aughtygirlDornarunninguptothem,apahetwoferocioustigers.Asshecameclose,KingDimitritookherinhisarms.

    “Hey,littleDorna”hesaid.“Itwasyouwhowentupstairsandnotwewhodidn’ttakeyouwithus!”IntheeyesofKingDimitriandQueenAisha,Dornawasasdeartothemastheirowndaughter,andinprivatetheydispehallcourtprotocol.DornaturnedhersmilingfacetoQueenAishaandsaidimpertilyasaspoiltchild,

    “Don’tthinkIamtooyoungtouandwhatthebeautiesareabout.Theyallcautiooleaveyoualoneandnottofollowyou,butgiveyoutwosomeprivacytoshareyourintimatethoughts.OfcourseIknowthat!ButIhavesomethingimportantthatImusttellKingDimitrisoIhadtoe!”

    “Really?”saidKingDimitri.“What’ssoimportantthatotwait?”

    “Iheardthebeautiesthatcamebackwithyousayyouwilllbereturningtothemundaneworldtonight.Isthattrue?”

    “Yes,that’strue.Wewillbeleavingtonight.”

    “Whydon’tyoutakethatobnoxiouslittleman,Mr.Finger,withyou,too?Leavinghiminthewildernessbythekeisnotagoodidea.Hewillbeuptomischief.”

    “No,Iotdothat!Didn’tyoutellmehehasawifenow?IfItakehimwithme,itwouldbebreakinguphisfamily!Iotdothat!”KingDimitrihesitatedforamomentandadded,“Inawayyht,too.Mr.Fingeriswithoutmoralsandotdistinguishbetweengoodandevil,rightandwrosonimpulsewheneverhiswhimtakeshim,withnosiderationforthesequences.HehassomekindofmagicpowerandonceevenraisedfromthedeadmygoodfriendsRichardandJamaz.Thatisthetruth.PerhapsifwegivehimtheVIPtreatment,supplyhimwithgoodfoodandgoodwine,perhapshewouldotrouble.Andafterallwhathedo?Turntheworldupsidedown?Idon’tthinkheiscapableofthat!Let’sleavehimbythesideofthekeasitis.”KingDimitri’sblitheanduneddecisionwastoleadtoahopelessmessandtheresultingoutewaspletelyoutoftrol.

    16

    ThetwotigersthatapaniedDornasuddenlygaveoutalowgrowl.Fhtandglitteringeyesfocusedonapointiernotfarfromthesideoftheke.Dornapattedthemontheheadandsaid,“Don’troar!”Thetigersnodded.Somethingcameoutofthewatershandtheysawaslimfiguremakeitswaytotheshore.ItwasDeanna.

    “It’sveryte”saidKingDimitritoher.“Howeyouarestillier?eshorequickly.”

    “Didn’tyoutellmetotakethergewhitepearlbacktothepceItookitfrom?Itookitfromahugeoysterlivinginthedeepwatersinthemiddleoftheke.ThatwaswhereIreturo.It’sreallyapitytoleaveaperfectlyshaped,rge,luminouspearlinthedarkreachesoftheke.WhenthehugeoysterrealizedIwasbringingbackherpreciouspearl,sheopenedandclosedherrgemouthiasyagainandagainasifinughter.

    “Ohyes,”saidKingDimitri,sppinghishandagainsthishead.“Irememberthatnoseemsmymemoryisnotasgoodasitusedtobe.”

    “Yourmajesty”saidDeanna“MayIpresentafriendofmine?”Withoutwaitingforhispermission,Deannawavedherhandtowardstheke“eonout.ishere.eandpayyourrespects.”Therewasanotherspshofwaterandastrikingwomanwithafull-figuredandmaturebeautywalkedoutofthewater.Shyly,sheapproachedKingDimitriandhispartyiantstepsasifafraidtoleavethewater.Shestoppedjustshortofnd,leavingherfeetstillier.Neverhavingseenherbefore,KingDimitrilookedinquiringlyatQueenAisha,whosaid,

    “Yourmajesty,haveyotten?Italkedtoyoubeforeabouther.Sheisthemotherofalllivingthingsintheke.Shehaspractic

aughtygirlDornarunninguptothem,apahetwoferocioustigers.Asshecameclose,KingDimitritookherinhisarms.

    “Hey,littleDorna”hesaid.“Itwasyouwhowentupstairsandnotwewhodidn’ttakeyouwithus!”IntheeyesofKingDimitriandQueenAisha,Dornawasasdeartothemastheirowndaughter,andinprivatetheydispehallcourtprotocol.DornaturnedhersmilingfacetoQueenAishaandsaidimpertilyasaspoiltchild,

    “Don’tthinkIamtooyoungtouandwhatthebeautiesareabout.Theyallcautiooleaveyoualoneandnottofollowyou,butgiveyoutwosomeprivacytoshareyourintimatethoughts.OfcourseIknowthat!ButIhavesomethingimportantthatImusttellKingDimitrisoIhadtoe!”

    “Really?”saidKingDimitri.“What’ssoimportantthatotwait?”

    “Iheardthebeautiesthatcamebackwithyousayyouwilllbereturningtothemundaneworldtonight.Isthattrue?”

    “Yes,that’strue.Wewillbeleavingtonight.”

    “Whydon’tyoutakethatobnoxiouslittleman,Mr.Finger,withyou,too?Leavinghiminthewildernessbythekeisnotagoodidea.Hewillbeuptomischief.”

    “No,Iotdothat!Didn’tyoutellmehehasawifenow?IfItakehimwithme,itwouldbebreakinguphisfamily!Iotdothat!”KingDimitrihesitatedforamomentandadded,“Inawayyht,too.Mr.Fingeriswithoutmoralsandotdistinguishbetweengoodandevil,rightandwrosonimpulsewheneverhiswhimtakeshim,withnosiderationforthesequences.HehassomekindofmagicpowerandonceevenraisedfromthedeadmygoodfriendsRichardandJamaz.Thatisthetruth.PerhapsifwegivehimtheVIPtreatment,supplyhimwithgoodfoodandgoodwine,perhapshewouldotrouble.Andafterallwhathedo?Turntheworldupsidedown?Idon’tthinkheiscapableofthat!Let’sleavehimbythesideofthekeasitis.”KingDimitri’sblitheanduneddecisionwastoleadtoahopelessmessandtheresultingoutewaspletelyoutoftrol.

    16

    ThetwotigersthatapaniedDornasuddenlygaveoutalowgrowl.Fhtandglitteringeyesfocusedonapointiernotfarfromthesideoftheke.Dornapattedthemontheheadandsaid,“Don’troar!”Thetigersnodded.Somethingcameoutofthewatershandtheysawaslimfiguremakeitswaytotheshore.ItwasDeanna.

    “It’sveryte”saidKingDimitritoher.“Howeyouarestillier?eshorequickly.”

    “Didn’tyoutellmetotakethergewhitepearlbacktothepceItookitfrom?Itookitfromahugeoysterlivinginthedeepwatersinthemiddleoftheke.ThatwaswhereIreturo.It’sreallyapitytoleaveaperfectlyshaped,rge,luminouspearlinthedarkreachesoftheke.WhenthehugeoysterrealizedIwasbringingbackherpreciouspearl,sheopenedandclosedherrgemouthiasyagainandagainasifinughter.

    “Ohyes,”saidKingDimitri,sppinghishandagainsthishead.“Irememberthatnoseemsmymemoryisnotasgoodasitusedtobe.”

    “Yourmajesty”saidDeanna“MayIpresentafriendofmine?”Withoutwaitingforhispermission,Deannawavedherhandtowardstheke“eonout.ishere.eandpayyourrespects.”Therewasanotherspshofwaterandastrikingwomanwithafull-figuredandmaturebeautywalkedoutofthewater.Shyly,sheapproachedKingDimitriandhispartyiantstepsasifafraidtoleavethewater.Shestoppedjustshortofnd,leavingherfeetstillier.Neverhavingseenherbefore,KingDimitrilookedinquiringlyatQueenAisha,whosaid,

    “Yourmajesty,haveyotten?Italkedtoyoubeforeabouther.Sheisthemotherofalllivingthingsintheke.Shehaspractic