nowhim?"

    "No.”Themanwasathief,thoughtDimitri，buthewasloyaltohisfriendsandthereforeworthhelping．"What’syourname?"

    "RichardChao.”

    "eheretomorrowintheeveningandImayhavesomemoneyforyou.”

    "Really?Youwill?"

    "I’lldomybest.”

    "Ok．I’llbeheretomorrowevening．Thankyousomuch”saidRichardahenarrowalleyresumeditsaryserenity．

    Thecold,refreshingraysofthecrystalclearmoonshohroughtheopeningoftheshelterontoDimitri’sold,patched-upbedding,buttohim,histhreadbarewasmorefortablethanMrs.Love’ssoftluxuriousbed．Hestretchedandrexed,pletelyatease,andsighed，

    8

    "Ah!There’snopcelikehome!IfIamtoyeyesanddienow，Iwouldfeelperfectlyfortable.”Butthen,thewoundonhischeekandthevariousdogbitesbegansmartingagain.Dimitrithoughtsadlythatthefleshbodycouldgivepainaswelspleasure．Hereflectedonhisbriefboutofblindnessandhisheartwasfilledrehensionandtrepidation．Buthefortedhimselfwiththethoughtthatthefleshbodywasonlyatrapossessionthatwillturnbacktodustonedayfromwhecame．Blindnessmightbeagreatloss,butanimpairedbodywasstillserviceableandhewouldjusthavetooveretheinveniendmakedowithwhathehad，forwithoutit，hewouldnotbeabletoappreciateandenjoyhisamusingandadventurouslifeinthisuniverse．Thinkingso，Dimitri’smimoreatease．Thepainwouldsubsideinadayortwo,hethought,andhewouldbeasgoodasnew．ewhatmay，hewoulddealwithitwheimecame.Hewasdriftingoffdrowsilytosleepwhehoughtofthehappeningsoftheday．WasYokosafe?Didshetakehisadvidgohome?HehadpromisedRichardChaothathewouldtakeaz’shospitalbills．Wherewashetogetholdofsuexorbitantsumofmoney?Accostedbytheseproblems,alltracesofdrowsinessfledandDimitritossedandturnedonhisbed,uosleep．

    Thebeautifuathleticfigureofanakedwomanfshedbyuhemoonlight．Bowingherbeautifulbody,sheehedipidatedshelterabesidethebed，kowtowingrespectfullyandsaid．

    "YourMajesty.”ItwasMedusa．Dimitriwasoverjoyedatthistotallyuedvisitor．HehoughthewouldseeMedusaatthistimeandpce．

    "Howdidyougethere,Medusa?"

    "Thesedays,Ierturbedbyunexpinableapprehensionsthatallwasnotwellwithyou．Theotherbeautiesalsohadthesamefeelings．TheyseoeandseeyoubecauseIamtheonlyoflyanduteeasilybetweewopherealworldandydom．Areyouallright，KingDimitri?"

    "Iamfine．Don’tworry.”

    "Everyonehasbeenthinkingofyou．Thegrandpaceissilentayandthebeautifulflowersandtreesinthegardenshavelosttheircolorsandappealbecauseallthebeautiesaredoingissittingaroundandmopinglistlessly．Theyhavenoiindoinganything．LifeintheKingdomisdulndlonelywithoutyourpresence．Whydon’tyoueback?"

    "Tellthemtobepatient．Myreturnisimmi．Oh,didRomiarrivesafely?"

    "Yes．Romicame，butshedidn’tknowofyourwhereaboutsexceptthatyoureyeshavebeenhurtingyou.”

    "Howissheadaptingtohernewenviro?"

    8

    "ShelikesAisha，awogetalongverywell.”Aisha’smature,schorlyandfasatingfigurerosebeforehiseyes,andDimitrismiledandnoddedinsatisfaedusa’sbright,mysteriouseyesgazedatDimitriandaskededly，

    "KingDimitri,areyoureyeshurtingyou?Elinasaidyouwillgoblindoneday.”

    "Whatwillbe,willbe．Fateisungeable,butIamabletotakeyself.”

    "Oh,howIwishIcou

nowhim?"

    "No.”Themanwasathief,thoughtDimitri，buthewasloyaltohisfriendsandthereforeworthhelping．"What’syourname?"

    "RichardChao.”

    "eheretomorrowintheeveningandImayhavesomemoneyforyou.”

    "Really?Youwill?"

    "I’lldomybest.”

    "Ok．I’llbeheretomorrowevening．Thankyousomuch”saidRichardahenarrowalleyresumeditsaryserenity．

    Thecold,refreshingraysofthecrystalclearmoonshohroughtheopeningoftheshelterontoDimitri’sold,patched-upbedding,buttohim,histhreadbarewasmorefortablethanMrs.Love’ssoftluxuriousbed．Hestretchedandrexed,pletelyatease,andsighed，

    8

    "Ah!There’snopcelikehome!IfIamtoyeyesanddienow，Iwouldfeelperfectlyfortable.”Butthen,thewoundonhischeekandthevariousdogbitesbegansmartingagain.Dimitrithoughtsadlythatthefleshbodycouldgivepainaswelspleasure．Hereflectedonhisbriefboutofblindnessandhisheartwasfilledrehensionandtrepidation．Buthefortedhimselfwiththethoughtthatthefleshbodywasonlyatrapossessionthatwillturnbacktodustonedayfromwhecame．Blindnessmightbeagreatloss,butanimpairedbodywasstillserviceableandhewouldjusthavetooveretheinveniendmakedowithwhathehad，forwithoutit，hewouldnotbeabletoappreciateandenjoyhisamusingandadventurouslifeinthisuniverse．Thinkingso，Dimitri’smimoreatease．Thepainwouldsubsideinadayortwo,hethought,andhewouldbeasgoodasnew．ewhatmay，hewoulddealwithitwheimecame.Hewasdriftingoffdrowsilytosleepwhehoughtofthehappeningsoftheday．WasYokosafe?Didshetakehisadvidgohome?HehadpromisedRichardChaothathewouldtakeaz’shospitalbills．Wherewashetogetholdofsuexorbitantsumofmoney?Accostedbytheseproblems,alltracesofdrowsinessfledandDimitritossedandturnedonhisbed,uosleep．

    Thebeautifuathleticfigureofanakedwomanfshedbyuhemoonlight．Bowingherbeautifulbody,sheehedipidatedshelterabesidethebed，kowtowingrespectfullyandsaid．

    "YourMajesty.”ItwasMedusa．Dimitriwasoverjoyedatthistotallyuedvisitor．HehoughthewouldseeMedusaatthistimeandpce．

    "Howdidyougethere,Medusa?"

    "Thesedays,Ierturbedbyunexpinableapprehensionsthatallwasnotwellwithyou．Theotherbeautiesalsohadthesamefeelings．TheyseoeandseeyoubecauseIamtheonlyoflyanduteeasilybetweewopherealworldandydom．Areyouallright，KingDimitri?"

    "Iamfine．Don’tworry.”

    "Everyonehasbeenthinkingofyou．Thegrandpaceissilentayandthebeautifulflowersandtreesinthegardenshavelosttheircolorsandappealbecauseallthebeautiesaredoingissittingaroundandmopinglistlessly．Theyhavenoiindoinganything．LifeintheKingdomisdulndlonelywithoutyourpresence．Whydon’tyoueback?"

    "Tellthemtobepatient．Myreturnisimmi．Oh,didRomiarrivesafely?"

    "Yes．Romicame，butshedidn’tknowofyourwhereaboutsexceptthatyoureyeshavebeenhurtingyou.”

    "Howissheadaptingtohernewenviro?"

    8

    "ShelikesAisha，awogetalongverywell.”Aisha’smature,schorlyandfasatingfigurerosebeforehiseyes,andDimitrismiledandnoddedinsatisfaedusa’sbright,mysteriouseyesgazedatDimitriandaskededly，

    "KingDimitri,areyoureyeshurtingyou?Elinasaidyouwillgoblindoneday.”

    "Whatwillbe,willbe．Fateisungeable,butIamabletotakeyself.”

    "Oh,howIwishIcou