!"ThevivaciousDornabecamegarrulousonsubjectsshecoulduand．"Thosebigbulliesweretryingtotakeadvantageofme.TheythoughtIwasjustadumbcigarettegirl．Whattheydidn’tknowwas,Ihadsupportedmyselfalltheseyearsbymyownwits."Sheseemedtobereallyproudofherselfandofherproocket-pig．"Whiletheyweretryingtomaulme，Iwasthrashingmyarmsaroundandtookalltheirmohouttheirknowingit．Nowhow’sthat?"

    "OK，littlegirl．You’vebeenthroughquiteenoughforonenight．Sleepnow．Ithinkyou’resafehere.”

    Them，aheavymistbthewholeBayArea．Dimitrilookedatthesleepinglittlegirlpurringinherdream，somuchlikeaiolekitten，onlyshehadahumanbody．Dimitritrolledanimpulsetokissherrosycheeksforfearofwakingher．Everymhetooktwentymiowashacar，sofillinghisbucket，hewentaboutpreparingforhiswork.ItwasDimitri’sphilosophyoflifethatthefleshbodyexistedtoenjoytimeawaytodosowastoletthebodyliveinastateofleisure.Therefore,heworkedashortwhileeveryday,reserviforleisurelyenjoymentoflife．Intheheavymist,pedestrianswereonlyshadows,verymuchlikefishswimmingaboutintheriver．Somehomelesspeoplesatbytheroadsidedrinkingcoffee,calliingstoeachother,wordsingoutlikebubblesfromthemouthsoffishes．DimitriwalkedcarefullyandfoundtheexpeeAmerisedanatitsusualpdbeganhisroutine．Soonagoldenhairedwomaofthemist．ShewasElina，ayoungophthalmologistofaboutthirtyyearsold，asersurgeryexpert．Themistcoveredherlikeaveil，separatingherfromtherestoftheworld．Herradiaywaslikeashadowysunwhosemagnificehadbeendimmed．

    "GoDimitri．Ididn’texpectyoutobeoutsoearly.”

    "Go，Dr.Gelbart．You’reearlierthanusualthism.”

    "Iknow．Ihavequiteafewsurgeriesscheduled，soIthoughtI’dbettermakeanearlystart．Andalso，myhousewasbrokenintostnight.”

    "I’msorrytohearthat．Ihopeyoudidn’tloseanythingvaluable.”

    "Asamatteroffao．Ithinkitwassomelittlegirlwhogotinthroughtheeaves．Sheatesomecherriesandapplesfrommyrefrigeratorandthrewtheseedsalroundthehouse．Thenshepyedwithmyetics，spillihing．Finally,shetriedonmydressesandthrewthemalroundtheroom．Butasidefromthemessshemade，shedidn’treallytakeanything．ButIhadtoreportittothepolice，whocameandsoIdidogotobeduntilveryte．Theysaidthey’dhadseveralreportsofsimirisintheneighborhoodahinktheyknowwhosheis．They’reonthelookoutforthenaughtygirl．ShejustescapedfromthelocalYouthterandismakingtroubleagain.”

    DimitrihadagreatrespectforElinawhowassoyoungandsoaplished．Hefinishedingthedopehedoorforher．"Thankyou”saidElinaandgotin．Dimitriclosedthedoor．Heseemedtowanttosaysomething，buthesitated．Thesensitivedoctorfelthisreluce．Sherolleddownthewindowofherdsmiledathimencingly,butDimitrikeptsilent．

    3

    "Whatisit，Dimitri?"sheasked．Dimitrirubbedhishandsinembarrassmentandsaid，

    "Myeyesarenotfeelingthatwell．They’repainful．Myvisionisblurredandcloudy．Iwonderifanythingcouldbedoneaboutit．"

    "Thehospitalistoobusyandcrowdedandit’stoofaraway.Tellyouwhat,etomyhousetonightandI’llexamineyoureyes.”

    "Idon’twanttoputyouintotoomuchtrouble..."

    "Oheon,Dimitri.That’swhatfriendsarefor!"Shesmiledandstartedhercar．

    "Turnonthefoglight．Drivecarefully!"Dimitricalledafte

!"ThevivaciousDornabecamegarrulousonsubjectsshecoulduand．"Thosebigbulliesweretryingtotakeadvantageofme.TheythoughtIwasjustadumbcigarettegirl．Whattheydidn’tknowwas,Ihadsupportedmyselfalltheseyearsbymyownwits."Sheseemedtobereallyproudofherselfandofherproocket-pig．"Whiletheyweretryingtomaulme，Iwasthrashingmyarmsaroundandtookalltheirmohouttheirknowingit．Nowhow’sthat?"

    "OK，littlegirl．You’vebeenthroughquiteenoughforonenight．Sleepnow．Ithinkyou’resafehere.”

    Them，aheavymistbthewholeBayArea．Dimitrilookedatthesleepinglittlegirlpurringinherdream，somuchlikeaiolekitten，onlyshehadahumanbody．Dimitritrolledanimpulsetokissherrosycheeksforfearofwakingher．Everymhetooktwentymiowashacar，sofillinghisbucket，hewentaboutpreparingforhiswork.ItwasDimitri’sphilosophyoflifethatthefleshbodyexistedtoenjoytimeawaytodosowastoletthebodyliveinastateofleisure.Therefore,heworkedashortwhileeveryday,reserviforleisurelyenjoymentoflife．Intheheavymist,pedestrianswereonlyshadows,verymuchlikefishswimmingaboutintheriver．Somehomelesspeoplesatbytheroadsidedrinkingcoffee,calliingstoeachother,wordsingoutlikebubblesfromthemouthsoffishes．DimitriwalkedcarefullyandfoundtheexpeeAmerisedanatitsusualpdbeganhisroutine．Soonagoldenhairedwomaofthemist．ShewasElina，ayoungophthalmologistofaboutthirtyyearsold，asersurgeryexpert．Themistcoveredherlikeaveil，separatingherfromtherestoftheworld．Herradiaywaslikeashadowysunwhosemagnificehadbeendimmed．

    "GoDimitri．Ididn’texpectyoutobeoutsoearly.”

    "Go，Dr.Gelbart．You’reearlierthanusualthism.”

    "Iknow．Ihavequiteafewsurgeriesscheduled，soIthoughtI’dbettermakeanearlystart．Andalso，myhousewasbrokenintostnight.”

    "I’msorrytohearthat．Ihopeyoudidn’tloseanythingvaluable.”

    "Asamatteroffao．Ithinkitwassomelittlegirlwhogotinthroughtheeaves．Sheatesomecherriesandapplesfrommyrefrigeratorandthrewtheseedsalroundthehouse．Thenshepyedwithmyetics，spillihing．Finally,shetriedonmydressesandthrewthemalroundtheroom．Butasidefromthemessshemade，shedidn’treallytakeanything．ButIhadtoreportittothepolice，whocameandsoIdidogotobeduntilveryte．Theysaidthey’dhadseveralreportsofsimirisintheneighborhoodahinktheyknowwhosheis．They’reonthelookoutforthenaughtygirl．ShejustescapedfromthelocalYouthterandismakingtroubleagain.”

    DimitrihadagreatrespectforElinawhowassoyoungandsoaplished．Hefinishedingthedopehedoorforher．"Thankyou”saidElinaandgotin．Dimitriclosedthedoor．Heseemedtowanttosaysomething，buthesitated．Thesensitivedoctorfelthisreluce．Sherolleddownthewindowofherdsmiledathimencingly,butDimitrikeptsilent．

    3

    "Whatisit，Dimitri?"sheasked．Dimitrirubbedhishandsinembarrassmentandsaid，

    "Myeyesarenotfeelingthatwell．They’repainful．Myvisionisblurredandcloudy．Iwonderifanythingcouldbedoneaboutit．"

    "Thehospitalistoobusyandcrowdedandit’stoofaraway.Tellyouwhat,etomyhousetonightandI’llexamineyoureyes.”

    "Idon’twanttoputyouintotoomuchtrouble..."

    "Oheon,Dimitri.That’swhatfriendsarefor!"Shesmiledandstartedhercar．

    "Turnonthefoglight．Drivecarefully!"Dimitricalledafte