nheardsoothingandpeacefulmusicofthechoirapaheaningfromtheinterior，inspiringhisimagination．Thenunsintheirflowingveilsandhabitseandgoontheirsacredandcharitablemissions，likenymphsdesdingfromheaven．Hehadoftenwishedhecouldsummonupenoughcetogetonintimatetermswiththem,butheneverdaredto．Afterpassingthesquare,hecametosomenarrowsteeltracks,whichhadalwaysbeehoughnotrainevercamethrough．Itmustbearemnantofthepioneerdays．Thenearerhegottohisdestinatioerhisheartwentpitapat．Thestreetswerestilldesertedintheearlym．Abatteredcarparkedbythesideofthestreet，withitslightsstillfshingweaklyaddedtothesenseofdesotioerieswerealmostusedupandthecarlookedwornout．Thedriverhadfallenasleepinhisseat，evidentlyexhausted．Boththedriverandthecarhadco-operatedwellontheirlongtripandnowbothweretiredandneededarest．Furtherdowicedadeadseagulllyingonthepavement．Whyhaditleftitsnaturalhabitatbythewatersauredintohumansocietyonlytoendonthesidewalks?Itwasstillearly,butcarsarianshadalreadybeguntoappear,goinghastilyontheirwaywithcoldexpressionlessfaces．Asheapproachedthefinancialdistrict，hesawthetwenty-fourstoreyWorldBankbuildingthatspreadovertheentireblock．Itwashardtobelievethatallthisbeloohim!Ithadn’topesdoorsyet,soDimitrisquatteddownonthecurbacrossthestreettowaitquietly．

Withthepassingoftime，Dimitribecametenseandworried．Hecouldhearthefranticthumpingofhisheart．ThestreetswereingalivewithcarsariahedoorofWorldBankfinallyopened．GatheringuphisceDimitrimovedslowlytowardsit．Hisraggedimagereflectedbythepolishedmarbleshamedhim,buthesteeledhimselftopushopentherevolvingdoorandsteppedintotheinterior,hisheartalmostjumpingoutofhismouth．Inthehallleyesrivetedtotheintruder,thisdirty,ragged,homelesspersonwhobravedthesanctuaryoftherich．Hesteppedohick,softcarpetashemadeforthelinefinfrontoftheterandthoughthowwonderfulitwouldbetosleeponit．Itwouldsurelybelikelyingonclouds．Whatsweetdreamsmightetohim?Hisrovingthoughtswereinterruptedbythevoiceofthetellerasking，

"MayIhelpyou,sir?"

"Ineedsomemoney,butIhaveificate.”

9

"Haveyoulostitormispcedit?Pleasegoovertoohedesksacrosstheaisleandaskforarept.”Dimitrilookedacrosstheaisletowherethetellerpointedandsawarowofdeskswithadozenorsobaalkingtoers．

"Thankyou.”Hemovedtowardsthedesks,butalltheclerkswerebusyandnoonepaidtheslightestattentiontohim．Hestoodawkwardlyinthemiddleofthehugehall，notknowingwhattodo．Asecurityguard,whohadbeenpayitentiontohim,cameoverandsaid，

"MayIhelpyou?"

"Ineedsomemohaveificate．Theytoldmetogothereaarept.”

Justthenaeratohedesksstoodup,shookhandswiththeclerkandturogo．ThesecurityguardpoihedeskandaskedDimitritobeseated．Theclerkwasverypolite．SheintroducedherselfandwaitedforDimitritobeseatedbeforesittingdownherself．Thesecurityguardstoodonearbyincaseofadisturbance．

"HowmayIhelpyousir.”

"Ineedsomemohaveicate．Theytoldmetoeovertothisaisle..."Hebegantostutterinhisay．

"Doyourememberyouratnumber?"

"Noma’am.”

"I’lltryaoutontheputer．Whatisyournamesir?"

9

"DimitriJa．"Afterchegagainandagainattheterminal,sheturohimandsaid,"I’msorrysirbutIotfindyournameanywhere．Whendidyouopenyourat?"Dimitrifelthotunderhiscolrandhisstutterbecamemorepronounhisayandembarrassment．

"Well，Ireallyhemoney．MyfriendisillinthehospitandIpromisedtogethimthemoopayhisbills．Yousee,IgaveRichardmyword．Imusthavethemoney．IsweartoGodit’sforsomeoneelse,notformyself..."

"I’msorrybutIotgiveyoumoneyifyoudon’thaveanatwithus.”

"ButImusthaveit!"criedDimitri．Fromtheerofhiseyehecouldseethesecurityguardandtwoothers,whostoodattheotherendoftheroomstartingtocloseinonhim．Atthiscritient,abrightideafshedinhismind．Hecollectedhimselfandcalmeddown,sayingsolemnly，

"Iwanttoseeyourpresident，Mr．OliverKaffee.”Theylookedathimopen-mouthedasiftheycouldn’tbelievetheirears．

"You?YouwanttoseeMr．Kaffee?"Justthen,Mr．Kaffee’ssecretarysteppedintothehall．Sheworkedonaflexiblescheduleandcameaasshepleased．TheclerkandthesecurityguardexgedgndthettermovedovertoIleen，ferredwithherinaoneforamomentawowalkedovertothedesk．Dimitrifoundhimselffagafashionablydressedyoungwoman,whosepeinggncelookedhimupanddown，causinghimtolosehisposure．Asweetvoiceasked，

"AreyouDimitriJa?"

"Yes．"

"ewithme，please.”Dimitrifollowedherintotheelevatorinadaze,hardlyabletobelievehisluckthatthingswereresolvedsoeasily．Thefactwas,IleenrememberedherbosstellingherifeveramancalledDimitriJashouldpresenthimselfatthebank，heshouldbereceivedwiththegreatestpromptnessandrespect．Shedidn’tknowwhoDimitriJawasandMr．Kaffeedidnoteborate;butshecertainlyhadnotexpectedhimtobeadirty,ragged,homelessperson!Shepushedthenumber24andtheelevatorshotup．

"Hisofficeisoopfloor?"

9

"Yes,sir"

"Soismine.”

"Whatdidyousay?"

"Eh...Nothing...It’sjustadream...Imean..."

Ileendisdaiosaymore．Steppingoutoftheelevator,shehesitatedforamomentbeforetheluxurioussuiteMr．Kaffeeusedforspecialguests.Shethoughtitwastoograndforthishomelessperson,sosheusheredhimtothesmallwaitingroomadjoiningheroffice．

"Pleasebeseated．Mr．Kaffeewillbeinginhisprivatehelicopteranyminutenow.”Theaboutherownaidhimnomoreattention．

Mr.Fingershowedupagain．Hedandsomersaultedo,lushcarpetlikeatruantschoolboypyinginthegrass．Therutteredaboutasarrogantlyasabigshot．Heleaptupthewindowsilndlookeddownatthegrandiose，panoramicviewspreadoutbelow,etedthatthisspectacurbuildingwithitsmagnifitviewallbeloohim．Itwastoogoodtobetrue!Meanwhile，Ileen’svoicewasraisedhaughtilyinaphonefereDimitripaidhertention．Hismindwasattractedbytheminiaturemodelofasevehturysailboatonthecoffeetablebeforehim，thinkingthatitwouldbemarvelousiftheboatwasreandhecouldsairoundtheworldinit．Hecouldtougthedelicateartwork，whoseeverydetailwassominutelycarvedoutandthefiguressolife-likeintheirposesthathecouldalmostimaginehimselfjumpingaboardaingsail．Justthen,acoldvoice，

"Pleasedon’ttouchit!It’sanexpensivepieceofantique,onlytobelookedat.”Dimitrijumpedathersharpadmonitionandsatdowndocilely，afraidtomoveabouttoocasually，areatedintohisdreamworld．

Mr.FingerwalkedunderIleen’sdeskandsaairofexpeoelesshigh-heeledshoesandperfectlyproportionedlegsencasediogs．Heclimbeduptoherkneeandwithoutherknowingit,furtivelyraisedaere-coloredskirtandclimbedunder．Warmairrushedathimasifhehadjustenteredaroomwiththeheateroiomeahesoft，silkenskinoftheihighuntilhereachedtheY-shapedterwherethepathsparted．Hetouchedittentatively，feltapulsatedthrobbing,openedhismouthandbitdownhardasifialiationforherdisrespecttowardsDimitri．Ileensuddenlycriedout,forsheheardtherumblingofahelicettiond．Shehunguphastily，rushedoutoftheroomandhurriedtotherooftopnding．AredcarpetwasrolledoutinafshandMr．Kaffee’stall,virilefiguredesdedunhurriedlytowardstheentrancewhereIleenwaswaiting．Hervoicewasdrowheheengines，butsheseemedtobereptoMr．Kaffeethatsomeonewaswaitingforhim．Hisexpressionwassoberashelistenedawohurriedihebuilding．

WhenIleenpushedopenthedoortoMr.Kaffee’soffice，thesebeforeherwassouedthatshelostherposureandalmostdroppedthetraywithitstwocupsofcoffee．DimitriwassittingfortablyintheswivelchairbehindMr.Kaffee’sbigofficedesk，hisfeetrestingontheshiningcqueredtop，talkingcasuallytothenormallybrutandarrogantMr．Kaffee.Mr．Kaffeewasstandingbylikeackey,withasubservientmannershehadneverseeninhimbefore．Thestorywasasfollows：WhengangwarbrokeoutinMr．Kaffee’smansion，heescapedinhisyacht.Whathedidnotknowwashissubjects，whowishedtosucceedtohispower,hadalreadysetatimebombthere,whichexplodedontheopensea．IfitwerenotforMedusa,sentbyDimitritosavehim,hewouldhaveperished.DimitrithenusedhislimitlessresourcestopullWorldBankfromthebrinkofbankruptcy,afterwhichMr．Kaffeeremainedpresidentinnameonly．TherealownerwasDimitri,whopreferredtostaybehindtheses,leavingMr．Kaffeeasthefigurehead．Dimitriflippedopenanexpensive-lookingcigarcaseoableandtookoutaHavanacigar．Mr．Kaffeeimmediatelysteppeduptolightitforhim．Meanwhile，IleendidherbesttorecoverherposureandputacupofcoffeeoableforDimitriaheerforMr．Kaffee．

9

"Ineedsomemoney，Mr．Kaffee．Idon’tknowhowmuch．Icouldgoanywhereforit，butsinceyourpceisthe,Idecidedtoehere．Youshoulddeemthisrequestofmineanhonor.”

"Ofcourse,YourMajesty．Iammuoredyouchosetoehere．Iwilltakeyoutothevaultsmyselfandyoutakewhateveryouwish.”DimitrimadeafaceatIleenandasked,"Whoisthisyoungdy?"

"HernameisIleen,mysecretary．Sheisverycapableandagreathelptome.”Dimitrilookedherupanddown,hiseyeslingeringonhersilverhigh-heeledshoeswhichseemedveryfamiliartohim,asifhehadseenitinthewindowofsomeshoestore.TurningtoMr．Kaffeehesaid，

"Ah!IfIhadsuchabeautiful,capablesecretarythatwouldbeanenormousasset．Wouldyousiderlettingmehaveher,Mr．Kaffee?"Thebankerdidnotwantto，sincehereliedgreatlyonIleen’sknowledgeandexpertise,buthecouldnotrefuseKingDimitri,whoownedhimbodyandsoul．

"Thatwouldbeherhonorandmine,YourMajesty.”

"Whataboutyou,Ileen?WouldyouagreetoworkformeinmyKingdomofDreams?"Dimitriasked.Ileenwhohadbeelystandingby,waseverythingcarefully，andhadtakeninthefullsignificeofherboss’stransformation．Shecametotheclusionthatthisdirty,homelesspersonmustbetheetricsupertrillionaireeveryohefinancialworldhadbeenhintingandguessingat，butwhomnoonehadeverseen．Tobeinhisservicewouldbetheceofalifetime．

"Sincemybossagrees．Ihavenoreasontorefuse”shereplied.Dimitristoodupcheerfullyandsaid，

"OK,let’sgotothevaultnow.”HeytohavesosuccessfullyrecruitedabeautifundcapablesecretaryintohisKingdom．

Mr．Kaffeeledthewaythroughagssdoorinhisoffice,whichheopenedbyiingapsticcard，thesizeandshapeofanormalcreditcard，andwhichopeoasmallbutexpertlydesignedbar,thequintessenceofbeautyandpracticability．Itwasstockedwithallkindsofexpensivewinesandliquorsandservedasabarwhenheneededadrink,butwhichwasalsohisprivateelevatorwhenheoihisvaults．IleetedherformerbrusquetreatmentofDimitri，whichshefearedmighthaveoffendedhim,soshetriedtomakeamends．

"Pleasebeseated,YourMajesty．Wouldyoulikeadrink?"

9

"MyfavoriteisBlueSky，thecheapestwhiskey，butyoumaynothaveithere．JustgivemeagssofParadise.”Ileenplied．Mr．Kaffeepushedabuttonandthesmallbarbegantosink．Mr.FingeragainappearedandgrabbedgreedilyatthegssinDimitri’shand，likealittlealcoholiabletowithstaemptingfragranceofwine．

"Sothisisyourprivateelevator!"saidDimitri．

"Yes,YourMajesty．Iuseitwheoihevaults.”Whentheelevatorstoppedatthebasement,theyehevault．

Dimitrisawbeforehimalongcorridorofhugecoffers,seedoffbygssdoors，eachwalledwithhugesafesonbothsides．Mr．Kaffeeopeneddoorafterdoorwithhispsticcard,saying，

"Thisisaspecialcardformypersonaluse．Itwillopeneverysingledoorinthebankwithoutexception,fromtheparkinglottothesafes．Themanagersandseniorstaffeachhasoheyweregivendifferentcardsandwhenooein,theyhavetoetogether．Thedoorwillopenonlywhenthebinationofcardsareiedintheprescribedorder;otherwisethearmwillgooffandthepolicealerted.”

"That’siing.”

Finallytheycametothestdoorwithrowsofsafesstackeduptotheceiling．Mr．KaffeeopenedohhispsticcardandDimitrisawstackedbeforehim，rowsuponrowsofcash．Mr.Fingerwasalreadytherebeforethem，eyesblurredwithdrink，climbingthemountainsofcashwithunsteadyfeet，whoopingandughing，pletelybefuddled．Sudderipped,fellftonhisfadythereinadruupor．Dimitri’seyeswidenedinastonishmentashehadneverseensomueyinhislife．

"Takewhateveryouwish,YourMajesty.”Dimitritookastadputitinhispocket．"Takesomemore,YourMajesty.”

"No,Ithinkthat’llbeenoughforthepresent.”AsMr．Kaffeewasclosingthedoor，Dimitrisuddenlythoughtofsomethingandasked，

"Bytheway，Mr．Kaffee，IhaveohesecardsmadesoIwon’thavetobotheryoueverytimeIneedsomething?"

9

"Ofcourse,YourMajesty．Allthisisyours．YouhavethismastercardandIwillhaveanotheronemade．Thereisaphonehebackofthiscard．YoumaycallmeatanyhourofthedayhtandIwillwaysbeavaible.”

"Thankyou.”

"Justohing,yourMajesty．Pleasenotifyusofthesumsyoutakeforbook-keepingpurposes.”

"Ofcourse.”

"YourMajesty,howdoIgettdomofDreams?"Ileenasked．

"Don’tworry．JustgotosleeptonightandyouwillinmyKingdom.”

Ileensaidnothing,halfbelieving,halfdoubting;butshereallyhadnochoiceexcepttodowhatshewastold．ThatwashowIleeheKingdomofDreams．

OnleavingthegrandiosestructureofWorldBank，Dimitriseemedtobestrollingalongalohedesoteseclusionofhisdreamnd，pletelyobliviousofthedinandbustleofthesurroundingtraffic．Hecouldhardlybelievewhathadjusthappened．butthestackofcashhecouldfeelintheinsidepocketofhisjacketaiccardathisfiipsprovedhewasn’tdreaming．However,dreamorreality，thingsinthisworldwereoftendeceiving：whatseemedfalsemaybetrueandwhatseemedtruemaybefalse．heless,hewasrelievedthatwithmoneyinhispocket，hecouldnowfulfillhispromisetoRichard．leasedhimmostwastheadditioanotherbeautytohisKingdom,onewhowasnotoifulbutafinancialwizardaswell．Shewouldbeagreathelptohimandcouldrelievehimoftheencumbersomeadministrativeburdensofrunninghishugefinancialempire．Butonsedthought,couldhebesureoftherealityofwhathadjusthappened?Dimitrishrugged．Hewouldknowthetruthtonightinhisdreams．Heshookhisheadfromsidetosidetoclearhisthoughtsandwokehimselfupfromhismusings．

Raisinghishead，helookedattheclothegraceful，aowerbuildingandsawitwas12.05p.m.Itdidn’tkeepveryaccuratetime,butDimitrididn’tmind,asheonlywantedaroughestimateofthetimeofday．Hethoughttohimself，

"Thatustbeoverahundredyearsold,mucholderthanIam!ButIdon’treallyknowhowoldIam．Fifty,probably．Halfaturyisalongtime．WhatdidIdowithit?

100页

Ab,sleepahat’sallIdidalltheseyears,dayafterday．Ifyouwanttoaddaem,itwouldbeexcretion．Theworldmaysidermeasuperfluousperson，adredgeofsociety,butInevercaredfortheopinionofothers．IknowIamalive，Ibreathe．That’sthesimplestrudimentofjoy.Ienjoydreaming.Thosethousandsuponthousandsofdreamsmayfadeawaywithtime,buttherearealwaysmoretoe．Tome，theyarethepuresthappiness．IfIamonlyamaecreatingexcrement，Iamthehappiestoheworld.”

Thegrowlingofhisstomachtohisreverieandremindedhimitwasfeedingtime．Fromforceofhabit，hewalkedtowardsthebackdooroftherestaurantwhereMarianowork．Shehadlefttherelongagofordestinationsunknown,butDimitristillfaithfullypatrohegarbagesthere，forhecouldalwaysfiscrapsoffoodtofillhisstomach．Henevereventhoughtofthesmallfortuneinsidehispocket．Monothingtohimandhelivedhislifeashealwaysdid，seeminglynottoknowhowtospendmoney．Havingsatisfiedhishunger，hewalkedovertohisfavoritebenchbythesquarenearhisdwellingandsatdow．Hehadthesatisfaofamissionaplished，apromisefulfilledacarefreeandunhampered．HehadonlytowaitforRichardtoebyahemonightfall．Asnguorovercamehim，heydownandcoveredhisfacewithhishat．Thewarmthofthesun，theessofthebreezesoothedhisrexedbody．Graduallyhisfleshbodyseemedtobeetransparentandinvisible，cealedandbleomixturesofsunshineandbreeze．Heembracedtheunperceivablebuthelessexistingtimeaalongwithiteternally，asifitwasasoft，warmandnakedbeautyinhisdream,andhislifespan,liketime,extendedeverstingly．

Wheopenedhiseyes,itwasalreadydusk．Thecloudswereextravagantlyspreadoutovertheheavens,illumihesettingsunincolorshtred,goldandpurple．Thespectacursplendorwasstunning．Aflockofbirdsflewontothismagnifitasky．Theirgraceful，rhythematicflyingmotionsaddedyoungaiclifeforcetothequiet,naturalbeauty．Stillgroggywithsleep,Dimitrisatupandsawtwofiguressmilingathimacrossthesquare,withthebackdropofthefmingtwilightse．Dimitriwavedaworantohimhandinhand,thegirl’swhitepleatedskirtandyellowblouseflowinginthewind．

"HiDimitri!Didyouhaveagoodnap?We’vebeenwaitinghereforquitealongtime．Lookatthebeautifulsu!Wewereafraidyou’dsleepawaysuchgeoussery．Itwouldhavebeenapitytomissit.”YokostoodsilentlybyandsmiledatDimitri，whotookastackofcashfromhisinsidepocketandhaoRichardsaying，

"Here’sthemoneyforyourfriend.Takeitandpayhishospitalbills.”RichardandYokostaredatthemoney，hardlyabletobelievetheireyesthatahomelesspersoncouldhavesomueyonhim．

"Stayhere，Yoko．I’llbebaaminute．Ihavetogetsomethingfrommycar.”Sayingso,Richardrushedtohiscarwhicharkedashortdistanceaway．YokoandDimitrismiledateachother．

"DoRichardknowaboutourmeetingstnight.”

"Ofcoursenot．It’sourlittlesecret.”

"Wouldyouetoourweddingtonight"?

"I’dloveto．YoudecidedtomarryRichard?"

10

"Yes,wewillhaveauniquewedding.”

"That’sgreat．ButwhatIgiveyouforaweddi?Ihavenothi．Ah，Ihaveanidea!"saidDimitriwhimsically．Hepoiheskyfullofbzing，colorfulcloudsandsaid，"I’llgiveyouthismagnifitsery!"Yokocppedherhaedly，herexpressionnaiveandartlessasalittlegirl．

"Whatawift!Iwilltreasureitainmymemoryforever.”Justthen，Richardcamerunningwithacameraslungoverhisleftshoulderandapairofbinocursininhisrighthand．

"Look!Thesewerestnight’sbooties,mygiftstoyou.”

"Arethereanyfilmsleftinit?Ifthereis,wecouldtakeapictureofthisbeautifuleveningsery.”Richardopehecamera,shruggedandsaid，

"Oh—oh!It’sempty.”

"There’snoneedforreminders”saidYoko."I’llneverfetit.Thispreciousseryisindeliblyprintedinmymind.”Dimitritookthebinocursandlookedalroundwithit．Thestreetsbthesquareleaptintohisviewasiftheywerehand,andhesawpedestrianswalkingonthepavements，abuspassingandtwomeninabckcarlookingtowardsthethreeofthem．Hedidn’tpayatentiontothemandhahebinocursbacktoRichardsaying，

"Ihavehesethings．Takethemandexgethemforyamblingfunds.”Richardtookthebinocursback．Atthatmoment，heproducedagoldpenfromhiscoatpocketandhaoDimitrisaying，

"Whataboutthis?Wouldyoulikethisbetter?”Dimitrifeltsomethingimpahisheartandacloudofmencholydampenedhisnormallyhappy-go-luckyspirits．Thisgoldpencouldbeusedtogreatadvahehandsofapoet,writingdowifundimmortalwords,butinthehandsofablindman，itwasaworthlessobject．Whatusewasittohimwhowouldsoonbeeblind?Withoutsight,thispenmightaswellberubbish．

RichardandYokoranawayhandinhandliketwolovebirdsflyingsidebyside，promisingtoeforDimitriafternightfalltoparticipateintheiruniqueweddingceremony．Dimitrisatthere，lookingattheever-gingclouds，brilliantlylitbythesettingsunintoallhuesoftherainbowandthought，

10

"Ifitwerenotformyfleshbody,Iwouldnotbeabletoenjoythisbeautifulsery．IhavenothingwhatsoevertoaskofthisworldsinceIamalreadysorich．Theskyanditscolorfulcloudsbelongtome．Myfiftyyearsonthisearthislikealoendedvacation．Ienjoytheworldasabystander，acctinalwayoflife.Eadeverylittlelifeisapreiracle．IfthereisaGod,Imustthankhimforcreatingthisincredibletool，myfleshbody,enablingittoliveinthisbeautifulworld．IfthereisnoGod,Imustthankthespermandtheegg,whoseuniongavemebirth，andalsothewarmandcozyuterusthatledme．Theworldissofabulouslybeautiful．IfonedayIhavetoleaveit，butthatwon’tbeformany，manyyearsyet，Iwillhaves,asIhaveenjoyedlifetothehilt.”ThenDimitrithoughtaleisurelywalkinthiscolorfultwilightwouldbeassuaveaswalkingontheclouds．Sohandsbehindhisback，hesaunteredon,soengrossedinhisenjoymentofnaturethatheicedthetwomeninthebckcarwhofollowedhimstealthilyatadistancelikeaphantom．

Dimitri’sreveriewasrudelyinterruptedbyCharles，adumbhomelessperson，whorusheduptohim，haig，asifhehadsentmessagetovey．WhenhesawDimitricouldn’tmakeheadortailofhissigns,hepulledhimimpatientlytowardsthestorewindowsofanearbyshopprodugmannequins．Hepoihegroupofmannequins，figuresindifferentstancesexhibitedthere，auredfrantically；butDimitristillcouldn’tuaampedhisfootinexasperationandindistinguishable，animallikesoundscamefromhisthroat,asifinhisfrustratioryingtospeak．Finally,hesighedindesperatiohepalmofhishandwithhisotherfistandwalkedpetuntlyaway，shakinghisheadsorrowfully．Dimitrigazedafterhiminperplexity，attemptingtofigureoutwhathewastryingtosay．Heturnedhiseyestothemannequinsihewindowtosolvetheproblem,butstillnothingclicked．Thenhisthoughtsagaiowhathewasthinkingofbeforehewasinterrupted．

"IfGoddoesexistandmanwascreatedacctohisimageandlikehesemannequins，whicharecopiesofthehumanbody,arealsoinGod’simage．Thediffereweenthemandhumansisthathumansthink，moveandhavepassionsanddesires．Wehaveafleshbody,whiletheyotknowthetasteoffoodorthesatisfaofsexualhappiheyareanunfortunategroup,fottenaedbybothGodandman．Thoughtheyhaveeyes,theyseenotthemyriadofbrilliantstarsinthesky．Thoughtheyhaveears，theyhearnotthesweetsongsofthebirds．Thoughtheyhavetheshapeofthehumanbody，theyotstretovetheirarmsandlegsspontaneously．TheyhavebeenwaitingforthesedingofChristforovertwothousandyears，buthavebeendisappointed．IfIwereGod，Iwouldbreatheonthemandgivethemlife,enabliolivelikehumanbeings.Butthisisonlyanabsurdfantheotherhand，thoughtheirbodiesarelifeless，theyhavetheadvantageofneverbeingill.Havingnothoughts，theyfeardeath．Toexistbenumbedmaynotbeabaddeal.”Justthen，twopairsofhandsreachedintothestorewindowandliftedoutagolden-haired,well-proportioned,nakedmannequinontotheworktable,wherearicsaeratingatfullspeed．Theypushedthewaistofthemannequintowardstherunningwheelsandinamatterofseds，saweditinhalves．Dimitriquicklyturnedawayinshowillingtowitnesssuchbarbaricbehavior.Herushedblindlyforwardtowardstheerofthestreetwhereabckcararked．Hefeltabluntobjecthithimatthebackofhishead，felldownunsciousandwasthrownintothetrunkofthecar,whichthenspedaway．

Thestpatchofcrimsoncloudsblushedlingeringlyoernhorizonbeforevanishingfromview，leavihtothePrinceofDarkness．Streetlightsfshedintolife，twinklinglikethestars，butuniformlyarraolihenoiseofmanandtrafficgraduallysubsided．Intheabaobodyshopattheedgeofthesquare，shadowscouldbeseenmovingabout．ItwasMrs.Love’shusbandAllenandhismaleloverSteven，whohaddraggedtheunsciousDimitriintothedesertedworkshopandshinghimwithcoldwatertowakehimup．Dimitriregainedsciousnesslittingheadachethatseemedtotearhisskulpart．Heopenedhiseyeswithdifficultytoseeadust-filledwarehouseorworkshop．Twomenstoodinfrontofhim．Theugly，ftfae，stodmuscur，withonlyafewstrandsofhairchisalmostbaldhead，lookedathimcoldlyinsilehenapairofeyes，sharpandcruesaneagleappearedbeforehim，andavoiceaskedindeadlycalm，

"Whereismywife?"

"Yourwife?Whoisyourwife?"Arubberhosehithimonhisrightcheek，searingandpainfusahotironrod，

"Whereismywife?"

"Whoisyourwife?"Beforehefinishedspeaking,theothersideofhischeekwashitagain．

"Theoneyousleptwithnightbeforest.”

"Mrs.Love?"Hardlywastheofhismouthwhenhewasfuriouslyassailedbyviciouspunchesandkicksalloverhisbody．Tiedhandandfoot，Dimitrihadnowaytofendofftheassault.

10

"Yes,whereisshe?"Dimitriythere,defenselessagainstthebrutattack．Whenitfinallystopped,hefeltdesperatelyweakandwasonthebrinkofdeath．

"Sheisinmythoughts...inmydreams..."hemutteredbrokenly．

"Youmeanshe’sinyourhead?"theothermanjeered，"That’ssimple．We’lljustcutitoffandseeifshe’sthere.”ThecellurphonewhichStevenhungonhisshoulderrang．

"Yessir，..Yessir..."hesaidrespectfullyandhaoAllen．

"Yessir...I’llbebackrightaway.”hesaidinanobedientandutterlyrespectfultoneandhabacktoStevensaying，

"Let’sgo．It’sDonKaffee．Saysit’surgent.”TurningtoDimitri,hesaid,"You’reinluck．Youlivealittlewhilelonger!Ifyoudon’tgiveRomibae，I’lltearyouapartlimbbylimb!"Thewoofthemhurriedout．

Mr．KaffeecalledinallhistrustedlieutenantsandorderedastrictwatchtobekeptoverDimitri,ahomelesspersonirict.Theyweretoreportonhiseverymoveanda．WhenAllenandStevenrealizedthatthepersontheyhadkidnappedaenupwastheoneMr．Kaffeewaheyhurriedbacktothewarehouse，butthebirdhadflownthecoop．However，that’sgettingaheadofourstory．Wehadbettergobaitri，lyingoyfloorofthewarehouse,batteredandbruised,coveredalloverwithperspirationanddust．

"AmItodielikethis?"heaskedhimself．Hefearedhitself，buttheuaintyoftheexistehesoundofGod．Towardstheendoflife,onewasinedtobelieveiewhocouldproveit?GraduallyfearovercamehimontheapproachofDeath．

"Ah!Iftheendoflifeisoructibleextinguishment,I’dratherbeaninanimatemannequin.”Suddenlyheheardthedeafeningsoundofrenginesandsawfromthewindoaceshuttleshootupintothedarkeningskywithitsremnantscarletcloudsamidatrailofspectacurfireandsmoke.

"Lifeahisanaturandinescapablecyclethatwouldgoonforever．Alllivingmenmustdie．So,too,mustthisearth,whosedestruisbeingacceleratedbyhumancallousness．Yetthenewgeiontioseekperfe…andmodernizeourcivilization．Ifmanigratetootherpswithitury,itmightmearuofthehumanrace．IdonotfearDeathitself,becauseitisanaturandirreversiblephenomenon．Onegeionissucceededbyailltheendoftime．Inthefaceofsuchreality,Ionlyaskthatafterthedeathofmyfleshbody,Icouldgobaydreams..."Despitegreatpain,Dimitriwasgettingtiredanddrowsyanddriftingtowardsamercifulsemi-sciousness．

10

Faintsoundsofwoodenpranksbeingremovedwasheard，ahystepsapproachedthestilndmotionlessformontheground．Dimitriopenedhiseyeswhesomeonepushinghimahefigureofatall，bckbruteofaman，hardasnails．HereizedhimatonceasJamaz，Mrs．Silkise’smaintenan．Dimitriheardhislowtrabassvoiceexg．

"ThankGodyouarestillive.”

"You’reJamaz，aren’tyou?RichardandYokowenttothehospitaltogetyou.Howeyou’rehere?”

"Oh,youknowRichardChao?"Jamazexcimedindelight．"Ikbehavingmoneyproblemswhenhedidn’tetogetme,soIgavethemtheslipwheok．ThiswasmyhangoutbeforeIwenttoworkforMrs.Silkise,soIcamebackhereagain.”

"It’stimeIexpinedeverything．Iwastheghostthatscaredyouintofallingfromthedder.Ihopeyou’llfiveme.”

"Really?I’vebeenthinkingitmustbeaweirdhumanbeingbecauseIdon’tbelieveinghosts．Butit’smyfaulttoo．Ishouldn’thaveplottedagainstpoorMrs．Silkise，mymistress．"Justthen,blindingheadlightsfloodedthedarkroomandDimitriandJamazstiffenedinapprehension,afraidthatthekidnapperswerebackagain.Thescreegofbrakes,thesmmingofcardoors,apahejovialvoiceofRichardcalling

"Areyouthere，Jamaz?"settheirheartsatrest．RichardandYokocameintotheroomandsawJamaz．Richardranup,gaveJamazadigintheribandexcimed，

"Hey,youson-of-a-gun，wheothehospitandfoundyougone，IknewIwouldfindyouhere!"Yokobentdowntoexamihedarkformtiedupandlyingonthegroundandexcimedinastonishment，

"Why,it’sDimitri!Howdidyougethere?"

"Notimetoexpinnow．Untiemea’sgetoutofhereasquicklyaspossiblebeforetheyeback.”ThreepairsofhandsworkedontheropesandinnotimeDimitriwasfreeagain．TheyallhurriedintoYoko’soldddroveawayintothenight．Thecarpassedthebrightlightsandhustlingcrowdsoftheurbanareaandmadeforthebleakvalley．Soonitdisappearedfromsightinthenarrow，windingtrails，hasteningtowardsYoko’sweddingandanuablefuture．

10

Mara

Uheglowofthesettingsun，theshadowofayoungLatinogirlcouldbeseeninthewoods．Thetinybellsatherainkledandjistintinnabutionegfaintlyiwildernessasshewalkedaboutgatheringdrytwigsandbranchesforthecampfire．ShewasMara,Yoko’sbestfriendandfidante，whohadbeeoeandhelpmakepreparationsforthewedding．Yokohadtoldhershemightbebringingtwofriends,soMarabusiedherselffindingacampsitebytheke,setupatentagatheringdrywoodforthecampfire．Asshewalkedabout，shecouldfeegitationbrewinginthedry，parchedforest,wheretreesonceflourishedandthrived．Leavesandbrancheswerealldriedandshriveled，barelyabletosurvive．Theyseemedt，"Ifweothavewatertosustainourlives,giveusabzingfiresothatwedanamerrypyre.”

Marasatbytheentrahetenttowaitfortheingoftheweddingparty．Shetookupherguitarandstrummeditwithhernimblefingers,fillingtheairwithstrandsofmelodiousmusic．Shesometimeslookedfarintothedistance，eloquenteyesfullofmencholy，likethestghesettingsunloathingtopartfromthisearth．Theheathaddiminishedsomewhat,buttheagitation,insteadofabatinghadactuallyheightened．Shadowsflittedhereandthereintheforest,unwillingtoendurebeinghalfdead．Theywaoreviveinthefireanddahebreeze，waitingfortheingofthewindanddirefortheirresurre．Theshadows，alreadyfullyaroused，couldnotwithstandtheprovocationofthewhisperinglulby．Everynowandthen，Marawouldgheagitatedforest,atthebranchesblownaboutharassingly,atthedryleavesflutteringinthewind．Theyremindedherofatraumatie．Uhebzingspotlights,trapezeartistsintheirglitteringeswereswingingandflyingintheair．Alleyeswerefasteheseflyingfiguresandtheexcitedaudience，heartstrag，watchedentranced，exgattheirdangerousexploits．Suddenlyohemmissedbyahair’sbreath,bouncedofftheedgeofthebelowaotheground,hisyounglifesamidthehorrifiedcriesoftheaudiewasherfiancé.Marahadalwaysbeenastreetmusi，livingoffthestydonationsofpassingmusiclovers．Herhopesoffindingasafehavehherfiaragicact．Shetiolivefromdaytoday，insecureastheleavesandbranchesswayinginthewind,uainofwhatmightbefall．