"Youmeantheygoaroundnaked?"

    "Yes，mydear，"saidDimitri，"andsowillyouwhenyougothere.”Megginngavehimawhiteeye．"Don’tyouwanttogo?"

    "I’dliketo，butyou’tgiveupeverythingherejustlikethat..."

    "Ifyouwon’tgo，I’llbeleaving,”saidDimitriandmadeasiftogo．

    "Ididn’tsayIwon’t"saidMegginnhastily．Theedseductivelyandsaid，"Butmylegsaretirednow,soyou’llhavetocarryme.”Dimitriswungherupandcarriedhertothebeige-coloredCadilclikeanewly-wedcouplecrossihresholdandthendroveoffintothedeepofthenight．ThatwashowMegginheKingdomofDreams,tookoverIleen’sdutiesandbecameanimportantmemberofDimitri’sKingdom．

    Thewarmautumnsunshoheearth．Tendergreengrassgraduallyturnedbrownandfallenleavesandflowerscoveredtheground．Formerlylusciousfoliageweregone，leavingonlybaldbranow．Dimitrihadresumedhisoldhabits．Wearinghisraggedgarments，hewaslyingzilyontheparkbench,halfasleep,halfawake,hazilysciousofhissurroundings．Intheskies,thegesofnightanddaysucceededeachotherandlifewentonwakeandsleep,wakeandsleep,inthesamerepetitiouscycle．Thedailyroutinedeepenedhisimpressionswhichwereasnaturaltohimashisownsteadybreathing．Moreandmore，hefeltlikeafish，nowswimminguptothesurfaceofthewater，nowsinkingdowntothedepthofthesea．Thisyear，timereallyseemedtoflyanditwasautumnagain．Butthespeedoftimecouldactuallybetrolledbyoions．Dimitriletnaturegoonitsownstableschedule，frtosummer，fromautumntowinter，whilehehimselflivedinhisownever-ging，creativeimpressions，acctohisowne．Nowsunlightwaswarminghisbody．Howdifferentwasitfromthewarmth?Dimitriopenedhisdrowsyeyesandlookedaround．Suddenly,hefounditringagain．Thegrasswasgreen,theflowerswerebloomingonthebranchesamidgreenluxuriantleavesandbutterfliesweredangamongthemall．Yes，helivedinhisowntimeframe，differentfromtheoutsideworld．Iance，hesawMark’sfatfigurewalkingtowardshimwithausedinhishand,whichhewasblowinglikeaballooburst,hetosseditaway．Abutterflycaughthisattentionandheraheagileflutteriure,hisbulkybody,freeandhappy,movedclumsilyintherapidfloodoftime．Heybecausehedidnothavetousehisbrains,justlettinghislimbsmoveindulgently,howeveritwould,inthefloodoftime．DimitriuoodMark’shappiness，buthissciousnesswasgrowingblurredasleepy．Howwonderfulitwasnottohavetothink．Hazierandhazier．Howwonderfulitwasnottohavetothink．Mark’sclumsybodymovinginthefloodoftime．Hoy…Hoy..．Didn’thavetousehisbrains…Dimitrigrewdrowsieranddrowsier.HappyMarkyboylettinghislimbsmovecarefreeinthefloodoftime…indulgently，howeveritwould．Dimitri’ssciousnesswasgettingblurred,gettingblurred．

    14

    Justashewasdroppingofftosleep，heheardsomeonecalling，"Dimitri!Dimitri!"andhewokeupwithastarttoseebeforehimthebeautiful,smilingfaceofayounggirl．Herbrightmoisteyesandslightlyswellisshowedthatgolden-hairedMaryhadgrownupintoayoungdynow.

    "WherehaveyoubeenDimitri?Ihaven’tseenyouthesestfewdays.”

    "I’vebeenbusy.”

    "Iknow,youmusthavebeenmakingdreams,right?"

    "Well，maybe．Idon’tquiteknowmyself.”

    "Look!Ibroughtyousomedoughnutsfordinner.”shesaidandhandedhimabroerbag．Maryhadworkedasasalesgirlinanearbydoughnutshopeversinceh

  "Youmeantheygoaroundnaked?"

    "Yes，mydear，"saidDimitri，"andsowillyouwhenyougothere.”Megginngavehimawhiteeye．"Don’tyouwanttogo?"

    "I’dliketo，butyou’tgiveupeverythingherejustlikethat..."

    "Ifyouwon’tgo，I’llbeleaving,”saidDimitriandmadeasiftogo．

    "Ididn’tsayIwon’t"saidMegginnhastily．Theedseductivelyandsaid，"Butmylegsaretirednow,soyou’llhavetocarryme.”Dimitriswungherupandcarriedhertothebeige-coloredCadilclikeanewly-wedcouplecrossihresholdandthendroveoffintothedeepofthenight．ThatwashowMegginheKingdomofDreams,tookoverIleen’sdutiesandbecameanimportantmemberofDimitri’sKingdom．

    Thewarmautumnsunshoheearth．Tendergreengrassgraduallyturnedbrownandfallenleavesandflowerscoveredtheground．Formerlylusciousfoliageweregone，leavingonlybaldbranow．Dimitrihadresumedhisoldhabits．Wearinghisraggedgarments，hewaslyingzilyontheparkbench,halfasleep,halfawake,hazilysciousofhissurroundings．Intheskies,thegesofnightanddaysucceededeachotherandlifewentonwakeandsleep,wakeandsleep,inthesamerepetitiouscycle．Thedailyroutinedeepenedhisimpressionswhichwereasnaturaltohimashisownsteadybreathing．Moreandmore，hefeltlikeafish，nowswimminguptothesurfaceofthewater，nowsinkingdowntothedepthofthesea．Thisyear，timereallyseemedtoflyanditwasautumnagain．Butthespeedoftimecouldactuallybetrolledbyoions．Dimitriletnaturegoonitsownstableschedule，frtosummer，fromautumntowinter，whilehehimselflivedinhisownever-ging，creativeimpressions，acctohisowne．Nowsunlightwaswarminghisbody．Howdifferentwasitfromthewarmth?Dimitriopenedhisdrowsyeyesandlookedaround．Suddenly,hefounditringagain．Thegrasswasgreen,theflowerswerebloomingonthebranchesamidgreenluxuriantleavesandbutterfliesweredangamongthemall．Yes，helivedinhisowntimeframe，differentfromtheoutsideworld．Iance，hesawMark’sfatfigurewalkingtowardshimwithausedinhishand,whichhewasblowinglikeaballooburst,hetosseditaway．Abutterflycaughthisattentionandheraheagileflutteriure,hisbulkybody,freeandhappy,movedclumsilyintherapidfloodoftime．Heybecausehedidnothavetousehisbrains,justlettinghislimbsmoveindulgently,howeveritwould,inthefloodoftime．DimitriuoodMark’shappiness，buthissciousnesswasgrowingblurredasleepy．Howwonderfulitwasnottohavetothink．Hazierandhazier．Howwonderfulitwasnottohavetothink．Mark’sclumsybodymovinginthefloodoftime．Hoy…Hoy..．Didn’thavetousehisbrains…Dimitrigrewdrowsieranddrowsier.HappyMarkyboylettinghislimbsmovecarefreeinthefloodoftime…indulgently，howeveritwould．Dimitri’ssciousnesswasgettingblurred,gettingblurred．

    14

    Justashewasdroppingofftosleep，heheardsomeonecalling，"Dimitri!Dimitri!"andhewokeupwithastarttoseebeforehimthebeautiful,smilingfaceofayounggirl．Herbrightmoisteyesandslightlyswellisshowedthatgolden-hairedMaryhadgrownupintoayoungdynow.

    "WherehaveyoubeenDimitri?Ihaven’tseenyouthesestfewdays.”

    "I’vebeenbusy.”

    "Iknow,youmusthavebeenmakingdreams,right?"

    "Well，maybe．Idon’tquiteknowmyself.”

    "Look!Ibroughtyousomedoughnutsfordinner.”shesaidandhandedhimabroerbag．Maryhadworkedasasalesgirlinanearbydoughnutshopeversinceh