shushingsound,whilewavinghisrighthandtoDorna,askioecloser.“What’sallthisnoiseandcmoroutthere?”heasked.“Isthereabattlegoingon?”Dornanodded.“Whowon?”

    “Don’tk”sheanswered.“It’sstillgoingon.”

    “Ah!Ifyouwin,that’sgreat,butifyoulose,pleasedohemknowIamhidinghere.Mylifeisvaluable.”

    “Isyourlifetheonlyo’svaluable?”askedDettingangry.“Whataboutotherpeople’slives?Aretheyworthless?Isn’tKingDimitri’slifevaluable?”

    140页

    “WhyshouldKingDimitri’slifebevaluable?”repliedMr.Fingerarrogantly.“Heislikeabrokenaeballoreetthatanyonekick.Yourlivesareevehless.Idon’tcareifallofyoudie.ButImustlivebecauseIhaveawifenow.”

    “Shameonyou”saidDornafligherfingeragainsthercheek.“Shameonyou.Whowillmarryyou?Howyoupossiblyhaveawife?”

    “Mywifeisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld!Sheismuchmorebeautifulthanoneofyouinthepace!”Dornawalkedtothestwineet,pletelyignthelittleman.Shecarriedoveradderandclimbedontoit.Reagbehiop,shepulledoutsomethiwasAmalia’smagicflyingbroom.Carryingthebroominherhand,Dornaclimbeddownthedderandwalkedtowardsthedoor.AsshewalkedpastMr.Finger,shesawhehadstoodupandwaswavingtohersaying,

    “Quick!Quieandhelpmetotheground.Mywifeisthemostbeautifulwomaninthewholeworld.Iotstayhereandjeopardizemylife.Imustescape.IfIdie,Iolongerenjoythisgeousbeauty.Quick!Helpmedown!”Atthiscriticaltime,Dornaofcoursewasnotgoingtogiveintohisdemand.Ifthislittleguygotlooseandmademischief,itwouldcreateunnecessaryplications.Dornathoughtforamomentandcameupwithanidea.GrabbingthehalfemptybottleofMouTai,shepulledoutthecorkanddeliberatelythrusttheopetleunderMr.Finger’snosesaying,

    “Smell!Whatdoyouthinkofthisexpeai?Youjusttastedit.Wasitgood?”

    “Ah-h-h-h-h-!”drooledMr.Finger.Hiseyescrossedattheseductivesmellrightunderhisnostril.Henoddedemphaticallysaying,“Goodstuff!Goodstuff!”

    “Sinceyoulikeitsomuch”saidDorna“whataboutanothercup?”

    “Good!Good!”excimedthelittleman,fettingabouteverythingelseinhisinsatiablegreedforwine.Dornapouredoutafull,thencoghereyesathim,asked

    “Howdoyouwantthis?ShallIputyouintothecuplikebefore?”

    “Yes.Yes.Justlikebefore.Justlikebefore.”SoDornaliftedhimupandputhimintothecup,whereheytentlysippingthedeliciouswine.Dorothedoorsaying,

    14

    “Goodlick,Mr.Finger.Yourwifeisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld.Hopeyoudon’tdieofdrinksbecausewhoelsewouldbetheretoenjeousbeauty?”

    Shepulledopenthedoora.

    Carryingtheflyingbroom,Dorbacktothegreathall.Thebeautieswereastonishedwhentheysawherwiththebroomandwonderedwhatshewasabout.QueenAishawasstartledandthought,

    “IfAmaliagotonthebrooma,oreturn,whatIsaytoKingDimitri?Especiallynowattheheightofbattle,heobefocused.Ifheshouldseeherflyingbyonherbroom,hewouldbedistractedandtheresultwouldbedisastrous.SoshegredatDornasaying,

    “Younaughtygirl!Whydoyoutakethisoutnow?Don’tyouknowthisisacriticaltime?It’snotimefames.Putitbackwhereitbelongsplease.”ShewavedatthepaceattendantswhouoodherwishesaandquicklyclosedallthedoorsandwindowstopreventAmaliafromleaving.DornasmiledatQueenAishasaying,

    “Don’two

shushingsound,whilewavinghisrighthandtoDorna,askioecloser.“What’sallthisnoiseandcmoroutthere?”heasked.“Isthereabattlegoingon?”Dornanodded.“Whowon?”

    “Don’tk”sheanswered.“It’sstillgoingon.”

    “Ah!Ifyouwin,that’sgreat,butifyoulose,pleasedohemknowIamhidinghere.Mylifeisvaluable.”

    “Isyourlifetheonlyo’svaluable?”askedDettingangry.“Whataboutotherpeople’slives?Aretheyworthless?Isn’tKingDimitri’slifevaluable?”

    140页

    “WhyshouldKingDimitri’slifebevaluable?”repliedMr.Fingerarrogantly.“Heislikeabrokenaeballoreetthatanyonekick.Yourlivesareevehless.Idon’tcareifallofyoudie.ButImustlivebecauseIhaveawifenow.”

    “Shameonyou”saidDornafligherfingeragainsthercheek.“Shameonyou.Whowillmarryyou?Howyoupossiblyhaveawife?”

    “Mywifeisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld!Sheismuchmorebeautifulthanoneofyouinthepace!”Dornawalkedtothestwineet,pletelyignthelittleman.Shecarriedoveradderandclimbedontoit.Reagbehiop,shepulledoutsomethiwasAmalia’smagicflyingbroom.Carryingthebroominherhand,Dornaclimbeddownthedderandwalkedtowardsthedoor.AsshewalkedpastMr.Finger,shesawhehadstoodupandwaswavingtohersaying,

    “Quick!Quieandhelpmetotheground.Mywifeisthemostbeautifulwomaninthewholeworld.Iotstayhereandjeopardizemylife.Imustescape.IfIdie,Iolongerenjoythisgeousbeauty.Quick!Helpmedown!”Atthiscriticaltime,Dornaofcoursewasnotgoingtogiveintohisdemand.Ifthislittleguygotlooseandmademischief,itwouldcreateunnecessaryplications.Dornathoughtforamomentandcameupwithanidea.GrabbingthehalfemptybottleofMouTai,shepulledoutthecorkanddeliberatelythrusttheopetleunderMr.Finger’snosesaying,

    “Smell!Whatdoyouthinkofthisexpeai?Youjusttastedit.Wasitgood?”

    “Ah-h-h-h-h-!”drooledMr.Finger.Hiseyescrossedattheseductivesmellrightunderhisnostril.Henoddedemphaticallysaying,“Goodstuff!Goodstuff!”

    “Sinceyoulikeitsomuch”saidDorna“whataboutanothercup?”

    “Good!Good!”excimedthelittleman,fettingabouteverythingelseinhisinsatiablegreedforwine.Dornapouredoutafull,thencoghereyesathim,asked

    “Howdoyouwantthis?ShallIputyouintothecuplikebefore?”

    “Yes.Yes.Justlikebefore.Justlikebefore.”SoDornaliftedhimupandputhimintothecup,whereheytentlysippingthedeliciouswine.Dorothedoorsaying,

    14

    “Goodlick,Mr.Finger.Yourwifeisthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld.Hopeyoudon’tdieofdrinksbecausewhoelsewouldbetheretoenjeousbeauty?”

    Shepulledopenthedoora.

    Carryingtheflyingbroom,Dorbacktothegreathall.Thebeautieswereastonishedwhentheysawherwiththebroomandwonderedwhatshewasabout.QueenAishawasstartledandthought,

    “IfAmaliagotonthebrooma,oreturn,whatIsaytoKingDimitri?Especiallynowattheheightofbattle,heobefocused.Ifheshouldseeherflyingbyonherbroom,hewouldbedistractedandtheresultwouldbedisastrous.SoshegredatDornasaying,

    “Younaughtygirl!Whydoyoutakethisoutnow?Don’tyouknowthisisacriticaltime?It’snotimefames.Putitbackwhereitbelongsplease.”ShewavedatthepaceattendantswhouoodherwishesaandquicklyclosedallthedoorsandwindowstopreventAmaliafromleaving.DornasmiledatQueenAishasaying,

    “Don’two