ghtaswellgetdrunk!Mightaswellgetdrunk!”

    Theliquorsentastreamofwarmthrightdowntohisabdomen.Dimitrifelttipsyandwasetedagain．Heughedandtalkedtohisunseenaudiehisfleshbodyisamiracleofevolution，butitisalsoagreathindrahesoulcouldbeseparatedfromthebody，Iwouldrathergiveupmyfleshbodybecauseallsinsandlustsstemfromit.”Hethoughtforamomentandthenshookhishead．"No,thisbodyofoursistheproductofbillionsofyearsofgeandshouldnotbelightlygivenup．Andwhoknowsforsurewhetherthebodyandthesoulbeseparated?Iwilltiobeonthealertandwatchoverit,toseethatitdoesnoevil．IthinkIhavedoneagreatjoballtheseyears．Yes,Ihave.”Heughediationandwavedahandatthemyriadofstarstwinklingintheskysaying，"IwilnnouoallyouheavenlybodiesthatI,DimitriJa,havemanagedmyfleshbodywell．Despitemyhumbleins,Ihaveitdoanyevil,soIneedfearherGodnormaookanotherdrinkandsaidtothehostsofcrimsonrosessurroundinghim，"Doyouknow?YouandIarediffereures.0urexistehisearthofoursmakesitdifferentfromandfarsuperiortothosethousandsofstarsoutthereinthesky．Ha,ha,ha”Exultantlyjubintandalittlehazy，hesaidtothem,"Rose!Rose!Youareattheheightofyourbeauty．Pleasedon’twitherawaywhileI’masleep!"Hiswordsturoamumbleaumbledtothegroundandfellfastasleep．Heseemedtohearachorusofbeautifulsopranovoidhisagingbody,likeahalf-hollowedtree,wasinvigoratedbyitandmadefulloflifefain．

    Them，Dimitriatdawnandsittingontheparkbenchdrinkingcoffee．Themfogturnedeverythingiaoawhitemass．ThereflesoftheswayingbraheweepingwillowsoilesswavesofLakeMerrittseemedtopersonifyadnguidwoman,half-yielding,half-resisting．Dimitriwasgroggyandsufferingfromahangroanedandsaidtohimself，"NowwhydidIhavetogoanddrinksomuight?Thatwasreallystupidofme．Butwhat’stheharmofanoccasionalfling?IwonderwhatAmaliaisdoingnow．Perhapsshesleepsonacloudandrefreshedfrht’srestisnowsittingbeforehermirror，bingherhairandmakingherselfbeautifulfortheday．IwohereisstillthedifferenceofsexesinHeaven．Ifthereis，isAmaliastilsiedinsexualintercoursewithmultipartnersasshewasoh?Perhapstheyallliveonclouds,lightlyfloatingalroundtheuniverse．Whentwoeet,theywoulduniteinapassionateandcrushingembradmakeloveoherybuoyantcloud,theiriyandenjoymentincreasingwiththelullingandslightlyrogmovementofthecloudasitfluctuateswiththewind．Afterthatbriefunion，theywouldfloatapart，eachgoinghisownway.IfAmaliaisasiedinsexassheusedtobe，thatwouldbeidealforher．Oh，heavenlyresidentsmuststillhavesex，orAmaliawouldbeboredtodeath!”

    ThenDimitri’smindbecamebnkayasthemmist,butafamiliartuteninhisyouthpersistentlycroppedintohissciousness：

    2

    "Faintbluemountains，faintredskies，

    Faintduskfogbyfaintgreenpins，

    Faint,faintfeelingstanglinginthemind，

    Likesleeasingfingersontheharpstrings，

    Iamayouthlearningtobedivine.”

    Itreiterateditselfagainandagain，untilDimitricouldn’thelpsingingalongwithit．Themistgraduallydispersedandthenoiseandcmorofcitylifebeganagain．

    Acrossthestreet，severalteen-agerswaitingfortheirschoolbus,ughing,jokingandengaginginhorsepy.Lookingonatthemenviously，Dimitrithoughtofhisownyouthwhichhadbeenenvelopedinapalebluem

ghtaswellgetdrunk!Mightaswellgetdrunk!”

    Theliquorsentastreamofwarmthrightdowntohisabdomen.Dimitrifelttipsyandwasetedagain．Heughedandtalkedtohisunseenaudiehisfleshbodyisamiracleofevolution，butitisalsoagreathindrahesoulcouldbeseparatedfromthebody，Iwouldrathergiveupmyfleshbodybecauseallsinsandlustsstemfromit.”Hethoughtforamomentandthenshookhishead．"No,thisbodyofoursistheproductofbillionsofyearsofgeandshouldnotbelightlygivenup．Andwhoknowsforsurewhetherthebodyandthesoulbeseparated?Iwilltiobeonthealertandwatchoverit,toseethatitdoesnoevil．IthinkIhavedoneagreatjoballtheseyears．Yes,Ihave.”Heughediationandwavedahandatthemyriadofstarstwinklingintheskysaying，"IwilnnouoallyouheavenlybodiesthatI,DimitriJa,havemanagedmyfleshbodywell．Despitemyhumbleins,Ihaveitdoanyevil,soIneedfearherGodnormaookanotherdrinkandsaidtothehostsofcrimsonrosessurroundinghim，"Doyouknow?YouandIarediffereures.0urexistehisearthofoursmakesitdifferentfromandfarsuperiortothosethousandsofstarsoutthereinthesky．Ha,ha,ha”Exultantlyjubintandalittlehazy，hesaidtothem,"Rose!Rose!Youareattheheightofyourbeauty．Pleasedon’twitherawaywhileI’masleep!"Hiswordsturoamumbleaumbledtothegroundandfellfastasleep．Heseemedtohearachorusofbeautifulsopranovoidhisagingbody,likeahalf-hollowedtree,wasinvigoratedbyitandmadefulloflifefain．

    Them，Dimitriatdawnandsittingontheparkbenchdrinkingcoffee．Themfogturnedeverythingiaoawhitemass．ThereflesoftheswayingbraheweepingwillowsoilesswavesofLakeMerrittseemedtopersonifyadnguidwoman,half-yielding,half-resisting．Dimitriwasgroggyandsufferingfromahangroanedandsaidtohimself，"NowwhydidIhavetogoanddrinksomuight?Thatwasreallystupidofme．Butwhat’stheharmofanoccasionalfling?IwonderwhatAmaliaisdoingnow．Perhapsshesleepsonacloudandrefreshedfrht’srestisnowsittingbeforehermirror，bingherhairandmakingherselfbeautifulfortheday．IwohereisstillthedifferenceofsexesinHeaven．Ifthereis，isAmaliastilsiedinsexualintercoursewithmultipartnersasshewasoh?Perhapstheyallliveonclouds,lightlyfloatingalroundtheuniverse．Whentwoeet,theywoulduniteinapassionateandcrushingembradmakeloveoherybuoyantcloud,theiriyandenjoymentincreasingwiththelullingandslightlyrogmovementofthecloudasitfluctuateswiththewind．Afterthatbriefunion，theywouldfloatapart，eachgoinghisownway.IfAmaliaisasiedinsexassheusedtobe，thatwouldbeidealforher．Oh，heavenlyresidentsmuststillhavesex，orAmaliawouldbeboredtodeath!”

    ThenDimitri’smindbecamebnkayasthemmist,butafamiliartuteninhisyouthpersistentlycroppedintohissciousness：

    2

    "Faintbluemountains，faintredskies，

    Faintduskfogbyfaintgreenpins，

    Faint,faintfeelingstanglinginthemind，

    Likesleeasingfingersontheharpstrings，

    Iamayouthlearningtobedivine.”

    Itreiterateditselfagainandagain，untilDimitricouldn’thelpsingingalongwithit．Themistgraduallydispersedandthenoiseandcmorofcitylifebeganagain．

    Acrossthestreet，severalteen-agerswaitingfortheirschoolbus,ughing,jokingandengaginginhorsepy.Lookingonatthemenviously，Dimitrithoughtofhisownyouthwhichhadbeenenvelopedinapalebluem