ht”repliedKingDimitri.“Thisissomethitakeintosideration.I,EileeimatedthepowerofCyclopsandreliedonhisstrengthaloooverthrdom.Ifshehadbetterutilizedhissuperithandhisinvulnerablebodytoquerthebarbariantribesaroundhereandthenarainthissiderablebarbarianmaoonewholemilitaryunitagaiheouteofhercoupd’etatmayverywellhavebeendifferentandhardtoforetell.”

    “No”decredMedusa,proudlyliftingherbrows.“Eveniftheywereso,Iamnotafraid.Theouteishardtopredict.IwillkillwhoeverdarestoeorIgethemalltostohrowthemintotheironcoatedpacetobeartifactsforburial.”

    “No.No.No.”saidKingDimitri.“Idonotdonekilling.Itsolvesnoproblem.Idonotwanttoseesomuchdeathandsufferingonanysidebeitoursortheenemy’s.”

    “Whatifthedayeswhentheeersourheartnd?”askedMedusa.“Whatshouldwedo?”

    “Ifsuchadayes,wewilldefenddomtothebestofourability.Butiftheenemybreaksthroughthestrongholds,wewillretreat.Iwillneverrepeatwhatwedidsttimeandsacrifianylivesinvain.”

    “Retreat?”repeatedMedusa,openinghereyeswide.“Whereweretreatto?”

    “Ihavealreadypreparedasanctuaryofstresort”saidKingDimitrismilingmysteriously.TurningtoWhiteFairyhesaid,“Fromwhehoucame,thereshallthoureturn.”IfthedayshouldethatthisunfortuestopassandtheKingdomisunderdirestraits,youwillberesponsibleforleadingallthepeopletoyoursmallsecludedtemple.Therethemountainsarehighandtheforestsdeisalmostinaccessibleandthereforeasafehideout.Letthepeoplestaytemporarilythere.Nomatterpens,makenodecisionuntilIeback.”

    “Yes”saidWhiteFairy,standinguptoaccepthermission.

    Thebeautieswereallsilentatthisuedtur.QueenAishacouldnotdismisstheominouspremonitioninherheart.Tobreakthesombersilence,shesaid,

    16

    “Yourmajesty,NataliecoliographedasolodanceforWhiteFairyandNataliewrotethewordsforthemusic.Itisaboutabeautifulfairydangoer,hertoesfroligwiththewaves.Itisreallygood.Themoonlightisshttonight;wouldyouliketohavethemperformthisnewdanceforyou?”KingDimitrilookedoutatthepacegroundsandsawthatalmostallthepeoplehadgonebacktotheirtents,leavingonlyafewscatteredaroundthecampfires,eithersitting,standingorlyingdown.Somewereleisurelysmoking.Theseweretheonesresponsibleforseeingthatthefiresdidnotdieout.HesaidtoQueenAisha,

    “Look,itiste.Thepeoplehaveallgonebacktotheirtentstorest.Ifwegonowtothekesideandperformthenewdahemusidsongwillnodoubtattractthembackhereagaintoseewhatwasgoingon.Thatwilldisturbtheirslumber.Theyhavebeenwhardnightandday.Letthemhaveagoodrest.TheimeIeback,ickatimetoenjoythedaourleisureandreallytodoitjustice.Won’tthatbebetter?”

    “Yes,yourmajesty”saidQueenAisha,thoughshecouldnothelpfeelingdisappointed.

    “Thenightislovely”addedKingDimitri.“Whydon’tweallgoforawalkbythekesideinthemoonlight?Won’tthatbehebeautieslookedateachother,exginggncesofsilentuanding.Theykhattheirkingandqueehadmuchcetospendtimetogetherduringthisvisitandmusthavethingstheywouldliketosaytoeachother,sotheyexcusedthemselvessaying,

    “I’mtired.”

    “Iwouldliketogotomyrooma.”

    “I’msleepy.”Soaftertakingtheirleave,theyallwentbacktotheirroomstosleep.KingDimitriandQueenAisha

ht”repliedKingDimitri.“Thisissomethitakeintosideration.I,EileeimatedthepowerofCyclopsandreliedonhisstrengthaloooverthrdom.Ifshehadbetterutilizedhissuperithandhisinvulnerablebodytoquerthebarbariantribesaroundhereandthenarainthissiderablebarbarianmaoonewholemilitaryunitagaiheouteofhercoupd’etatmayverywellhavebeendifferentandhardtoforetell.”

    “No”decredMedusa,proudlyliftingherbrows.“Eveniftheywereso,Iamnotafraid.Theouteishardtopredict.IwillkillwhoeverdarestoeorIgethemalltostohrowthemintotheironcoatedpacetobeartifactsforburial.”

    “No.No.No.”saidKingDimitri.“Idonotdonekilling.Itsolvesnoproblem.Idonotwanttoseesomuchdeathandsufferingonanysidebeitoursortheenemy’s.”

    “Whatifthedayeswhentheeersourheartnd?”askedMedusa.“Whatshouldwedo?”

    “Ifsuchadayes,wewilldefenddomtothebestofourability.Butiftheenemybreaksthroughthestrongholds,wewillretreat.Iwillneverrepeatwhatwedidsttimeandsacrifianylivesinvain.”

    “Retreat?”repeatedMedusa,openinghereyeswide.“Whereweretreatto?”

    “Ihavealreadypreparedasanctuaryofstresort”saidKingDimitrismilingmysteriously.TurningtoWhiteFairyhesaid,“Fromwhehoucame,thereshallthoureturn.”IfthedayshouldethatthisunfortuestopassandtheKingdomisunderdirestraits,youwillberesponsibleforleadingallthepeopletoyoursmallsecludedtemple.Therethemountainsarehighandtheforestsdeisalmostinaccessibleandthereforeasafehideout.Letthepeoplestaytemporarilythere.Nomatterpens,makenodecisionuntilIeback.”

    “Yes”saidWhiteFairy,standinguptoaccepthermission.

    Thebeautieswereallsilentatthisuedtur.QueenAishacouldnotdismisstheominouspremonitioninherheart.Tobreakthesombersilence,shesaid,

    16

    “Yourmajesty,NataliecoliographedasolodanceforWhiteFairyandNataliewrotethewordsforthemusic.Itisaboutabeautifulfairydangoer,hertoesfroligwiththewaves.Itisreallygood.Themoonlightisshttonight;wouldyouliketohavethemperformthisnewdanceforyou?”KingDimitrilookedoutatthepacegroundsandsawthatalmostallthepeoplehadgonebacktotheirtents,leavingonlyafewscatteredaroundthecampfires,eithersitting,standingorlyingdown.Somewereleisurelysmoking.Theseweretheonesresponsibleforseeingthatthefiresdidnotdieout.HesaidtoQueenAisha,

    “Look,itiste.Thepeoplehaveallgonebacktotheirtentstorest.Ifwegonowtothekesideandperformthenewdahemusidsongwillnodoubtattractthembackhereagaintoseewhatwasgoingon.Thatwilldisturbtheirslumber.Theyhavebeenwhardnightandday.Letthemhaveagoodrest.TheimeIeback,ickatimetoenjoythedaourleisureandreallytodoitjustice.Won’tthatbebetter?”

    “Yes,yourmajesty”saidQueenAisha,thoughshecouldnothelpfeelingdisappointed.

    “Thenightislovely”addedKingDimitri.“Whydon’tweallgoforawalkbythekesideinthemoonlight?Won’tthatbehebeautieslookedateachother,exginggncesofsilentuanding.Theykhattheirkingandqueehadmuchcetospendtimetogetherduringthisvisitandmusthavethingstheywouldliketosaytoeachother,sotheyexcusedthemselvessaying,

    “I’mtired.”

    “Iwouldliketogotomyrooma.”

    “I’msleepy.”Soaftertakingtheirleave,theyallwentbacktotheirroomstosleep.KingDimitriandQueenAisha