ohisattentionthattherewerequiteafewbeautifulwomehebakery,won’titcausemoretrouble?”

    “Yht”saidDimitrinodding.“Iambynaturetooindecisiveandirresolute.Thatismyweakness......”

    “You’tthinkthatway,Dimitri”interruptedMegginn.“Youare.Youthinkofthingsfromadifferentperspective.Youhavetobemorecircumspect.TakeMr.Kaffeeforinstance.IfitwerelefttoRichardandJamaz,theywouldhavekilledhimthatveryday.Thenwewouldnothavehadhimtohelpustackletheviciousvilinstonight.Thatwastheresultofyourfht.”Justthenpolicecarsdrovebywithsirensbring.

    11

    “Thepoliceareiigatingthecase.Theywillblockadeandcloseoffevenmorepcestonight.Itisbestthatnooneleavesheretonightsoasnottoarousetheirsuspi.Everyonewilljusthavetomakedoforthenight.”

    “No”saidWhiteFairy.“IhavetogobacktotheKingdomofDreamsahemknowthetestnews.Medusatoldmethatthosehugebatsoftencircleabovethegoldpace.TheyareenvoysofZeus,sentbyhimtoseeifweareplyingwithourpromisetocoatthedazzlinggoldpacewithiron.Aishaisverymuchworriedaboutthis.RomiwillnotbeabletogobacktotheKingdominthenearfuture.QueenAishaoknowthisandthinkofanotherwaytogettheworkdone.”

    “Good”saidDimitri.“Yougobackfirst.Iwillbebackwiththebeautiesinafewdays.Wewilldealwiththeproblemondforallthen.”WhiteFairyleft.Amaliawasstilldrinkingfromthebottle.Thebeautiescoaxedandcajoledherintogoingupstairstobed.Markclimbedontothetabletopintheworkroomandimmediatelyfelsleep.Dimitriyonhisloungechaircoveredbyhisbrownjacket.Sleepingoutdoorswasanoldhabitofhis.

    Inthem,everythionasusual.Byeighto’clocksharp,thebakeryen,butsomehowbusinesswassck.Perhapspeoplewerewaryaboutventuringoutafterthemysteriousexplosionsandfirestnight.erswhisperedtoeachotheraboutthebigcriminalcasestnightandhowthepoliceweremystifiedanddidnothaveanyclue.MeggibacktoherofficeatWorldBankandsignedanominatioer,appointingMr.OliverKaffeeastheCEeofWorldBank.Thepositionwieldednorealpowerbutitwasveryprestigious.Argeoffice,equippedwitheveryluxuryreparedespeciallyforhim,butitwastobeleftemptymostofthetime.Asittertur,Mr.KaffeerarelywenttotheBankuwasunavoidableforhimtomeetwithVIPsinhisoffice.HemuchpreferredtoliveasimpleandsecludedlifewithBigOatthequietmonasterybytheke.Hegraduallydistancedhimselffromhisformerunderworldesandbecameactiveinunityservidcharitableevents.

    Everyoneworkedhardpastm,stoppingonlyforasimplelunch.At3p.m.Mrs.Goodriptlyarrivedandstatedthepurposeofhercall.Astheyhadsurmised,shewaosellherthreestoreybuildingandasacourtesycametoofferherdhborsthefirstoptiontobuy.ItwasjustwhatDimitrihadhopedfor,soheimmediatelytookthebeautiesovertolookatthebuilding.ItwasunoccupiedastheBeautySchoolhadcloseddowimeago.Thefirstfloorwasnotmuchdifferentfromanyebeautyparlor.Itceforthestudentstopracticetheircraft.Ofcoursebeingstudentandtherebynovices,thepricewasmuchcheaperthanprofessioyshops.Thesedfloorwasdedicatedtodesigninghairstyles.Thethirdfloorwasusedforoffiddormitories.Thebackyardofthebuildingaratedfromthatofthebakeryonlybyafence,whichcouldeasilybeknockeddownandmadeintebackyard.Dimitriwasextremelypleasedwiththeproximity

ohisattentionthattherewerequiteafewbeautifulwomehebakery,won’titcausemoretrouble?”

    “Yht”saidDimitrinodding.“Iambynaturetooindecisiveandirresolute.Thatismyweakness......”

    “You’tthinkthatway,Dimitri”interruptedMegginn.“Youare.Youthinkofthingsfromadifferentperspective.Youhavetobemorecircumspect.TakeMr.Kaffeeforinstance.IfitwerelefttoRichardandJamaz,theywouldhavekilledhimthatveryday.Thenwewouldnothavehadhimtohelpustackletheviciousvilinstonight.Thatwastheresultofyourfht.”Justthenpolicecarsdrovebywithsirensbring.

    11

    “Thepoliceareiigatingthecase.Theywillblockadeandcloseoffevenmorepcestonight.Itisbestthatnooneleavesheretonightsoasnottoarousetheirsuspi.Everyonewilljusthavetomakedoforthenight.”

    “No”saidWhiteFairy.“IhavetogobacktotheKingdomofDreamsahemknowthetestnews.Medusatoldmethatthosehugebatsoftencircleabovethegoldpace.TheyareenvoysofZeus,sentbyhimtoseeifweareplyingwithourpromisetocoatthedazzlinggoldpacewithiron.Aishaisverymuchworriedaboutthis.RomiwillnotbeabletogobacktotheKingdominthenearfuture.QueenAishaoknowthisandthinkofanotherwaytogettheworkdone.”

    “Good”saidDimitri.“Yougobackfirst.Iwillbebackwiththebeautiesinafewdays.Wewilldealwiththeproblemondforallthen.”WhiteFairyleft.Amaliawasstilldrinkingfromthebottle.Thebeautiescoaxedandcajoledherintogoingupstairstobed.Markclimbedontothetabletopintheworkroomandimmediatelyfelsleep.Dimitriyonhisloungechaircoveredbyhisbrownjacket.Sleepingoutdoorswasanoldhabitofhis.

    Inthem,everythionasusual.Byeighto’clocksharp,thebakeryen,butsomehowbusinesswassck.Perhapspeoplewerewaryaboutventuringoutafterthemysteriousexplosionsandfirestnight.erswhisperedtoeachotheraboutthebigcriminalcasestnightandhowthepoliceweremystifiedanddidnothaveanyclue.MeggibacktoherofficeatWorldBankandsignedanominatioer,appointingMr.OliverKaffeeastheCEeofWorldBank.Thepositionwieldednorealpowerbutitwasveryprestigious.Argeoffice,equippedwitheveryluxuryreparedespeciallyforhim,butitwastobeleftemptymostofthetime.Asittertur,Mr.KaffeerarelywenttotheBankuwasunavoidableforhimtomeetwithVIPsinhisoffice.HemuchpreferredtoliveasimpleandsecludedlifewithBigOatthequietmonasterybytheke.Hegraduallydistancedhimselffromhisformerunderworldesandbecameactiveinunityservidcharitableevents.

    Everyoneworkedhardpastm,stoppingonlyforasimplelunch.At3p.m.Mrs.Goodriptlyarrivedandstatedthepurposeofhercall.Astheyhadsurmised,shewaosellherthreestoreybuildingandasacourtesycametoofferherdhborsthefirstoptiontobuy.ItwasjustwhatDimitrihadhopedfor,soheimmediatelytookthebeautiesovertolookatthebuilding.ItwasunoccupiedastheBeautySchoolhadcloseddowimeago.Thefirstfloorwasnotmuchdifferentfromanyebeautyparlor.Itceforthestudentstopracticetheircraft.Ofcoursebeingstudentandtherebynovices,thepricewasmuchcheaperthanprofessioyshops.Thesedfloorwasdedicatedtodesigninghairstyles.Thethirdfloorwasusedforoffiddormitories.Thebackyardofthebuildingaratedfromthatofthebakeryonlybyafence,whichcouldeasilybeknockeddownandmadeintebackyard.Dimitriwasextremelypleasedwiththeproximity