akeandlookedupfromherknitting．Themeetingoftheirfoureyesbroughtonapleasureofintimadtheysmiledateachother．

    "Hi，Mr．Sandman．Youdidn’tsendmeanygooddreamsstnight．Whatmagnifitdreamsdidyouhavethatyousharewithme?"

    "I’mafraidIdidn’thaveanystnight.”

    "Well，prettysoonI’llbegoingtoMrs．Kaffee’s．YourememberItoldyouIpromisedtocateradinnerforthem．Iwon’tbehometilltetonight.”

    1

    "Mrs.Kaffee?"DimitrisuddenlyassociatedthewomanwhomadetroubleforhimatthegasstationwithMrs.Kaffee，Marianna’spresenter．"IsherfirstnameIleen?IsherhusbandpresidentofWorldBank?"

    "Howdidyouknow?"sheansweredsurprised.Dimitrisatuponthebedandsaidurgently，

    "Whenyouseeher，tellhertoruhesedaystherewillbedrastigesinherhousehold.”

    "HowItellherthat?Youhavenoprooforevidenceexceptforyourintuition.”

    "Tellherthatanyway”insistedDimitristubbornly．

    "Allright，allright,Iwill．"shesaidreassuringly．SheknewDimitrioftenfusedhisdreamswithreality，butshewasedabouttheunusualexpressiononhisface．Shewaokeephimhome，outofharm’sway，insteadofwanderingaboutinhiscurrentstateofmind，soshesaidtohim，

    "Dimitri，wouldyoudomeafavorandworkintheyardtoday?The1awnneedsmowingareeshavetobeprunedandtrimmed．Iknowyoulovegardening，sowouldyoustayhometodayanddoitforme?"

    "OfcourseIwill，Marianna．Ihavenothingtodoanyway.”Mariannaheldupthescarfshehadfihaflourishandsaid，

    "Do!Getup，zybone，andseehowyoulikethenewscarfImadeforyou.”Goingtothecloset，shetookoutaburgundyredwoolensuitsuitableforwinterwearaoge．Herfigurewasfullbutbeautiful．Dimitrilookedatherandthought，

    "Iwillferohetitleof“QueenofmyKingdomofDreams”．Herfigureisontheplumpsideandsheisnolongeryoungasmyotherbeautiesare，buthermannersandbearingaredignifiedandimpressive．She’dmakeaperfectroyalspouseforme，myequandnotmysubordinate．Unfortunately,sheismarried．Butsowhat?It’sonlymyfantasy．Shealwaysbethequeenofmydreams”．Seeinghimstaringathersoily，Mariaembarrassed．Sheblushedandsaid，

    1

    "Whatareyoustaringat?Getup,getdressedandgoaboutyourwork!"Itwasasifshewasayounggirgainihthemanofherdreams．

    AssoonasMaria，Dimitribeganw．Helovedgardeninganderfectlyhappypruningandtrimmirees．Ataboutnineo’clockheheardaslightbutinsistentnoiseinhisears，simirtothehummingofabee．Hestoppedwandlisteently．Thenoisebecamemoredistinctthoughstilldistant．Itkeptrepeating，

    "YourMajesty!YourMajesty!”

    “Somethingmustbeupiftheysendoutthisurgentcallforme!”hethought．"Imustarrahisfleshbodyofmineinasuitablepdgobaydreamndatonce.”Dimitriiddownhisgardeningtoolsabacktothehouse．Ah,thereerthatMariannahadboughtforhimwouldbethebestpce,hethought．Heybaitandfelsleep．

    AttheAdministrativeter，thetwenty-fourbeautiesreportedthehappeningsofthepasttwodaystoKingDimitri．Theradarshadpickedupsignalsearmyofabout200,000soldiersoftheaRomanEmpireadvangandsurroundingthemountains．Theyhadbeenastooseethoseaghostsmargtowardsthem，armleaming，spearsshiningandpennantsflyinginthewind,theirhorsestrottingandsnimpatientlyontheway．Onourside，detepneshadbeeand500ablebodiedyoungnativesfromthemountainshadbeest

akeandlookedupfromherknitting．Themeetingoftheirfoureyesbroughtonapleasureofintimadtheysmiledateachother．

    "Hi，Mr．Sandman．Youdidn’tsendmeanygooddreamsstnight．Whatmagnifitdreamsdidyouhavethatyousharewithme?"

    "I’mafraidIdidn’thaveanystnight.”

    "Well，prettysoonI’llbegoingtoMrs．Kaffee’s．YourememberItoldyouIpromisedtocateradinnerforthem．Iwon’tbehometilltetonight.”

    1

    "Mrs.Kaffee?"DimitrisuddenlyassociatedthewomanwhomadetroubleforhimatthegasstationwithMrs.Kaffee，Marianna’spresenter．"IsherfirstnameIleen?IsherhusbandpresidentofWorldBank?"

    "Howdidyouknow?"sheansweredsurprised.Dimitrisatuponthebedandsaidurgently，

    "Whenyouseeher，tellhertoruhesedaystherewillbedrastigesinherhousehold.”

    "HowItellherthat?Youhavenoprooforevidenceexceptforyourintuition.”

    "Tellherthatanyway”insistedDimitristubbornly．

    "Allright，allright,Iwill．"shesaidreassuringly．SheknewDimitrioftenfusedhisdreamswithreality，butshewasedabouttheunusualexpressiononhisface．Shewaokeephimhome，outofharm’sway，insteadofwanderingaboutinhiscurrentstateofmind，soshesaidtohim，

    "Dimitri，wouldyoudomeafavorandworkintheyardtoday?The1awnneedsmowingareeshavetobeprunedandtrimmed．Iknowyoulovegardening，sowouldyoustayhometodayanddoitforme?"

    "OfcourseIwill，Marianna．Ihavenothingtodoanyway.”Mariannaheldupthescarfshehadfihaflourishandsaid，

    "Do!Getup，zybone，andseehowyoulikethenewscarfImadeforyou.”Goingtothecloset，shetookoutaburgundyredwoolensuitsuitableforwinterwearaoge．Herfigurewasfullbutbeautiful．Dimitrilookedatherandthought，

    "Iwillferohetitleof“QueenofmyKingdomofDreams”．Herfigureisontheplumpsideandsheisnolongeryoungasmyotherbeautiesare，buthermannersandbearingaredignifiedandimpressive．She’dmakeaperfectroyalspouseforme，myequandnotmysubordinate．Unfortunately,sheismarried．Butsowhat?It’sonlymyfantasy．Shealwaysbethequeenofmydreams”．Seeinghimstaringathersoily，Mariaembarrassed．Sheblushedandsaid，

    1

    "Whatareyoustaringat?Getup,getdressedandgoaboutyourwork!"Itwasasifshewasayounggirgainihthemanofherdreams．

    AssoonasMaria，Dimitribeganw．Helovedgardeninganderfectlyhappypruningandtrimmirees．Ataboutnineo’clockheheardaslightbutinsistentnoiseinhisears，simirtothehummingofabee．Hestoppedwandlisteently．Thenoisebecamemoredistinctthoughstilldistant．Itkeptrepeating，

    "YourMajesty!YourMajesty!”

    “Somethingmustbeupiftheysendoutthisurgentcallforme!”hethought．"Imustarrahisfleshbodyofmineinasuitablepdgobaydreamndatonce.”Dimitriiddownhisgardeningtoolsabacktothehouse．Ah,thereerthatMariannahadboughtforhimwouldbethebestpce,hethought．Heybaitandfelsleep．

    AttheAdministrativeter，thetwenty-fourbeautiesreportedthehappeningsofthepasttwodaystoKingDimitri．Theradarshadpickedupsignalsearmyofabout200,000soldiersoftheaRomanEmpireadvangandsurroundingthemountains．Theyhadbeenastooseethoseaghostsmargtowardsthem，armleaming，spearsshiningandpennantsflyinginthewind,theirhorsestrottingandsnimpatientlyontheway．Onourside，detepneshadbeeand500ablebodiedyoungnativesfromthemountainshadbeest