stopped．Rollingdownthewindow，MariannafounditwasnotMrs．Kaffee，butKatherihewomanwhotookrs．Kaffee’sjewelryandexpeumes．ShewasabouttotalktoherwhenKatheriookadiamfrerandthrewittoMariannathroughbothoftheircarwindows，saying，

    "It’smyfault．I’minahurry．Thisshouldtakecareofthedamages.”ShesteppedonthegasandwasabouttodriveonwhensheheardMariannasay，

    "Why，Katheri’syou!What’sthehurry?"Katheriookasedlookandsaid，

    2

    "Oh，it’syou,Marianna．Whatareyoudoinghere?"

    "ImetMrs.KaffeetheotherdayandsheaskedmetocateradinnerforMr.Kaffeeandhisfriendstonight．Iwasjustgoinguptoaskthemaboutthemenu．"

    "Iwouldn’tgoifIwereyou．Strahingshavebeenhappeninginthathousethesestfewdays．Itwaslikegustsofwindbeforeastorm，forebodingevil．Mr．Kaffeetookhisyadsailedawaywithoutsayingwherehewasgoingorwhenhewouldreturn.ItalllookedfishytomesoItooktheearanddroveoff．Idon’twanttogetinvolvedinthismess．Ifyou’rewise，youwoher.”Withthatshedroveawayhastily．Mariannakobeanavariciouswoman，alwaystoadyinguptoMrs．Kaffeeandsteppingonothersforherownadvaothepostofjewelry-keeper．Watghercarswiftlydisappearing，Mariannathoughtically，"Sheprobablyabsdedwiththejewelrytoo!Thiswholebunchmaybeentangledinadog-fight，whoknows?"Theurnedhercararoundabackthewayshecame.Policesirensscreamedandsquadcarswhizzedby．"Somethingmustreallyhavehappened!"shethought．

    Ohirdday，thetenthousandthfighterwascreated．heseemedtoknowhisdestinationandrantojoinhisrades-in-armsimmediately．Thetwenty-fournudebeautiessighedinreliefandcppedtheirhandsinjoyathavingfulfilledtheirseeminglyimpossiblemission．Butthreedaysofceaselesshardworkhadtakeolndtheyalllookedlusterless，disheveledaodropwithfatigue．Dimitricamegedandkissedeaesaying"Nowgoand．Youhavedoneawonderfuljob．Itistimetosleep,restandrecoveryourbeautyandenergy.”

    "No，yourmajesty"ohemsaid，"weotrestyet．Ifthereisgoingtobefightigetthemedicalsuppliesready．Foodtofeedthetroopsmustalsobeprepared．Weotletthemgohungry.”Dimitriwasdeeplymovedbytheirselflessloyalty．HebrushedbackthetousledcurlsoftheCaucasiaywithhishands，rubbedoffspecksofcakedmudfromthefaceoftheLatiyandiedtherawandbleedingfingernailsoftheOrientalbeauty，telliogetitateoatohenhewalkedbrisklyawaytoMedusa’ssideofthehill．ThebeautieswerehappyandfortedtoseethatKingDimitriobviouslyappreciatedandcaredforthem．Theydispersedto，getdressedandthengoabouttheirdutieswithrenewedenergy．

    Meanwhile，theiigableMedusawasthere,beautiful,imposingandstern,eyesgleaming，stillfullofenergyinspiteofthreedaysofintensedrilling．Hershiningbckskinenhancedherwild,primitiveAfribeauty．Tenthousandfightersstoodatattentionbeforeherwhilesheiedtheirranks．KingDimitristrodeontotheptformtoreviewhistroopsandsawthattheywerereadyforbattle．ThehueandthesecrettunnelhaddecreasedAftertryingfruitlesslyforthreedaystogairy，theenemywasobviouslygettingdiscedandtired．Itwastheidealtimeforaterattack．Dimitriatoransformedhimselftoasavagedeitywiththebodyofamanbuttheheadofamonster，withrhinoceroshornatthetopofhishead．Thefightersgaveashoutofjoyatseeingsuidableleader.LedbyDimitriandMedusa,theyc

stopped．Rollingdownthewindow，MariannafounditwasnotMrs．Kaffee，butKatherihewomanwhotookrs．Kaffee’sjewelryandexpeumes．ShewasabouttotalktoherwhenKatheriookadiamfrerandthrewittoMariannathroughbothoftheircarwindows，saying，

    "It’smyfault．I’minahurry．Thisshouldtakecareofthedamages.”ShesteppedonthegasandwasabouttodriveonwhensheheardMariannasay，

    "Why，Katheri’syou!What’sthehurry?"Katheriookasedlookandsaid，

    2

    "Oh，it’syou,Marianna．Whatareyoudoinghere?"

    "ImetMrs.KaffeetheotherdayandsheaskedmetocateradinnerforMr.Kaffeeandhisfriendstonight．Iwasjustgoinguptoaskthemaboutthemenu．"

    "Iwouldn’tgoifIwereyou．Strahingshavebeenhappeninginthathousethesestfewdays．Itwaslikegustsofwindbeforeastorm，forebodingevil．Mr．Kaffeetookhisyadsailedawaywithoutsayingwherehewasgoingorwhenhewouldreturn.ItalllookedfishytomesoItooktheearanddroveoff．Idon’twanttogetinvolvedinthismess．Ifyou’rewise，youwoher.”Withthatshedroveawayhastily．Mariannakobeanavariciouswoman，alwaystoadyinguptoMrs．Kaffeeandsteppingonothersforherownadvaothepostofjewelry-keeper．Watghercarswiftlydisappearing，Mariannathoughtically，"Sheprobablyabsdedwiththejewelrytoo!Thiswholebunchmaybeentangledinadog-fight，whoknows?"Theurnedhercararoundabackthewayshecame.Policesirensscreamedandsquadcarswhizzedby．"Somethingmustreallyhavehappened!"shethought．

    Ohirdday，thetenthousandthfighterwascreated．heseemedtoknowhisdestinationandrantojoinhisrades-in-armsimmediately．Thetwenty-fournudebeautiessighedinreliefandcppedtheirhandsinjoyathavingfulfilledtheirseeminglyimpossiblemission．Butthreedaysofceaselesshardworkhadtakeolndtheyalllookedlusterless，disheveledaodropwithfatigue．Dimitricamegedandkissedeaesaying"Nowgoand．Youhavedoneawonderfuljob．Itistimetosleep,restandrecoveryourbeautyandenergy.”

    "No，yourmajesty"ohemsaid，"weotrestyet．Ifthereisgoingtobefightigetthemedicalsuppliesready．Foodtofeedthetroopsmustalsobeprepared．Weotletthemgohungry.”Dimitriwasdeeplymovedbytheirselflessloyalty．HebrushedbackthetousledcurlsoftheCaucasiaywithhishands，rubbedoffspecksofcakedmudfromthefaceoftheLatiyandiedtherawandbleedingfingernailsoftheOrientalbeauty，telliogetitateoatohenhewalkedbrisklyawaytoMedusa’ssideofthehill．ThebeautieswerehappyandfortedtoseethatKingDimitriobviouslyappreciatedandcaredforthem．Theydispersedto，getdressedandthengoabouttheirdutieswithrenewedenergy．

    Meanwhile，theiigableMedusawasthere,beautiful,imposingandstern,eyesgleaming，stillfullofenergyinspiteofthreedaysofintensedrilling．Hershiningbckskinenhancedherwild,primitiveAfribeauty．Tenthousandfightersstoodatattentionbeforeherwhilesheiedtheirranks．KingDimitristrodeontotheptformtoreviewhistroopsandsawthattheywerereadyforbattle．ThehueandthesecrettunnelhaddecreasedAftertryingfruitlesslyforthreedaystogairy，theenemywasobviouslygettingdiscedandtired．Itwastheidealtimeforaterattack．Dimitriatoransformedhimselftoasavagedeitywiththebodyofamanbuttheheadofamonster，withrhinoceroshornatthetopofhishead．Thefightersgaveashoutofjoyatseeingsuidableleader.LedbyDimitriandMedusa,theyc