vablethattheotherpsalsoinfluen’sthoughts?ThatiswhatImeanbysacredideas.”

    "Thenwhatyoumeanisfate!"

    "Yousaysoinaway．ButKingDimitridoesnotlikethewordfate．Heonlyaowledgestheexistenceofideaswithintheuhatdirectlytrolman’sthoughtsandaydesiretofreemyfleshbodyfromtheinfluehemindisactuallyarevoltagairisofthisdominantandmysteriousforce.”

    7

    ThesilencearouablewasbrokenbyNovel,whoexcimed，

    "Oh,look!There’renternsiheTwinPeaks!"Theyallwatchedthenternsmovingbrisklyacrossthedrawbridge．

    "Oh，that’sIleen．Shealwaysworksatnight.”

    "WhoisIleen?”

    "Sheislikethegeneralmahepadruhing．ShealsotakescareofKingDimitri’shugefinancialempireinhisabsehastafftohelpher．That’sthem．"

    Astheylooked，theshadowsofthegigantitaiobestrainingandstrugglingfutilelytomove．Thegustywindssoundedlikehisgruntsandsighs．Astheywatched，anenormousbirdsuddenlysweptintoviewfromthemountainormallyinhabitsandstirredupgalesofmotionasitfshedbyuhemoonlight．

    "Oh，that’sMedusa!"criedDeannainapanidherrosycheekslosttheircoloratthemerethoughtofthemonster．ShehidherselfbehindLotus,whopulledthegirlintoherarmsandtriedtosoothehersaying，

    "Shewon’thurtyou.”

    "Medusa?"criedNovelandElinaincredulously．

    “Yes,Iseethatyouwesternersarefamiliarwithherstory．That’sMedusawhohadbeenrebornandisnowtheguardianofthisKingdomofDreams.”saidLotusasshepattedDeannaflyontheshoulder．Allfourwomensqueezedtogetheratthewindow，watgtheenormousbirdflytowardstheAdministrativeBuildingontherightpeak．

    7

    "Ithinksomethingisabouttohappen,”saidLotus．

    Dimitriwokesuddenlyfromhisdreamswithasenseofuneasiness．Hissleepyeyessawthedawnlightjustbeginningtopeepthroughthedarknessofthenight．Allseemedquietandsereneandhedidnotknowthecauseofhissuddenawakening．Thishadneverhappenedbefore,aaforebodingthatallwasnotwell．Feelingsomethingwarmonhischest，hethrewbackhisbedcoverandwasevenmorearmedwhearedwithdisbeliefatthenudeformofhishostesslyingsidewaysbesidehimsoundasleep,herbeautifulmanicuredhandsonhischest.Unwillingtoawakenher,hegentlycoveredherupandthenfoundthathislegswereentwihhers,liketwoembragtreespntedsidebysidewhoserootsweresoenmeshedthattheywerehardtountangle．Heytherequietandmotionless，enjoyingtheserenecalmaasifhewasinahugevirgi，whereformillionsofyearsnohumanfootstepshadreachedandfewbirdsvisited．Asheythereenjoyiranquillityofthemomeasenseofpeadwishedhecouldremainsoforever，lettingnightturnintodayanddayslipintonightinanunendingnaturalcycle．Withoutthetrastofbeginningaheprogressoftimeinthisprimitiveforest，coveredbyathickmfog，wassoslowthatitseemedtobeeaslightmovementonhischest．ItwasRomi’shandsflickerilessly．Thenthebeautifulnudegoddessopenedhereyes．WheDimitri’squestioninggaze,sheheardhimasksoftly"Why?"Romismiledshyly,lookedhastilyawayandmadenoanswer,butherfingerstioroamupanddownhischestandabdomencharmingly．Shefeltthatthismanlyingbesideherwasnotsohandsomeasherthreehusbands．Hisbroadchestdidnothavebulgingmusclesandhislegswereshortthoughstrong,butmysteriouspowersradiatedfromhismundanebody．Inhisbloodflowedtheprimit

vablethattheotherpsalsoinfluen’sthoughts?ThatiswhatImeanbysacredideas.”

    "Thenwhatyoumeanisfate!"

    "Yousaysoinaway．ButKingDimitridoesnotlikethewordfate．Heonlyaowledgestheexistenceofideaswithintheuhatdirectlytrolman’sthoughtsandaydesiretofreemyfleshbodyfromtheinfluehemindisactuallyarevoltagairisofthisdominantandmysteriousforce.”

    7

    ThesilencearouablewasbrokenbyNovel,whoexcimed，

    "Oh,look!There’renternsiheTwinPeaks!"Theyallwatchedthenternsmovingbrisklyacrossthedrawbridge．

    "Oh，that’sIleen．Shealwaysworksatnight.”

    "WhoisIleen?”

    "Sheislikethegeneralmahepadruhing．ShealsotakescareofKingDimitri’shugefinancialempireinhisabsehastafftohelpher．That’sthem．"

    Astheylooked，theshadowsofthegigantitaiobestrainingandstrugglingfutilelytomove．Thegustywindssoundedlikehisgruntsandsighs．Astheywatched，anenormousbirdsuddenlysweptintoviewfromthemountainormallyinhabitsandstirredupgalesofmotionasitfshedbyuhemoonlight．

    "Oh，that’sMedusa!"criedDeannainapanidherrosycheekslosttheircoloratthemerethoughtofthemonster．ShehidherselfbehindLotus,whopulledthegirlintoherarmsandtriedtosoothehersaying，

    "Shewon’thurtyou.”

    "Medusa?"criedNovelandElinaincredulously．

    “Yes,Iseethatyouwesternersarefamiliarwithherstory．That’sMedusawhohadbeenrebornandisnowtheguardianofthisKingdomofDreams.”saidLotusasshepattedDeannaflyontheshoulder．Allfourwomensqueezedtogetheratthewindow，watgtheenormousbirdflytowardstheAdministrativeBuildingontherightpeak．

    7

    "Ithinksomethingisabouttohappen,”saidLotus．

    Dimitriwokesuddenlyfromhisdreamswithasenseofuneasiness．Hissleepyeyessawthedawnlightjustbeginningtopeepthroughthedarknessofthenight．Allseemedquietandsereneandhedidnotknowthecauseofhissuddenawakening．Thishadneverhappenedbefore,aaforebodingthatallwasnotwell．Feelingsomethingwarmonhischest，hethrewbackhisbedcoverandwasevenmorearmedwhearedwithdisbeliefatthenudeformofhishostesslyingsidewaysbesidehimsoundasleep,herbeautifulmanicuredhandsonhischest.Unwillingtoawakenher,hegentlycoveredherupandthenfoundthathislegswereentwihhers,liketwoembragtreespntedsidebysidewhoserootsweresoenmeshedthattheywerehardtountangle．Heytherequietandmotionless，enjoyingtheserenecalmaasifhewasinahugevirgi，whereformillionsofyearsnohumanfootstepshadreachedandfewbirdsvisited．Asheythereenjoyiranquillityofthemomeasenseofpeadwishedhecouldremainsoforever，lettingnightturnintodayanddayslipintonightinanunendingnaturalcycle．Withoutthetrastofbeginningaheprogressoftimeinthisprimitiveforest，coveredbyathickmfog，wassoslowthatitseemedtobeeaslightmovementonhischest．ItwasRomi’shandsflickerilessly．Thenthebeautifulnudegoddessopenedhereyes．WheDimitri’squestioninggaze,sheheardhimasksoftly"Why?"Romismiledshyly,lookedhastilyawayandmadenoanswer,butherfingerstioroamupanddownhischestandabdomencharmingly．Shefeltthatthismanlyingbesideherwasnotsohandsomeasherthreehusbands．Hisbroadchestdidnothavebulgingmusclesandhislegswereshortthoughstrong,butmysteriouspowersradiatedfromhismundanebody．Inhisbloodflowedtheprimit