility and animosity dissolved completely without a trace.
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“Hi, White Fairy” said Ileen as she walked over smilingly. “I am very glad to see you. How are the other beauties?... Oh yes, how did you know I am hiding here at the bottom of the sheer cliff?”
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“Hi Ileen” answered White Fairy, smiling shyly. “I am glad to see you too. How are you? The beauties are all well, thanks for asking after them. I did not know you were living at the bottom of this steep cliff. This place is quite near the Kingdom of Dreams. How come we never knew you were here? Actually I found this place purely by accident. I was looking for Cyclops to ask for his help, never dreaming I would come upon you. This is wonderful! But…Ileen… aren’t you…I mean you’re supposed to be…”
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“You mean I’m supposed to be dead after being cut in two by Medusa’s sword?” asked Ileen, whose smile turned brighter and more mysterious than ever. “Yes, I died and was condemned to suffer the penalty of the damned and burn forever in the fiery flames of Gehenna. Day and night I struggled to stay afloat in the rolling waves of fire and wondered despairingly if my sufferings would ever end. I couldn’t help thinking of all the people who lost their lives in battle because of me and realized that my sins were heinous and I deserved the punishment metered out to me. That flash of remorse and contrition in my heart brought about a miraculous change. The fire that had been tormenting me for so long lost a little of its power and my suffering decreased as a result. I was greatly surprised and continued to look into my heart and continued my self-examination and self-reflection. I found that whenever the hatred in my heart decreased, so did the heat of the terrible fires tormenting me. When the fire of hatred in my heart completely subsided, the fires of Gehenna died down completely…Can you believe that the pool of water you see yonder is the site of the roaring fire that consumed me? Not only that, my body which had been cut in two also gradually grew together. Look at me. Don’t I look as good as new?”
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“Congratulations…Congratulations Ileen, for being granted a new life” said White Fairy genuinely glad for her.
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“No, don’t congratulate me” said Ileen. “I should be grateful to heaven for the series of miracles it created to enable me to have a second chance at life. Isn’t that right?”
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“Yes, you are right….” murmured White Fairy, looking intently at the pool of clear, calm water whose surface rippled slightly with the wind. “It’s really hard to imagine that this clear, calm pool used to be the site of roaring, rolling flames of Gehenna. It’s really incredible…I seem to see the light of Truth here…Yes. Yes…If hatred could be dissolved, then what is there that cannot be dissolved?...”
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“By the way,” said Ileen, breaking into White Fairy’s reverie, “you just told me you were looking for Cyclops and happened to come upon me here. Well, I can tell you that you have come to the right place. Cyclops has retired from the world and is living in seclusion in these mountain and valleys. He just went hunting and should be returning soon. What did you want with him?” White Fairy then told Ileen all about Medusa’s plan to raise the gold palace from the bottom of the lake and restore it to its original site by Giant Mountain so that it would again see the light of day and sparkle with radiant brilliance under the dazzling sun. She added that they sorely needed Cyclops’ amazing strength and energy, as without his help they would not be able to accomplish their goal and that was why she was looking for him everywhere… The fact that she just happened to come here and met Ileen, and found out Cyclops also lived here was really a very rare co-incidence and must be the will of Heaven. She was confident now that their task could be accomplished… It was late when White Fairy finished explaining. It was growing dark although the last rays of the sun still lingered over the hills and forests. A figure could be seen walking towards them from the distance, carrying a dead deer over his shoulders. He had a rhinoceros horn at the top of his head. One huge eye was on his forehead but the other was at the back of his head. Bulging muscles covered his body displaying his extraordinary energy and strength. Why, that’s the strange creature Cyclops! As he came closer and saw White Fairy, the fury long buried in his bosom burst out of control. Throwing the dead deer heavily on the ground, he walked menacingly towards her roaring,
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“Aren’t you one of Dimitri’s people? What are you doing here on my territory in the pits of Gehenna? Did that bitch Medusa send you? We have retreated to the very bottom of the fathomless abyss to escape her. Isn’t that enough? Has she sent you here to kill both of us? Alright! Tell her to come on then, I am not scared. I’ll take her on and we will fight to the death…” The delicate White Fairy shrank back trembling with fear, feeling really threatened by this savage, bellowing beast of a man. Ileen stepped in. Placing her fingers on Cyclops’ arm, she pulled him aside and said softly,
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“Cyclops, what are you doing? Why do you rave and rant at her the moment you see her? Look how you scared White Fairy. She’s trembling in fright! Let me tell you why she is here…The past is long gone and things have changed. It is time to deal with a brand new deck of cards and let people and things reassemble. My body which had been cut in two has now been
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joined together and is as good as new. The hatred in my heart has died down and I feel only a deep sense of remorse towards King Dimitri. From now on I will spend my days in prayer and contrition. I know there are unresolved issues between you and Medusa. She once betrayed you and left you for King Dimitri, which to this day still infuriates you. But on the other hand I was once one of King Dimitri’s beauties in his Kingdom of Dreams. I betrayed him and left him for you. So in this tug of war there seems to be a stalemate…Call it quits now, Cyclops. What is there to quibble about at this stage? Although the two of us take refuge here at the bottom of the sheer cliffs and live the life of hermits far from the rest of the world, this place does not belong to us. It is still within the Kingdom of Dreams. I don’t think your hostile attitude towards King Dimitri is appropriate. It reverses the positions of host and guest and smacks of insurrection and insurgence. Situations have changed, Cyclops, and things are no longer the same. Now there is no hostility and enmity between us and King Dimitri, so why not shake hands and make peace so we would be able to live the rest of our lives in peace and happiness. They are here to ask for your help in raising the gold palace from the bottom of the lake and restore it to its original site by Giant Mountain. If you are able to do it, why don’t you offer them the help they want? It is important to keep the peace between us…” Ileen’s gentle, soft and logical words overwhelmed Cyclops’ rage and anger and he regained a calmer state of mind.
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Just then the flapping of mighty wings was heard and they knew that Medusa had arrived. Looking up they saw a big black bird swoop down from on high, turn a somersault and drop down to the ground in the shape of a beautiful serpent-haired woman. White Fairy walked over to her and said,
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“Hi Medusa. How come you are here?”
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“You were gone for a long time and it was getting late, so I came to make sure that you are alright and nothing untoward had happened. Are you alright?”
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“I’m fine and everything is going fine. I think that there is a great possibility that we would be able to accomplish our goal…” Medusa saw the answer in White Fairy’s eyes. Smiles lighted up the eight eyes of these four people as they stood in the narrow valley and stared intently at each other, signifying their willingness to let go of the past and all its twists and turns, love and hatred. The past was gone and done with and they no longer harbored any grudges against each other. The atmosphere at once turned friendly when Cyclops broke the ice by saying,
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“Hi, Medusa. I know why are you are here. I am willing to do my best to help you, but some things are hard to accomplish. I have no problem climbing up this sheer cliff …but Ileen is just recovering and cannot be subjected to stress or her just healing wounds might rupture. That won’t be good.” Medusa laughed and said,
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“That’s not a problem. Don’t forget I am a huge bird. She can sit on my back, hold on to my feathers and I will take her up from this deep abyss to the cliff above… White Fairy is a puff of smoke and will not have any problems, either. Well, let’s get going…”
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“Just a moment Medusa” interrupted Cyclops, suddenly turning serious and said solemnly “Later on when I am climbing up the cliff using both and hands and feet, please don’t charged down at me from on high while I am stuck there defenseless or I will certainly fall to my death then and be smashed to smithereens…” There was a shocked silence for a moment before they realized that Cyclops had made a joke and all burst into laughter. The rough-and-tumble action guy actually had a sense of humor and was ribbing Medusa about the time she attacked him in the middle of his descent from the cliff!” It was lucky that at the time Medusa’s heart softened at the memory of their past relationship and did not deal him the mortal stroke for otherwise now there would be no one to help her raise the gold palace from the bottom of the lake (see Book 2 Kingdom in the Dreams)… In high spirits and a happy atmosphere of comradeship, the four of them quickly prepared to leave. Medusa turned into a large black bird and stopped on the ground. Ileen then unhesitantly mounted on her back and clutched her feathers when the black bird soared up into the skies. White Fairy turned to a puff of light smoke and floated up the skies. Cyclops quickly and agilely climbed up the sheer cliff with both his hands and feet.
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The luminous full moon rose to the middle of the sky and shone on the earth, making it almost as bright as day. Looking at the night sky, Medusa’s heart was filled with an indescribable tension. The brighter the moon, the stronger her feeling of inexplicable fear. “Could this full moon be an omen of bad things to come?” she thought. “Oh no, no. Since the beginning of time, the full moon had always been an auspicious symbol and not a harbinger of bad luck. I am being overly suspicious.” Medusa’s piercing eyes looked all around her. Scouts and sentries had been posted in the surrounding forests in the distance and would shoot resounding arrows into the air in case of any emergency. Innumerable open fires had been lit on the banks of the lake and thousands of natives were busy walking to and fro attending to their assigned tasks. “No accidents must happen at this critical point when the gold palace was about to be raised out of the lake” thought Medusa. “Perhaps stress and tension are causing this feeling of unease in my heart. But what danger could possibly be lurking? None that I can think of. I must be too keyed up and am worrying about nothing. A wry smile touched the corners of Medusa’s lips.
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Ileen’s eyes were glued to the surface of the water as she waited anxiously. “Cyclops has been in the water for quite a while” she thought. “Why hasn’t he come up yet? Could something untoward have happened? Though he is endowed with superhuman strength and matchless energy, he is after all a land creature and not at all a good swimmer. Could something have happened to him down there in the bottom of the water?” Ileen knew she was making a mountain out of a mole hole, but Cyclops was someone near and dear to her heart. How could she not worry about her man? White Fairy knew what was going through Ileen’s mind, so she walked over to her and said,
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“Don’t worry, Ileen. Nothing will happen to Cyclops. He has been successfully going back and forth so many times carrying things from land to the bottom of the lake and nothing has happened. He is used to working underwater by now. This time he carried down four heavy wheels tied to five tough strong ropes of great tenacity. Nothing will happen. Also Deanna is down there with him. That girl practically grew up in the water so you surely have confidence in her capabilities. With her swimming with him and helping him in whatever capacity Cyclops wants, you need have no worries.” Then pointing to an open fire by the bank of the lake she said, “Look at that fire, Ileen. We have a whole lamb roasting over a slow fire. It’s crispy and golden brown and almost done now. There’s also two barrels of good liquor. When Cyclops comes up he can take a break and have a delicious meal. All the preparatory work is done and we are poised to raise the gold palace from the bottom of the lake. Isn’t this an exciting time?...” Ileen’s eyes again looked all around and saw that the ground from the bank of the lake to the original site of the gold palace was covered with carpet made of coarse gunnysack. She knew that the natives had designed this specially to prevent the extremely heavy gold palace from bogging into the soil as it was being moved up the hill. On the bank of another part of the lake, several strong stalwart bare-chested young native warriors took turns energetically peddling the huge bellows connected to a leather pipe that went straight down to the bottom of the lake. On the other end of the leather pipe was a pig’s stomach made into a semitransparent mask fitted to Cyclops’ head. It was through this pipe that fresh air was transmitted to Cyclops, enabling his high capacity lungs to breathe as he worked at the bottom of lake. Seeing that all preparations had been effectively done, Ileen breathed a sigh of relief.
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Suddenly a small boat came flying towards them from the desolate island on the opposite bank of the lake. A figure with clothes flapping in the wind was standing at the bow gesturing with both hands. Under the luminous moonlight Ileen saw that it was no other than her beloved daughter Viola. The strong muscular man rowing the boat was Viola’s husband Mr. Finger. The two of them had been living in seclusion in their tree house on this desolate little island ever since they came back from their trip to the mundane world. A man and a woman living together for a substantial period of time, naturally became a couple. At first Mr. Finger was not able to adjust to the monogamous relationship of one husband and one wife, and complained incessantly, but because he had no control over his body which Viola could make as big as she wanted or as small as a finger at her whim, he had no choice but to capitulate. But as time went on, Mr. Finger had been tamed to the point that he was submissive and obedient, no longer complained and seemed to enjoy the happy life of a hen-pecked man; or to be more to the point, he no longer dared to complain. As they looked over to the other side of the lake that evening, they saw numerous open fires burning brightly, hundreds of people walking busily to and fro and could sometimes even hear sounds of shouting in the distance. Viola knew that something important must be happening, especially since she had heard news that the gold palace that had been sunk to the bottom of the lake was going to be dredged up. “Could that be happening tonight?” she wondered. Viola had always loved the magnificent gold palace, so she immediately hurried Mr. Finger towards the water and the two of them made swiftly for the opposite bank.
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Viola rushed into her mother’s arms and Ileen kissed her tenderly. “Is the gold palace going to be dredged up tonight?” she asked urgently. “... Is tonight the night?”
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“Yes, yes it is…” replied Ileen. “Your father is down there. It will be raised up from the bottom of the lake very soon. Are you happy?...” Viola nodded and said,
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“That’s great! My heart is thumping faster than ever when I think of how the gold palace would soon be raised from the bottom of the lake and see the light of day again sparkling with radiant brilliance under the dazzling sun.” Mr. Finger, who was standing nearby, said fawningly to Ileen,
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“Why didn’t you tell us beforehand about this magnificent task being carried out today? If I had known I would have come over to help… But as they say, ‘better late than never’. I am here now and it isn’t too late, right?” Ileen glared at him and said scornfully,
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“You want to help?...There are hundreds of thousands of brave strong native warriors here. Who needs you?...Can you fly to the heavens or can you swim to the bottom of the lake? There’s nothing you can do to help here. You just stand aside and watch…” Whenever Ileen was with Mr. Finger, she always threw her weight around and never let him feel too comfortable because she was always afraid that as a man he would take advantage of her daughter and not treat her well. Mr. Finger understood Ileen’s fears and knew that her attitude towards him was just a pose she affected and that in her heart she really loved him too. Ileen turned and asked Viola, “How has he been acting lately? Did he bully you or do anything to make you mad? If he did, just let me know and I will tell Cyclops and see how the big guy will deal with him. Cyclops will shake all your bones loose and let you have a taste of his superhuman strength and matchless energy.” Viola shook her head and said,
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“Oh no mother, he’s been quite good recently…He doesn’t dare bully me…”
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“That’s good” said Ileen. “That’s good.”
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“Bully her?” mumbled Mr. Finger, muttering under his breath as if speaking to himself, but also as if he wanted others to hear what he was saying. “Do I dare? I thank heavens and regard myself very lucky if she does not bully me! Never in my whole life have I met anyone who dares to intimidate me. Even King Dimitri never does that. She’s the only one that dares to do it…” The women standing around cracked up at his mumbled complaint. Even Medusa who was normally serious and solemn couldn’t help laughing out loud.
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Ileen felt uneasy and her eyes kept searching the water surface wondering why Cyclops had been underwater for so much longer than he normally did and hoping nothing adverse had happened to him. Medusa too felt restless as her sharp, anxious eyes searched the shadows of Giant Mountain. Suddenly all the snake hair on her head stood straight up on ends and her piercing eyes opened wide as if she had detected traces of enemy invaders. Changing into a huge black bird she soared high up into the skies and hovered there intently searching the area below. White Fairy did not understand why Medusa was suddenly so alert, so she followed suite and flew up into the sky too. Soon Medusa made out five, six shadows standing on a small hill, looking towards the lake pointing and gesturing. Medusa immediately unsheathed her sharp iron claws, folded her outspread wings until they were close to her streamlined body and made ready to dive down and greet these uninvited intruders with a head-on attack. White Fairy saw what was going on and shouted,
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“Oh no! No Medusa no! Don’t do it! These people look like King Dimitri’s good friends. We mustn’t hurt them by mistake! You remain alert in the air and I will go down and find out what’s going on there…” Medusa nodded in agreement. She changed to a gliding motion and circled the skies while White Fairy flew towards the figures standing on the small hill. As she got nearer, she saw that they really were King Dimitri’s good friends Mr. Kaffee, Richard, Jamaz, Big O and one stranger. They had once been close allies who worked together to eradicate Hawknose and his gang of mobsters and burnt their Lakeside den to the ground; so she was glad to see them again. Mr. Kaffee and his friends also saw the puff of light smoke flying towards them and recognized that it was White Fairy. They waved to her and shouted excited greetings in glee. When White Fairy changed to human shape and appeared before them, they hugged her and introduced David to her as another of King Dimitri’s good friend. White Fairy also hugged David closely, which greatly elated him and made him wild with joy. After the elation of the meeting of old friends calmed down, White Fairy realized that Medusa was still circling overhead, so she raised her head and made hand signals to Medusa intimating that these were friends and not foe so she need not worry. Then she pointed towards the lake as if asking Medusa to fly there first and she would bring the guests down there to meet her. Medusa understood and flew towards the lake. Then turning to the guests, White Fairy asked,
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“Where is King Dimitri? Didn’t he come with you?”
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“He asked us to come here first” replied Mr. Kaffee. “He still had some business to attend to, but he will be here soon.”
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“Alright” said White Fairy. “Let’s walk down to the side of the lake and meet Medusa.”
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“Is Medusa the large black bird with a human face and snake hair that King Dimitri told us about?” asked Mr. Kaffee. “He told us she was the protector of the Kingdom.”
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“Yes, that’s her” answered White Fairy. “To avoid misunderstanding, let me go down first and tell Medusa of your arrival and also that you are all King Dimitri’s good friends from the mundane world. You can walk more leisurely down the hill towards the lake.”
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“Sure, that’s a good idea” said Mr. Kaffee. White Fairy turned into a puff of smoke and quickly flew down ahead followed more sedately by Mr. Kaffee and his friends.
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Medusa stood by the open fire, her face lit by a rarely seen smile to welcome friends from a far away land. White Fairy introduced Mr. Kaffee, Richard, Jamaz, Big-O and David to her and she shook their hands and hugged them in greeting. When White Fairy turned to introduce them to Ileen, there was a fleeting moment of awkwardness and embarrassment between her and Mr. Kaffee which quickly dissipated. She used to be his administrative secretary whom he sent as a mole to King Dimitri’s Kingdom so that she could spy for him, give him inside information on his finances so Mr. Kaffee could profit by it and tumble the Kingdom of Dreams. Her later exposure and defeat led to a series of bad occurrences. But that was all in the past. Now things were completely different and everyone wanted to bury the dead past and start with a clean slate. Suddenly a tall, stalwart man rushed into their midst and started pummeling Richard on the shoulder and Jamaz on the chest, shouting and laughing,
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“You two are still alive! That’s wonderful news! If the two of you had died, my sins would have been great…Yeah! It’s terrific that you two are still alive…” Richard and Jamaz saw that it was Emmanuel, that is to say their old friend Mr. Finger, so they too laughed.
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“You want me dead? Not that easy…” said Jamaz. “ I don’t die that easily. Even if you wanted me dead, God will not accept me…” Richard hit Emmanuel on his tummy saying,
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“Die? How could I die?... I haven’t lived enough yet and certainly am not willing to die…” Big-O always loved a good fight, so when he saw the three of them horsing around he immediately joined the fray shouting,
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“Hey, come on Emmanuel, I have never fought with you before, why don’t we have a go at it. Come on let’s go somewhere we can have a good fight and see who is the better man!...” The four of them stripped down. Fists and kicks flew around wildly in a free-for-all, while Mr. Kaffee and David, the two older men stood around smiling and watching the friendly fight. Richard’s fist caught Emmanuel on the nose and he said,
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“Hey dude, I heard that you got hitched to that great little beauty Viola. Is that right? You are really a very lucky guy!” Emmanuel’s nose immediately spurted out blood, but he was too busy to stop and take care of it. He immediately rushed up to Richard swinging wildly,
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“Damn you to hell man, you took advantage of my carelessness…What were you saying just now? You said I’m a very lucky guy?...Yeah! I am a very lucky guy… I suffer very greatly too…Remember the good old days when we were hanging out together? We ate meat and drank liquor, gambled in casinos and went whoring in brothels, ah, that was life! Now I can’t do any of these things any more. Ah, woe is me! I am out of luck!” Suddenly a slim figure streaked into their midst and twisted his ear saying,
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“Say it again? Who’s out of luck? You just say that aloud one more time!...” Emmanuel’s body bowed down to the waist in pain as he cried out loud,
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“Ow…ow…Look you guys, that is my very good luck! That’s one of the advantages of having a wife…” The four men who had just been fighting together burst into laughter. Mr. Kaffee walked over and acting as a peacemaker separated the two saying,
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“Alright, all joking aside, let’s settle down and talk about something serious.” Turning to Emmanuel he said, “After you were taken away by that white-bearded dwarf and brought back to the Kingdom of Dreams, we never saw him again. If he is still here in the Kingdom of Dreams, could you take us to him so we could have a grand reunion? We haven’t seen him for a long time and really miss the old dwarf!”
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“You mean that old guy Dwarf Mickey?” Emmanuel asked wiping at his bloody nose.
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“He’s down there” he said pointed to the water surface. His audience seemed mystified and did not understand what he meant. Viola then told them of how Dwarf Mickey gathered together all the diamonds and precious gems scattered all around the world into one place and then sank with them to the bottom of the lake. Everyone sighed and Mr. Kaffee’s eyes were sad and sorrowful as he said,
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“How could a strong and energetic old man like Dwarf Mickey throw himself into the water just like that? It’s really puzzling. Why would he do that?”
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“Why?” said Emmanuel, reverting again to his normal cheeky self. “No reason at all. Perhaps he did it just for fun! Maybe he is hiding down there somewhere in the water and when you guys have forgotten all about him, he would climb up to the shore sneakily and scare you all to death. It would be fun…” Mr. Kaffee knew the little fellow was jesting in his own foolish manner and did not pay any attention to him. Looking at the surface of the water his expression suddenly changed to one of fear and pointing at something in the water he asked,
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“Look you guys! What is that?”
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The calm surface of the lake broke with a splash as a large head rose from under the water. It did not appear to be human, but rather like that of some strange monster, with a singular horn on the top of its head and a face made indistinct by the semitransparent membrane that covered it. But the face behind it had only one huge eye seemed to shine with brilliant intensity as it looked around. Mr. Kaffee and his little group of friends stepped back with apprehension, but Ileen and Viola ran towards the lake waving their hands, shouting and screaming with excitement and glee. That monster-like head kept moving slowly and sedately towards shore. Thick and heavy shoulders appeared, followed by a muscular chest that contained endless energy. As it continued walking slowing up the banks, a powerful waist was seen that though slim could emaciate unimaginable strength when twisting in motion. Mr. Kaffee realized that this must be the legendary Cyclops that he had heard so much about but had never before seen. Suddenly another figure broke water with long pigtail wound around her throat, the end of which was clenched between her teeth. It was Deanna whose skills under water were comparable to any mermaid. As Cyclops walked he carefully took off the semitransparent membrane on his face and handed it to Deanna. The two of them walked slowly up the banks of the lake which sloped gently upwards very gradually, a fact that would be very helpful later on when they raised the gold palace from the bottom of the lake. Cyclops was wet through and through though it was hard to tell whether it was from the lake water or his own sweat. Ileen and Viola rushed up to him, each holding onto one of his arms and they swarmed towards the open fire. Cyclops’s huge eye glanced inquisitively at Mr. Kaffee and his little group and then he proudly moved his tall muscular body on without giving any acknowledgement. Never before in his life had Mr. Kaffee been treated with such cold disdain with a cut direct, so he was greatly affronted. His friends were also incensed and looked angrily at Cyclops. What they were not aware of was that Cyclops was not a normal social creature and therefore never practiced such social niceties as greeting people and chatting with them. That was just one of his foibles. Cyclops walked over to the open fire, tore off a crispy brown leg of the lamb that had been roasting for a long time and began tearing into it and chewing with gusto. Then holding up a barrel of liquor with both hands, he guzzled greedily. As the liquor flowed into his body they transformed by geometric integral into strength that produced unlimited power. Medusa was busy organizing the thousands of warriors of the Kingdom into four groups, each group in charge of one long thick rope that came up from the bottom of the lake. They shouted rhythmically in unison as they pulled with all their might at the rope. Of course that was only a rehearsal. Later on when the dredging process really begins, they would do so in earnest. The magic horse, Lightning, neighed loudly and flapped his wings impatiently, eager to start. Mr. Kaffee looked all around and saw that to the right of him on the opposite shore was a majestic structure that he surmised was the new palace King Dimitri’s loyal servants Creativity and Imagination had build for him of their own accord. From the outside, the palace looked more like a fortress. Turning to his old friend White Fairy who was standing beside him and who was entrusted with the job of receiving and entertaining him and his friends, he said,
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“You know what? I don’t think there is anything we could do to help here and I feel we would only be afoot and in the way. So why don’t you lend us two boats and we will row across to the other side of the lake and see the new palace.” White Fairy nodded in agreement. Calling to two of the warriors she gave them instructions. They left and soon came back each rowing a small boat. Mr. Kaffee and his friends went on board and rowed towards the opposite shore.
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Under the luminous moon the two small boats reached their destination. Richard and Big O jumped out and tied their boats to the wooden stake that protruded out of the water while Mr. Kaffee and the others walked onto the dock and made for the new, magnificent palace. From afar, they had thought the new palace looked like a fortress. Now that they were right before it, their impression was confirmed. Under the luminous moon they saw a high and thick wall with secure defensive fortifications. The high wall was studded with sentry posts and firm fortifications. From the half burnt torches and unlit lamps, they could see that normally this place was heavily fortified and guarded. It was only because the dredging of the gold palace needed all possible man power that everyone had been ordered to the Giant Mountain to help with the process and the palace had been left empty under the moonlight. A loud noise was heard when Mr. Kaffee pushed open the heavy palace gate that had been left ajar and everyone walked into what appeared to be a mini city. Facing them was the grandiose and magnificent palace, before which was a large square where the warriors normally drilled and exercised. On the two sides of the courtyard were barracks where the warriors lived. This mini city was equipped with granary, stables and water source, able to resist outside invasion. Mr. Kaffee and his friends walked through the square and came to the front entrance of the palace decorated with intricately sculptured beams and fabulous paintings. They walked into the formal hall and saw that King Dimitri’s gold throne was placed on a raised dais in the middle, with twelve comfortable chairs on each side prepared for his twenty-four beauties. The style and decorations were much the same as in the old palace but on a grander scale. The side halls were used for dining and other less formal celebrations. David couldn’t help clicking his tongue in admiration saying,
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“Let’s not even think about owning so magnificent a palace as this one. I would be content just to be able to sleep on this carpet, so soft and plush.” Mr. Kaffee smiled and did not reply.
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“Why is this palace so heavily fortified?” asked Richard. “Are they afraid of an invasion?”
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“Don’t forget the Kingdom of Dream had been invaded by barbarian tribes and the old palace was burnt to the ground” replied Mr. Kaffee. “So it is logical that they put extra stress on fortification when they rebuilt.” The whole palace was completely empty with no trace of light or sound of other human occupants. The only noise they heard was their own footsteps as Mr. Kaffee led them from room to room. Then they walked up the steps. The palace was a three storey building. When they reached the top floor, they came face to face with huge French windows opening up to a vast veranda decorated with bonsai plants with a truly magnificent, panoramic view of the Star Moon Lake. Suddenly the neighing of a horse and Medusa’s voice shouting orders broke the silence. Mr. Kaffee rushed to the French windows opened the glass door and everyone went out onto the veranda. They saw Medusa with a thick rope in her iron claws and Lightning with another thick rope tied over his body, both flapping their huge mighty wings as they ascended slowly up towards the sky. On the shore thousands of mighty warriors shouted rhythmically in unison as they pulled with all their might at their rope, their united roars as they exerted their utmost effort resounded in the skies. The dredging of the gold palace had now formally begun.
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Cyclops ate and drank his fill and rested for a while so his both his strength and his energy were at its peak. Mind boggling strength and prodigious energy circled in his stalwart body. He couldn’t wait to finish the task of dredging up the gold palace and restoring it to its original site, so he could have a family reunion with his beloved wife Eileen, his daughter Viola and her husband Emmanuel and finally be able to enjoy some blessed home life and happiness he had never had before. He walked over to the banks of the lake and spoke to Medusa, White Fairy, Deanna and the magic horse Lightning, finalizing the details of their plan and clarifying secret sign signals to be used. Then putting on his head gear, he walked with Deanna back into the lake. Medusa transformed into a huge black bird and soared into the skies together with the magic horse Lightning. Between them they pulled taut the thick rope which had been split in two, one half clutched tightly in Medusa’s iron claws and the other half wound around Lightning’s body. Just then they felt strong vibrations and shaking being transmitted through the rope and knew that Cyclops had started working, so the two of them flapped their huge mighty wings and flew higher and higher into the skies in order to give Cyclops what assistance they could. At this time Cyclops was at the bottom of the lake using all the strength of his body to move one corner of the gold palace. Of course, mighty and prodigious as his strength was, it was still limited when pit against the forces of nature. He was able to make things work only by making use of the buoyancy of water. Cyclops suddenly felt a strong upward tug and immediately reached for a huge rock he had previously prepared and stuck it under the tilted back right corner of the gold palace. He then brought over a large, strong and thick wheel and placed it on the tilted corner of the gold palace. He would do the same to all four corners of the palace in order to push it up to land. Medusa and Lightning felt mighty shaking from another corner and quickly pulled mightily at the rope to make it taut and then flapping their mighty wings did their best to soar higher into the skies. Underwater, Cyclops repeated his previous actions and placed a huge stone under a large wheel on the frontal right corner of the gold palace. Deanna swam to the surface and made a sign of two towards the skies, meaning that the right corner of the palace had tilted about 20 degrees. Medusa understood and moved towards the right about 20 degrees pulling the thick rope with her, thus ensuring the balance of the gold palace underwater so it wouldn’t tilt too much towards the left. After that the same things happened to the two left sides of the palace, telling Medusa that Cyclops had succeeded in putting the rest of the wheels onto the other two sides of the gold palace. Deanna again swam to the surface and clapped her hands towards the skies, telling Medusa that all four wheels had been put in place. Then turning to White Fairy, she made signs with her hands meaning it was time to start pulling up the gold palace. Thousands of native warriors had also seen Deanna’s hand signals. They shouted in joy and not even waiting for White Fairy’s orders, they concentrated their total attention and efforts in pulling on the rope as one person, shouted rhythmically as they did so. Their compelling and vigorous shouts resounded powerfully in the universe. Medusa and Lightning coordinated their movements with the shouts of the natives and kept flapping their mighty wings and tried to fly higher and higher into the skies. Cyclops alone remained under water using his monumental strength and energy to slowly push the gold palace along the smooth bed of Sun Moon Lake towards the shore. Of course if not for the natural buoyancy of water, he would not have been able to do this as it would have been an impossible mission to accomplish. Every step he took diminished the buoyancy of water and Cyclops felt more resistance as he advanced, slowly draining his strength. It was his good fortune that the water was very calm that day and the water flow under the lake was stable, which was extremely favorable to the dredging and transport of the gold palace. As the domelike top of the palace gradually emerged from the water, the native warriors were greatly encouraged by the imminent success of their formidable task and thousands of arms pulled even more arduously in unison at their rope and the rhythm of their songlike grunts and shouts became more and more fervent and resonant.
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Under the bright and luminous moonlight everything was clearly discernable to the naked eye. Half the brilliant gold palace had already emerged from the lake and looked especially mystical and magical magnified by the background of myriads of brightly burning open fires that dotted the landscape. Mr. Kaffee and his friends stood on the veranda on the opposite bank, looking at this unbelievable scene that was happening, which was clear and visible without the use of telescopes.
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“Yes, yes” exclaimed David excitedly. “”That is the very gold palace where I sat on the gold throne and had a taste of what it was like to be a mighty king…. He, he. It is an experience that is really unbelievably good…”
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“This is really unbelievable…” said Mr. Kaffee with great feeling “I would never have believed it if I am not seeing it with my own eyes. This is a task which should be beyond the possibility of human strength. If not for the help of God, this could not have been accomplished. So it seems to me that in order to carry out something great, man’s endeavor alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by divine will…otherwise…” While everyone’s attention was caught by the magical scene before them, the capable and vigorous Richard heard an unusual noise behind him. Or to be more precise, the noise came from somewhere above and behind him. “I thought this was the highest floor of the new palace” he mused. “Is there an attic above this?” The noise increased and became hurried and impatient. Richard turned his head to look behind him and saw three barbarian warriors jump down from the narrow stairs and turned to run away. The others saw them too and gave chase. Richard caught the slowest warrior by the hair and threw him to the ground. Big-O and Jamaz were following close behind him and for a moment Richard’s action hindered their pursuit and afforded the two other barbarian warriors the opportunity to slip away. The two friends continued running after them but unfamiliar with the palace they stopped short when faced with innumerable doors and corridors that twisted and turned. On guard against surprise attacks, the search proceeded slowly and the two barbarian warriors got away under their very eyes. Reluctantly, they gave up the chase and returned to the upstairs veranda. They saw that Richard was stepping on the chest of the captured native who was lying on the ground. In his hand was the curved knife that belonged to his captive and he was questioning him fiercely. The native was gesturing and babbling in his native tongue, which none of them understood. Now what? Unable to cross the language barrier, the friends were stumped and did not know what to do. Big-O looked at Mr. Kaffee inquiringly.
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“These guys must have slipped upstairs while we were engrossed with the dredging of the gold palace” he said. “It was too careless of us… We thought this was the highest floor and didn’t know there was an attic above us…”
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“No,” replied Mr. Kaffee. “They must have been hiding there in the attic before we came. Our presence prevented them from leaving. They must have had something they had to do or somewhere they needed to be, so they had to jump out even though we were here and didn’t seem to be leaving any time soon. They took the chance of being captured, but thought it worth the risk…”
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“Really? So there is an attic up there. I wonder what it was used for…” said Big-O and made as if to go up the narrow stairs and investigate.
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“No need” said Mr. Kaffee. “I was just up there. I guess it was used to store the main treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams: the magic sword and the magic bow and arrows. But they are gone now and what is left are only empty stalls… This is a no laughing matter. Something terribly serious may be afoot.” Richard also became worried and stepped hard on the barbarian warrior under his foot until the man was yelping in pain. Richard waved the curved knife at him and said,
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“Talk! Why did you steal the magic knife and bow and arrows? If you won’t talk I will cut your head off with this knife.” Saying so, he gave the knife to Jamaz and made a gesture as if shooting a bow and arrow. The native seemed to comprehend and began babbling hysterically. He pointed to Medusa who was hovering in the skies and motioned with his hands as if shooting from a bow and arrow. The transportation of the gold palace had reached a crucial moment. Medusa was flapping her huge wings, trying to keep the gold palace in balance. Cyclops was using the remainder of his tremendous strength and was pushing the palace to shore. White Fairy changed into a wisp of smoke and flew around him giving him directions saying,
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“Slow down…Push when you get the correct angle…Right, right…No, no too much to the left, please go about 5 degrees towards the right…That’s right, just keep on this way…We will soon have the gold palace in its original spot…Yes, that’s the right direction, just keep on pushing that way…”
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“What?” exclaimed Richard turning pale with fright. “You guys are going to shoot Medusa? Then what are you going to use the magic sword for?” The barbarian warrior used his hand to make the shape of a horn on the top of his head and then made a circle with his hands and placed them on his forehead to indicate a huge eye. Then he made a cutting motion with his hand. “You are going to behead Cyclops, too?” Angry beyond control, Richard grabbed the knife from Jamaz and said, “Well, you people are really a nasty piece of shit! Why don’t I just kill you right here?” Raising the sword he was about to strike down when the barbarian warrior scared out of his wits began stuttering nervously the words “m-m-m-Medusa…..w-w-White Fairy…” Mr. Kaffee quickly stopped Richard saying,
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“Just a moment, Richard. He seems to know Medusa and White Fairy and want to tell them something. Let’s take him to see them. Only the two of them could understand his native tongue. There’s no time to be lost. Let’s set out at once. If we tarry, it may be too late…”
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The situation was getting very tense, only the principal characters concerned were not aware of the peril. That barbarian warrior not only knew Medusa and White Fairy, he was actually a mole sent by them into the native tribes. For quite a long time, the barbarian tribes had occupied the Kingdom of Dreams. Although under the benign influence of the beautiful twin nymphs Charmaine and Clementine, most of the natives had returned to their native land, there is no guarantee the same revolt and insurrection would not happen again. So the sending of moles and spies to report on what was going on within those tribes was a political necessity. The mole just happened to be sent by his chief to come with two others and steal the state treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams, namely the magic sword and magic bow and arrows. He meant to make use of this opportunity to report the latest findings to Medusa and White Fairy, but now it seemed that both he and the information he had gathered would forever be sunk to the bottom of the lake without Medusa and White Fairy knowing anything about it.
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It all began many, many years ago when Viola and Cyclops stormed into the territory of the barbarians and killed the leader of their most prominent tribe. This leader had a son who was only a teen-ager then, but who was smart enough to hide in the surrounding dense forest and led a nomad life, escaping unscathed from the numerous campaigns Cyclops launched to capture him. Now after years of trial and tribulations he had grown to be a strong and resourceful young man. He called himself Atlas after his illustrious ancestor, who knelt between heaven and earth using his strong arms to uphold the sky from falling down. Just when he left the forests and was attempting to gather together his tribesmen, rally his forces and regain the dominant position of his tribe among the other tribes, two beautiful twin nymphs Clementine and Charmaine led the tribesmen back to their original lands and they acknowledged him as the legal heir of his father and their leader and chief. But the young man was not satisfied because his heart had been captured by the beautiful nymphs and his brain was full of their lovely faces, their semi-transparent dresses and graceful forms to the exclusion of everything else. Later when he knew that they were the beloved daughters of King Zeus, he was filled with despair at the disparity of their stations because his position as the leader of barbarian tribes was too far beneath theirs as the daughters of the King of gods. Atlas suddenly thought that if he became the ruler of the Kingdom of Dreams, he would then be a king with his own domain and therefore would be in a better position to seek the hand of one of the nymphs and would then have a chance of success. Why, in fact he could even marry both of them and thus become the son-in-law of the King of gods. Then he would be in a position to ease the pain and suffering of his ancestor Atlas, who had been kneeling on the top of the highest mountain in the world all through the ages, condemned by Zeus to use both his hands to strenuously separate heaven and earth. That thought gave rise to a flare of wild ambition. He knew it was not an easy task to accomplish. To gain his goal, he would have to do away with Medusa, the protector of the Kingdom. His arch enemy Cyclops would also have to be killed. But these two characters were extremely clever and powerful and could not possibly be eliminated by the use of brute force alone. His thoughts went to the state treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams. If he could but steal the magic sword and the magic bow and arrows, he would have a better chance to kill these two stumbling blocks. Ah, but stealing the treasures was no easy task either, as they would surely be under close guard day and night. He would have to wait patiently for his chance when their watchfulness slackened… One night, his chance finally came. All the people of the Kingdom were focused on dredging the gold palace from the bottom of the lake and restoring it to its original spot by Giant Mountain. Medusa and White Fairy assembled all manpower of the Kingdom and even the guards defending the state treasures were called to the opposite shore to join in the effort. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So Atlas sent three of his trusted soldiers to sneak stealthily into the Kingdom of Dreams and steal the treasures. Thus, the incident happened and he succeeded in getting his hands on the magic weapons.
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The flaring fires on the banks of the lake began to die down and the bright moon sank under the horizon. A huge gap appeared in the skies where the dim light of dawn began to peak out, driving away the darkness of night. Mr. Kaffee and his little group of friends took their captive with them and rowed as fast as possible in two boats towards the Giant Mountain on the opposite shore. Shouts of joy rose wave after wave and loud cries rent the air as the brilliant gold palace was set on its original site. Medusa and Lightning alighted on the dome-like top of the palace. Medusa was too tired to even change back to human shape and only had strength to pant and gasp for breath. White Fairy was taking off the rope wrapped around the body of Lightning, the magic horse and it spread its wings and floated tiredly towards the ground. Cyclops had used up all the remainder of his strength and lay prostrated and flaccid on the steps of the gold palace completely limp and worn out, while Ileen and Viola fluttered around him, massaging his exhausted body, hoping it would revive him faster. The native warriors of the Kingdom were immersed in an atmosphere of exuberance and joy. It was then that the barbarian tribes, who had been hidden nearby, suddenly appeared and launched a surprise attack and whistling arrows signaling the approach of enemies were shot by the sentries into the night sky. At this critical moment when a monumental task had just been completed and everyone were all completely exhausted, a surprise attack could bring about the complete collapse of the Kingdom of Dreams.
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Dimitri yawned, stretched and then sat up straight. He opened his eyes and saw before him the deserted rose garden where the flowers were blooming but their petals and leaves were covered with dust and the red roses were spiritless and on their last legs. This deserted garden choked by weeds was like a down-on-her-luck aristocratic lady, who though plagued by misfortune, still retained semblance of her former grace and beauty. Dimitri looked around and did not see his good friends, Kr. Kaffee, Richard, Jamaz, Big-O and David. He smiled and thought,
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“They must have gone to my Kingdom of Dreams. Let’s hope they have such a great time there that it will forever be etched in their memory as a remarkable adventure.” Suddenly something struck him and he thought, “Aren’t my eyes totally blind? How is it that I can clearly see the dust on the roses and the cobwebs hanging on the eaves?” Then he smiled and knew that these must be deceptive illusions fabricated by his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity.
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“My eyes are ruined and my sense of sight is destroyed but my loyal servants have ingeniously led me into a brand new magical world. I must thank them for their good intentions but cannot be misled by them for deceptions are deceptions and illusions are after all just illusions. I must still make my way forward carefully with the help of my white cane; otherwise inconceivable accidents might happen, which would certainly disappoint my two loyal servants. But I really have doubts about the illusions created by the united efforts of Imagination and Creativity. Can they really take the place of the real sensory world? But then, what really are illusions and what is reality? I always thought that dreams are part of the real world; in fact they are extensions of the real world with no obvious boundary between the two of them. Are there any difference between the sensory world created by the combined efforts of my two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity and that of the real world? Yes, there is a difference; but then there doesn’t seem to be any difference…Perhaps the sensory world created by my two loyal servants is more compatible to that brand new world I long for in my innermost soul.
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Dimitri felt as if someone had hit his head. Actually the outside of his head had not been touched but a shifting wave of movement fluctuated on his brain. To be more precise, it was as if a switch had been turned on by an invisible hand and the scene before his eyes changed with it. The deserted rose garden suddenly became a corner of the poverty stricken slums. The houses were crumbling and decrepit and everywhere the eye could see was full of dirt, garage and all kinds of debris. In fact there wasn’t a single intact house left standing in the area; the beams were slanted, glass in the windows was broken and doors and windows were without hinges or frames. The outer cement walls became flakey and peeled off. At the end of this narrow alley was a defunct trash can, useless and inoperable, with garbage out-flowing to the surrounding areas forming an enormous pile of messy, foul-smelling waste? Who knows how long they had been left standing there unattended, but the elements had wrecked havoc on them and the air reeked with the rank, putrid stink of rotting food and animal carcasses Having grown up in this dirty poverty-stricken environment, Dimitri was immune and did not find it too unusual in any way. On the contrary, such scenes were dear and familiar to him. But one day it all changed drastically.
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It was an early spring morning. The warm sun shone indiscriminately on the earth regardless of whether it was affluent residential areas of the rich or poverty-stricken slums of the very down-trodden. The crumbling and slanting houses looked like specially designed works of art. Spring breeze blew into the narrow alley, bringing with it a seed which fell onto the dirty but fertile mulch made up of soil and decomposed vegetation. Sunshine and rain gave it the natural tender loving care it needed, so the seed sprouted, grew and became a young plant. Soon a large, beautiful red flower opened at its tip. It did not look down on the squalor around it, nor did it mind the flies constantly flying and humming about. It stood tall and straight and looked at the world with a bright smile. Soon, a miracle happened. Another beautiful flower opened up, then another, then another. Flowers continued blooming until they conquered the dirty, smelly garbage pile. That night a torrent of rain poured down from the skies, washing away the dirt from the houses. Sunshine shone indiscriminately on the earth the next day on both the rich and the poor. The earth accepted the debris and dirt left by man. Nature was like a huge organism covering up all kinds of matter and all things continuously broke down and regrouped, broke down and regrouped in the loving breast of kind-hearted Mother Nature. It is a cycle that will continue on till the end of time.
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A shifting wave of movement again fluctuated on Dimitri’s brain and he was inspired with a certain understanding. The sudden change of scenery was caused by the blooming of the beautiful red flower in the midst of the dirty and squalid garbage pile, which in turn triggered earthshaking changes. Wasn’t there a magical switch in the depth of every man’s brain, which could be turned on and off at his will? You could turn it towards brightness, serenity and permanence and enter a wonderful new world. Turn it in the opposite direction and you would fall into the deep and fathomless pit of sin and enjoy sensual pleasures that benumbs and paralyses. It’s a free choice to be decided by you alone, not influenced or pressured by the outside world. At that thought, Dimitri snapped his fingers, whistled shrilly, picked up his white cane and walked jauntily away from the deserted rose garden whistling happily, for he had found the magical switch in his brain and decided which way to go.
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Dimitri walked along whistling happily. He did not yet fully trust the sense of sight created for him by his two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity, so he tapped his way carefully along with his white cane unaware that there was a white cloud hanging low in the sky following wherever he went. He found that the people walking past him all seemed to be in a great hurry, and the cars on the road flew by in a rush. What are they searching for in such haste? In this busy world of ours, what are their goals in life? Why don’t they go to their churches, temples, mosques or synagogues to worship their god and wash away the sins in their souls? In this world of ours there is nothing that can take the place of religion. Not literature, philosophy, art or modern science. Our journey on earth is like floating on a small boat in the large ocean. Sometimes it is calm and peaceful, but at other times it may be tumultuous and stormy. When strong winds and huge waves toss your boat around in a storm, what can you rely on to calm down and show you direction? Nothing. Why do people give up religion? Of course we are against religious totalitarianism of the Middle Ages, but nothing can ever replace profound religious teachings and theories because they are the symbol of the spiritual civilization of mankind. Dimitri suddenly had a strange whim and gave orders to his two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity saying,
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“Quick! Twist the switch in people’s brains and order them to go to their places of worship. It doesn’t matter if they are Catholics, Protestant, Jews, Buddhists or Muslims. All orthodox and universally accepted forms of religion will do.” Imagination and Creativity immediately turned to carry out their master’s orders and all of a sudden cars changed routes and people hurried to their churches, temples, synagogues and mosques. Dimitri clapped his hands saying, “That is my ideal world. I cannot imagine what society would become without religion.”
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He looked up and saw the white cloud hanging there above him and thought. “That cloud looks familiar. It resembles one from the Kingdom of Dreams. Perhaps it had travelled thousands of miles passing through hills and mountains, seas and oceans just to find me. Look! Its pure white color has been dirtied in some places. Perhaps it floated above forests which was on fire and had been scorched. Perhaps it passed through large metropolis where the air was extremely polluted and therefore was tainted by them. If this cloud had come from the Kingdom of Dreams in search of me, what could it want? Dimitri turned on the switch in his brain and lo and behold, that tarnished cloud became white as snow again. The grey, foggy and smoky sky turned blue again and the air became clear and even had a floral fragrance. Dimitri then saw the people streaming out of their places of worship. He slapped his forehead and said, “Oh! It’s not Sunday today, so there are no services in those churches and temples. They will again have to go about their business and make their living. That is the price people must pay for their existence. But at least in their heart of hearts, they have an altar for their god where they can confess their sins, ask for forgiveness and make their souls pure again. Although I am not a frequent church goer, but in the depth of my heart there is a corner reserved for religion where I often go to gain new strength and power.” As Dimitri walked along he saw that the people he passed were all smiling, happy and very polite. “Ah! That is really a new world!” Then he wondered why he had to wait till he was fast asleep to go to his Kingdom of Dreams? “I am fully awake now and walking in the thriving and bustling streets of the mundane world which I feel is no different from strolling along the serene and beautiful paths of my Kingdom of Dreams? To me the real world is the same as the Kingdom of Dreams and My Kingdom of Dreams is included in this large metropolis.” Dimitri walked along happily followed by the cloud from the Kingdom of Dreams.
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Dimitri accidentally kicked an empty wine bottle lying by the roadside, which rolled away for quite a distance before falling down a flight of steps. There on the cement, it broke into fragments with a frightening crash that splintered the calm and quiet of the early morning. The sun was already up, scattering its brilliant rays over the earth, but the atmosphere here was eerily silent, lifeless and lethargic. Could all the residents here be sick? If so, their illness must be serious, even mortal. To be more precise, it was not the residents who were ill, but rather the whole society had become terminally ill. Neither cars nor pedestrians could be seen on the streets of this neighborhood. Everywhere the eye could reach was full of disorderly and messy piles of garbage left over from the night before with no street cleaner doing any cleaning up. This was the most notorious part of town, the breeding ground of crime and sin. Gambling and drug trafficking were rampart and even the bravest law enforcement officers tread warily here and came only if they had to. Naturally this had become the haven for prostitution. Gangs and underground forces carved out their own realms of influence and turf wars erupted when rival interests clash. Multiple gun shots ring out at night as a matter of course and lives of innocent bystanders lost in these conflicts could only be counted as sacrifices to the dark night. The police did not normally set foot in these parts. If not for the lure of high pay, who would be so foolish as to put their lives on the line and patrol here? Even when they do come, it was only the briefest of nominal visits. The police car would arrive and then just turn around and drive quickly away. This was no man’s land where anarchy ruled, a corner utterly rejected by society. Like an incurable cancer, it was left to fester and decay. This region was not unfamiliar to Dimitri because he grew up in a similar environment and this had been his roaming ground as a youngster. He had not been here for a long time and was visiting the area for a purpose unknown to anyone else.
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Not far from there was the Greyhound Bus Terminal where the loud rumble of incoming and outgoing bus engines scheduled so very close together was constantly heard. Here was where the crowds congregated to get on or off the long distance buses and was therefore the natural gathering place of all kinds of people, good and bad, high and low. Dimitri stood still at the corner of the street lost in thought, thinking about his childhood when he roamed these streets and lived like a starved dog always hungry and thirsty. Just then, a teen-ager suddenly ran headlong towards him from across the street, followed closely by a middle-aged man who shouted to Dimitri,
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“Catch him! Catch that little thief. He stole my wallet!”
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“No, I boost no wallet!” shouted the young boy “He wants to kill me…Help me. Help me please…” pleaded the boy as he ran past Dimitri. When the middle-aged man, who was running after the boy passed Dimitri, he turned his head cursing angrily,
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“Damn you, you fucking stupid bastard. Told you to stop him, didn’t I? Why didn’t you? If I don’t get him, watch what I will do to you when I come back…” That angry man may be middle-aged, but he sure could run fast. He soon caught up with the boy, grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground. Just as he raised his fist and was about to hit the boy, Dimitri ordered his two loyal servants,
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“Quick! Go and stop the man. Also twist the switch in both their brains and see what happens…” Imagination was faster than his companion. He reached the man first, twisted the switch in his brain and then did the same to the teen-ager. And lo and behold, a miracle happened! The man lowered his raised fist and smilingly helped the young boy to get up, saying,
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“….sorry…sorry…lil bro…Sorry I threw you on the ground. You hurt?”
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“…My fault, bro” said the teen-ager jumping up from the ground. “All my fault. Didn’t mean to boost your wallet…Don’t blame you for bein’ angry…I was wrong, big bro, please forgive me…” Taking the wallet from his pocket, he handed it to the man with both hands. The man pushed the boy’s hands away saying,
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“No, no… You need money, so you pick my pocket. Big deal... You took it you keep it. Lil bro, keep the dough. Don’t make me look bad.” The teen-ager did not listen to the man’s words but forcefully tucked the wallet inside his pocket saying,
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“Big bro, I took the roll. Let me return it…Next time I need money I will come to you. How’s that? Next time you give me money, I will take it, no matter how much you give me…” The middle-aged man took the wallet out of his pocket and stuffed it back to the teen-ager’s hands saying,
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“…lil brother… I don’t mind telling you this wallet ain’t mine. I picked it out of someone’s pocket…We meet, we brawl, we become brothers. This is my present to you ok?” The teen-agers saw that the man really meant what he said and that he seemed to have made up his mind about not taking the wallet back, so he said,
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“Big bro, you’re really great. What you say giving this wallet back? That ‘s even better right?” The middle-aged man’s eyes lighted up and he said,
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“Yes, yes. You’re right lil brother. Let’s give it back. I picked the pocket of a gent at the bus station. He must still be looking for it …” When Dimitri saw the conclusion to this little interlude; he laughed aloud and said,
0jBXt3W2zbwDi5Z71TkFLUeMJcp6qvVEyulsYong
“That’s just great! I never thought that it would work this well!” Turning to his two loyal servants who were standing in the air next to him he said, “Creativity, please go to the crowded bus station and twist the switch in everyone’s brain. Let’s see if they will become polite and civilized …” Creativity immediately flew towards the crowds milling around the Greyhound bus terminal.
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Just as the two newly acquainted brothers were crossing the street and going towards the bus terminal, multiple gun shots sounded in the air. Gun shots were no rare event in these parts, but because it was broad daylight, they were still cause for alarm. Then multiple shots from another gun sounded as if in retaliation. It seemed that two gunmen were engaged in a gun battle. A man in a black jacket tottered onto the street from the bus station, the left side of his body covered with blood. He ran on breathing hard, stopping now and then to shoot at someone behind him. The people around seemed to be experienced in protecting themselves in such situations for they fell flat on the ground to avoid being hit by stray bullets. A strong, sturdy man in a red jacket came running with a gun in his hand and on seeing the man in the black jacket took another shot at him. The man in black t was already bloody and wounded and this additional bullet finally did him in. Faint from loss of blood, he dropped down to the ground. The man in red ran up to his victim, kicked away the gun in his hand and brutally booted his wounded left side causing him to moan in pain. He sneered tauntingly at the man on the ground saying,
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“Still breathing eh, you son of a bitch? You wanna tramp on my turf and rape my woman? I’ll ice you good, shoot your brains out and let you die a messy death…” The man in black closed his eyes and thought to himself,
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“This is it for me. There’s no way I can get out of this alive. So many times I have cheated death by the skin of my teeth, but today I have met my match. There’s so much bad vibes between him and I that he will never let me live today. I wanted to kill him, but didn’t know that it was I who will die under his rod…It is fate…” The man in red was pointing his gun at the head of the man in the black jacket, getting ready to pull the trigger when Imagination, without waiting for her master to give the command, already flew towards the man in red and turned on the switch in his brain. Another miracle happened. The man threw away his gun, hovered over the man in the black jacket murmuring in anguish,
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“Hey bro, bro, don’t you die on me. I shot at you in the heat of the moment. You and I are both human beings. Why fight and try to kill each other? Why all this bloodshed? We fight over turf and power. You want my turf, take it. You want my woman, take her… Bro, don’t die…, hang on there. I’ll call 911 … they will save you…don’t die on me, you hear?” The man in red took out his cell phone and was about to dial for help, when the man in black actually used his own hand to help himself sit up on the ground and said,
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“No need. Look, I am fine!” The fact of the matter was, Imagination had also twisted the switch in the brain of the man in black as well. His former nemesis watched in fascination as his victim pried the bullets one by one from the back of his body with his fingers and threw them on the ground. He raised his eyes to the man in red and said, “I was really crazy to step onto your turf and rape your woman. Did not know that she was your wife or I wunna done it. Even I savvy the rule a friend’s wife is never to be touched… If you killed me with your gun just now, that’s okay, because it would solved all problems. To rape a friend’s wife was out of bounds…It’s really unforgiveable, really, really unforgiveable…”
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“It’s okay bro…” said the man in red. “you was gunned down, not I. The bad guy is me… sorry bro… you like women, I give you my prostitution business. I am not interested in it anyhow… But that woman you raped is not included because she is my wife…”
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“Oh no, no” replied the man in black. “Don’t say that. I am the one to blame. You shot at me because I raped your wife, I don’t blame you at all. If you shot me in the head just now, that is okay and solve the problem. But you didn’t. I really don’t know how I am to live with myself after this…” Seeing the two gunmen engrossed with asking each other’s forgiveness, apologizing to each other and taking the blame on themselves, the people around them who had lain on the ground to protect themselves began to get up. The middle-aged man and the teen-ager walked over to the two gunmen.
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“Hey friends, need help?” asked the middle-aged man warm-heartedly, “That guy’s in a bad way… Lost a lot of blood… We can help take him to the hospital.”
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“Oh, no, no” replied the man in black. “Thank you very much for your offer but I pried the bullets out by myself and I’m okay now. I don’t need to go to the hospital. Look! the bleeding stopped and the wounds are scaling… For a rough and tumble guy like me, this is nothing. But I did lose a lot of blood and I feeling woozy and unsteady... help me up guys. I will go and have a big meal and I’m sure I will be as good as new after that… A few cups of whiskey will help me heal even faster, ha-ha…” They all laughed and helped the man in black to his feet. They intended to take him to the nearby bar that was open 24 hours a day. He could sit down and rest inside there and order something to eat and drink so he could recover a bit after his ordeal. Just as they were about to turn and leave, the scene before them stopped them dead in their tracks.
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A scantily clad red-haired woman walked across the street, her fingers twisting the ear of a short, fat man, just the way Viola did to Mr. Finger. It was a funny sight. The shorts that woman had on were extremely brief, revealing half her buttocks and her t-shirt was excessively tight and low cut so that when she tottered along on her stiletto heels her overly-endowed wobbling breasts were in danger of popping out of her neckline. She walked along, holding tightly to the man’s ears, shrilly scolding all the while,
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“What? You go whoring with empty pockets? What do you think this place is? And what do you take me for? Come along, come with me. You think my honey pot is for free? I’ll take you to our big boss. He’ll fix you good. He is famous in these parts and has the nickname “The red jacket” because he loves to see red blood flow… Come along. I’ll take you to him. He will certainly cut off that penis of yours… If you’re lucky you may live; otherwise just go and die…You come out to bop a woman with no money? What do you take me for? Do I look like I give it out for free?” The fat man looked like either a butcher or a cook. The pain caused by his ears being twisted by the woman made him bend his body almost in half as he followed her trying to pacify her saying,
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“I didn’t do this on purpose. Really, I didn’t mean to stiff you. But you are so beautiful, I had to have you… My mind was centered all on you so I didn’t even know that my pocket had been picked and my wallet stolen…I most certainly would not have come to you if I knew my wallet was stolen. What I say is true. Please believe me. If you will let me go, I will be sure to pay you back a hundredfold. I really am an honest man who always pays my bills. Please, please…” The woman twisted his ear even harder, making him scream out in pain, begging her, “Softly, softly my sweet… Don’t be like that. You can’t blame me for wanting you…You are so beautiful, so sexy…The moment I saw you, you had me drooling. I had to have you no matter what…You can’t blame me…blame yourself…you are so beautiful you bewitched me… Consider the money I should have paid you as a debt I owe you. Trust me…Trust me…Trust me to reimburse you.” The woman was inwardly smiling at these fawning words, thinking, “This john is strange but he’s quite a lovable guy.” However she kept her expression hard and fierce. To protect herself, she always had a car key in her hand, which could be used as a knife to stab at the opponent’s sensitive spots such as his eyes, nose or ears, should the occasion rise. She now held it up and threatened him saying,
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“You are still quibbling over what you did? There is no excuse whatever for your actions. If you sprout any more such nonsense, I will put your lights out. See if you dare to comment on which woman is beautiful and which is ugly…”
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“Don’t, don’t be like that, please…” whined the fat man continuing to beg pitifully for forgiveness. “Your are pulling off my ears… Even if you pluck my eyes out, I still know you are the most beautiful goddess I have ever seen…When I get some money, I will come here and look for you again. Please, please don’t take me to see your boss, ok? If he really castrates me and cuts off that thing between my legs, that will not only be a loss for me, but it will be a great loss to you as well, am I not right? So, please, please…I beg of you. When I get some money I will pay you a hundredfold …” By then, the two of them had crossed the street and reached the other side. The red-haired woman raised her head and saw the great brute of a man in the red jacket standing right before her. In great fright she began stuttering,
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“Boss… Boss…Fancy meeting you here…I was looking…” Imagination, who was hiding in the air so no one could see her, bend down and twisted the switch in the red-haired woman’s brain as well as that of the fat man standing beside her. The man in red saw that the red-haired woman was twisting the fat man’s ear and could surmise what had happened. He immediately put back the fierce expression on his face and gave his customary cruel and hideous laugh,
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“What? You got another john that refused to pay? Let me see who has the guts to do that on my turf!” The red-haired woman stepped hurriedly in front of the fat man, like a hen protecting her young. She smiled at the man in red fawningly and said,
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“Oh no, no, boss. This john is a rich and generous. He did not refuse to pay…eh, no one in his right mind would do that on your turf, boss…” The man in red resumed his genial expression and went on to say,
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“Since you are here, I want to tell you that I am quitting my sex business. I hereby release you from your contract with me. You are no longer bonded to me and are free to do whatever you like.” The red-haired woman could not fully understand the import of the man’s words but the fat man did and jumped out happily. He bowed again and again to the man she called Boss and said,
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“Thank you. Thank you. It seems that you are not going to cut off that thing between my legs… Thank you. Thank you so much.” The man in red glared at him threateningly saying,
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“What? So you had her and did not pay?” The fat man realized too late that he had got himself into hot waters and quickly explained,
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“Yes sir… Yes sir… That’s true…But I did not do it on purpose…My wallet was stolen by someone but I did not realize it at the time. I promised her I would pay back the debt double, triple or a hundred times over. Please note that I said I would pay back the debt. It is what I owe her. I will reimburse her …”
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“That’s right” said the thin middle-aged man, giving the teen-ager a knowing glance. “I picked that man’s pocket and stole his wallet. Since we agreed to return it, let’s give it back now. The teen-ager nodded and called to the fat man,
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“Hey you! Look and see if this is yours. If it is, take it back.” Saying so, he tossed the wallet over to him. The fat man caught it in his hands and shouted excitedly,
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“Yes. Yes. It’s mine alright!” Exuberant to have his lost property returned to him, the fat man opened his wallet, took out a thick stack of cash and stuffed it into the red-haired woman’s hands together with his empty wallet without even counting, saying, “I told you I would give the money back to you ten times, a hundred times over, didn’t I? I did not lie to you, right?” The red-haired woman pulled him over to the side and asked,
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“You just said that I am the most beautiful goddess in your dreams, did you mean it?” The fat man held up his right hand as if taking an oath and replied,
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“I mean exactly what I said. How can I prove myself to you and show you what’s in my heart…. Just now, you stepped in front of me to protect me. You were afraid that your boss who was smiling so cruelly would hurt me. You are really a good woman. What better woman is there in the whole of this world for me? To tell you the truth, I want to marry you…” The red-haired woman nodded emphatically and stuffed the wallet and the cash back into the fat man’s pocket saying,
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“You don’t have to swear any oath to me. I believe you…Since we are to be married, why do I need the money? You keep it…” The fat man’s smile grew bigger and bigger. He laughed heartily and said, “This is wonderful. This is fantastic. The wallet that I lost has been returned. Not only that, I got a great beauty for my wife! This is called…eh…it’s called double good fortune. How lucky I am!!!” The red-haired woman, however, frowned and hung her head. She glanced worriedly at the fat man and asked in a pensive and anxious voice,
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“But…but…will you blame me for my past…? I have been a prostitute…a woman of the streets…Will you look down on me?” The fat man’s face turned serious and said,
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“No words I say now will ever allay your fears. Let me sing you a song that I made up myself and that, I think, should make you understand what kind of man I am.” He cleared his throat and sang out in a loud tenor voice,
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“Before today I was not in your life and you were not in mine.
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Now you will be in my life and I will be in thine.
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Be not concerned with what happened before we even met.
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Focus only on the future and let us the past forget.”
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The red-haired woman burst into happy tears and tightly hugged the man who was so short and fat that he could almost be said to be obese. This song was one that the fat man made up himself and used to sing in his shower. It actually did represent his sentiments and being sincere and heartfelt was therefore quite moving. After a while when she calmed down a bit, the fat man said to those standing around him,
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“Hey guys, tell you the good news. I am getting married today and I’ve got money in my pocket. What do you say that I invite you all to a good meal and good whiskey to celebrate my marriage?” Everyone was happy and excited and congratulated the two of them. The man in red said,
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“We were planning to go and eat together anyway, so let’s go!” Then turning to Dimitri who was standing not far from them he said, “Hey you, come on over. Aren’t you an old friend of Richard and Jamaz? They are my good friends, so their friend is also my friend. Come join us and celebrate the marriage of these two.” Dimitri walked over with a smile and said,
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“Thank you for inviting me to join in your celebration, but I’m afraid I would not be able to make it because I have another wedding that I must attend.”
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Mission having been completed, Creativity flew back from the Greyhound Bus Terminal a few blocks away where crowds of people congregated. Imagination quickly went to meet her asking,
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“You’ve been away for quite some time, where did you go?”
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“King Dimitri sent me out on an errand” replied her partner smiling broadly. “I have been really busy. I understood what he wanted to prove. He thought that in order to change a man’s thoughts, you needed to twist the switch in his brain and he will turn around and make a 180 degrees change. I used the busy Greyhound bus terminal as the center and then pushed outwards. I singled out those sly-looking ones or brutes who looked like bad elements of society and twisted the switches in their brain. I think I turned on about a couple of hundred of them. The proof of whether King Dimitri’s theory is correct and whether his tactic and strategy work will soon be available…” Imagination’s silvery bell-like laughter rang out as she answered,
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“No need to wait for the proof. King Dimitri’s theory, tactics and strategy are 100% fool-proof. I just tried it several times. “
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“Really?” marveled Creativity. So Imagination told him in detail the dramatic scenes that just happened at the street corner a few minutes ago. What could only happen in comic cartoons actually took place in real life. They looked over to the other end of the street and saw Dimitri standing there talking with several people: the man in red, the man in black, the thin middle-aged man and the teen-ager who was standing beside him together with the short fat man with his arms around the scantily dressed red-haired woman. The man in red and the man in black, both friends of Richard and Jamaz, found much in common to talk about non-stop for the adventures that Richard and Jamaz had been through and the comedy of errors that seemed to follow them were innumerable Dimitri was in a hurry to cross over to the other side of the Bay and attend another wedding, so he bowed to the fat man and the red-haired woman saying,
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“I am so sorry I cannot come to your wedding meal, but I am in a hurry to attend another wedding at the other side of the Bay. I am sure we will meet again and there will be lots of opportunities to get together … So, goodbye and good luck. I am sure we will meet again and talk…” Dimitri sent his happy group of new friends on their way to dinner and turned around. He saw that his well-built, tall and handsome servant Creativity was back, talking to his beautiful partner, the svelte and curvaceous Imagination. They were both naked, but hidden in the air they were invisible to human eyes. Dimitri said to them,
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“Let’s set out quickly to the other side of the Bay or we will be too late…”
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Imagination and Creativity followed behind Dimitri, like two close attendants. They had created the sense of sight for their master, but Dimitri wanted to retain his independent spirit and not rely solely on this new, partially recovered sense of sight. He still walked with the white cane in his hand, unwilling to give up his personal freedom and his tried and true mobility techniques. Tapping his way carefully on, he saw a tall and stalwart policeman pushing a shopping cart about half a block away. The officer’s attention seemed to be centered on the ground before him and every now and then he would bend down, pick up something and throw it into his shopping cart. He took some tissues from his pocket and wiped at the perspiration on his face. He accidentally pushed up his police hat askew and saw a homeless person wearing old and dilapidated clothing, looking at him with a smile. The policeman smiled back and nodded at Dimitri in a friendly manner inquiring politely,
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“How are you doing, sir?” Dimitri tipped his old and dirty safari hat in polite salute, and walked over saying,
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“Good morning, officer. It’s been a long time since I last saw any policemen around here. It’s good to see you guys patrolling again.” The policeman wiped his face again and stopped to chat with this friendly hobo while he took a short break.
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“It’s really strange and almost like a miracle. These used to be the most dangerous and chaotic parts of the city, but suddenly everything changed overnight. Early this morning when we reported to duty, our superiors told us that there were lots of discarded guns and drugs scattered around the streets. I and other officers were sent out to pick up these forbidden items a.s.a.p. so they could be safely disposed of. I’ve been busy since early this morning and look at my haul! Pretty impressive, eh? The other officers in my precinct are all out collected these deadly toys….” Dimitri glanced at the policeman’s shopping cart and saw that it was piled high with all kinds of guns big and small, long and short. There were also sealed plastic bags full of a kind of white powder and boxes of colorful pills and capsules. Dimitri shook his head, sighed and said,
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“Wow! I never dreamed that there were so many illegal firearms scattered in all corners of society. And so much drugs! If they were dispersed unchecked among the population and not collected and destroyed, they would become a scourge and create fatal social problems…”
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Imaginations looked at Creativity, raised her eye brows and said, “What did I tell you? King Dimitri’s theory and tactics were correct. Of course you also spent a lot of time working towards this, so you have earned part of the credit. See the result now? To change society, we must first change their mindset by twisting the magical switch in their brains.”
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“You’re right” replied Creativity. “But just relying on the two of us is not enough. We must mobilize more people to do it. Only then could we expand and deepen our influence and attain durable sustainability.”
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“Of course. Of course” said Imagination, nodding in agreement.
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“What is this fine powder for?” asked Creativity curiously as he picked up a bag of white powder. It was either cocaine or heroin.
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“You mean this powder? Have you forgotten?” asked Imagination, her two deep dimples dancing as she smiled more brilliantly than ever. “At that time you and I were living in God’s Garden of Eden. I could not withstand the temptation of tasting the red apple, which incurred God’s wrath and resulted in the two of us being driven out of the Garden. The white powder in your hand is hundreds and thousands of times more tempting to humans than the red apple was to me. I heard that anyone who tasted it would be transported to a place where they forgot everything, even themselves. They would feel as if they were in Heaven, in a new world where everything was bright, serene and eternal. But once the effects of the drug wore off, they would fall from the lofty heights down to hell, to the depths of a deep abyss of pain and suffering. Actually a bright, serene and eternal new world is not unattainable and could be within human reach without the aid of drugs. History has proved again and again that immersing oneself in the spiritual illusions brought about by these kinds of white powder is no inspiration for great literary epics or scientific discoveries. On the contrary, it creates roadblocks that cause human civilization to regress. From this we can see that human beings are not a logical breed…What do you think?” Creativity who picked up an intricately made gun and was playing with it, nodded his head saying,
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“You are right. Sometimes I think that if humans were made to the image and likeness of God, then God may not really understand the inner workings of the human mind or their behavior and motives. If man is clever enough to create the brilliant civilization that even their creator admires, why then do they at the same time invent such instruments that could destroy their dazzling civilization? So the conclusion must be, as you said, that human beings are not very rational animals, but are a strange combination of semi-rational and semi-mad.”
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The genial policeman wiped his face and said to Dimitri, “You know, in this world there are some adults whose mind never fully matured. They are very childish in many ways. If the adults in the world were all like that and had guns in their hands which they think of as toys, can you imagine what a mad world that would be? So we are gathering up these guns before the world becomes quite mad and destroy them all”. Dimitri laughed and patted the policeman on the shoulder saying, “That’s exactly what I was thinking, bro. Guns are not a necessity of life which we cannot live without and should be used only for self defense. If there were no bad elements in society, why do we need guns at all? Yes, we really do need to gather them all together and destroy them…”
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Dimitri reverted back to his normal, incurable optimistic outlook, with a childlike naiveté and said, “Ah Mr. Policeman, it’s been so interesting talking to you that I have forgotten what I set out to do. I need to cross over to the other side of the Bay. Could you tell me if there is a BART station around here?”
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“Oh yes. There is one just a few blocks away…” replied the policeman. Then noticing that Dimitri had a white cane in his hand he immediately offered his services saying, “Oh, you are disabled sir. Would you like me to help you to the BART station?”
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“Oh no. No thank you” said Dimitri. “You are busy. I can find my own way there alright.” He said goodbye and together with his two loyal servants, Imagination and Creativity, went on his way to the BART station. The image of the bright red flower swaying in the breeze kept popping up in his mind. If that single flower was able to change and conquer the garbage pile, then perhaps twisting the magical switch in people’s brain could cure that poisonous and malignant cancer in human society?
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Walking down the flight of stairs, Dimitri came to the BART station and saw several people lining up to buy tickets from the ticket vendor. He suddenly remembered that he had no money at all on him, so how was he to purchase a ticket? Turning to his two loyal servants, he said,
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“I have been destitute too long to remember I need cash. Do you guys have any money on you to buy me a ticket?” Creativity shrugged and replied,
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“How could we have any money on us? We hide in the air and don’t even wear clothes.”
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“What can we do?” said Dimitri in a quandary and paced around not knowing what to do.
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“Don’t worry, King Dimitri” said Creativity. “This is no big deal, I’ll think of something.” Just then a young man wearing rimless glasses walked over. He was well dressed and looked like a white-collar worker from some bank. Creativity reached into the young man’s pocket for his wallet, opened it and took out a BART ticket, which he quickly handed to Dimitri. Dimitri swiped it on the electronic entry slot and successfully got into the station. He then handed the used ticket to Creativity, who replaced it in the wallet and slipped it back into the man’s pocket. But when the young man tried to swipe the ticket again, nothing happened. The machine would not raise the bar to grant him entry. The young man took his ticket to the station agent’s saying,
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“Sir, this is a brand new ticket I just bought. Why won’t the machine let me in?” The station agent looked carelessly at the ticket and saw that it was indeed a valid one with a lot of money left on it. Knowing that the old machines often acted up for no reason, he waved the young man over to the door next to him, gave him back his ticket and let him in manually. Dimitri saw all this happen and said to Creativity.
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“I have often ordered the two of you to twist the magical switch in people’s head to see that they lead a normal and law-abiding life. Yet here I am breaking the law myself by allowing you to steal BART tickets for me. That’s really a mockery against me…” Turning to Imagination, he said,
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“I cannot just make use of this young man’s ticket without somehow paying him back. Please go and tap him on the shoulder. I will convey my blessing to him in this way…” Imagination walked over as commanded and tapped the young man softly on the shoulder. The man automatically turned his head, but was surprised to see no one behind him. He was puzzled at the astonishing things that were happening to him. First his brand new BART ticket somehow wouldn’t work. Then someone tapped him on the shoulder, but when he turned his head there was no one there at all. Perplexed by all this, he repeatedly made the sign of the cross on himself as he took the escalator down to the platform to wait for his train.
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“Hey, King Dimitri” said Creativity. “What kind of blessing did you give that young man? Can you tell us?”
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“I gave him the blessing that in the near future good fortune will come to him” said Dimitri with a smile. “But I don’t know in advance what the good fortune will be. It could be as major as being the sole winner of the Powerball Lottery or as minor as picking up a dollar on the street. I have no way of knowing the size of the good fortune. It could be big or small, but it’s something good, that’s for sure…”
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“Hope he wins the lotto jackpot” said Imagination. “That would be ample reward for having the good fortune to have helped King Dimitri!”
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“Wow! That would sure be getting it back hundreds and millions times over! A BART ticket for a multi-million dollar jackpot. That’s awesome….. Too, too awesome…Well, I am sure that there will soon be the addition of another multi-millionaire to this world.” The trio chatted amiably, but no one around them heard any of their conversation, for the three of them had their own special way of communicating and could directly exchange thoughts and ideas without the burdensome need of words. Soon they too arrived at the train platform. Their train arrived and the three of them boarded. Several passengers seeing Dimitri’s dark glasses and white cane, knew he was blind and politely stood up to offer him their seats. Dimitri thanked them all, chose one nearest the door and sat down. The train was not crowded and Creativity and Imagination were able to sit right next to him on his right and left. The door closed and the train started to move. After a few minutes, it came out from under the tunnels and moved to level ground again and the sun shone brightly into the train.
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“I really envy the two of you unencumbered with a flesh body” said Dimitri. “You don’t have to buy tickets on trains and can hide in the air without any clothes on. That’s wonderful!”
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“No so fast master” protested Creativity. “You envy us not having a flesh body. We, on the other hand, envy your having one. For example, take that young man whom you blessed just now and said he may win the lotto jackpot. How could he enjoy his immense wealth without a flesh body? How could he experience the marvelous luxuries that wealth could give the flesh body? So we envy the fact that you have one, King Dimitri…”
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“Don’t forget the fact that not everyone can win the lotto” said Dimitri. “There may be many multi-millionaires and billionaires in this world, but there are many, many more people living under the poverty line, struggling all their lives just to survive. To them, the flesh body is the cause of sufferings and worries. Also, having a flesh body means that you will inevitably have to face aging, sickness and ultimately death. So to me having a flesh body is more trouble than it’s worth because all it really brings is sufferings and worries. But then since I already have one, I must face reality and take good care of it. It could be said that how to treat your flesh body is a vast science that requires your whole life to study. All human beings, rich or poor, must face aging, illness and death, so it could be said that though human beings may have different fates, but in the face of death all men are equal.” Creativity sank into a deep reverie and murmured,
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“You are right. Nevertheless we must find a just and fair equilibrium between riches and poverty.”
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“That would be hard to do” laughed Dimitri. “Since the beginning of times history has recorded that many clever people, philosophers and such all wanted to solve the same problem, but in the end none succeeded because riches and poverty are only concepts. In reality there is no just and fair way to measure riches and poverty. The two concepts are contradictory. Take me for instance. In the cities of the mundane world, I am a penniless hobo and a pitiful blind man. I am on the lowest ladder of society with no recourse available to better my lot. Thanks to the help from the two of you, Imagination and Creativity, my best and most loyal friends, I found my way to the Kingdom of Dreams. There you built me a magnificent palace, brought many beauties to the Kingdom to keep me company and even built me a solid gold palace. You gave me subject who loved me and made me a high and mighty king respected and esteemed by all. I don’t need to go into dreamland to have all this, even now when I am wide awake; I feel that my innermost heart is full of endless treasures, which makes my heart full to overflowing. So in my case, where is the boundary between riches and poverty?” Dimitri’s words gave Creativity more food for thought. He again fell into a brown study and did not speak again.
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It was then that Dimitri realized that his other loyal companion Imagination had been silent for quite some time. So he said,
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“Hey Imagination, what have you been thinking about? Why haven’t you said anything all this time?”
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“I am not at all interested in what the two of you had been talking about. I feel that the topics of riches, poverty, flesh body and such have nothing to do with me as I don’t have any of them. You said you envy us not having a flesh body because then we would not have to endure the sufferings and troubles it brings with it. I envy your having a flesh body because if I had one, I could wear beautiful clothes and attract the attention of everyone who sees me. Won’t that be wonderful? Look at that beautiful woman sitting towards the left in front of you. Isn’t she an example of what I want?” Dimitri looked to where Imagination indicated and saw a pretty young woman wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, apple green knee length skirt and white semi-high heeled shoes who was immersed in reading a book in her hand.
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“Look at that young woman” said Dimitri. “The material of the clothes she is wearing is not expensive but because of her good taste in putting the outfit together it emphasizes her youth and vitality. Most important of all is the vibes she gives out. Anyone who comes in contact with her cannot help but be affected by her peaceful serenity. It is such vibes that influenced the whole section of the train, making people feel peaceful and serene. That’s why I think everyone has his or her own way of dressing, but the vibes they give out are different according to the individual. Don’t you think so?” Imagination nodded, but her eyes kept going to that beautiful young woman.
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“Somehow I have the intuition that this young woman will be stopping off at the same station as we do. I intend to do what Creativity did. I will take the BART card from her wallet and let you use it. Then after you successfully got through, I will replace it in her wallet and put it back in her purse…Hey, King Dimitri, you cannot use this young lady’s help without recompensing her, right? You will give her your blessing too, right? What blessing will you give her?... I don’t think money and riches would be high on her list…I think she would like to retain her youth and good looks forever and be eternally beautiful… Can you give her such a blessing?”
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“Of course I can” replied Dimitri smiling. “But I cannot guarantee that such a blessing would come true.” The train suddenly grew dark as it went underground through the tunnel at the bottom of the San Francisco Bay that will take it directly to the opposite shore. The cloud from the Kingdom of Dreams wafted freely with the wind in the air above the Bay. Heedless of air and distance, it floated blithely on unaffected by the changes in terrain, topography, national boundaries or borders…
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After leaving the BART station, Dimitri was again plunged amidst a bustling crowd of people. This city was bigger and more prosperous than the one he left, so the footsteps of the people here were even more hurried and rushed. Dimitri paid scant attention to the professionally decorated store windows which lined the streets, for the bells in his heart were chiming loudly, calling on him to hurry to his destination - the grand old majestic church, a historic landmark of the city, where one member of the Kingdom of Dreams would be marrying the man of her choice and 16 other beauties would be celebrating a group wedding to him, Dimitri Jackson! The occasion was being celebrated with such pomp, publicity and splendor that his absence would deeply embarrass and shame the 16 brides; for without a groom they would be considered jilted at the altar. Dimitri’s deep sense of responsibility would not allow such a thing to happen, but neither was he eager to take part in the ceremony for it would not accomplish any purpose. Though he was walking quickly forward, Dimitri was in a tizzy because his feelings were confused and controversial. Up to the moment he had still not decided on what he should do or how to resolve this dilemma. As he walked, he was thinking to himself,
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“Queen Aisha is a brilliant and clever woman and I love her dearly. She should know that the reason I have stayed away all this time was to give the beauties of the Kingdom of Dreams sufficient time and space to decide on what they wanted to do with their lives and set about doing it. Why would Queen Aisha go along with the plan of a group wedding? That move would only force my hand and make me appear before I was ready to do so… If her purpose was to see me for the final time and say goodbye, why choose such a public occasion? It would serve no purpose and only cause sadness and trouble for all concerned.”
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Dimitri walked quickly ahead, but the more he hurried, the more roadblocks appeared. As the saying goes, “More haste, less speed”! As he got within a few blocks to his destination, he found that the area had been completely cordoned off and all cars and pedestrians had to detour. Policemen were on every street corner and helicopters hovered overhead because this was an ultra extravagant wedding with members of royal families and many of the celebrities and elite of political and financial personages attending. In this day and age of terrorist attacks, the law enforcement agencies and the military went all out on full alert to ensure the safety of these domestic and international VIP wedding guests; for any accidents that took place could easily be elevated to international incidents.
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The sidewalks on both sides of the street were full of crowds of people gawking at the wedding guests dressed up to the nines in the latest fashions. But many more were attracted by the name-brand luxury cars from different countries conveying these rich and famous to the church. Some ultra fast sports car would arrive singly and whizz past like the wind. Two or three cars would come sedately as a group allowing the spectators to have an eye-full. To keep up their status, these ultra expensive name brand luxury cars were of limited edition; rare enough to cause a sensation whenever they appeared. However at this wedding of the century, all brands of these limited edition cars arrived en masse giving the crowd a rare treat that kept them oh-ing and ah-ing in rapture. Though too expensive for the ordinary person to own, the audience was satisfied just to see so many of them in motion. It could be said that holding a rare car show for the spectators before the wedding began was an unintended treat from the wedding preparatory committee!
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Five or six formally attired young men, brother, cousins and good friends of the groom, stood at the entrance to the church, acting as ushers to lead wedding guests to their allotted seats inside the church. If the guest drove to the wedding himself, a valet was called to park the car for him. If the guest was driven by his chauffer and brought along his secretary, body guard etc., the chauffer would be told where to park and the others would be taken to another location where they would be seen to and entertained by other attendants. The special preparatory committee took a whole year to prepare for this wedding and did an excellent job, seeing to every possible contingency, so that everything would go very smoothly. After the wedding ceremony was over and the bride and groom had left, the preparatory committee organized to have special attendants call out the names of the guests whose vehicles were ready for them in front of the church. This list was made according to the time of the guests’ arrival and not the nobility of their status. A group of experienced valets were stationed at the parking lot to execute the list given to them and send the cars out in the order of their arrival. Just then, a middle-aged usher who seemed to be the one in control, looked at the screen of his hand-held computer and murmured,
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“All the guests have arrived with the exception of a prince of one of the minor countries. He had already abdicated. Why is he still so busy? But he always had a tendency to be late, so will he be late today, too? We cannot delay the wedding because of him…” Just then the purring of a strong engine was heard and a super-luxury sports car whooshed hastily into sight stopping crookedly before the church. A middle-aged man of about forty to fifty years old jumped out as soon as the car stopped, and without closing the car door went over to the passenger side of the car to help his female passenger out and the two of them walked quickly up the steps to the church entrance.
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“Sorry. Sorry. I’m afraid we are late” said the prince as he walked towards the middle-aged usher who came forward to greet them.
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“Oh, no, no. You are on time, your highness,” replied the usher. “But the ceremony will be starting in just two minutes. You are in fact the last guest to arrive.” Then he waved over an usher to show them inside the church to their assigned seats. Looking at the others he said, “Good. All the guests have arrived. The wedding ceremonies will begin on time. Tell the people up in the bell tower to start ringing the bell and let the music begin.” Soon the church bells was ringing merrily, announcing the beginning of the ceremonies. He then talked by walkie-talkie to the group of cars waiting a short distance away and told them that it was time to drive over.
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There was an impressive fleet of twelve black super luxury sedans waiting at the entrance of the hotel a short distance away. The groom sat in the fifth and bride in the sixth car with their attendants, while their entourage was scattered in rest of the cars. This arrangement was made because the O’Brian family wanted to make a great show of their wealth and air of grandeur as well as to express how important this wedding was to them. The fleet of twelve cars made their way slowly towards the church with horns blaring as a mark of celebration, in consort with the loudly ringing church bells. As the bride’s car slowly drove by, Imagination said to Dimitri,
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“Isn’t that bride Novella? Look! She is turning her head to look towards us! But I don’t think she can see very clearly behind her veil, so she may not discover it is us standing by the roadside…We used to be close as sister, now…I feel we are so distant we feel like strangers…” Watching the fleet of cars drive slowly away carrying a beauty who used to be part of his Kingdom of Dreams on her way to wed another, Dimitri felt an indescribable feeling come over him. He could not tell whether it was happiness or sorrow but felt a disconsolate sense of loss in his heart.
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The iron back door of the church opened wide with a loud clang and workers rolled out a red carpet from inside the building right to the back entrance. A security guard was stationed there to make sure that no outsiders were allowed to enter. At the same time he was told that when the main wedding that was going on was finished, there would be another group wedding scheduled to take place, where sixteen brides were to be married and that the back door of the church was reserved for their exclusive use. That was all the security guard knew and he was not told of any of the particulars. Early in the morning, four large trailers similar to those used on movie set were parked by the back entrance of the church, which practically took up the whole length of the street. Nearby residents thought some studio was going to film scenes there. As such things had happened before they did not think much of it, so adults went to work and children went to school as they normally did. The area had been completely cordoned off for security reasons and all cars and pedestrians had to detour, so streets seemed extremely calm and quiet. In the beginning about a dozen young women could be seem going in and out of the four large trailers, talking and laughing. But after a while they seemed to settle down four to each one and did not appear any more. These air-conditioned vehicles were actually the size of a little house, equipped with toilet, showers and even a small kitchenette. On movie sets, they were used as the place for movie stars to put on makeup, change costumes and rest between takes. They were the sixteen beautiful brides who all intended to marry King Dimitri. Of course some trailers held more than four persons, for Amalia, Mark and little dog Maureen also came with them.
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The noble and decorous Queen Aisha sat in her trailer, intently reading the book in her hand. She was all ready for the ceremony having already put on her white wedding gown and the priceless jewelry fit for a queen. Together in the trailer with her were Megginn, Samantha and Dorna, the apple of her eye who were all dressed in their formal wedding gowns. Megginn was reading and answering her e-mails. Though she had resigned her position as CEO of World Bank, there were innumerable details connected to King Dimitri’s large financial empire she had to deal with on a daily basis that no one else could help her with. Samantha was helping Dorna get ready. At first the naughty girl refused to put on any make-up because she had never done so before and did not know how to do it. Samantha coaxed her saying,
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“All girls need to put on make-up on special occasions. It’s a form of respect and politeness to herself and to others. It is a way of expressing her high regard for the importance of the ceremony she is taking part in… You are still young and do not want to put on make-up. Just wait! A few years later, no one could persuade you not to! Come on, I’ll just touch up your face very lightly okay?” Super model Samantha was an expert at this. A few simple light touches and she was done. Looking at Dorna admiringly in the mirror, she said, “Oh little Dorna, you are so beautiful! Look at yourself, just a few simple touches and you have become more beautiful than ever! You have a natural beauty that I really envy.” Such complimentary words from a sophisticated woman like Samantha gave Dorna a warm feeling. Though she was just in her teens, those light expert touches of cosmetics added a feminine charm and loveliness which made her feel special and proud. Dorna looked at Aisha and asked,
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“Hi Aisha, do you really think King Dimitri will come? What if he doesn’t? How will our wedding go on if he doesn’t show up? How can there be a wedding without a groom?” Aisha’s eyes left her book and said,
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“You have asked me this question three times already today. I told you that my intuition is King Dimitri will show up because he is our beloved king. He will never leave us all in a lurch like this. I am quite confident that my intuition is correct, so do not ask me this question again.” Saying so, Aisha’s eyes again looked down on her book. Megginn looked up from her work and gave Dorna a meaningful glance, cautioning her to leave that question alone so as not to annoy Queen Aisha. Dorna understood and spoke no more. Her eyes went to the computer screen which showed that the church was full to capacity and murmured under her breath,
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“All the guests should have arrived by now. Why hasn’t the wedding begun yet?” Before she finished speaking, the church bells began ringing loudly and merrily, mixed with the blaring of horns from the fleet of bridal cars which came nearer and nearer until they reached the entrance to the church. On the screen she saw the young and handsome Mr. O’Brian, accompanied by his two best men, walk quickly down the red carpet towards the altar and the much respected white-haired pastor quietly emerge from the vestry door to stand before the altar. Suddenly strains of the Wedding March played by the organ sounded and the veiled figure of the bride walked slowly and solemnly down the red carpet into the church on the arms of a large, plump man. Dorna cried out in surprise,
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“How come he is here…? Where did he come from…? Hey, you guys come and see. Mark is walking down the red carpet with the bride. How come he is the one giving the bride away?” Aisha put down her book and came over. Megginn and Samantha also crowded around. All eyes were on the computer screen showing the scene of the wedding in the church.
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“That’s strange!” said Aisha. “How did Mark appear here? According to our plan, Mark was supposed to substitute for King Dimitri and go through the wedding in his place if Dimitri did not show up. How did he end up giving away the bride? But come to think of it, Mark was quite a good choice for that job. Novella’s parents are no longer living and she has no siblings, so there is no one to give her away at the ceremony. In Amalia’s eyes, Mark is like her own son. King Dimitri likes him too and he has always gotten along very well with members of the Kingdom of Dreams as if everyone was a big happy family. He is a suitable choice to take the place of a brother and give Novella away to her groom. Why didn’t we think of that ourselves…? But what we did not think of, God did. I think this is a very good omen. I feel intuitively that King Dimitri will show up and take part in our wedding, which is also his wedding. My intuition is stronger than ever…”
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Early that morning before the area was cordoned off, four trailers arrived and parked on the street at the back entrance of the church. The drivers and their assistants got out and were taken to a rest area where they could rest and enjoy some refreshments. One of the trailers was occupied by Amalia, Yoko, Sheila, Laverne, Mark and little dog Maureen. Sheila and Yoko had already dressed Amalia in her red Manchu gown and they had also put on their own wedding gowns. Little Maureen seemed to be aware that today was a special day and was extremely well-behaved, lying docilely by Amalia’s feet in the living area of the trailer. Amalia said she was hungry, so Sheila and Yoko went and got her some food. Recently Amalia’s eating habits became disorderly. She constantly complained of hunger, but when food was brought to her she said she was not hungry and could not partake of anything. She ate only soft angel cake and milk, refusing all other food. Sheila carefully broke off a piece of cake and coaxed her to eat and Yoko made her drink some milk. Amalia was affixed on the idea that Mark was her own son and was constantly asking for him, so he was put in her trailer. Laverne had dressed him in his brand new suit and tied his tie for him, after which she went to the dressing room area to get herself ready for the ceremony. Mark followed her and saw her sitting before the dressing table putting on makeup. her face. He sat next to her with one hand propping up his chin and watched her in fascination.
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“Have you something you want to say to me?” asked Laverne smilingly. Mark hesitated for a moment as if uncertain of how to ask his question and then went on to say,
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“Are you all getting married today? Every one of you will be marrying King Dimitri? Including you, right? But didn’t you already marry me in that photo…? How could you marry someone else…?” Laverne had once taken a picture with Mark in a bridal gown, which Mark’s simple mind took to be a wedding (see Book 2).
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“Yes” she replied patting him lovingly on his chubby cheeks “Don’t worry. We are already married on the photo and I will not marry anyone else…But I am a member of the Kingdom of Dreams and all the other beauties seem to think it is of great important to hold this group wedding and marry King Dimitri as a sort of closure. Queen Aisha did not object, either. So as a member of the Kingdom of Dreams I am going along with it. But don’t worry, when this is over we will go through a simple civil service and be legally married. We will become a real family and have children together…”
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“Wow! How wonderful that will be!” exclaimed Mark, eyes bright with excitement. “We are going to have a baby! Oh heavens, we are going to have a baby…”
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“I really don’t understand their way of thought” murmured Laverne. “Why can’t the rest of the beauties understand that King Dimitri is staying away on purpose so that we could find our own destiny, our own future happiness? He doesn’t want us to put all our eggs in one basket and concentrate all our hopes and attention on him alone. That is the correct attitude, but why does Queen Aisha, who is normally so wise, insist on this lope-sided infatuation…? I really don’t understand. Perhaps because I have long decided what I would do with my life in pursuit of my own happiness, I cannot understand their point of view…” Laverne impulsively kissed Mark on his cheek at the thought, then seeing the distinct mark of red lips she left there cried out, “Oh no, I forgot I had already put on lipstick!” and proceeded to wipe it off his round cheeks with a tissue. Just then church bells began ringing, mixed with the blaring of horns from the fleet of cars that came nearer and nearer to the church. “Oh my gosh! The ceremony is about to begin. I had better hurry and put on my wedding gown so as not to be late…”
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“Hey Laverne” said Mark. “May I go outside and take a short walk? I’ll be right back. I am so excited. We’re going to have a baby! Let me go for a walk, okay?”
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“Sure. But don’t wander too far. Remember you are supposed to substitute for King Dimitri if he doesn’t show up for the ceremony… So take your walk and come back soon…”
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The security guard saw a tall, chubby man walk down from the trailer dressed in an expensive suit, with shoes that were shinned to perfection. As the man came nearer, the security guard saw that his face had the childish and naive expression o a retarded man. Since he came down from the trailer, the security guard figured he must be connected to the grand wedding that was going on and so made a sign to the guard at the back entrance that it was alright to let him in. So Mark entered the grand old historical church from the back entrance. He did not enter the church proper at once, but looked in through the window and found it filled to capacity with VIP guests. The men were all formally clothed in expensive suits and the ladies were dressed to the nines in the height of fashion. The atmosphere was happy and congenial, but as it was in a church the conversation was low and hushed with no loud laughter or boisterous salutations. Mark felt ill at ease in high class social activities as he found them restraining and restrictive, so he walked around the gardens towards the front entrance. A profusion of flowers were blooming in the gardens under the bright sunshine, their roots quietly absorbing the nutrients of the soil while their blossoms enjoyed the warmth of the sun and breathed in the clean fresh air. The impressive fleet of twelve black super luxury sedans had arrived at the church but had stopped blaring their horns out of respect for the sanctity of the place of worship. Mark saw Elina help Novella out of the sedan. The bride was wearing a veil decorated with all kinds of gems at the four corners and her wedding dress had a nine-foot train which needed someone to help her maneuver so it would not get tangled up. Elina, the bridesmaid, was wearing an especially well cut, floor-length pink formal gown which complemented her gentle feminine beauty. She looked up, saw Mark watching their arrival from a distance and waved him over saying,
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“How come you are standing alone there? Don’t you have anything you should be doing? Are the other beauties all here?”
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“All the beauties are here getting ready for the ceremony in their trailers” replied Mark. “I felt cooped up there, so I came out for a walk.” Elina looked at Mark and thought to herself that it was so sad that Novella’s parents had died a long time ago and she had no siblings, so there was no one to give her away at the wedding. That was why they decided that a flower girl bearing roses and a boy carrying the tray of the wedding rings should start the procession and Novella would walk alone towards the altar where Mr. O’Brian would be waiting. She, Elena, as Novella’s only living relative, would be the brides-maid walking behind her carrying the long train. Looking at Mark, Elena thought he would be a good candidate to give away the bride. So she said to him,
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“Hey Mark, since you have nothing to do and are just loafing around, I have a job for you but I’m not sure whether you are up to it or not.”
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“What? You have a job for me? I’m sure I am up to it. What do you want me to do?”said Mark excitedly.
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“Can you walk the bride down the red carpet of the church as her brother and give her away to the groom? It’s very simply really. Do you think you can do it?” Mark looked at Elena seriously, his normally childish expression gone from his face, to be replaced by a look of intelligence and capability.
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“No problem, Elena. Leave it to me.”
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“It’s not a big job and takes only a few minutes, but it’s the beginning of the wedding and a very serious business. Don’t mess it up!” Mark patted his chest and said confidently,
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“I told you no problem. Please believe me, Elena. I can do it. Leave it to me.” Elena nodded, smiled at him and holding the hands of the flower girl and the ring bearer walked them towards the hallway of the church to wait for the signal from the master of ceremonies to begin their walk down the red carpet towards the altar. She then quickly walked back to her cousin to help take care of the long, nine-foot long train.
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The little girl, carefully scattering flower petals to the right and left of her on the red carpet and the boy solemnly bearing the small tray of rings were the first to walk into the church aglow with candlelight and perfumed with lavish bouquets of white roses tied with white satin ribbons. The organ music swelled to a crescendo and Novella started down the aisle on the arms of Mark in a drifting swirl of white silk and her nine-foot long train trailing like a cloud behind her being attended to by her lovely bridesmaid, Elena. Mark happened to be standing near the gardens at the front entrance of the church and was picked by Elena on the spur of the moment to give the bride away. He walked slowly and carefully on the red carpet with Novella on his arms, his expression mostly serious and solemn but brightened with a slight smile playing to perfection the part of a loving brother giving away his sister to perfection. When they reached the altar, Novella stopped and the organ music too came to a halt. In the silence, the much respected white-haired pastor began by asking in a deep, resonant and sonorous voice,
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“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
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“I do” replied Mark clearly. Then he placed Novella’s hand into Mr. O’Brian’s, nodded to them and stepped back. With a sigh of relief that he had done his part without a glitch, Mark walked back down the aisle and while everyone’s attention was centered on the bride and groom, he slipped unobtrusively away from the church. Making his way around the garden to the back entrance he went into Laverne’s trailer.
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The attention of the sixteen beauties scattered in the four trailers outside the back entrance of the church were all intently concentrated on the large screen transmitting the wedding of the century as it took place. Which young woman does not wish to have a solemn but lavish wedding? Which young woman is not concerned with her future happiness? Among those sixteen beauties, Aisha’s feelings were deeply stirred and she had the most on her mind. She, the queen of the Kingdom of Dreams, was now placed in the embarrassing position of looking for and considering choosing a new spouse. How could she bear that and which man in this mundane world could be comparable to her position and talent…?
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The ceremony on the screen was proceeding according to protocol. The officiating pastor was saying,
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“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.” He stopped for a moment and looked around. As no one stepped forward to stop the wedding he turned to Novella the bride and asked,
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“Do you Novella Silkes take Robert O’Brian to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?”
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“I do” replied Novella. Then turning to Mr. O’Brian, he asked,
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“Do you Robert O’Brian take Novella Silkes to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?”
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“I do” replied Mr. O’Brian. Then taking the ring from his best man who had taken it from the ring bearer, Mr. O’Brian took Novella’s left hand and placed it carefully on her third finger, saying, “With this ring I thee wed. With my body I thee worship. With my worldly goods I thee endow. In the name of the father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.” With that the pastor blessed the bride and the groom and announced,
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“By the powers invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.” He smiled at Mr. O’Brian and said, “You may now kiss the bride.” Mr. O’Brian turned to Novella, carefully took her veil by the hem and turned it towards the back of her head. When the bride was unveiled and faced the guests with her beautiful and gorgeous features in full view, murmurs of praise and exclamations of surprise rose and fell in the church, turning to laughter and hand clapping when the groom bent his head to kiss his blushing bride. Music struck up again as Mr. O’Brian, with Novella on his arm, walked back down the aisle towards the entrance of the church amid whistles, clapping of hands and tossing of rice, confetti, rose petals and wedding poppers. They began running down the steps of the church as the tossing became more vigorous, quickly got into the fleet of cars waiting at the front entrance and drove away… The guests mingled for a while and then left in an orderly manner when their names were called as their cars were sent over from the parking lot according to the time of their arrival. Elena did not leave with the bridal party. Making her way around the garden as Mark did, she reached the back entrance and entered her assigned trailer.
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Out of respect for God and the sanctity of the church, Novella’s fleet of cars drove away slowly and solemnly in complete silence for quite a distance before letting loose and all twelve cars blared their horns enthusiastically in joyful abandon, creating a noisy but happy, fiesta-like atmosphere, much like the way the Chinese people celebrate their Lunar New Year by lighting up a long string of firecrackers. The bridal fleet drove back the way they came, followed closely by the cars of the VIP guests. The crowds of onlookers were again treated to a free car show and had an eye-full of the parade of name-brand luxury cars from different countries, rare enough to cause a sensation whenever they appeared. Dimitri knew then that Novella‘s wedding ceremony had ended and the guests were all leaving the church. Stuck in a crowd of gawking onlookers behind strictly enforced police security lines, he was restless as a cat on a hot tin roof, knowing that a second ceremony was about to begin. This was the strange and unheard of wedding where sixteen beauties were marrying one and the same groom. If he did not appear in time for it, the beauties would be extremely disappointed and deeply embarrassed by being jilted at the altar, which was something he did not want to happen. He was thinking, “In my lifetime, I have broken through many physical and psychological boundaries, such as dreams and reality, riches and poverty, blindness and sight ... I thought there was nothing in this world that could bind my flesh body. But now I am stopped by a white rope set by the police that I cannot leap over…”
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“Hey, King Dimitri, don’t worry” comforted Creativity. “I’ll walk around and see if there is a spot somewhere that we can get through.”
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“Don’t bother” replied Dimitri smiling wryly. “It’s a hopeless endeavor because I have this flesh body that cannot escape detection. How I envy the two of you who have no flesh body and can therefore hide in the air. Because you two have no flesh body you do not have to deal with the troubles that come with it, such as aging, illnesses and death. My envy of you is not without reason.”
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“Oh, don’t despair, King Dimitri” said Imagination, suddenly thinking of something. “We still have a last trick we have not used yet.”
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Retiring to the vestry room, the old pastor sat down behind his desk to take a break. But before he could quench his thirst with a drink of water or take a breather he said to his secretary,
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“Quick… Catch the organist before he leaves and let him know there will be another wedding to follow. It was not on the schedule so he may not be aware of it. The wedding would lose luster without organ music… And also, ask the janitors to sweep away the rice, confetti, rose petals and wedding poppers on the ground and tell them to open all the doors and windows. The church was crowded to capacity and the smell of perfume was overpowering. It might smell nice, but I feel it is not compatible to the sanctity and solemnity of the church… One last thing, have them notify the parties of the second wedding that the ceremonies will commence on time in thirty minutes… Let me see if there is anything else… No, I think that’s it. Please go and see to everything.” The secretary was a young graduate of the seminary and being trained by the old pastor.. He answered a string of “Yes, sir. Yes sir” to the orders and rushed to carry them out. The old pastor seemed to be greatly interested in this second wedding he was asked to officiate at. It was not that he wasn’t interested in Novella and Mr. O’Brian’s wedding he had just performed. On the contrary, he had put a great deal of thought and effort into the ceremony. The groom’s illustrious family background ensured that the wedding guests were from the elite of international society. These normally hard to meet, distinguished and renowned personages were all gathered together in one place to witness this grand and magnificent wedding of the century. The fact that he was the parson who directed and officiated the ceremony could not help but give him a sense of great satisfaction.
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The old pastor thought back to the day when he was finalizing the details of the wedding ceremony with the committee chairman responsible for the grand project. When everything had been settled to both their satisfaction and the contract had been signed, the chairman mentioned casually,
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“By the way, sir, after this grand wedding is over, another much smaller scale one is scheduled to take place here at the same church. Since you are already here, would you please officiate this one too?”
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“Really? A smaller scale wedding?” said the old pastor whose curiosity had been aroused. “What kind of ceremony is that? Could you be more specific?”
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“By smaller scale wedding I mean one where there won’t be as many guests. I think only one or two were invited. Though the scale is small, the wedding itself is unique and really quite out of the ordinary. I bet you it is one you have never before taken part in during your entire life…”
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“Really? The more you say the more confused I become. Could you be more explicit about it?”
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“Well, the fact of the matter is, Novella is the bride whose marriage plans we just talked about and signed the contract for. She has some intimate girlfriends, sixteen of them in fact, who has decided to all marry the same man. Isn’t that the most bizarre thing you have ever heard of? I think it is a wedding you have never officiated in your life before…” Before he even finished speaking, the old pastor adamantly refused his request, as it went totally against his belief. His religion believed in monogamy and officiating at a wedding of sixteen young women marrying one man would be condoning polygamy! Also polygamy was against the law and by taking part in the ceremony he would become an accessory of the crime. It certainly was not something he wanted any part in. The committee chairman was much affronted by this snub and left abruptly.
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The old pastor thought that this was the end of the matter and he would not be approached about it again. But early the next morning, a beautiful, elegant and classy looking lady came knocking at his door. He didn’t have the heart to refuse her entry, so he led her into his small living room. The lady gave him her calling card and he was taken aback to see the name of Aisha G. Jefferson on it. It was a very famous name in academia that he had heard a lot about, especially connected to humanism. Though not familiar with her field of expertise, he knew that Aisha had always been very vocal stressing publicly the necessity of religion in society and had often proposed measures for its revitalization. The reason she did so was simple. She had often heard Dimitri say that “only the power of religion could save the degradation of humanity, which was fast going down the drain.” So Aisha propounded the belief that the reason human civilization was able to develop so swiftly in the past was only because it was rooted in religion. Once denied its support, it was as if a plant had been uprooted and denied the nutrition in the soil, causing it to wither and die. Human civilization must be connected to religion and mutually support each other in order to survive and flourish. In these modern times when religion had been gradually sliding downhill with eroding church attendance and membership, Aisha’s belief and support was like a strong dose of stimulation and she was considered one of the pillars that supported religion. It was no wonder that the old pastor had a excellent impression of this young and beautiful scholar of humanism and cordially invited her into his living room. Aisha wasted to time and went right to the point of her visit saying frankly,
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“The reason I am here is to explain to you clearly why sixteen young women want to marry the same man. There seems to be some misunderstanding, so I have come personally to explain it fully to you. There is a group of us, all young women who have become very good friends. One of us, Novella, had decided to marry Mr. O’Brian and celebrate their wedding in style at your church. The group of us had an understanding from the very beginning that if any one of us got married, it was the same as if all of us were getting married, so the rest of us, sixteen young women in all, wanted to renew our vows on the same day that Novella got married. All sixteen of us will be wearing the same style of bridal gowns, but only one of us, in this case me, will be standing before the altar as the representative for all of us and speak the vows with the bridegroom. So, to be specific, only two people, one man and one woman will be standing at the altar before you and you would be officiating the wedding for only two persons… Somehow things have been misunderstood and have become complicated, causing you to refuse to officiate…” Aisha’s words were really vague and ambiguous and confused the old pastor. What did she mean by “if any one of us got married, it was the same as if all of us were getting married?” and why was she the representative for all 16 of the young women? But out of respect for Aisha he was not willing to delve too deeply into it. Rather it was her promise of “only I will be standing before the altar, speaking the vows with the bridegroom” that really struck him. According to the bible, God made man to his own image and likeness and then he took a rib from the man’s body and made woman. So the old pastor believed in a monogamous union, that marriage was one between a man and a woman. He felt no qualms about presiding over the marriage between one man and one woman. As to the other young women wearing the same bridal gowns as the bride, he considered that their own peculiar choice which did not concern him as it did not go against his religious belief or civil marriage laws.
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“Oh, I see…” said the old pastor. “I see… If that is the case I will officiate your extraordinary wedding…” Aisha gave a long sigh of relief that she had managed to (walk circles around the pastor thereby) persuade him into changing his mind until he finally definitely promised to preside over the wedding. Then turning to Aisha, the old pastor asked,
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“May I know the name of the bridegroom, m’am?”
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“The groom…?” smiling reluctantly Aisha replied. “I’m afraid he has had a special and checkered life so I will keep his name secret for the time being…I will let you know when the time comes. There is a reason I am constrained to do so. I am very sorry and hope you understand…” The pastor nodded and said no more. The music of the wedding march played by the organist reached the ears of the old pastor at the same time as a soft knock on his door was heard. His assistant and secretary came into the room saying, “It’s time for the second wedding, sir. The parties have mostly arrived so it’s time for you to go and preside over this original, unique and romantic ceremony.” The old pastor did not notice the deeply pregnant smile on the face of his assistant at these words. He stood up, straightened his clothes and walked out of the vestry into the front of the church.
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Stuck in a crowd of gawking onlookers behind strictly enforced police security lines, Dimitri was not able to move a step. Though extremely anxious and impatient, he was helpless to do anything and could only send his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity to the vicinity of the church to see how things were. Out of old habit he sat down on the steps of a bank by the sidewalk. He did not notice that it was a branch of World Bank. The lines of cars coming out of the church thinned to a dribble until finally the last name-brand luxury spots car flew crookedly down the street and the street became empty. The crowd of onlookers knew that the show was over and the VIP guests had left, so they too turned to go home. Dimitri looked all around wondering why his loyal servants had not come back to report on what was happening inside the church and was impatiently rearing to go when he saw Creativity half running, half flying towards him, shouting,
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“The blockade is over and people and cars are free to move now. Let’s go quickly to the church now. The sixteen beauties from the Kingdom of Dreams are just walking into the church, we must hurry…or it will be too late…”
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“Hey, King Dimitri,” said Imagination. “Please be quick and go into your state of zero. Leave all the rest to me and Creativity.” It was only then that Dimitri realized what Imagination meant when he said a while ago that there was a last trick they have not used yet. He meant the state of zero. Dimitri immediately closed his eyes, stopped thinking and fell into the state of zero. He felt his feet leaving the ground and heard wind howling past his ears as if he was flying in the air by magic. Actually it was his two loyal servants holding him by his arms and were half running and half flying towards the church. After a few seconds, the sound of wind stopped and he found himself standing steadily on the ground .
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“Ah, there’s nothing I can do” he sighed. “I am back again in the real world. My flesh body will once more be controlled by gravity and I must make use of this heavy and clumsy body again.”
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“Hey, King Dimitri” said the voice of Imagination close to his ear. “You are now standing at the entrance to the church. Walk forward a few steps and you would be entering the church proper. Creativity and I have something important we must take care of and will have to leave you for a little while. As soon as we leave you will lose your sense of sight. Can you take care of yourself?”
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“You guys go and do what you must” answered Dimitri. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” As soon as the two left, Dimitri was again engulfed by an inky darkness, dark as the darkest night and his two eyes could see nothing at all. Tapping his white cane in front of him, Dimitri carefully made his way forward, the metal tip of his cane making a clear, cold echo as it touched the marble floor.
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Organ music, solemn and soaring, swelled up in the church. The old pastor glanced at his watch and found that it was time to perform the second wedding. He stood up, hastily left the vestry room and headed towards the altar. Young women dressed in identical white gowns stood in two neat and orderly rows before the altar. The one standing in the center of the front row was heavily veiled while the veils of the other sixteen young women had already been turned back, revealing their beautiful faces. The old pastor knew that the veiled lady was the bride, the one for whom this wedding ceremony was to be preformed. He also marveled at the exquisite charm of this group of young women, whose loveliness, for lack of suitable words, could only be described as sacred and ethereal. The old pastor cleared his throat and said solemnly,
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“The wedding ceremony is about to begin, let the bride and the groom take their places please.” A lovely teen-aged girl just on the threshold of young womanhood stepped out to lead the heavily veiled bride to her place before the altar.
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“Would the bridegroom step up to the altar please?” requested the old pastor. There was no movement. He again intoned his request two, three more times, but no one appeared. Astonished at the turn of events, he looked around and saw there were only two guests present, sitting side by side in the front row of the pews. They were a white-haired old woman in a bright red Manchu gown accompanied by a plump looking young man. He was about to call out once more when he heard the bride murmur something softly behind her veil, but being farther away from her he could not catch what was said. The young girl who accompanied the bride gave the old pastor a white eye and said,
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“Don’t call out any more. The bride has spoken. The traffic outside is congested and the groom must have been stuck somewhere. He will certainly be here in a few minutes. We’ll just wait a while longer. Why are you shouting loudly like that? The bride is not worried, why should you be?” The old pastor was greatly affronted by her rudeness.
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“I have been conducting weddings for many decades” said he. “But never in my whole career have I seen a groom who is so late for his own wedding. Can it be true that times have changed? This really is quite unbelievable…” The young girl standing beside the bride was of course naughty girl Dorna. She gave the old pastor another white eye and said,
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“Well, live and learn old man. Today you have seen what you had never seen before and learned something new…” The old pastor ignored her and took a small notebook out of his pocket. He knew the name of the bride and was curious to see who the irresponsible groom could be who was so late for his own wedding. He turned the pages of the notebook. When he saw the name Dimitri Jackson written on the last page, he was greatly in awe and said in a trembling voice,
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“D-D-D-imitri J-J-J-J-ackson? That, that m-m- mysterious multi-trri-tri-trillionaire that no one has ever seen? HE is the groom?” Dorna again gave him a white eye and said scornfully,
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“So now you know. Why do you need to shout the walls down? So what if it’s King Dimitri? He won’t eat you! You are old, but you still can’t take things in your stride…” Just at that moment the clear, cold, staccato echoes of “tap, tap, tap…” were heard, clearly sounds made by the metal tip of a blind man’s white cane touching the marble floor, followed by the sudden appearance of a man at the entrance to the church who was saying in a loud voice,
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“How could I miss attending such a grand and solemn ceremony? I would never disappoint and embarrass my dearly beloved beauties. I am Dimitri Jackson. Here I am…” The beauties all turned around to look at him and exclamations of surprise rose and fell. The man had on an old olive-colored safari hat and his unshaven face had a pair of dark glasses for the blind on it. He wore a raggedy dark brown jacket, faded black baggy pants and his over-sized block-headed black shoes had holes on the soles. He wore no socks. He could only be King Dimitri whom they had not seen for a long time. Dimitri tapped his way ahead with his white cane, walking slowly and hesitantly. Laverne turned her head towards Mark sitting in the front pew and threw him a meaningful glance, but he looked back at her in confusion, not understanding what she wanted him to do. She had to walk to him and say,
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“King Dimitri is here. He is blind and does not know his way around this church. Please go and help him to the altar and walk him to where Aisha is standing, so the wedding can go on without further incident. Be quick. Go on…” Mark immediately got up and hastened to Dimitri who was making his way slowly ahead, saying
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“Hey Dimitri. How come you are so late? Do you know who I am? I am Mark. Do you still remember me? Your woman has been waiting for you for quite a while now, how come you just arrived? You’re very late. Let me take you to the altar. We cannot let Aisha wait too long…” The old pastor saw the plump young man lead a man towards the altar. The man wore a dilapidated safari hat and looked like a homeless person. There was no discrimination in the glance that the old pastor cast at him, but he was greatly puzzled. How could this raggedy homeless person be the mysterious multi-trillionaire Dimitri Jackson? Also from the white cane and dark glasses, the man seemed to be blind. For the life of him, the old pastor could in no way impose the two personages together. He looked again at the heavily veiled bride standing before him. Did this beautiful, talented, world-famous scholar of humanism, the toast of the academic world really want to marry a blind, homeless person? It was hard to fathom what was really going on. Dorna too was staring fixedly at King Dimitri who was standing right before her. It was hard to describe the emotions roiling in her heart: anger, happiness and sadness were all mixed together. Just as she was about to explode, something soft grabbed hold of her hand and infused her with a kind of warmth that stabilized and calmed her down. She recovered her composure and knew that the person holding her hand must be Aisha. When she felt Aisha softly squeeze her hand, she raised her eyes and saw the old pastor looking inquiringly at her. Glaring ferociously at him, she said impatiently,
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“Yes, yes, he is without question Dimitri Jackson. Why are you suspicious about this when all the rest of us are 100% certain of his identity? Go on with the wedding ceremony, old man. If anything happens to spoil this ceremony, I will hold you personally responsible!” Prompted by the young girl, the old pastor again went through the ritual beginning with, “Dearly beloved…”
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Then he turning to the bride he asked,
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“Do you Aisha G. Jefferson take Dimitri Jackson to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?”
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“I do” replied Aisha staunchly and resolutely. She wanted to use this steadfast reply to manifest to the world her intention to be Dimitri’s wife. Then turning to Dimitri, the old pastor asked,
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“Do you Dimitri Jackson take Aisha G. Jefferson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?” Embarrassed by the question, the expressions on Dimitri’s face changed rapidly. He was stumped as to how to reply. There was a lot he wanted to communicate to the beauties, but did not know where to begin. He seemed like a person not knowing how to deal with a painful subject. He tried to organize his thoughts, carefully choosing words and phrases that would lessen the hurt it would surely impart. But all his efforts failed and he did not know how to express himself. He stumbled along, hemming and hawing, trying to evade the issue…
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“This…I mean, that is… I mean, really… to receive the affection of so many young beauties …it is way beyond what I deserve…I should not refuse…but…this…I mean that…I mean everyone has a right to seek his happiness…it is a undeniable right…Oh no, by that I do not mean myself…I mean that all of you have that right, too…an undeniable right…to seek happiness…your happiness is in your near future…it is just within your reach…so I mean…so I mean…I am sure you know what I mean without my having to say anything else…”
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“Mr. Jackson” interrupted the old pastor, impatient at his incoherent ramblings that had nothing to do with the ceremony. “I am asking you a very simple question. You just have to answer yes or no. Since this is your wedding and you have arrived at the church to participate, the answer can only be “yes”. So when I ask you the question again you won’t be able to answer no. You can only say, “I do”. Am I right, Mr. Jackson?” Dimitri was deeply embarrassed. He smiled awkwardly and said,
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“Yes sir. Yes, sir. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry…I mean…I…”
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“I will ask you this question once again Mr. Jackson” said the old pastor sternly and resolutely. “Please listen carefully and make a formal reply…” He then went on: “Do you Dimitri Jackson take Aisha G. Jefferson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?” After a silence, Dimitri still tried to evade an answer by hesitant rambling, saying
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“…I mean…no one in his right mind would refuse such a lovely wife…but I mean…” He felt that the rows of beauties standing before the altar must all be staring unblinkingly at him, as if urging him to be quick, answer the question and be done with it. He stopped trying to avoid the question and said loudly and bluntly, “…you all really know what I mean and what I want. Why do you want to force me into this untenable position?” At these words, Aisha’s tears rolled down her cheeks, but shrouded by the heavy veil it was not apparent to those around her. For a beautiful woman of lofty position to be willing to marry a poor homeless person was an unbelievable fairy tale as improbable as the stories in Arabian Nights. The fact that the man did not immediately pledge his troth was equivalent to rejecting her. He mumbled and hesitated, hemmed and hawed, dragging out the time interminably trying to evade the issue, which made her feel extremely humiliated. The normally placid and easygoing old pastor was angered by this behavior. He slapped his hand heavily on the table and rebuked Dimitri in a loud voice saying,
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“Mr. Jackson, I am suspicious of your real identity. I am even more suspicious of your mental stability. No normal person would refuse such an advantageous marriage. Could it be that you are not really Mr. Jackson, but someone who has come to make trouble and cause a disturbance? If it is so, I would call the security guards and have you ejected from the premises!”
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“Oh no!” called out one of the beauties. “He is Dimitri Jackson. I know him.”
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“Yes, he is King Dimitri of our Kingdom of Dreams. There’s no mistake.”
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“Yes, he is Dimitri. I will know him even if he is turned to ashes.” The room erupted into chaos as the beauties began talking simultaneously, trying to convince the pastor of Dimitri’s identity.
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Just as the beauties were busy trying to prove Dimitri’s identity and smooth things over, a big gorgeous bird suddenly flashed by the window. Everyone thought it was a trick of the eye, but immediately after that another large bird flew by. The beauties were astonished and were just commenting on this extraordinary happening when two beautiful young girls appeared at the open transom on the high vaulted ceiling of the church. They sprang downward floating gracefully like two white clouds, their clothing, thin and transparent as dragonfly’s wings, sparkled scintillatingly as they fluttering behind them.
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“Hey! You guys are all gathered here pledging your vows with King Dimitri and did not even inform the two of us. You all should be punished.”
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“Right” said Charmaine. “If Imagination and Creativity had not come to tell us about this we would have missed this great opportunity altogether.” As a matter of fact, before these two nymphs arrived, Dimitri’s loyal servants had already reported to their master. They were still naked but hid themselves in the air so no one else could see them.
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“Hi, King Dimitri” said Imagination. “We met the two sisters on our way here, so we brought them along with us. Now we must go and get another visitor. She has a grave and important message and must talk to you as soon as possible. She will not be able to find her way here by herself if we do not go and help her.” Saying so, Imagination grabbed Creativity’s hand and left in a hurry. Just as Charmaine and Clementine’s toes touched the ground, the beauties clapped their hands in welcome and crowded around them.
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“Come, come. We welcome you back to the fold” they said. “Perhaps your coming will cause King Dimitri to change his mind…” So the two sisters went to the middle of the front row and took the places vacated by Aisha and Dorna. The old pastor gazed unbelievably at the two nymphs that floated down from the sky and thought,
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“I have often heard tales about angels and nymphs coming down to earth from heaven, never dreaming that today I would really see two real, live nymphs appear before my eyes. This proves that Jesus did not lie to us. What the gospel says about the Kingdom of Heaven is true. Jesus did not lie to us.” Suddenly he heard Dorna say to him,
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“Hey, old man. Don’t stand there gawking. Go on with the ceremony. Don’t mess it up again. This time I want you to make Dimitri comply and complete their wedding vows. Otherwise, I will hold you responsible… Hey, old man, wake up! Do you hear me, old man?” The words brought the old pastor back to reality. He looked sternly at Dimitri and said,
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“Mr. Jackson, I am giving you one last chance. Please reply to my simple question. Do you Dimitri Jackson take Aisha G. Jefferson to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish till death you do part?”
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“I…I…I…”Dimitri still refused to reply. The beauties clapped their hands rhythmically and cried out in one voice, “Say I do” “Say I do” “Say I do” Dimitri could feel the urging and encouraging vibes coming from the beauties, his confidence eroded and his determination began to waver.
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“I really should not disappoint Aisha’s kind intentions. That would make all the beauties lose their confidence in me. Why don’t I just comply with their wishes? Perhaps I could just say yes to them now and later…Otherwise, how is this grand wedding ceremony to end?” Just at this crucial moment, Dimitri’s eyesight came back again. He saw his loyal servants Imagination and Creativity standing before him saying,
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“Hi, King Dimitri we are back. We have brought with us another guest who has important military information that must be reported to you at once.” Dimitri had scarcely uttered an “Oh” when another slim figure appeared at the open transom of the high ceiling of the church where Charmaine and Clementine recently flew down. She flew through the window perched on a flying broom, her long pigtails swinging behind her. Amalia saw the broom which seemed so familiar to her, but her mind was gone and she did not recognize it as something she used to own and used for travel all those years ago. Deanna flew around the room saying in a loud voice,
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“King Dimitri! King Dimitri! Disaster has again struck the Kingdom. The barbarian tribes have invaded our land. They shot and killed Medusa with the magic arrow and slew Cyclops with the magic sword. At the moment, they are fighting with our native warriors. Quick, King Dimitri! Come back to the Kingdom. Even now they may have killed all our warriors. Come back with me to the Kingdom of Dreams. There are so many of your subjects including the old, the women and the children waiting for you to protect them. Quick, come back with me…” This young girl, born and bred in the magic Kingdom, had never been to the outside world. If matters had not been urgent, she would never have braved the complicated civilized world. The magic broom circled the church and then accurately landed near Dimitri. Dimitri immediately jumped on the broom. News of the deaths of Medusa and Cyclops and his warriors fighting desperately to the death against the enemy without a leader shocked and worried him. He remembered that his good friends had just gone to the Kingdom of Dreams only to be met with such a bloody war. He also worried about their safety. He felt it was his duty as their king to protect his loyal subjects, so he ordered Deanna to make for the Kingdom of Dreams immediately, saying,
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“Go. Let’s return immediately to the Kingdom of Dreams, the sooner the better and see if there is any chance to save the situation in face of this sudden, unexpected change. Let’s go!” But Deanna seemed to have lost her way and forgotten how she got in. There were many windows in the church, but she flew around not daring to fly through them because she knew that there was such a thing as window panes in the mundane world that you could see through but could not go through. “If you tried to push your way through, the head-on collision would break the glass and it would become sharp as a knife and that could hurt people badly. King Dimitri is sitting right behind me, and his safety must be guaranteed at any cost”.
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Dorna could no longer contain herself. She ran after the flying broom shouting and crying,
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“You old dog, you! Come back down! How can you not keep your word? You promised me that you would take me with you wherever you went, but you’ve just been back for a few minutes and are again leaving! Come back down, or the next time I see you I will not forgive you.” The other beauties were also following the broom as it circled the room. When the broom flew towards the east, the beauties ran towards the east. When the broom turned to the west, they again changed course and ran towards the west. Some tripped on their long skirts. They had just gotten back up when others tripped and fell. Cries and shouts rose up in all corners of the room and the church became disorganized and chaotic. Creativity flew to Deanna’s side and said,
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“Have you forgotten the way you came in? Come with me.” Saying so, he led Deanna towards the open window at the dome of the church. Dimitri looked down and saw the disorder and chaos below. The beauties had originally been standing in an orderly line like a beautiful pearl necklace. Now it was as if the string of the necklace had broken and the pearls were scattered all around the holy church. Some of the beauties were crying aloud, some were sobbing broken-heartedly, others raised their heads looking with tearful eyes at King Dimitri as he flew towards the window of the high vaulted ceiling. He raised his voice and said,
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“My beloved beauties, I thank you all for your love and affection. Alas, I cannot but disappoint you. I will repeat again the words I have often told you ‘Everyone has an undeniable right to seek her own happiness. Your happiness is in your near future. It is just within your reach. I wish only the best for you all. Perhaps in the future we will again have a chance to meet. My dear beloved beauties, adieu.” Deanna quickened her pace and she and Dimitri flew into the blue skies.
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King Dimitri’s mind was as blue as the blue skies. The ever sensitive Imagination, flew to King Dimitri’s side and asked,
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“King Dimitri, do you want me to go back and twist the invisible switch in their brains so they would think according to your will.”
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“Oh no” replied Dimitri, shaking his head. “These beauties are all extremely intelligent and capable. I am sure that they would be able to reach the correct conclusion all by themselves. To part, never to see each again is very painful, but I am sure they will find a way to get over it.” No more was said, everyone clustered around Dimitri. Creativity and Imagination kept to the right and left of their master, protecting and guarding him. Clementine and Charmaine followed closely behind, all of them hastening towards the Kingdom of Dreams. That familiar cloud followed discreetly behind them in the distance.
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The old pastor sighed. He knew that his job had ended. This wedding was not as perfect as it should have been. In fact it was irreparably damaged, but it had definitely ended. Knowing there was nothing more he could do, the old pastor left silently and unobtrusively leaving the whole church to the group of prospective brides dressed in their elaborate wedding gowns. Aisha took off her veil, revealing her beautiful features. Traces of tears were still discernable, but she had quickly reverted back to her normal calm and dignified demeanor, saying to the beauties,
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“My dear sisters, would you all come over here please? There is something I would like to talk to you about… Please do not cry over spilt milk. What’s done is done and cannot be undone. Shed a few tears if you must, but then get over it. Every cloud has a silver lining. Please come over here, there are things I need to talk to you about…” Lotus and Angelica were still sobbing, but when they heard Aisha’s words they went and pulled Dorna up from the floor where she was rolling around, crying and shouting, throwing a fit. They picked up the shoes she had kicked off to far-off corners and put them back on her feet. The other beauties walked slowly back, their eyes puffed from crying, their expressions bleak and sorrowful like tender and fragile blossoms that had been hit by an unexpected thunderstorm. Their snow white wedding gowns were wrinkled and dirtied by dust and dirt on the floor of the church, as well as stained by their own innumerable tears. As they came near her, Aisha hugged them and patted their backs comforting them, doing her best to sooth and assuage their wounded hearts. It was in this time of crisis and need that she showed herself to be a real queen indeed. With a backbone of fine steel, she put aside her personal feelings and quickly calmed the beauties down and gained control over the chaotic situation. The beauties soon re-formed two orderly rows before the altar and Aisha walked to the place where the old pastor had stood. She cleared her throat and said emotionally,
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“King Dimitri has left…He left alone, all by himself, … leaving the rest of us in this mundane world…Though he is gone, I do not feel that he has abandoned us and that we have been deserted. On the contrary, I feel we are greatly loved by him. I think that all of you fully understand that he wishes us to find our own happiness. According to him, our happiness is not far away. It is somewhere within reach. I think he has his own reason for thinking so. King Dimitri has always been very truthful; there is no trace of fakeness or deception about him. It is the kind of person he is… At the same time you have all heard what just happened. He is rushing back to the Kingdom of Dreams, which is facing a dire and unprecedented crisis. It is at the critical point poised between survival and collapse. King Dimitri must face a strong enemy and protect his subjects. The burden on his shoulders is heavy indeed. At this critical period of time, we simply cannot create any further demands on him and distract him from his mission. The only thing we can do now is to live well, without accidents. This is our way of sharing the heavy burden on our beloved King Dimitri’s shoulders. Don’t you think so? So, we must live as he directed, seek the happiness that he promised us is near at hand and live a happy life. It is the only way we can repay him for what he had done for us. Don’t you think so?” Aisha stood before the altar talking to the beauties. Although she was not wearing the sparkling and glittering royal crown, her regal demeanor and poise proved her to be Queen of the Kingdom of Dreams. She stopped for a moment and then continued,
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“During the last few days, I have been thinking over King Dimitri’s words and deeds and I came to the conclusion that he really is not a common man. He can be said to be an unusual and singular man. He is like a playful little fairy who loves to tour the world. No one knows where he came from or where he wants to go. No one can foretell when he would come or when he would go. He appears when he is supposed to and then leaves, as unpredictable as the wind. In the past he has taken on the roles of a destitute blind homeless person, a fabulously rich trillionaire whose fortune is of mythical proportions, and the role most familiar to us, that of King Dimitri, the beloved monarch of the Kingdom of Dreams. Who can guarantee that he would not appear in a totally different role with brand new appearance in this mundane world, just by you side? He might choose to be a shoe-shine boy sitting by the roadside, a delivery boy from a pizza store, a journalist, a dj or a journalist…?. He might also become a politician. A congressman, a senator or even the next president of the United States!… King Dimitri left us in this mundane world. It is not that he has deserted us. He thinks of us day and night, wondering how we are getting along in our quest of personal happiness… So, my dear sister, perhaps in a moment when we least expected King Dimitri would appear in our midst in a totally unexpected role and a brand new appearance. You won’t know him but he will know you and had come expressly to see how you are getting along, his love and concern not the least bit diminished. My dear sisters, will any of you disappoint him then? No, I don’t think so. None of you will disappoint our King Dimitri who loves all of us so much. So, from now on, we must live every day of our lives to the fullest and seek our own happiness… King Dimitri has promised us that our future happiness is within our reach. I am sure all of you, like me, believe his words, right?” She again paused for a moment and then added sorrowfully, “Actually, we should be satisfied…How many people in this world could have had the fabulous adventures that we did, living in the glittering, glamorous and unbelievable world in the Kingdom of Dreams together with each other and our beloved King Dimitri for such a long time... Although King Dimitri had often been absent for long intervals of time from the Kingdom roaming around the mundane world as was his want, and though many alarming and hair-raising incidents had happened in this quiet and beautiful hide-a-way, but we all got through it safely. How many people in this world can have had so many wonderful memories as we do? None, I think. We are the only ones. These memories would be ours to savor and ruminate over for the rest of our lives… Am I right? Now King Dimitri has left. His retreating figure has disappeared into the broad horizon like an exclamation mark! It is time for our sisterhood to disband. Even the most beautiful and immortal epic has to end when punctuated with the last full stop. Don’t you think so? With the greatest regret and sorrow, I announce now that all members of the Kingdom of Dreams are now on their own. From now on each of us must go her own way. Time and distance will never sever our relationship and love. I welcome every one of you, my dear sisters, to come to me whenever you want to just like before. My door is always open to you. I thank you for your support and co-operation all these years. . Thank you… As the saying goes, “all banquets must come to an end”; where there is a get-together there is sure to be a break-up. Now it is time for us to break up and go our separate ways… Goodbye, my beloved sisters…” The beauties went completely silent at her words. Since events that occurred had made the outcome unavoidable, they could only bow to the evitable…
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The beauties left by the back door of the church and silently boarded the large, supersized trailers that had been assigned to them. There they quickly changed into their everyday clothes and packed their wedding gown into the exquisite case it came in. Soon they arrived at Novella’s huge mansion. The housekeeper Yolanda paid the drivers and sent them off. The beauties went to their own rooms, hastily gathered up their belongings and packed them into suitcases. Soon everyone assembled downstairs in the living room, each carrying their luggage as well as the lovely and elegant case that contained their wedding gown. It was a memento of an unforgettable period of their lives. Time ticked on and the final moment of parting had come. These beauties who did not normally gather together will be scattered to the four winds, each seeking her own future destiny. Looking anxiously towards their unforeseen future, they said their goodbyes, wished each other luck and inevitably shed a few parting tears. Aisha stood at the front door seeing the beauties off one by one until only she and Dorna were left.
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“Where will you go, Dorna?” she asked.
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“I don’t know…Since everyone is gone, I had better be going too” replied Dorna.
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“If you haven’t any special destination you want to go to, you had better stick with me” said Aisha, who knew that the naughty girl was a trouble maker and might get into all kinds of messes if completely on her own, so for her own peace of mind she decided to keep Dorna with her. So, the two of them left together, the last ones to depart.
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An arc of light flashed over the blue skies, traces left by King Dimitri and his entourage as they hastened towards the Kingdom of Dreams. Knowing the catastrophe that had happened in his Kingdom, King Dimitri was in a great hurry to get to those beautiful and serene lakes, hills and mountains that were now threatened by his enemies. But not being able to get there in a nanosecond, he could only travel as fast as he could. What happened was this. Deanna was in the lake helping Cyclops with the Herculean task of pushing the gold palace step by step towards land. The task was almost completed. The gold palace had mostly emerged from the water, with only about a small part still left in the water. Deanna looked towards land and she saw the torches lighting up Giant Mountain. The dawn was about to break and thousands of mighty warriors, stripped of their upper garments were shouting loudly and rhythmically in unison as they pulled with all their might on the ropes that were tied around the gold palace, pulling it inch by inch up the hill. The sound of their united roars as they exerted their utmost effort echoed in the hills and mountains. After a while, thunderous cheers burst forth from the onlookers and resounded in the surrounding area. The gold palace had come completely out of the water pushed by the superhuman strength of Cyclops and was being pulled up the slope of Giant Mountain! Deanna saw that her work here as Cyclops’ assistant was done; so she dived again to the bottom of the lake and began searching amid the white sands. While helping Cyclops on his task to get the gold palace out of the lake, she had seen precious jewelry and treasures, half revealed and half buried in the soft white sand at the bottom of the lake and knew they used to belong the beauties. Deanna thought it was a waste to let them lie there under the lake and decided to gather them up and take them back to land. She also saw there were lots of huge chunks of pure gold scattered about and knew they were pieces that had been broken off from the more protruding parts of the palace during the hurricane and tsunami when the gold palace toppled down into the lake. Corners of the palace had been destroyed on its descent down the hill into the lake, but the main part of the gold palace had basically remained intact without too much destruction. Deanna saw that these chunks of gold were too heavy for her to carry and decided that she would later on at a suitable time seek the help of Medusa and magic Horse Lightning to airlift them out so they could be used to fix the broken parts of the palace. Thinking so, she turned back to the task she had set for herself and began riffling through the soft, white sand gathering up the lost precious jewelry and other treasures. Deanna was in the habit of tying on a medium-sized leather pouch around her hips when she went diving. Inside it were a few large round pearls she had acquired previously in another part of the lake. Now she added in the jewelry and treasures she had gathered. Soon the pouch was filled to capacity and Deanna decided to get to land and put the treasures somewhere before coming back to look for more. When she resurfaced and looked towards Giant Mountain, she was shocked to see a scene of bloody battle and massacre.
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“Shu…shu…shu…” Dozens of whistling arrows were shot up high into the night skies by the sentries, signals that enemy troops had invaded the Kingdom. Soon the neighing of horses, shouts and cries of soldiers in battle came out of the dense forests. Atlas, the new chief of the barbarian tribes rode on his mighty black steed ahead of his men with his long sword raised as he led his troops in a surprise attack on the Kingdom. Medusa was resting on the dome-like top of the gold palace, so completely exhausted after her arduous task of helping Cyclops pull up the gold palace that she was too tired to even change back to human form. On seeing the invasion of the barbarian troops, she immediately rose, flapped her wings preparing to fly to the defense the Kingdom, but her wings were weak and feeble and she could not fly high. Regardless, she made an effort to swoop down on the enemy, but her movements were slow and dull, with none of her former deftness and dexterity and she had lost her speed. Atlas saw this and taking his magic bow and arrow took a shot at the big black bird. The arrow pierced Medusa’s throat and she toppled to the ground with a shrill and desolate scream. White Fairy could not believe her eyes, that her partner Medusa was so easily killed by just one arrow. She could only fly around in the air in panic-stricken alarm, too distraught to grieve. Cyclops, who had used up all his tremendous strength in pushing the gold palace from the Lake, lay prostrated and flaccid on the steps of the gold palace, completely limp and worn out. He knew that enemies had invaded the Kingdom. Using the remainder of his strength, he stood up and walked unsteadily with wobbling steps towards the invaders. Atlas drew out his glittering magic sword as he dashed towards Cyclops and with a cold smile swiped mightily at his neck. Alas, the head of the brave one-eyed Cyclops flew from his head as blood spurted from his neck, but his body remained standing and refused to fall. Seeing this, Eileen blacked out and fainted. Her just joined body separated and became two individual parts again. Deanna, who was hidden in the waters, was greatly alarmed. She had recognized that the weapons used by the leader of the barbarian soldiers were state treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams.
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“How can this be?” she thought in alarm. “How did he get hold of King Dimitri’s magic sword and his bow and arrows? There is no fighting him with those magic weapons in his hand! We have lost without even starting. If our warriors take up arms there is danger of the total destruction of our army”. Deanna knew the magic powers of the bow and arrow. They would accurately target and shoot down whoever the shooter aimed at without any chance of escape. Luckily she was in the water and had not been discovered. Otherwise, she would never be able to escape the arrow aimed at her. “If I go up to land and do my best to fight against the barbarian troops, I would only end in giving up my life in vain. The best thing for me to do at this time is to go and find King Dimitri”. Just then the loud and ferocious roaring of tigers was heard and two ferocious tigers, Kojak and Cortez, leapt out of the forest and joined the battle against the barbarian soldiers. Deanna made use of this opportunity to dive again like a fish to the bottom of the lake and swam away.
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Further down from land, there was a shallow sand dune rising out of the water overgrown with reeds tall as a man. After making sure that she was a safe distance away from the battle ground, Deanna silently climbed onto the sand dune and peeking out of the reeds, she looked around. Two small boats were making swiftly for the shore, and Deanna saw Mr. Kaffee and a group of King Dimitri’s good friends go ashore and were conferring with the panic-stricken White Fairy about something. Mr. Kaffee and his friends had witnessed Medusa’s being shot and falling to the ground and had also seen Cyclops being decapitated, but instead of thinking of their own safety and fleeing the scene fraught with danger and chaos, they chose to rush forward to help and stand firmly with the warriors of the Kingdom as they fought to the death against the barbarian soldiers. Deanna nodded in respect and thought they were really worthy of being King Dimitri’s good friends. The sudden appearance of the two ferocious tigers stopped for a moment the onslaught of the barbarian soldiers. The short respite allowed King Dimitri’s warriors to regroup and recover their fighting spirit. Though the two tigers, Kojak and Cortez were ferocious and brave, they were no match for the thousands of barbarian soldiers armed with spears and knives. Kojak killed a few barbarian soldiers and his mighty paws swiped and wounded many more, but in the end brute force was not equal to weapons of steel and Kojak lay dead on the battlefield, his body bloody and mangled. Cortez was frenzied with anger when he saw his good friend killed by the barbarian soldiers. With blood lust in his eyes, he turned away from the fight and made straight for Atlas, the leader of the barbarians, who was sitting on his back horse at an elevated space directing the battle. Sitting on his black horse, Atlas saw with fright that a huge ferocious tiger bloody with gore come sprinting towards him. His horse too fright and dashed away. Atlas being an excellent rider, Atlas controlled his horse by clasping his legs tightly around it, Twisting his waist, he reached for his bow and arrow; and swift as lightning he let fly an arrow towards the forehead of the chasing beast. Cortez jumped up on impact, wobbled forward a few steps and then fell dead to the ground. Atlas soothed his frightened black steed and rode back to the battle ground prepared to lead his soldiers in their fight against King Dimitri’s warriors. King Dimitri’s warriors too were prepared. They stood their ground, prepared to fight to the death in defense of their homeland. The air was tense and taut. Like an arrow on the bow-string another bloody battle was about to begin. Deanna knew there was no time to be wasted. She called to her magic broom which immediately flew to her side. Jumping on it, Deanna flew out of the reeds and flying close to the face of the water to avoid detection, she made for the highly developed civilized world to look for King Dimitri and report to him the catastrophe facing his Kingdom.
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Deanna left before the real battle began so she did not see it with her own eyes. White Fairy was the one who later reported the whole procedure to King Dimitri. When Mr. Kaffee and his friends left their boats and went ashore they came face to face with White Fairy.
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“Hi, White Fairy” said Mr. Kaffee “you are the one we are looking for. We caught this spy on the opposite shore and have brought him for you to deal with.” White Fairy looked at the man they pushed in front of her and recognized him to be the “mole” she and Medusa had planted inside the barbarian tribes.
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“There is no point in your remaining here anymore” she said to the man. “I think you had better make your escape while you can. Go…” The man thanked her profusely and soon disappeared inside the dense forest.
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“This is no simple invasion” said Mr. Kaffee. “The whole thing was meticulously planned and carried out. The fact that they did not go near the fortified fortress but carried out a surprise attack on the wide open plains where there is no protection or defense show that they had scouted out King Dimitri’s Kingdom and managed to get inside information as to what was going on. The timing was also crucial. They attacked the moment the gold palace had been raised from the lake, when everyone was exhausted and unable to fight any more. They meant to wipe out the warriors of the Kingdom. But the most sinister of all their acts by far was to sneak in and steal King Dimitri’s weapons, his magic bow and arrow and his magic sword, the state treasures of the Kingdom of Dreams… Today’s battle looks to be a close shave which we could win only by a fluke. Oh yes, White Fairy, if you think I am to be trusted, please put the command of your army into my hands so that the warriors can move uniformly as one body… Even if we lose this battle, which in my mind is a likely outcome, we will fight to the death with flair and die gloriously so that we would not have lived in vain…” White Fairy nodded her head positively saying,
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“I know that you used to command the whole Roman Legion that once surrounded our Kingdom. If you are able to direct tens and thousands of legionnaires, you are more than qualified to oversee this small battle. I will go immediately and notify them that you are now in full command of our army of warriors.” Saying so, White Fairy quickly left to fly around the battle field, conveying to the warriors the name of their new commander, Mr. Kaffee. Mr. Kaffee then stood up on a mound and said loudly to the thousands of warriors standing at attention before him,
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“Bothers in arms! It seems that today is the day we are all called to prove our loyalty to King Dimitri and the Kingdom of Dreams. Let us leave our lives on this piece of land we all love…If there is any one of you here who is afraid to die, you are free to leave now and flee for your life. Neither King Dimitri nor I will blame you for it. Go and flee for your life now if you so will…” Mr. Kaffee stopped and looked around. The warriors stood tall, straight and unmoving under his stare, not one of them attempting to leave. King Dimitri’s warriors to a man were all patriots, not afraid to give their lives for King and country!
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“Since none of you are deserters” continued Mr. Kaffee, “let us then fight to the death. Kill one and you are even. Kill two and you have made a gain… Let this be your last and best battle! Brothers in arms, we’ll meet again … Let’s hope that in our next incarnation we will still live on this fantastic piece of land and be brothers in defending the peace and safety of this Kingdom of Dreams and be loyal servants of King Dimitri…”
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“King Dimitri!” “King Dimitri!” “King Dimitri!” shouted the warriors in unison to show their loyalty and support and suddenly as if by magic the morale of the soldiers were boosted sky high. Mr. Kaffee then divided them into four groups each containing about 250 to 300 men, led by Richard, Jamaz, Big O and Mr. Finger who had assumed the persona of a strong and husky man. Separate they could fight as an individual unit by themselves; assembled together they could be a united whole to take on the enemy’s assault. The warriors were well-trained and seasoned fighters and became efficient soldiers once they were organized under a competent commander.
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Wave after wave of barbarian soldiers led by their leader riding on a black steed launched a ferocious attack against the native warriors. The leader was of course the barbarian Atlas. Wielding King Dimitri’s magic sword high in the air, he rode ahead of his soldiers and dashed straight into the midst of the native warriors. His magic sword was a state treasure of the Kingdom of Dreams with legendary powers and was so sharp that it could easily cut into metals and rocks. Whatever the sword came into contact with, be it knives, swords, or spears, all broke and fell to the ground useless. One powerful swing of the magic sword and a dozen bloody heads were severed from their bodies and fell to the ground. Blood spurted from the necks of the headless corpses which dropped down only after a few moments as if just realizing they were dead…a frightening tribute to the razor-sharp properties of the sword. The barbarian soldiers rushed in after their leader and began massacring their opponents. The native warriors, intent on protecting their land and its people would not give an inch of ground. Fierce and savage battle cries resounded in the air, making even the earth tremble. Blood flowed cheaply and freely as if it was not worth a cent. Atlas riding on his black steed was invincible. Leading his barbarian soldiers, he stormed from one side of the battle field to the other. Then he would turn back and charge in another direction. Wherever he went Dimitri’s warriors fell like wheat before the sickle. Standing on an elevated mound, Mr. Kaffee was keenly observing the scene of battle. Turning to White Fairy he said,
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“Quick. Quick. Inform our four leaders that they are to disperse. Tell them to outflank the enemy while evading the leader on the black horse. Make use of devious tactics to outmaneuver and surround the enemy, then kill them. We have suffered heavy losses. Only by inflicting more damages to the enemy can we be on an equal footing with them. ..” White Fairy immediately flew down to the battleground to deliver Mr. Kaffee’s orders to the four leaders. Atlas was having the time of his life slaughtering the natives with his magic sword when all of a sudden he realized they had somehow disappeared. He found no one to kill around him. He looked towards the left and saw a small group of his soldiers being surrounded by native warriors and being killed. He immediately rode towards them attempting to come to the aid of his soldiers; but when he got to his destination the native warriors slipped away without directly engaging him and went instead to help another group of their fellow soldiers in another part of the battlefield. When Atlas went towards that group, the native warriors again scattered and gave him the slip dispersing to somewhere else. Atlas panicked when he found himself in the position of having no opponent to fight and kill. He saw that the casualties on his side were mounting and 50% of the dead bodies on the field belonged to his barbarian soldiers. He was worried that if things continued in this vein he would soon lose all his soldiers. Putting his fingers into his mouth he delivered a series of shrill whistles that alerted his soldiers to the fact that a change of tactics was due and then waved his hand towards one end of the field. His soldiers all gravitated towards that end. King Dimitri’s warriors also made use of this time to walk over to Mr. Kaffee to regroup and reorganize. The battleground came to a standstill. There were hundreds of the dead and wounded lying on the ground. The air was permeated with the metallic smell of fresh blood as almost half of both armies had perished. The sun rose listlessly and unsteadily not quite reaching the middle of the sky, coldly watching the battleground full of headless corpses and mutilated bodies. The dead were dead, but the moans and groans of the wounded were heart wrenching in the extreme; for knowing going back home alive was an impossible dream, they wished only for a quick death as extrication from the unbearable pain they were experiencing.
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With eyes narrowed into slits, Atlas’ glance swept over the extensive battlefield and centered his attention on the camp of King Dimitri’s native warriors, who had already been re-organized. At the moment many of them were sitting on the ground, making use of this brief respite to rest a while so as to be ready for the next battle. Atlas knew there must be someone in that camp, a cut above the others, who was assessing the situation on the battlefield and giving orders to the troops. Just take the changing of fighting tactics, for example. Their warriors were extremely nimble and flexible in their maneuvers. Amassed as one square unit they were really like a wall of steel and bronze, almost impenetrable. It was only because he was wielding King Dimitri’s magic sword capable of cutting through rocks and steel that he was able to storm easily from one side of the battlefield to the other, cutting down anyone who tried to stop him. But then their battle formation suddenly changed and the square unit magically dissolved into four individual fighting units which outflanked, outmaneuvered and surrounded his soldiers, killing a lot of them, forcing Atlas to pull his men out of the battle to avoid further damage to his troops.
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“There must be a way to find the flaw in their tactics and put them to rout” Atlas thought. “Otherwise, the victory that seemed so close at hand a moment ago would be gone… They divided their troops into four groups, so that means there must be four leaders to head the groups… If I could but find out who these leaders are and draw them out, I could kill them with my magic bow and arrow. Then their men would be a group without a leader, a rudderless ship that’s easily dealt with. No matter how great their numbers, they are but lambs to the slaughter. Right! That’s the idea!” Atlas called his own trusted lieutenants to him and gave them their orders in their barbarian tribe dialect and they immediately scattered to carry them out. Atlas meanwhile rode his black steed to an elevated mound, took out his magic bow and arrow in preparation for action and patiently waited for developments...Seeing the movements in the enemy camp, King Dimitri’s soldiers knew it was time again for action. They jumped to their feet, took up their weapons and formed an orderly row, mentally prepared for another bloody battle.
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The two sides faced each other and clashes began. Somehow, it appeared that the barbarian soldiers did not have much stomach for further bloodshed for after a few minutes of battle they began to give ground under the aggressive attacks of King Dimitri’s warriors. Soon it deteriorated into a full fledge retreat when the barbarian soldiers turned tail and ran as fast as their legs would carry them with King Dimitri’s native warriors following close behind in full pursuit, refusing to let them get away. Atlas, who was sitting on his horse on a mound nearby, saw that his hoax was working. He congratulated himself on his success at drawing out the leaders of the enemy camp, for he saw there were men running at the forefront of the four groups in pursuit of his men and assumed they were the leaders. Targeting one of them with a cold smile, he let fly his magic arrow. The fleet-footed Mr. Finger, aka Emmanuel, was chasing after a barbarian soldier. He caught up with him and pierced his chest with a long spear. The soldier howled and was still struggling when Mr. Finger kicked him on the base of his spine and pulled out his spear. The soldier fell to the ground dead. Mr. Finger was about to run after another barbarian soldier when a flying arrow came straight at him piercing his throat with deadly accuracy. He fell to the ground dead without knowing what had happened. At a location nearby, Big-O wielding a sharp hatchet was running after an enemy and had just cleaved him in the skull, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Emmanuel suddenly fall to the ground and died. Before he had time to react, another arrow came flying through the air and pierced his neck, his hatchet still buried in the head of the fallen soldier. Big-O too died and fell to the ground. At the same time, Jamaz had psyched himself totally into battle mode and was chopping and slicing vehemently at the enemy killing and wounding innumerable barbarian soldiers, the long sword in his hand dripping with blood. It could really be said that he was a brave and fierce warrior. He was just running after some other soldiers when all of a sudden he stumbled and fell. The alert and cool-headed Richard saw the sudden way Mr. Finger and then Big-O fell to the ground and died and knew something sinister was afoot. He threw himself at Jamaz and the two of them fell to the ground at the same time, barely missing the two arrows that flew by above their heads. If not for Richard’s quick action, they too would have fallen victims to the magic arrows. Atlas sat on his black steed on top of a small mound looking all around him and saw a wisp of light smoke flitting around the battle field. He had heard people talking about White Fairy, the incarnation of a white lily, who lived in the Kingdom of Dreams and often appeared in the guise of white fog or light smoke. He wondered if that wisp of light smoke could be her. If so, he thought he had better kill her, too, instead of letting her glide all around the battle field…Atlas again took up his bow and arrow, targeted the wisp of smoke and let fly another arrow. Swift as the wind and powerful enough to pierce through hard rock, the arrow flew unerringly at its target; but the wisp of smoke floated leisurely on unharmed and undeterred, for even the sharpest and most lethal of weapons could not harm light smoke. The light smoke flew to Richard and Jamaz and relayed to them Mr. Kaffee’s orders.
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“Mr. Kaffee wants me to tell the two of you that the commander of the enemy soldiers is very hard to deal with. Using King Dimitri’s magic bow and arrow, he has targeted and killed your friends Mr. Finger and Big-O; so he wants the two of you to take special care and not expose yourselves. Conceal yourself within your troops so he would not know you are still alive. You two are to take over the command of the troops originally under Mr. Finger and Big-O, assimilate them into your own group; for soldiers cannot fight well without leadership. Mr. Kaffee is also sure that the enemy’s retreat was only a pretense. Soon they will turn around and counter-attack. Order your warriors to take a prone position and rise up and fight when the enemy turns back, engaging them in hand-to-hand combat. This way you can avoid the danger of the magic arrows…” On hearing Mr. Kaffee’s orders, Richard immediately raised his hand in the air and made a signal. The well-trained warriors of the Kingdom immediately scattered, lay low on the ground and crawling on their hands and knees went to find cover to hide behind.
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Seated on his black horse, Atlas raised his left hand and his troops at once stopped their retreat. Then he brandished his hand in a mighty downward motion and his troops turned around and counter-attacked. As they got close to the former battle-field, the native warriors leapt out from behind the rocks and other impediments they were hiding behind and a scene of hand-to-hand close combat began. At that time, the armies were close in numbers, each possessing approximately five hundred men. Close combat was Big-O’s strong point and he could twist a man’s neck and kill him as easily as he did a chicken. Alas, he had died and could no longer perform his particular special skill… Seeing this new turn of events, the cold grimace on Atlas’ face became more and more sinister.
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“Do you hope to escape from my bow and arrow by using this tactic? Your have forgotten I have another weapon. Do you plan to use your head to try out the sharpness of my magic sword? Then, so be it! Let your blood feed my butchering blade!” Atlas whipped his horse and flew down the mound, brandishing his magic sword. King Dimitri’s warriors were only too aware of the sharpness of his weapon and so they all tried to dodge the brunt of it and no one attempted to face him in combat. As for Atlas, he was in no urge to begin his slaughter. He looked around him assessing the situation. He knew that King Dimitri’s soldiers liked to use the tactics of outflanking their enemy and then later surrounding those of smaller numbers and killing them. He decided to outmaneuver them by using the same tactics. He ordered his soldiers to use counterattacks and counteroffensives. Shouts and cries in the battlefield rose to a new crescendo. Outflanking and surrounding versus counterattacking and counteroffensives played out repeatedly. A powerful black horse could be seen sprinting from one end of the battlefield to the other. That was Atlas’ steed. The native warriors were at a disadvantage because they had all come in answer to Medusa’s call asking them to help pull the gold palace from the water, so none of them had brought their horses with them and had to fight on foot. Atlas dashed freely from one end of the battlefield to the other as if in no man’s land. Wherever he appeared, his sword flashed and a dozen heads of King Dimitri’s warriors fell to the ground. Then blood spurted and gurgled from the neck wounds and the bodies fell to the ground. Richard and Jamaz each led one group of warriors. The two of them were close friends and partners and knew each other’s thoughts without needing verbal communication. They combined as a whole for frontal attacks to outflank, surround and kill the enemy. When the enemy counterattacked, they dispersed to later combine again. Richard’s bloody long sword flashed again and again and heads and limbs fell to the ground. Blood never stopped flowing from his blade. On the other side, Jamaz was totally immersed in battle. Eyes red with blood lust, he chopped and sliced vehemently at the enemy killing and wounding innumerable barbarian soldiers, the long sword in his hand dripping with blood as well. He had gone through countless spears and swords. When one weapon was blunted and dulled, he would throw it aside, pick another one from the ground and continue fighting. Suddenly he felt a great tension. Turning around he saw that all his soldiers had fallen and he was surrounded by seven or eight barbarian soldiers. Jamaz was covered with blood and it was hard to say whether it was blood from the enemy or from his own wounds. The black horse rushed over and came to a stop before him. Atlas laughed loudly and said,
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“You big, black brute! You actually escaped from under my arrow. Now try and get away from my magic sword!” Saying so, he slashed his sword at Jamaz. Jamaz held up his own sword reflexively to combat the move, forgetting that his opponent held King Dimitri’s magic sword, a state treasure of the Kingdom of Dreams with legendary powers and was so sharp that it could easily cut into metals and rocks. Jamaz’s sword broke in two and fell useless to the ground. Atlas then slashed downwards and before Jamaz could move to avoid the onslaught, his head was slashed in two. Richard was consumed with grief and rage on seeing his friend and partner die so tragically in the hands of Atlas and was about to rush over and fight, but he was surrounded by several barbarian soldiers and was not able to break away. At the same time, the black horse had turned around and seemed to be rushing over. Mr. Kaffee saw that crisis was in the building and said hurriedly to White Fairy,
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“Richard is in trouble. Is there any way you can stop the leader on the black horse from going over to him? If he gets there, Richard will be done for, too.” Before he finished speaking, White Fairy was already on the move, saying,
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“I’ll try… I am not sure I would be able to stop that ferocious man…” Mr. Kaffee bent down and picked up a long spear saying,
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“If all my brothers die, why would I want to continue living alone? I will leave these old bones of mine together with theirs on this piece of land…” Old David, who was standing beside Mr. Kaffee, also picked up a curved knife from the ground. He straightened his slight, bent old body. Full of pride and a sense of heroism, he laughed aloud and said,
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“Good! I do not want to live on without my friends either. Go on, what are we waiting for? Worse comes to the worse, I will leave this body of mine in this mysterious piece of land with you all. If I lose my head, it’s only a neck wound, right?” And so, holding their weapons firmly in their hands, the two of them ran towards the battlefield.
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Swift as the whirlwind Atlas rushed over on his majestic black warhorse, whirling his magic sword in the air. Richard’s head would be severed from his body the moment the sword slashed downwards. Just at that critical moment, Atlas suddenly felt something covering his eyes. All became a blur of white as if he was surrounded by a thick white fog and he could not see a thing. He immediately tugged on the reins and tightly reined in his horse that neighed loudly in protest; its front legs rose half in the air and then pranced in place ferociously several times before it could stop its onward surge. Sitting on his horse Atlas’ body swayed and bounced violently. He immediately spurred his horse to race away wildly in whichever direction it chose. As his eyes had been covered by the white fog, he had to get away from the battle field immediately or become vulnerable to attacks of enemy’s spears or knives which he could not see. Staying where he was would be too dangerous. The black horse raced around wildly swift as the wind and after a while Atlas found that he had finally shaken off the white substance covering his eyes. Looking back towards the battle field, he found that the white fog was White Fairy of King Dimitri’s Kingdom of Dreams. He remembered shooting at her with his magic bow and arrow, but somehow she had not even been affected by it. White Fairy continued to fly above his head looking for a chance to plunge down again. Seeing that she was only a puff of smoke, Atlas thought she could be easily dealt with. Clamping his thighs against his horse, he came at her with his sword raised and slashed down as he got near. But White Fairy was only a flimsy, unsubstantial puff of smoke, which broke apart when the sword sliced through, but then came together again as a whole soon after. Enraged, Atlas used his sword to slash at the puff of smoke seven to eight times. The puff of smoke broke apart and came together again, broke apart and came together again. In the end she was not the slightest bit affected by the attacks and continued to float lightly in the air above Atlas’ head. The indomitable razor sharp magic sword that could cut through rocks and steel was no match for the soft, flimsy, unsubstantial puff of smoke and he was not able to harm her in the least. Seeing that she was impregnable to all his magic weapons, Atlas decided to ignore her. After all, what possible harm could a puff of smoke do to him? Turning his horse he decided to let her be and go back to the battle field to dispatch all the native warriors of the Kingdom, which was his main goal. Seeing that Atlas intended to go back to the killing field, White Fairy plunged down and covered the eyes of his magnificent black steed with her hands. The war horse reacted with violence at being suddenly blinded by some white substance. It stood on its two hind legs neighing loudly in protest and then pawed the ground violently jumping up and down, trying to throw off and dislodge its attacker, neighing loudly all the while. White Fairy quickly loosened her hands and floated to one side and Atlas continued to rush towards the battle field. White Fairy again flew downwards towards Atlas and covered his eyes with her hands. Atlas shook his body from side to side, trying to dislodge her and used both his hands to clutch at her as if trying to throw off the entanglement of the puff of white smoke. The horse neighed and again stood up straight on its two hind legs, almost throwing off its rider. White Fairy quickly loosened her hands and floated to one side. She knew there was a weakness in the tactics she used and could not blind either the horse or rider for too long with her hands. Suddenly she caught sight of a sheepskin sack on the back of the horse Atlas was riding and her thoughts flew to the time she was tricked and captured by Eileen using a sack. If Atlas used the sack to capture her, she would never be able to fight back again. With that, White Fairy decided to keep her distance from the man. Thus, the man and his horse and the puff of smoke in the air remained at a standoff, neither side able to hurt the other but none able to claim victory. But White Fairy did successfully cut off Atlas’ route back to the battle field.
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A burst of applause came from the side of the native warriors of the Kingdom when they saw White Fairy bravely tangle with Atlas and successfully prevented him from coming back to the battle field. The success of the fragile puff of smoke over the brute of a fighter on a magnificent black steed was a boost to their drooping spirits. But the applause was not as loud and strong as before and Mr. Kaffee was not as optimistic. He saw that the brave warriors around him had been decimated to less than a hundred, while the numbers of the enemies more than doubled their own. Both sides had sacrificed the lives of strong and lively young men who were now lying on the ground all over the battle field as corpses whose body temperature had not yet cooled. Some of those bodies were still seeping blood. Mr. Kaffee reorganized his troops into an aggressive arrowhead shape headed by the brave and courageous Richard, saying in a loud voice,
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“We will now make our final dash against the enemy and we will not back down until the very last of us had given up our lives for our beloved homeland. For, if we cannot destroy the enemy, they will kill every one of us and not leave one single person alive. So let us charge and kill the barbarian invaders. Let us give our lives for this sacred piece of land we love so much and which we are willing to die to protect!” Upon seeing the new attack formation of the native warriors, the barbarian soldiers knew another battle was about to begin. They shivered in apprehension knowing this was the ultimate battle. When facing death, men always cling to life and fear death. That is normal human behavior. But the battle field is a strange place. Once placed there, the brains of the soldiers seem to solidify and become numb. The only thing they could think of was to kill the enemy or be killed themselves. Seeing their leader entangled with a puff of smoke, the barbarian soldiers did not know what to do. Since no order had been given to retreat, no one dared to move a foot. They stayed put and both sides remained at a stalemate. When the native warriors reformed their ranks and began to attack, the barbarian troops could only meet them head-on…
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The two sides clashed like two surging but opposing waves, resulting in a large whirlpool which later subdivided into smaller whirlpools all around the battlefield. Some whirling clockwise, some counter clockwise. Amidst these whirlpools, head and limbs severed in blood lust were scattered everywhere. Old Mr. Kaffee and the bent and crooked David were the first ones to die in the initial clash of the two sides. Mr. Kaffee was pierced by a long spear through the chest and David was beheaded by a barbarian knife. Battle cries and shouts rose everywhere. Corpses multiplied and piled up. Man killed each other like blood-thirsty animals. But whirlpools broaden, widen and finally do stop. The last person left standing was the indomitable and courageous Richard who was the most skilled fighter of them all. But he was badly wounded and his body covered with brownish, reddish blood. He was hand clutching onto a long spear with his right hand, while holding a bloody knife in his right hand. Eyes dazed, he looked around the battle field thinking, “Why did I kill so many people? Why did all these thousands of people die on the killing field?” Looking over the battle field, he glanced over at White Fairy.
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Atlas looked at the white puff of smoke circling overhead and was fast thinking of a way to capture her. A hideous grin marred his young handsome face as he returned his sword to its sheath. He took a sheep-skin sack from the back of his horse, opened it wide and waved it threateningly at White Fairy as if he was going to capture her with the sack. Atlas had long heard of the famous hundred-flower wine made in the Kingdom of Dreams and longed to taste it. But it was made only on rare occasions and it was said that once tasted, it was an experience never to be forgotten. King Zeus once tasted it and never liked any other wine after that. Atlas had the sheepskin bag made especially for the hundred flower wine he meant to get from the Kingdom of Dreams. Reminded of her former experience, White Fairy blanched with the thought that the man had thought of a way to deal with her. Just then, from the corner of his eye, Atlas caught sight of the only man left standing. It was Richard who had escaped from his magic sword when White Fairy covered his eyes. He turned his horse around and dashed towards the battlefield, as nothing could make him leave a single person alive from this battle. Richard was so exhausted he could hardly hold up his sword and so was in no position for another fight. He could only wait to be slaughtered. Seeing that, White Fairy flew over with full speed and without regard for her own personal safety plunged down towards Atlas again covering his head. She could not let him kill King Dimitri’s only surviving friend. Atlas grinned to himself as he thought, “Aha! You are not as clever as you think. I’ve got ya! I’ll take care of you trouble-maker first and then deal with this last survivor. Even if I have to put my head in the bag first, it’s okay. I know how to extricate myself.” Taking out his sheepskin bag, he was about to throw it over the puff of white smoke, when suddenly a strong gust of wind blew out from nowhere and tossed White Fairy into the air, where she struggled helplessly to no avail and had to float with the wind. Ah! The wind was her nemeses, but it was also this natural enemy that saved her from the hazard of capture. When the wind stopped, White Fairy had been blown quite a distance away, so when she looked down from on high and saw Atlas just as he raised his sword and slashed downwards, severing Richard’s head, she was incapable of doing anything to stop him. Atlas laughed heartily and dashed away towards the gate of the gold palace, not even sparing a glance at the field of dead bodies he had left behind as if they weren’t there at all. White Fairy followed closely behind. Atlas sat on the gold throne. At last he was experiencing what it was like to be a king while White Fairy floated onto a pillar by the eaves. Man and smoke were at a standoff, neither party conceding, while they waited for the arrival of King Dimitri.
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King Dimitri and his entourage were hurrying posthaste towards the Kingdom of Dreams when they heard the shrill neighing of a horse. With hands shading his eyes from the sun’s dazzling rays, King Dimitri looked towards the direction of the noise and saw a small black spot in the distance coming very fast towards them. As it got nearer, he was very happy to find it was his flying horse Lightning. He whooped in delight and waved to his beloved steed. The fact of the matter was, on the night of the catastrophe after Lightning flew down from the round dome of the gold palace, it went to grasslands by the side of the forest and began grazing there. The whistling arrows shot by the sentries high into the night sky told Lightning that enemy troops had invaded the Kingdom; but confident in the powers of Medusa and Cyclops it was not worried in the beginning. However, it was flabbergasted when it lifted its head from grazing on the grass and saw Medusa die with an arrow to her throat and later saw the leader of the barbarian soldiers ride up on his magnificent black horse and with one swipe of the magic sword in his hand severed Cyclops head from his body. It recognized the sword in the enemy leader’s hand as the one belonging to its master, King Dimitri; and looking still more closely realized that the bow and arrow the man had over his shoulders was also King Dimitri’s. How did these state treasures of the Kingdom come to be in enemy hands? It was then that Lightning knew that a catastrophe had happened and the Kingdom was in danger of being toppled. The clever magic horse did not rush out to challenge the aggressors because it knew it was no match for the leader of the barbarians who had somehow gotten hold of King Dimitri’s weapons and it would die in vain. Like Deanna, it decided to find King Dimitri and tell him about the latest catastrophe in the Kingdom. However, unlike Deanna it was not fortunate enough to come upon Imagination and Creativity, King Dimitri’s two loyal servants who led Deanna to their master. Feeling the pain of an exile with no home to return to, Lightning got lost in the vast expanse of blue skies. Just as it was hesitating as to what course to take and which direction to go, it saw King Dimitri and his entourage flying swiftly towards him. Neighing loudly in salutation, it flapped its wide wings and flew swiftly towards its master when he waved. King Dimitri went straight to the point and asked anxiously and urgently,
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“How are things going in the Kingdom?” On hearing the question, tears sprang into Lightning’s eyes and King Dimitri knew it must be very bad indeed. He stood up straight and jumped onto his horse without questioning it any more. This sudden vaulting movement of his gave his companions a great scare. They were all flying in the blue skies when Dimitri suddenly leapt onto Lightning’s back. The slightest miscalculation and he could have fallen to his death from the skies and been smashed to pieces. Luckily this did not happen. King Dimitri was a cautious person and whatever he did, he did with deliberate calculation. He would not act without confidence of success. King Dimitri sat majestically on his magic horse, his heroic and radiant bearing the complete opposite of his former persona of a shabby, dispirited, homeless man. He resumed once again his true colors, that of a brilliant, resolute and adapt military king. Deanna originally rode on the flying broom with King Dimitri, the double weight slowing down their speed somewhat. Now that the pressure had lessened, they sped at top speed towards the Kingdom of Dreams.
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The sun was high in the skies and shone dazzlingly on the round dome of the gold palace, refracting off brilliantly glittering rays. Inside the palace structured with solid gold, the atmosphere was colorful and majestic. A puff of white smoke floated around the top of the eaves, keeping a close watch on the gloating Atlas sitting on the solid gold throne seemingly extremely satisfied, as if he already was the owner of the gold palace and the king of this kingdom. Seeing him thus, White Fairy was very angry and berated him saying,
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“Don’t you have the least bit of regret in your heart for what you did? Don’t you feel at all apologetic towards the whole field of soldiers who just died to get you here?”
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“Regret?” asked Atlas boldfaced and self-confident. “Why should I feel regret? I believe that even my tribesmen who are lying dead in the battlefield outside will not have the least bit of regret. You should know that our lands are so barren that we seldom reap anything from the seeds we sow there. The pastures are not fertile either and our lamb and calves die before they mature. I led my men to this beautiful and fertile land and even though they all die here, I am sure they will be happy and satisfied to know that they are buried in such a wonderland. Yes, they will be grateful to me…” Before he finished speaking, White Fairy interrupted him indignantly saying
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“Nonsense! Rubbish! This is only your personal opinion and is not representative of your tribe. To be perfectly frank, you, fueled by your greed and ambition, are the culprit that caused this irreparable disaster. Look at all the corpses on the battlefield. At least half of them are innocent native warriors of King Dimitri’s Kingdom, who gave up their lives defending their homeland against your aggression. Are you not fully responsible for their deaths?” Atlas shrugged nonchalantly and spread his hands wide saying,
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“What responsibility do I have towards them? Occupying King Dimitri’s Kingdom was part of my plan. These warriors of the Kingdom died because they tried to prevent me from accomplishing my goal and were killed instead by my soldiers. It is their own fault and no responsibility of mine… You know, you have really strange theories… You see, if I don’t occupy this kingdom, I cannot become the royal ruler of the Kingdom of Dreams; and if I am not the King of this Kingdom, I am in no position to pursue Zeus’, two beautiful daughters Clementine and Charmaine. If I don’t pursue these two beautiful nymphs, I cannot become their husband. Will you be responsible for all that? You are really cuckoo, you know. Do you mean to tell me that you people with King Dimitri are all so brainless, with no power to think at all?” White Fairy was so flabbergasted with the arrogance and selfishness of this irrational man that she was tongue-tied for a moment and didn’t know how to challenge him. She could only say,
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“Alright…alright…Never in my whole life have I ever met a more unreasonable man than you. Not only are you avaricious and greedy and covet our kingdom; you are so contemptible and shameful that you even covet King Dimitri’s beauties, Clementine and Charmaine and want both as your wives. You are a despicable rascal…” Atlas was not the least ashamed by White Fairy’s words, he replied carelessly,
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“Despicable? For a man to want a wife is reasonable and justified. To court women I love is perfectly normal behavior. What’s so despicable about that? Oh yes, I heard that you are one of King Dimitri’s 24 beauties. Why don’t you show yourself and let me see if you are beautiful enough. Perhaps I would even be willing to include you in my harem…” White Fairy’s heart burned with rage and anger, but very soon a wave of sorrow overwhelmed her.
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“This man’s arrogance knows no bounds and dares to flirt with me” she thought. “If Medusa were here, he would never dare to take such liberties with me. Why, Medusa would peck his eyes out, but alas, she is dead and to think she was killed by King Dimitri’s magic arrow! What a tragedy!” The very thought of her partner boosted her spirits and she added angrily, “Good…Good…King Dimitri will be here soon… Don’t be so cocky. Look at all the corpses on the battlefield, you had better think of how to explain all this to him. If you are a man, go face the music and not try to slink away. King Dimitri will be back soon.” Atlas laughed heartily with unbridled and efferent arrogance saying,
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“You guys are afraid of King Dimitri. I am not. Look! His magic weapons are now all in my hands. Killing him is as simple as snapping my fingers! I most certainly would not run away. I will wait for him here sitting on this gold throne and I will most definitely kill him… Only then can I wholly take over his kingdom and be master of this fertile and magical land…”
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“Ah, you ignorant and cocksure cock-a-hoop” thought White Fairy, “you boast too early! It’s all just wishful thinking on your part. The sword and bow and arrow you stole were my gifts to King Dimitri on the founding of his new Kingdom. They are magical weapons with superhuman facilities and most certainly will not turn against their own master. You are a crazy fool if you intend to use them against King Dimitri and think you will succeed.” Just as White Fairy was deep in thought, the familiar neighing of a horse was heard from high up in the blue skies. She raised her head and saw the white horse flapping his huge wings flying towards the Kingdom of Dreams. “Why, that’s the magic horse Lightning!” thought she. “I hadn’t seen it for the longest time and was wondering what happened to it during this turmoil. So it went to find its master and has returned with him.” As they flew nearer, White Fairy saw that King Dimitri was surrounded by Imagination, Creativity, Charmaine and Clementine and cried happily, “Ah, King Dimitri, you are back! Our Kingdom will be saved!” With that she swiftly flew towards them. Before that, Deanna had left the little group on her flying broom to go to the native tribes which had been evacuated to the surrounding hills and forests when the fighting began to tell them the good news that King Dimitri was back. She told them that although the enemy had attacked the Kingdom and many of the native warriors had died protecting it, everything will be alright now that King Dimitri who loved his subjects and were devoted to their welfare was back. She told them not to be afraid any more, that King Dimitri will protect them.
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Leading his little group, King Dimitri descended sedately from the skies. Lightning chose to land near the spot where his partner Medusa lay on the ground. King Dimitri got down from his horse and the others also drifted to the ground and stopped at the fringe of the battlefield. Walking over to Medusa’s body, he saw that she retained her original shape of a bird’s body with a human face. Eyes wide open, her facial expression was one of surprise, as if unbelieving of the fact that she could die pierced by an arrow to the throat. King Dimitri knelt before her, pulled out the magic arrow and threw it behind his back. Creativity immediately sprang forward to catch it with his hands. King Dimitri used his hands to close Medusa’s eyes and silently prayed, saying,
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“Thank you, you brave protector of my Kingdom. Thank you for giving up your precious life to protect my Kingdom of Dreams. But death is not the be all and end all here. I will resurrect you once again.” King Dimitri stood up and walked slowly to where Cyclops was. His huge head had been cut off and had rolled over onto the grass nearby. His huge eye was open very wide as if he died with grievances and injustice that had not be resolved. His body too stood upright, as if showing his stubborn spirit. King Dimitri made a fist and shook his thumb at Cyclops in commendation, saying
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“Cyclops, you are a real hero. You gave your life selflessly to protect my kingdom. I give you my word that I will raise you from the dead and give you your life back. However, for the moment please lie down and rest a while…” Saying so, he gave Cyclops’s shoulders a light tap and the headless body fell to the ground. Lightning had followed behind its master as he walked about. Now King Dimitri put one hand on his horse and vaulted nimbly up to its back. Looking around at the corpses that piled up on the battle field, he could not distinguish where his good friends could be. Then looking up he saw a man sitting on the gold throne in the palace, who was looking intently at him and knew that must be Atlas, the leader of the barbarian tribes. He waved powerfully at the man signally for him to come out of the palace onto the open ground. Atlas knew that the time for a decisive battle between him and King Dimitri was here, so he leapt up from the throne, walked down the golden steps, ran lightly on the golden paths, sprang onto his black warhorse and came riding over. When he saw the two beautiful nymphs whom he was infatuated with was by King Dimitri’s side as he floated down from the skies, the barbarian leader was filled with jealousy and decided that the only thing to do was to kill King Dimitri and prove to the two beautiful nymphs that he was a true hero and worthy to be king of the Kingdom. This was wishful thinking indeed for King Dimitri was not a man to be so easily disposed of and the hearts of the two nymphs most certainly were not so easily won by bloodshed. Atlas saw another beauty with long hair that floated with the wind and knew she must be White Fairy, that puff of white smoke. He marveled at her beauty too and was sorry she was his enemy. He worried that if she again changed into a puff of smoke and covered his eyes when he was fighting with King Dimitri, it could be detrimental. He also saw nearby King Dimitri’s two loyal servants, whom he had long heard about. Imagination and Creativity were not easy opponents to deal with either. He decided that these were factors that must be dealt with before his fight … With these thoughts going on in his mind, he rode his horse towards King Dimitri and stopped at a spot a distance away.
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“Are you the barbarian chief Atlas?” asked King Dimitri. “This field of corpses is all your work, I believe. Can you give me a reasonable answer to justify this ruckus you have caused in my Kingdom?”
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“Of course I can” answered Atlas arrogantly. “Indeed, this field of corpses died because of me. But it could be said that they died because of you, too…”
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“Really?” exclaimed King Dimitri in surprise. “How do you justify that?”
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“My tribal lands are barren and poor. I come in search for better lands for the survival of my tribesmen. Your kingdom is rich and fertile, but your soldiers prevented us from taking over, so the scene you see before you with corpses piled up on the battle field is a natural result of our confrontation. What is there not to understand?”
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“So you lead your tribesmen and attack my Kingdom not really to seek survival. Your reasons are really to satisfy your own personal greed and avarice… Perhaps you also want to kill me, because otherwise you will not be able to wholly take over what is mine without fear of reprisal…, right?”
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“If you say so… Yes, I acknowledge it is so, for how else can I take over your Kingdom?”
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White Fairy did not have time to reveal to Dimitri the fact that the real reason for Atlas’s invasion was he wanted to possess the two nymphs Charmaine and Clementine, so at the time King Dimitri was not aware of Atlas’ true motive.
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“Well,” sighed King Dimitri, “It seems that a fight between us cannot be avoided then…Mankind has gone back to the old path of bloodshed, of killing each other as the fatalistic method to resolve human controversy. So be it. Come on then, what are you waiting for…?”
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“If this is to be a duel between the two of us” interrupted Atlas before King Dimitri finished speaking, “it should be just between you and me. No third person should be allowed to participate. Is that right? But even if you have people to help, I don’t mind either…Come on then, all of you, I can deal with you…” Saying so, he glanced at White Fairy, Imagination and Creativity. King Dimitri laughed loudly and answered,
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“Of course…of course… This is just between you and me. Don’t worry. It has nothing to do with a third party and no third party will take part in it at all. I will allow you to use my magic sword and bow and arrows against me. The only weapon I will need is some rope to defeat and kill you.” He held one hand high up into the air and Creativity threw over a coil of rope which King Dimitri deftly caught. It was the rope that King Dimitri had used, one end tied to his waist and one end tied to his horse Lightning, when he explored the lake to find the weakest point of Giant Mountain, its Achilles’ heels as it were. “I will use this coil of rope to kill you. I kill you not in revenge for all the people who lie dead on the fields, but to help you and save your greedy and degenerate soul.”
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“Don’t be so sure of yourself and boast too early of success” cried Atlas. The last one left standing will have the last laugh. Let’s see who is the better man!” Saying so, he held up his sword and rushed over.
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King Dimitri faced his enemy’s sharp and agile sword thrusts calmly and confidently. Atlas slashed at him seven to eight times in a row, but King Dimitri sitting on his horse managed to get out of the way of these attacks by dodging nimbly right and left. He would lie flat on his back, or slip off the back of his horse on the left side only to emerge again on the right side as if he had a tacit understanding with the sword in Atlas’ hand and knew beforehand exactly which direction it would be coming from and therefore dodged at precisely the right time and angle. As Atlas thrusted and slashed, he grew perplexed and confused by the fact that the sword in his hand was not as handy as it used to be and was not obeying him. The slash that should have gotten King Dimitri would leave its intended path and slip to one side. That really took him by surprise. Examining the sword in confusion, he could find nothing abnormal about it but for some reason he just could not get close to King Dimitri with it. Atlas became impatient and decided to change tactics and slash at the horse instead of the rider. This way, no matter how good King Dimitri was, once unhorsed he would not be able to fight. Suiting his action to his thoughts, Atlas began to slash at Lightning’s head. Then he would bow down low on his own horse and slash at Lightning’s legs. What he did not know was Lightning was a magic horse. It turned and circled lightly and effortlessly as if it were dancing and Atlas’ sword could not get close to it either. A solemn and victorious smile appeared on King Dimitri’s face as if saying, “Well, now you know what it is like to come against me!” which infuriated Atlas. He swung his sword with all his might at King Dimitri’s waist, thinking, “Take that, you conceited man. This is one strike impossible to hide or dodge. See how you can get out of this!” He never expected King Dimitri to jump high upwards from the back of his horse, making two somersaults in the air. Lightning too moved quickly away to escape the sword. As King Dimitri’s body dropped down, he passed right behind Atlas, so he made use of this opportunity to give the barbarian leader a mighty kick on his back and then dropped back on his magic horse which was waiting for him at exactly the right spot. Atlas was severely hurt and blood spurted out of his mouth. He spurred his horse and rushed away from the battlefield. After he was quite a distance away from King Dimitri, he stopped. While he was rushing away, he put his sword back into its sheath, knowing it was useless to use it against King Dimitri. Strangely, the sword seemed to be in a rapport with its former owner, who seemed to know in advance what Atlas was about to do and was prepared to deal with him accordingly. Could the sword be in league with their old owner against him, the new owner? What Atlas did not know was that both the sword and the bow and arrows used to belong to King Dimitri, whom they loved and were still loyal to. Though Atlas stole them and used them to kill hundreds of native warriors of the Kingdom, now coming face to face with their former owner, they had no second thoughts about betraying Atlas as they were unwilling to harm King Dimitri in any way. Atlas took down the bow slung around his shoulders, pulled out an arrow from his quiver, turned around and shot it straight at his enemy’s throat. The arrow flew in the air quick as lightning, making straight for King Dimitri’s throat as if it had eyes of its own; but when it came to be about a foot from its target, it seemed to recognize its former owner and stopped in midair refusing to budge. King Dimitri stretched out his hand and took the arrow. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Atlas shot seven, eight more arrows one after the other at vital parts of King Dimitri’s body, but they all stopped short in mid air about a foot or so from him. King Dimitri collected them all as he did the first one. Atlas again changed tactics and shot at the horse’s throat instead of the rider, but the arrow seemed to know Lightning as well its owner and stopped in midair near the horse and King Dimitri collected that arrow as well. As Atlas reached for another arrow, he found that his quiver was empty. Appalled that none of his weapons worked against King Dimitri, the desperate Atlas could only turn tail and run. King Dimitri tied a slipknot on his rope and patting his horse said,
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“Hey, you want to run now? Now so fast…” Lightning understood and ran swiftly after the fleeing barbarian. Swinging his coil of rope with his hand, King Dimitri sat on his horse and took aim at Atlas as he tried to escape. Accurately calculating speed and distance, he swung out his rope and caught the man around the neck pulling him from his horse to the ground. Dimitri shouted his order, “Up!” and his magic horse flapped his huge wings and rose up to the skies. The great pull of the rope broke Atlas’ neck. His eyes bulged, his tongue stuck out and he died. Then cracking his rope, King Dimitri loosened the slipknot and let the corpse fall down from on high. Lightning coasted around and slide steadily to the ground. King Dimitri dismounted. Lightning knew that the fight was over and it would no longer be needed, so it trotted to those standing at the fringe of the battlefield to await further orders.
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King Dimitri stood solitary and alone on the grassland strewn with soldiers fallen in battle. His head bowed deep in thought, he would sometimes raise his face to look at the skies. His entourage kept silent so as not to distract his somber thoughts. Suddenly a cloud floated over the wide expanse of blue skies and hung low over the sea of corpses piled up on the battlefield. When King Dimitri raised his head and suddenly saw that cloud, he was electrified by the mysterious inspiration that hit him.
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“Isn’t that the same cloud that rose from my Kingdom of Dreams and then floated to the mundane world to look for me? Now it has followed me back to my Kingdom. The mysterious experience deep in his inner heart was again resurrected. He seemed to be able to keep an intimate and direct link with the cloud which was actually the divine embodiment of God appearing to King Dimitri as a cloud. Dimitri fell to the ground, raised both his arms towards the cloud floating overhead and genuinely and sincerely genuflected in worship to the almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth. His entourage, seeing their sovereign kneeling in worship, did not dare to remain standing, so they all knelt down too, even the magic horse Lightning. King Dimitri prayed in his hoarse and emotional voice,
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“Oh, God my God! Please have mercy on these headless, limbless corpses lying here in a pool of blood. They were all your creatures made to your own image and likeness, but they did not inherit your kind and generous spirit. On the contrary, they adhered to the animal instincts of greed, arrogance and ignorance. Oh God my God, please take pity on these ignorant human beings for they really know not what they do. They did not treasure the glorious body you bestowed on them, but ferociously killed each other in meaningless strife until blood flowed like rivers and corpses piled up like mountains. These massacres had happened time and time again in human history, but none have learned anything from them. Sad to say, they had only increased in ferocity.”
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“Oh God my God! Please take pity on these ignorant creatures. Sometimes they become mad, irrational and unreasonable and do things that even they themselves do not know why. Oh God my God! Please take pity on these ignorant creatures. Did you come here to cast the lost souls of these unfortunate people into the fires of Gahanna to endure eternal punishment? Oh no, God my God! Please show mercy to these ignorant but naïve souls. Please give them one more chance. If given the chance to rise again from the dead, they will surely understand that life is to be treasured. I am sure they will repent and reform. Oh God my God! Looking at this field of the dead, I cannot say I am blameless, for this massacre, too heart-rending to see, did happen in my Kingdom. If someone must be blamed for this tragedy, let the blame fall solely on me because I did not get here on time to prevent this massacre from happening. Oh God my God, please take pity on these ignorant people for they know not what they do. Oh God my God, please, please pity these ignorant people and forgive them their trespasses…” King Dimitri prayed fervently to the cloud hovering above the killing field and poured out his innermost thoughts to his God.
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“Oh God my God! Please take pity on these ignorant creatures of yours, for they really know not what they do. Human beings have always used wars and killing to settle their disputes, but disputes had never been settled this way. History shows that they had only given way to even larger scaled and more tragic wars and killings. Oh God my God! Please do not be angry with these your pitiful and unfortunate creatures. Human beings sometimes become mad, irrational and unreasonable, which are traits hard to tame. They are also greedy, arrogant and ignorant. Oh God my God! I have always thought that human civilization has not yet reached its peak because they had always tried to settle disputes by bloodshed and war. If one day, they could find another way to settle their differences, then human civilization would really have reached the pinnacle. Oh God my God! I worry and am terrified that before that day arrives, human civilization would be completely destroyed forever in an instant. After a bright light or a big bang and all would be eternally silenced and destroyed…I hope and pray that day would never come and human beings find a way not to resort to bloodshed and war to settle disputes and human civilization can reach its summit. Oh God my God, I beg you to take pity and forgive these unfortunate human beings for they are naïve and do not know what they do. I sincerely beg you not only to forgive them, but also to give them a second chance at life for only by rising again from the dead will they appreciate the preciousness of life and reform their past deeds. I beg you to take pity on and forgive the ignorance of your creatures.” King Dimitri’s hoarse and emotional voice echoed in the wilderness, moving in the extreme. The cloud hovering above the killing field sighed and replied in a voice loud as thunder
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“Truth is in your hands. Let things proceed according to your thoughts.” Saying so, the cloud broke up, shattered and disappeared, leaving behind the wide expanse of blue skies as serene as ever .If God could appear as a cloud, he could also appear as a flower or in any other possible form.
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When his entourage saw King Dimitri rise up from his knees, they too stood up straight again and watched as he walked towards them at the fringe of the battlefield, his expression solemn but full of confidence. They were all much encouraged because they knew King Dimitri was about to do something great and spectacular. He walked to where they were standing and turned around to face the sea of corpses on the battlefield saying,
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“Where are you White Fairy?”
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“I am here, your Majesty” replied White Fairy walking over to him. I am ready to carry out your orders.”
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“I want you to order all the fresh flowers in the Kingdom of Dreams to gather here…” said King Dimitri solemnly. “I want this cruel, ugly battlefield of massacre and killing to be completely buried in beautiful flowers which personifies peace and love.”
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“Yes sire” replied White Fairy energetically and went to stand at the sidelines. She clasped her hands and was murmuring softly but no one could hear what she was saying.
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“Where are you, Imagination and Creativity?” asked King Dimitri.
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“We are both here, your majesty, awaiting your orders” replied the two loyal servants stepping forward.
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“I order the two of you to stop using your brains and clear your head of all medley thoughts. I want you two to enter with me into the state of zero and release the limitless possibilities of zero.”
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“Yes, sire” replied the two in one voice and walked hand in hand to stand behind King Dimitri. With one hand tightly clasping that of their partner and the other hand pointing towards the wide expanse of blue skies, they followed their master into the deep and mysterious state of zero. Strange to say, a miracle happened. The fragrance of flowers somehow covered up the metallic smell of blood rising from the corpses on the battlefield and became stronger and stronger until it drowned and intoxicated the senses. At the same time the spring breeze wafting over the battlefield made one feel drowsy and tipsy. Multicolored flower petals and floated down from the skies. From the south came a cloud of red orchids and other beautiful local flowers which completely covered the bodies strewn haphazardly around the battlefield. From the east appeared colorful and odoriferous peonies mixed with other rare flora native to the Kingdom of Dreams. From the east floated exotic roses with their own unique perfume and from the north came the rare and seldom seen black tulip. Very soon from the southeast and northwest, from the northeast and southwest, came innumerable fresh flowers which traveled over hills and mountains to pour down on the battlefield in overpowering numbers. These flowers that symbolized the twenty-five beauties of the Kingdom of Dreams floated over like a cloud and one by one dropped down, covering the meadow with a fragrant multicolored blanket. Waves began to appear on the surface of this sea of flowers for deep down within it, the energy that they covered were restless and itching for action.
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Slight quivers were discernable on the surface of the calm and quiet sea of flowers, but deep in its center an undercurrent was silently amassing and soon turned into mighty, crashing waves. Suddenly a large black bird broke the surface of the sea of flowers and shot straight up into the skies, sending down a torrent of floral rain as she shook herself. She had a woman’s face and hair of serpents. It could only be the brave and indomitable Medusa! She flew swiftly towards the torrid sun and was soon just a tiny black speck in the distant horizon. But she suddenly turned back and dove straight down vertically towards the ground. Before touching down, she just as suddenly pulled herself up high into the sky. She encircled the sea of flowers two three times, crying in a loud voice, “I have come back from the dead. I have come back from the dead. All those who died will be resurrected, too. We have defeated the angel of death.” She made a somersault in midair, turned into human form and dropped down to earth. When she saw King Dimitri leading his two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity immersed in the state of zero and White Fairy silently praying with folded hands, she knew that it was a critical and vulnerable time for the four of them and no one should be allowed to disturb them. So after exchanging knowing glances with Charmaine and Clementine who was standing nearby, she once more took up her position as Protector of the Kingdom and stood on the right side of King Dimitri. Soon there was another disturbance deep in the sea of flowers and the head of a giant with two eyes one in the front and one at the back of his head broke surface. The single horn on the top of his head proclaimed him to be no other than Cyclops. When he woke up at the bottom of the sea of flowers, he groped around with his hands and found his severed head, which he quickly put back on his neck. In his haste, he did not position it correctly, so he used his hands to righten it so that it could be in its original position. He waded in the sea of flowers which reached up to his waist. Then, he quickly walked over, nodded to Medusa and the two nymphs and stood on the left of King Dimitri, also taking up the duty of guarding his sovereign. After a while disturbances appeared from deep under the surface of the sea of flowers. When a kettle of water nears the boiling point, bubbles would rise up to the surface. They would quickly increase in numbers until they become part of an agitated wave and the water comes to a roiling boil. It was the same with the situation on hand here. First fragments of human voices were heard, just like the time when one leaves home early in the morning and meets with the neighbors, one would chat cordially and say a few words of casual greeting. Then as one proceeds to the open market where more people are gathered, the atmosphere would become more lively and bustling. It was the same here at the edge of the battlefield. The former quiet and silence was broken as waves appeared on the sea of flowers and voices could be heard, until they grew louder and louder and became a noisy clamor of shouts and laughter. The dead bodies of the barbarian soldiers and native warriors came to life again and were loudly expressing their surprise and joy with boisterous shouts and exclamations.
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From deep in the sea of flowers could be heard the following shouts and exclamations:
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“Hey, brother, wake up. We seem to be restored to life! Wake up!”
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“Ar-r-r-rh!” yawned the so-called “brother” as he stretched himself, “Why, yes, we are alive again. I remember you were running after me and pierced my back with your spear right through my breast. I thought I was done for, but now I am alive again.”
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“Yes, yes. I am so sorry. I don’t know why I was so hell bent on killing you. Are you alright now? I hope you are not in pain any more… I was pierced by an arrow through my throat and I died. It’s really strange. How come I am back to life again? Are we enemies?”
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“No, I don’t think so. I have never seen you before so we couldn’t be enemies…”
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“If we are not enemies, why are we killing each other as if we were? That’s really unreasonable. Anyway, now that we’ve got our lives back, let bury the past and start anew…” The two former enemies shook hands and hugged each other to celebrate their second life.
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“Hey, hey, brother. Will you take your hatchet from my head where you buried it? I am hurting!”
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“Oh, sorry, sorry brother. I forgot to pull out the hatchet. I was going to do that but an arrow pierced my throat and I died before I could do so… Okay, now it’s out. Are you still in pain?”
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“No problem. The wound closed by itself. Isn’t that miraculous? I thought I died when you hacked at me with your hatchet. How come I am alive again? Are we enemies?”
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“No, I don’t think so. I don’t know why we are so filled with blood lust that we are determined to kill each other even though we had never seen each other before… But now that the past is gone, let’s start anew. As they used to say, “Friendship grows from exchange of blows, Ha-ha. Let’s be friends from now on and never go on a killing rampage again, okay?”
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“Hey brother, this is half of your head. I just picked it up for you, put it back on quickly. Your swordsmanship is quite good. Several of our brothers died when you cut off their heads.”
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“Of what use is good swordsmanship to me? Wasn’t half my head cut off by someone else?… Why we are so filled with blood lust that we are determined to kill each other although we had never seen each other before… Anyway, I have put half of my head back on and I can again enjoy some good wine. Oh, your brothers whose head I cut off, have they come back to life again too and have they found their heads yet? Let’s go find them and I will treat you all to good liquor to express my apologies for having hurt you guys and also to celebrate our second lives…”
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“It’s really strange why we kill people we don’t know at all and are so gung-ho about it. Are human beings ignorant animals? Not really…”
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“Hey, you white-haired old gent. You are really quite a savage soldier. Pull your spear from my chest please. I have already pulled mine from yours. I am in great pain. If you don’t pull it out, I will die a second time…”
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“Oh, sorry, sorry…I will do so at once. Are you okay? Your wound will close up very soon just like mine did. It’s strange, isn’t it? We are alive again. I have heard of such things but it’s quite different when we experience it ourselves…It’s something worth celebrating, right?…”
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“The fault is really with us. We should never have followed our tribal leader and crossed the borders into your Kingdom. He wanted to occupy your lands, enslave your people and take over your palaces. That is wrong but we just blindly followed him without using our heads. I am really ashamed of our behavior.”
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“I suppose you had your reasons…. The land on your side is poor and arid and life is hard. We know that. If you need food or sheep and cows, you just have to ask and we would gladly shares ours with you. King Dimitri is a very benevolent and generous king and will freely supply you with all you need. Things can be solved without shedding blood…”
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“Really? Why is it that we were not informed about any of this? If we knew the truth, who would be willing to risk their lives needlessly?”
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“You are right, but this battle was still worth it. If we did not die and then were brought back to life again like we are now, we would not so fully understand the worth and significance of life and why life should be treasured. Life comes only once. But we died once and are now being given a second chance at it. We should appreciate it all the more…”
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3wtG6CenFcyAukQg8B5Zi9jHVNp41PvD7OWMSmY2
“Hey, old man, I brought your head back to you. Put it back on your neck. Your face is full of wrinkles and you look pretty old, why are you so wicked that you sneak up on me and cut off my genitals? Without it I don’t really want to live.”
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“Oh no brother, I’m not the only wicked one. I did cut off your reproductive organs, but you raised your knife and cut off my head, didn’t you? Thank you for bringing it back to me, I will put it back where it belongs. Hey, how come I am alive again and have become younger by at least twenty years… Life is really a strange and wonderful thing. If I did not die once and come back to life again, I would not be as appreciative of its preciousness and of its meaning. I killed you and you killed me, so let’s call it quits. Why don’t you go back to where you came from and I will return to my home. From now on we will live a peaceful life. Let’s call it a truce and never fight again.”
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“You are right. What is the meaning of ceaseless strife and killing each other? It is much better to live side by side in peace and prosperity. I will go back and report to our chief…”
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“Hey, hey, brother. The head you have in your hand is mine. The one in my hand, I think, belongs to you. Look at all the heads on the ground. I think they were cut off by the same man…That man was really brutal. Hey, brothers, look carefully and be sure you’ve got your own head. It would really be a comedy of errors if you put someone else’s head on your neck… Hey, that head belongs to that one over there, give it back to him.”
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“Thank you. Thank you. I am really sorry I cut off your heads. In the end, my head was also cut off by someone else. You shame me by giving me back my head instead of getting back at me for killing you guys. Thank you. Thank you.”
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“No thanks needed. The wrong party was us who invaded your Kingdom. If we didn’t, you would not have cut off our heads and yours would be safely on your own head as well. Let’s call it quits.”
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“Yes, let’s call it quits. We are all made to the likeness of God, but we kill each other, cut off each other’s heads. Does that mean we human beings are irrational and mad? Is battle the only way to settle matters? Now that we all have our heads back and the brains in our heads are the tool by which we think, let us think over what had just happened. In order to avoid future battles and bloodshed, let us think of a new and more reasonable way to settle matters. Do we really understand what we are doing when we kill each other and cut off each other’s head?”
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Under this gorgeously colored sea of flowers lay several thousand dead soldiers from both sides. To them it was as if they were trapped in a nightmare where they killed and butchered each other; but these barbaric, savage and horrific scenes disappeared when they woke up. Luckily it was only a bad dream which dissipated upon awakening. They groped around in the sea of flowers looking for the missing parts of their body. Some were looking for their head which had been cut off in battle; some were searching for their severed arms or legs; while others were trying to see to the fatal wounds that killed them. In a word, they were all trying to make themselves whole again and regain the image and likeness that God gave them. They not only woke up from their nightmare, they actually rose again from the dead. From the beginning of times in the long history of mankind, there had been innumerable battles on scales more massive than this one, but this one was rare and unique in that the soldiers that died all came back to life again because the battle happened in a mysterious kingdom. Nothing is impossible in the Kingdom of Dreams or in other words anything is possible here including the resurrection of life.
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King Dimitri woke up from his extremely quiet and serene state of mind and came out of the state of zero. He found himself sitting cross-legged on the soft grass and stood up. His two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity put down their hands which had been pointing at the sky. King Dimitri turned to White Fairy who was standing beside him and said,
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“Everyone has woken up, so this beautiful sea of flowers can now be withdrawn. The fresh flowers you called from all around have already fulfilled their mission. Please dismiss them and ask them to go back to where they came from…” White Fairy clasped her hands and murmured words in a language that only she herself understood and thousands of flowers flew wave after wave in a very orderly fashion into the blue skies like pigeons that symbolized peace. These innumerable fresh flowers had bloomed at a most unseasonable time in answer to the call of the Flower Fairy and they all flew here at her command. Now that their task was done they flew back again to where they came from, by the side of the clear stream or brook, in the emerald green meadows, on trees and shrubs or in mountains and valleys where no humans had ever stepped into before…Myriads of beautiful flowers flew up into the skies, filling the heavens with their graceful and colorful forms which could be seen in every corner of the vast domain of the Kingdom of Dreams. It was a majestic sight to behold indeed! The corpses of the two, three thousand barbarian soldiers and native warriors on the battlefield came to life again. The mortal enemies who had been bent on killing each other were now shaking hands in friendship, hugging warmly or walking together arms around each other’s shoulders. Some of the barbarian soldiers and native warriors even sat around in a circle hand in hand talking, laughing, singing and dancing together in high spirits. King Dimitri smiled in satisfaction on seeing the scene so full of peace, warmth and happiness. From different directions of the meadows, figures were seen making their way towards him. King Dimitri gazed fixedly at them and saw that the two figures coming from the right were his old friends Richard and Jamaz; the two coming towards him at the center were the silver-haired Mr. Kaffee and the wrinkled David and the two men walking towards him on the left talking and laughing were Mr. Finger aka Emmanuel and Big-O. King Dimitri’s face was wreathed in smiles as he saw his old friends walking so full of life towards him knowing they must have been among the dead who were now resurrected. He waved his hands wildly to them shouting their names and when they saw it was him, they came running. King Dimitri hugged each and every one of them warmly, saying repeatedly, “Scared you eh? Now it’s over and we can all be together again…” Just then, ferocious roars were heard and he knew that the two tigers that sat before his throne were here too. He looked into the distance and saw Cortez and Kojak come bouncing joyfully towards him, closely followed by two women, Eileen and Viola. What happened was this. At the beginning of the battle, when Eileen saw Cyclops’s head fly from his body as blood spurted from his neck, she blacked out and her body once again broke into two parts. Viola who was there with her was devastated at what befell her parents and she too fainted. Luckily, native warriors put Viola onto the backs of the tigers Cortez that carried her to safety into the dense forest before running out to face the enemies who were attacking the Kingdom. When the dawn broke and Viola came to again, she found herself in a sea of flowers and knew that her mother must be somewhere in there too. She silently dived to the bottom and found her mother. When Cyclops saw his wife and daughter walking towards him safe and sound, he ran to hug them close to his heart. Cortez and Kojak so fierce and savage against the enemy were like two beautiful gentle kittens before their master. King Dimitri gently patted their heads, ruffled their thick striped and speckled fur and hugged them affectionately. Cyclops solicitously brought over a huge smooth rock for King Dimitri to sit on. The stone weighed several thousand pounds and would have taken a lot of people to just move it, but in Cyclops hands it was light as a feather. Beautiful Imagination got two pieces of animal fur from somewhere and covered the rock with them as a temporary throne. Sitting on it, King Dimitri looked at the people all around the battle field, searching for the culprit who started this battle.
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Barbarian soldiers and native warriors were gathered on the green meadows exhibiting their physical prowess. They were running races competing in swiftness, throwing stones to test the strength of their arms and wrestling to see whose technique was better. Competitiveness is part of human nature. It need not stoop to the level of mutual annihilation or mutilation using knives and spears, but could be carried out through peaceful means. The lively and bustling atmosphere on the meadows gained momentum and was in full swing when all of a sudden everything quieted down and the competitors stepped aside to make way for a tall husky young man who came walking quickly towards King Dimitri with bowed head, carrying the magic sword and magic bow and his empty quivers in his arms. Of course it was Atlas, the chief of the barbarian soldiers. He was the last to die and therefore was the last to wake up from the dead. When he woke up and saw the peaceful scene in front of him, he understood what had happened. He found that the magic sword was still hanging on his waist and the magic bow was still around his shoulders and knew it was time to face King Dimitri. He would acknowledge defeat, swear fealty to him and promise to be a loyal vassal forever… Atlas walked bravely to where King Dimitri was sitting on his temporary throne, knelt before him holding high the magic weapons in his arms saying,,
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“Your majesty, I am your most humble servant, Atlas chief of the barbarian tribes. I am deeply ashamed of my past behavior of sending my underlings to steal your precious state treasures, and then invading your territories creating the devastating tragedy which caused the death of thousands of young men on both sides of our countries. But you, your majesty, did not take me to task on such outrageous and atrocious behavior; on the contrary, you forgave me and gave me and my soldiers a second chance at life and resurrected us. My life was given back to me by you, so I hereby willingly swear fealty to you as my overlord and will be loyal to you as your vassal. I will obey your commands and serve you loyally forever. …Here are your state treasures, your magic sword and magic bow. Please accept them back with my sincere and humble apologies…” King Dimitri looked over at Creativity, who understood and walked over to take the weapons back from Atlas. King Dimitri then stood up, walked over to Atlas and helped him up with both hands saying,
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“What’s done is done. From now on we will be like brothers. I am a few years older than you so I will be the elder brother. Our two countries will be on equal and friendly footing with each other. We will live in peaceful coexistence and help each other.”
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“Yes, your majesty. It will be as you decree.” Holding Atlas’ hand high in the air with his,
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King Dimitri turned to the people of both countries and they cried out enthusiastically, “King Dimitri! King Dimitri! King Dimitri!” The mountains and valleys resounded with their shouts. Atlas bowed low to King Dimitri and said, “Thank you, your Majesty for your kindness and generosity. I will take myself and my soldiers back home now. We will guard the safety of the boundaries of your Kingdom with our lives…”
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“Not so fast young man” replied King Dimitri, his face full of smiles. Holding Atlas’ hand he said, “You do not visit my Kingdom very often, why not stay a few days longer? Look at our soldiers! See how well they are getting along? Making them go home now would really dampen their mood. Everyone must be hungry and thirsty by now after the big battle. Let me do the honors as your host and give them a treat.”
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“Thank you, your majesty” replied Atlas. King Dimitri stopped for a moment and continued,
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“Now that we have put everything in the past and have put ourselves on a new footing, let us just talk about the past one more time. Your lands may not be the most fertile, but they are not really so arid that food, sheep and cows are in short supply, why then did you really start this battle with us?” On hearing this, Atlas again fell to his knees and replied,
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“It is all my fault…I am guilty…I don’t dare to talk about it…” while he glanced stealthily towards the left with the corner of his eyes to where White Fairy, Clementine and Charmaine were whispering together, and their three pairs of eyes slanted every now and then towards King Dimitri and Atlas. King Dimitri being the clever and discerning monarch he was, had already surmised what it was all about. He laughed aloud and called to Clementine and Charmaine to come over. He again helped Atlas to his feet saying,
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“Ah, little brother, I told you we were brothers and therefore are equal in every way. Don’t be so stuck on the confining and stiff court etiquette. Let’s treat each other as family which will be much more casual and harmonious.”
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“Yes, sire. Yes your majesty” replied Atlas.
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“Come, come” said King Dimitri as Clementine and Charmaine walked over. “Let me introduce you to each other. “This is my new brother, Atlas. Give him a hug you two to show your sincere welcome.” Atlas was aghast and did not know what King Dimitri’s intentions were but Clementine ever poised and gracious walked over and hugged and kissed him quite initiatively. Atlas was surprised that the body he held in his arms did not seem to be one made of flesh and blood. On the contrary, it seemed to be just air with no substance at all. Charmaine also came and hugged and kissed him and it was the same with her too. Atlas’ expression betrayed his surprise and chagrin causing Charmaine to chuckle and say,
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“Do you understand now? Although we sisters are heavenly nymphs, we have beautiful features and shape but no substance. Our relationship with King Dimitri is one of the purest platonic love, which few people can understand…”
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“The human body with its sexual desires has body temperature” continued Clementine. “It will grow old and decay. But spiritual love is eternal. Do you understand now…?” Atlas knelt down to the two nymphs saying,
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“I am a fool. I am a fool. Only now do I understand the true meaning of love… Formerly, I only wanted… I only wanted…” Before two such ethereal creatures, he could not say out loud the words “carnal possession.” King Dimitri pulled him to his feet saying,
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“I just told you not to adhere to court protocol, why are you kneeling down again? Get up. Get up. Let me introduce you to some very good old friends of mine who just came from the mundane world…” Just then the beating of drums and music from pipes and other instruments could be heard coming from all the paths in the mountains for Deanna had told the various tribes that King Dimitri was back and everyone’s mind was at ease and they were happy and jubilant. Suddenly, they saw the flowers blooming on the branches of trees and shrubs in the mountains fly away towards the gold palace. Then, after a period of time they all flew back again, settled on their original branches and continued to bloom. The old chieftains in the tribes all said that it was a good omen. King Dimitri must have defeated the enemies and all the dead warriors had been brought back to life again so the various tribes began preparations to celebrate victory. They carried the customary food and drinks they used for celebrations on their backs or on poles and brought them to the wide open plains in front of the gold palace. King Dimitri’s great victory Feast thus began. The whole Kingdom was again filled with a spirit of joyful festivity as if it were a paradise apart from the mundane world.
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Under the vast expanse of blue skies, thousands of loyal subjects of the Kingdom of Dreams gathered on the open plains before the gold palace by the emerald green meadows. They sang and danced and quaffed from their cups to celebrate the return of their beloved King Dimitri. The battle had ended and the dead on both sides had been miraculously brought back to life again. Such heartening and encouraging news galvanized everyone into a frenzy of festivities that surpassed the celebration of all past events. In a corner near the lake a large woolen blanket was spread on the green grass and all kinds of colorful fresh fruit were offered. Many other kinds of food were also piled up high. King Dimitri and his good friends sat around in a circle. Even though outwardly Charmaine and Clementine had beautiful features and shapes, they did not have substantial flesh bodies and therefore did not partake of any kind of food and drink. So they joined White Fairy and busied themselves with blending the wine and replenishing everyone’s cup with the unique hundred flower wine made only in the Kingdom of Dreams. The two loyal servants Imagination and Creativity stood behind King Dimitri ready to carry out his orders. Medusa and Cyclops stood beside King Dimitri to ensure his safety and the two tigers Kojak and Cortez roamed around the area on the lookout for any infringement of security. Of course in such a happy time there were no enemies about, but keeping the area around King Dimitri safe and secure was also of paramount importance, for who can guarantee that nothing untoward would happen in the next instant? Take the battle that just took place here for instance, who could have known beforehand that it would happen? Therefore it was only fitting that precautions be taken just in case… King Dimitri held up his cup to his friends and said,
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“Come, come everyone. Cheers to you all! Let’s drink to everyone’s health and happiness…I am so sorry that the first time you came to visit my Kingdom you were met with such a catastrophe, which must have given you all a fright and even cost you your lives. Let’s drink this cup of excellent hundred flower wine to help you recover from the shock!” King Dimitri looked around, agitated and emotional, at the familiar smiling faces of his good friends. Not so long before they were selflessly shedding their blood and laying down their lives in order to help save his Kingdom. Now they had all come back to life again and were gathered around him. It was a great thing in life to be able to have even one friend, loyal and true to him through thick and thin, but he had been blessed with so many staunch and devoted friends willing to live and die for him. Just looking at them made King Dimitri feel an upsurge of emotion and his eyes brimmed over in tears. Holding up his cup of wine, he said, “I…I…I use this cup of wine to welcome you all to my Kingdom…Words of gratitude are superfluous among real friends…Bottom up everyone…” Saying so, he drank his wine at a quaff and showed the bottom of his empty cup to his friends, urging them to drink up, too. Everyone obediently drank up the wine in their cups, too. Hearing his words, Atlas felt anxious and uneasy, but being of a gallant and unbridled nature, he held up his cup and said,
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“I am sorry to have cause uneasiness to everyone here. It was all my fault. Let me drink three cups of wine as punishment for my transgressions and as an apology to all of you here.” Saying so, Atlas drank three cups of wine one after the other in a frank and straightforward manner. Charmaine stood by him and was busy refilling his cup. King Dimitri was feeling a bit embarrassed that his unintentional words had caused Atlas to react in such an apologetic manner and he felt sorry to have touched again on a subject better left closed. Just at that time someone interrupted loudly saying,
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“Hey, this wine is really superb. You drank three cups as punishment. Let me keep you company and drink three cups as well!” The speaker was Jamaz, who loved drinking more than life itself. This was just his excuse for drinking more wine. Everyone laughed and said,
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“Don’t be in such a hurry. The day is young yet.”
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“What’s the rush? Slow down, there’s no one competing with you for the wine.”
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These words cleared the air and blew away the slightly awkward atmosphere.
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“Brother Atlas” said Mr. Kaffee, “Don’t blame yourself too much. If not for you, we would not have died and therefore would not have gone through the miraculous experience of resurrection. This change from life to death and from death to life, made us thoroughly aware of the preciousness and value of life. It’s a pity normal people only live once and cannot experience this incredible transformation. They are not able to understand the extraordinary experience we got from dying and coming back to life again, so they continue to use killing and warfare to settle matters. I wonder how long this vicious circle will go on… King Dimitri gave us all a second chance at life and the experience taught us that killing and warfare cannot settle matters. We must find a new way to solve problems and disputes so that human civilization will continue to develop to new heights…But I’m afraid that the resurrection to life of a large number of people can only happen in mysterious domain such as the Kingdom of Dreams. ..In a word, it was King Dimitri who enabled us to come back to life again and thoroughly understand the meaning and significance of life. So let us all take up our cups and drink to King Dimitri. Cheers!” King Dimitri smiled and held up his cup and everyone once more emptied their own. Clementine and Charmaine again busily filled up the empty cups with wine.
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“Your majesty” said David cheekily “I have a small favor to ask of you… Will you take your magic sword and cut off my head once more? I found that when my head was cut off and then put back on my neck again, I became twenty years younger. If you do that again I will be forty years younger and return to my youthful ages again. Won’t that be wonderful…?”
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“What if this time your head cannot be connected back to your body?” asked Big-O “What then? You’ll be dead.”
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“Why do you want to go back to your youth?” asked Richard. “Is there something you wanted to do that you had not been able to accomplish? You are now twenty years younger than you were. It is the best time in your life for you to realize your ambitions and aspirations.”
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“What aspirations and ambitions can he have?”jeered Mr. Finger aka Emmanuel. “He only wants a youthful physique to have sex with women. The more the merrier. Am I right?”
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“Bosh! What do you guys know about me? I want my youth back because now that I know the value and significance of life, I will not squander my golden years away the way I did. I will treasure it and plan my life and career to the best of my ability. You guys are talking gibberish…”
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“Mr. Finger is right, David.” added Jamaz. “Don’t be a hypocrite and try to put on a noble face. Think I don’t know you want to be young only to get more women? You are already in your dotage but you still wanna be a womanizing bastard. Ha-ha… so don’t get all noble and sugar-coat yourself…” The group of old friends joked and laughed among themselves for a while. Then Mr. Kaffee again turned serious and said,
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“We old friends from the mundane world are all here now. But to my mind there is still a blemish in an otherwise perfect setting. I am thinking of Dwarf Mickey. It was said that he sank himself with his treasure trove to the bottom of the lake, so he must have drowned. Your majesty, since you have the ability to raise us all from the dead, could you not do the same for Dwarf Mickey? If he could join us here today and we could eat, drink and talk together like we used to in the mundane world, won’t that be a perfect reunion?” King Dimitri smiled but did not say anything. He poured a cupful of wine and gave it to Imagination saying,
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“Go and pour this cup of wine into the lake.”
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“Yes, your majesty” said the loyal servant. He went over and poured the cup of wine into the lake without questioning why. Charmaine and Clementine came up to King Dimitri to report that the tribes had sent over a group of beautiful young girls to perform a song and dance for King Dimitri and his friends. They also sent over two strong, husky young men to show off their skill in wrestling. King Dimitri nodded his consent.
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About a dozen beautiful young girls chosen from the various tribes of the Kingdom entered. They were dressed in costumes made of semi-transparent material thin as the wings of cicadas, which they copied from the dresses of Charmaine and Clementine. Their luscious figures half exposed by their costumes and their graceful dancing kept the audience spell-bound. The philandering wolf old David especially stared until his eyes almost popped out of his sockets. The girls bowed elegantly at the end of the dance and withdrew. Two strong husky young men, one representing the native warriors and one chosen to represent the newcomer soldiers entered to show off their wrestling skills. With bulging muscles that seemed like dozens of small mice running all over their bodies they pounced on each other, not using brute force, but bringing into play their formidable techniques. While wrestling, pouncing, jumping and rolling, they used every one of the nimble, flexible muscles, exhibiting to the fullest the charm and fascination of virile charisma. The audience were enthralled and captivated. Richard, Jamaz, Big-O and Mr. Finger aka Emmanuel especially couldn’t keep still in their seats and really craved to jump in and join the wrestlers. But this was a friendly exhibition and it would be unseemly for the audience to participate.
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When the show ended and the wrestlers left, they suddenly found that they had been so enthralled by the show that they did not noticed a small figure had joined them and was sitting beside King Dimitri, eating and drinking with abandon. That weird-looking figure, those uninhibited and unrestrained table manners could only belong to one person – Dwarf Mickey! The fact of the matter was, Dwarf Mickey had remained underwater, sleeping inside his treasure trove. He was extremely bored and was looking for some diversion when suddenly the enticing and irresistible fragrance of excellent wine hovered by his nose. He opened his mouth and swallowed the fragrance, but that only served to wake up the wine worms inside his stomach and played havoc there. Unable to resist his addiction for drinking, he swam to the surface of the lake and climbed ashore. He had on a quaint melon-shaped cap and an exotic gown of ancient times woven with gold thread. As soon as he came out of the lake, water dripped off of him until not a single drop remained. The two ferocious tigers Kojak and Cortez discovered his presence and bounced towards him at once. Dwarf Mickey made a sign with his hands commanding silence and said,
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“What’s the matter, you son-of-a-guns? Don’t know me anymore?” The two tigers of course knew him and their bouncing steps only expressed their excitement at seeing him again. “Where is your master, King Dimitri? I want to see him….” The two tigers looked towards the meadows and took two steps forward as if to show him the way. “Okay, so he is over there. I know this place and don’t need you to lead the way. I want to give your master the surprise of his life, so you two can go about your own business…” Dwarf Mickey dodged his way towards the meadows on tip toes, walked towards King Dimitri and sat right beside him without any of his old friends noticing his presence. Even Medusa and Cyclops were not aware of his advent. King Dimitri was overjoyed to see his long-separated friend Dwarf Mickey and clasped him in a bear hug saying,
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“My old friend! My old friend! You are here. That’s wonderful… I have missed you so much! How are you? Come on; tell me what you had been doing all this time…” Dwarf Mickey was busy wolfing down the food. He swallowed what was in his mouth without chewing properly, drank some of the excellent hundred flower wine, smacked his lips and answered,
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“Old man me? I haven’t been doing much, just having a good long sleep. This morning I was woken up by the clashing of weapons, neighing of horses and shouting of a few thousand men. It was as if a big battle was being fought up here on land. Then there was complete silence. I was happy and thought that at last everyone had died and I could sleep soundly again. But then after a while there were loud shouts again all over the place followed by singing and music as if the dead had come back to life again. I was thinking what the heck. Why can’t the dead stay dead? My slumber was disrupted and there was little hope of my going back to sleep again. The worse was someone poured a cup of this wonderful hundred flowers wine into the lake. Its fragrance reached me even at the bottom of the lake, waking up the wine worms in my stomach and they began to wreak havoc there. What could I do? I am a glutton and an alcoholic, so I climbed on shore and here I am again! You people are really selfish. You are enjoying this wonderful food and wine and don’t even ask me to join in. That’s really too bad of you and not how good friends should treat each other!” King Dimitri laughed loudly, put his hands around Dwarf Mickey’s shoulders and said,
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“Don’t be angry, my good friend. There is an endless supply of wine here, all you can drink. I guarantee you can have all you want, how’s that?”
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“Old friend Mickey” said Mr. Kaffee holding up his cup of wine. “I really, really missed you! Come on, I will drink to you, cheers!” Everyone held up their cup to Dwarf Mickey and talking and laughing emptied their cups. From then on, the friends toasted each other in the spirit of bonhomie for every conceivable purpose and had a roaring good time. These eight men, whose friendship started in the mundane world were united together again in camaraderie in the Kingdom of Dreams.
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The sun was setting, coloring the clouds in western sky into a burning flaming red. The grass swayed gently in the evening breeze as if they too were slightly intoxicated. The gold palace gave off a hazy, dreamlike brilliance.
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“I really can’t believe my eyes!” exclaimed Mr. Kaffee with deep feeling “How could such a sublime and magnificent palace made of solid gold exist on these plains? It’s mind boggling that such a thing could happen. Are my eyes fooling me?”
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“I couldn’t believe it at first myself” said King Dimitri smilingly. “But it really is standing there before us. The twin nymphs Charmaine and Clementine went behind their father Zeus’ back and ordered the heavenly artisans to come down to earth and finish the work on the gold palace in one night. Of course everything is possible in the Kingdom of Dreams and everything is unreal. Take this gold palace for example; its symbolic significance is greater than its substantial one.”
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“You are getting me all mixed up” interrupted David. “What do you mean by its symbolic significance is greater than its substantial one? I have sat down on the gold throne twice and it really gave me a very strange feeling.”
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“The strange feeling you got when you sat on the throne” replied King Dimitri, “may be real, but it could also have been an illusion because in the Kingdom of Dreams nothing is impossible. That is to say, anything is possible here. The symbolic significance I was talking about was to say, everyone’s fate is different so in this mundane world people meet with different destinies. Take a very simple example, some are poor and some are rich; but rich or poor when they are alone by themselves or asleep; so long as they are facing themselves, in their own hearts they all regard themselves as a revered king…To put it simply, you are the king of yourself. What’s so hard to understand about that? The symbolic significance of the gold palace is that you are the king of yourself. To go a step further, in this Kingdom of Dreams, everything is two-sided. That is to say, it could be real, but it could also be unreal. Like I often said, dreams are part of real life, a continuation of real life. There is no actual difference between dreams and real life… Do you understand what I mean?” David did not know at all what King Dimitri was talking about. In fact he was really confused and felt completely at a loss, but Mr. Kaffee nodded and said,
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“I seem to understand a little of what you mean.” Pointing to the shore at the opposite end of the wide expanse of lake water he added, “Then the gorgeous and magnificent gold palace has its own symbolic significance, right?” King Dimitri nodded emphatically and answered,
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“You are right. That newly constructed gold palace has its own symbolic significance. As you know, I am an epicurean and gastronomer. I like to be surrounded by beautiful women and have a good time with them. Of course that is when I am in the role of King Dimitri. But in real life I am a penniless homeless person, cursed by fate to be a blind man. I roam the streets drifting and wandering aimlessly at the mercy of wailing winds and weeping rain as well as the pain and suffering piled on me by life’s wretched circumstances. Do you know what gave me strength to go on living? It’s my dreams. Whenever I felt utterly crushed and overwhelmed by life’s trials and tribulations beyond all bearing, I would retreat and seek refuge in the Kingdom of Dreams. There I was a happy king, physically healthy and psychologically balanced. So the symbolic significance of the gold palace was dreams… Dreams gradually formed into strong and endurable flexibility and magical plasticity and everyone’s character has his own charm and fascination… That huge, magnificent palace you see on the opposite shore was newly built for me by my two loyal servants and friends Imagination and Creativity because the old one was destroyed by fire. There I once gathered twenty-four beauties from all corners of the earth and placed them in the old palace to live together in peace and harmony. They were like exotic birds imprisoned in an expensive gold cage. On the surface they seemed to have everything they wanted: gourmet food, expensive clothes etc. But in reality they lost the freedom to roam unrestrainedly in the vast blue skies. So I opened the cage door and gave them back their freedom to fly at will…”
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“You know” said Dwarf Mickey who stroked his long white beard seemingly engrossed in thought, “I once flew up to the seventh heaven and down into the bowels of the earth, searching everywhere for my lost treasures for over a century, before finally accidentally finding them at the bottom of the lake in your Kingdom of Dreams. They were all intact and unharmed. Medusa and Cyclops had unknowingly been protecting my treasure trove for over a century. Do you mean to say there is also a symbolic significance to the treasure trove?”
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“Of course, the treasure trove has its own symbolic significance” replied King Dimitri smilingly. “There is a treasure trove in everyone’s heart which is equal in value, but unfortunately most people do not know how to mine and develop it. They did not know they were naturally equipped with two keys to open their treasure trove which came with them at birth. They are imagination and creativity. The symbolic significance of the treasure trove is wisdom.”
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“Oh, so that’s how things stand!” exclaimed everyone around King Dimitri, but from the tone of their voice and the expressions on their faces, he could surmise that they did not really understand the profound meaning of his words. Holding up his cup of wine, he again urged everyone to drink up.
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The crimson rays of the setting sun shone on King Dimitri and its remnant heat brought to his body a feeling of warmth and comfort. Dimitri saw before him a spread of crimson light and heard a sweet voice in his ear saying, “Hi King Dimitri. Is your majesty awake now?” Opening his eyes he saw that his right hand was stretched high in the air as if holding a cup, but there was nothing in his hand at all. He remembered that in his dream he was holding up his cup of wine, urging everyone to drink more of the hundred flower wine. He saw that his two loyal servants and also his closest friends Imagination and Creativity were smiling and looking at him. Feeling embarrassed, he put down his right hand and said,
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“Oh, I just had a wonderful dream that I was drinking with my friends in the Kingdom of Dreams. Well, here I am back in the mundane world again…” His servant Creativity, tall dark and handsome with a splendid physique that somewhat resembled Apollo, the sun god, said,
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“Hi, your majesty. Are you fully awake now? Would you like me to take you to a place that I am sure would capture your interest?”
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“Really? Where are you going to take me to? I just returned from the Kingdom of Dreams. What is there in this mundane world that would surprise and interest me?” His other loyal servant, the beautiful and curvaceous Imagination with two deep dimples on her face that added to her mysterious allure, said
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“Your majesty, is there nothing and no place in this mundane world that could interest you?”
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“Of course there is. Of course there is” Dimitri replied. “Well then lead the way and I will follow…” Saying so, he stood up and walked away with his two loyal servants. Strange to say, whenever he was with Imagination and Creativity, Dimitri’s eyesight was normal and he could see everything around him. It was as if human eye-sight was made up by the combination of the two. But when they left him, he was left bereft of the sense of sight and everything before him became pitch dark and he could see nothing at all. It was the end of the work day and the flow of traffic was at its heaviest and the sidewalk was packed with pedestrians. After walking two to three blocks, they came to a comparatively quiet corner where the traffic was not as badly congested. There were still quite a lot of pedestrians hurrying along but the sidewalks were not overcrowded. Imagination and Creativity stopped before the large over-sized exhibition windows of a studio specializing in wedding pictures. It was after hours so the studio was closed and the workers had locked up and left. Dimitri stopped to take a look at the brightly lit windows exhibiting two huge enlarged portraits, extremely clear and lifelike encased in expensive gilded frames. To Dimitri’s surprise, he found himself looking right at wedding portrait of the elegant, graceful and dignified mature beauty Aisha with her distinguished air of academic eminence. The other portrait was a group picture of Aisha and fifteen other beauties all in their white wedding gowns. Novella had already married Mr. O,’Brian and so is no longer included. Dimitri remembered that it was that same day, or was it the day before, he could not be certain, all these beauties were determined to marry him in a formal church ceremony, but at the critical moment he managed to escape from the transom of the church riding on his flying broom. Dimitri turned again to Aisha’s portrait and talked to it saying,
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“I am so sorry. I am so sorry. There was an emergency in the Kingdom and I had to leave…I…I…I am sorry I failed to live up to your expectations…” Aisha’s portrait seemed to come to life and replied,
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“It’s alright. We do not blame you. There was such a great catastrophe in the Kingdom of Dreams that you as their king was obliged to go back and deal with it. If you did not do so and were caught up in inconsequential ceremonies with your numerous beauties you would not be the great king we all love and respect.”
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“…I remember…”continued Dimitri, “I remember …that I have already formally acknowledged you as the Queen of the Kingdom of Dreams. We are already husband and wife, right?” Aisha smiled forlornly and answered,
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“Dreams are dreams and reality is reality… If you and I are husband and wife, then how are you going to deal with the sixteen beauties in that portrait? Also, there are still more beauties remaining in the Kingdom of Dreams. How will you treat them? There are really only two options open before you – all or none. You either accept all of us or you forswear us all… This is for you to decide. If you marry only one of us or just a few of us, you could not possibly pacify the rest of the beauties...” Dimitri’s eyes turned to the other group portrait of Aisha taken with fifteen other beauties. Sixteen beautiful and familiar faces brought back vividly to his mind scenes of the past from the time he got to know them, to how he gradually inducted them to his Kingdom of Dreams. (See Book 1 The Dream-Maker). None of them could be parted with or given up. Aisha was right it was either marry them all or leave them all.
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“Could I in good conscience ask these gorgeous beautiful young women, beautiful as flowers, all in their prime to give up seeking their own happiness and a bright future? It seems there is only one option left for me to take, that of leaving them all…” Dimitri looked again at Aisha, whose placid smile was serene as ever, but her eyes were melancholy and shadowed by sadness. Unable to maintain eye contact with those sorrowful eyes, he bowed his head and said, “Then I can only disappoint you all and fall short of your expectations. I had better go back to my life as a homeless person. Perhaps roaming the streets all my life is my unchangeable destiny. Thank you for being so sincerely willing to condescend and marry a blind homeless man like me, but sorry I am unable to do as you ask and therefore have to refuse your kindness. Goodbye…In real life I may be able to part with you all, but it would be impossible for me to give up your love in my dreams unless I give up dreaming. But how can I live without dreams? No. No. No. That’s impossible. So we can only meet in dreamland. Goodbye…queen of my dreams. I love you deeply. I love all of you deeply. .. but…goodbye…goodbye…words are superfluous and unnecessary…Goodbye…” The pedestrians passing by saw only a raggedy homeless man standing in front of the large and luxurious window of the studio, stamping his feet and thumping his chest as he sighed and mumbled. The curious ones stopped to see what Dimitri would do next and soon there was a small crowd of idlers gathered behind him, talking amongst themselves,
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“Look at that hobo! He is mumbling and talking to the pictures… Is he crazy?”
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“No, he is not crazy. Look at the pictures. These are beautiful young women. I think he is just a toad lusting after swans…”
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“Luckily there is glass windows protecting the pictures, or else that guy would most certainly rush up and kiss the women in the pictures one by one until the pictures are wrinkled and creased…”
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“Look! He is waving at the pictures. That’s strange. He must be crazy…” Luckily Dimitri’s nomad life as a homeless person had long exposed him to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, so he took everything in his stride and was able to turn a deaf ear to the jeers and mockery of the crowd. He walked away from the studio, turning every now and then to wave goodbye to his beloved beauties and soon disappeared from sight. Imagination and Creativity who were hiding in the air were aghast to see him walk away. They were hoping that the sight of the beauties in the portraits would bring back memories of the sweet and happy times they had spent together and King Dimitri would change his mind and accept all of the beauties. Then they could all go back to the Kingdom of Dreams and live a perfect life happily together in the palace much larger and more magnificent than the old one that was burnt in the fire. Wouldn’t that be great? But King Dimitri remained firm in his decision and walked away…Imagination and Creativity stood stiffly locked in place, not knowing how to save the situation…
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Dimitri walked alone on the streets. Everything was pitch black before his eyes, with only the tapping of his white cane to help him find the way. It was not easy, but his footsteps were sure and steady. His loyal servants, Imagination and Creativity, were not with him. Perhaps they were stopped by some brand new gadget which took their fancy, or they had discovered a fun place to explore…These two loyal servants would pop up suddenly when least expected, but with or without outside help, Dimitri knew that he must make his own way all by himself. He believed he was walking towards the west because he could feel the remnant heat of the setting sun shine on his body making him feel light and comfortable. Fast cars swooshed by him on the left and chaotic human voices rose and fell all around him. A strange idea suddenly came to him as he walked. He felt that walking in this noisy and busy metropolis was actually not that much different from strolling on the ridges of the fields in his Kingdom of Dreams. The cars rushing by were just like the schools of fishes swimming in the streams in the Kingdom of Dreams. The chaotic human voices all around him were like the myriads of flowers that bloom on the fields. Or you can say that the myriads of flowers that bloom in the field are noiseless chaos, while the human voices all around him were audible silence. “My frame of mind is always stable” he thought “and is as still as the serene waters, therefore quiet or noisy are all the same to me. The bustling metropolis we see with our eyes and the serene Kingdom of Dreams that is in our minds are one and the same place and not two different worlds and have nothing to do with the sense of sight. Or in other words, walking on the ridges of the fields in the Kingdom of Dreams is the same as walking on the pavements of the busy metropolis because the Kingdom of Dreams exists in the mundane world. In other words the Kingdom of Dreams can be sublimated out of the mundane world. Dimitri was very happy and exclaimed, “I finally discovered the key to the puzzle! Where I walk on. Where my dream is. I am a dream-maker.” Dimitri continued on his way. The further he walked, the smaller his figure became; until there was only a tiny back view of his fast disappearing silhouette. As Queen Aisha once said, “His retreating figure is like an exclamation mark, gradually disappearing on the horizon”
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