d,

    “Goaway!Takethesandwich.It’sonthehouse.I’llgiveittoyouforfree.Iamverybusyandhavenotimetodealwithyou!”

    5

    “Whowantstoeatforfree?”saidtheoldmaninasqueakyvoice.Hehauledawhitecottonbagontotheter,tooksomethingfromitandthrewitdownwithag.Itwasaglitteringgoldwitha-lookingdesigns.ExpertscouldseeatagthisricelessreliaIndiaandallthesurroundingeyesweregluedtothisrare.

    “Isthisenough?”askedthestrangeoldman.“Ifnot,Igiveyoumore”Sayingso,heupendedhiswhitebagaiedit.Hundredsofssptteredontotheterwithaseriesofgandg,somespillingofftothefloorandscatteredeverywhere.ThestartledpeopleexcimedinunisonandAmaliawassoshockedshedidnotknowwhattodo.Thewhite-beardedoldmanthensaid,

    “GotelltheguyyoucallDimitritoeoutandtalktome.”Yokowhowasstandingnearbyansweredcautiously,

    “Dimitrihasnotei.Assoonashedoes,Iwilltellhimtoeandseeyou.Howaboutthat?”

    “Ifhedoesn’teintodayhewillbeheretomorrow!Assoonasheappears,tellhimtoeandseeme.Ihavesomethingurgenttotalktohimabout.”Hepoihesandadded,

    “Givehimalltheseandputthemintohiscare.”Hetookuphishamsandwidlefttheshopswaggeringaing.Thebeautieswhowerebusilywbehiorewereattractedbytheexcmationsofshogingoalonwoodandallcameouttoseewhatitwasalbout.YokoandMaryexgedaknowinggndcametoataderstanding.

    “Ladiesalemen”saidYokoinaloudvoice,“Iamsorry,butsomethinghaseupandwehavetoclosethestore.Pleaseebaorrow......Sorry.Sorry......havetoclose.....Pleaseebaorrow......”Onhearingthis,thedisappointederscoulddonothingbutleaveandthepeoplewaitingoutsidegraduallydispersedtoo.MarkpulleddowntheirothehathundredsofpricelessashadappearedinsideDream-maker’sBakeryspreadlikethewindfarandwide.

    Mary,SheiandLaverheredtogetherthesontheterandputthembatothewhitebag.Thatwasthefirstcetheyhadtoexamihesepreciousrareartifacts.Someweregoldingotsfromaa,usedatthattimeforcurreneweresoftheRomanEmpire......Markbentdownlookingcarefullyonthefloorforthosethathadscatteredthere,searguables,ters,fourersoftheroomandeverynookandy.Aftermakingsurethateveryoheshadbeengatheredupandputbatothebag,theyretreatedtotheworkshopattheback,leavingAmaliaalohefront.Shetookoutathickwadofcashfromthecashregisterandstartedtingtheearningsofthathalfday,seeminglytohavefotterangeseeherejustamomentago.Intheba,everyonecametogetherinacircle,sittingorstanding.

    “Thesearenoordinarys”saidYoko.“Eaeofthemhasthousandsofyearsofhistorybehi’sapityAishaisnothereorshecouldtellusalbouttheirin.”

    “Strange”saidShei.“Thatwhite-beardedoldmanwantsustogivethesetoDimitri.DoesDimitriknowhim?Ihaveneverheardhimmentionanywhite-beardeddwarf!Whatbetheirretionship?”

    60页

    “Whydidn’tDimitrietoworktoday?”askedLaverne.“Iwantedsomuchtoseehimagain.Ihaven’tseenhimforsuchalongtime.”

    “Didyounoticethatoldman’sbeard?It’ssingedasifithadbeensizzledbyfire.”ThensheretedtothemhowDimitrihadn’tsleptallnighttalkingtoawhitelily,whichshepresumedtobeWhiteFairy,andhowafterWhiteFairyleft,Dimitrihadpacedbadforthinhisstudio,lookingheavyofheartandworried.Yokolookedoutsidetotheblueskiesandsaidsorrowfully,

    “Doest

d,

    “Goaway!Takethesandwich.It’sonthehouse.I’llgiveittoyouforfree.Iamverybusyandhavenotimetodealwithyou!”

    5

    “Whowantstoeatforfree?”saidtheoldmaninasqueakyvoice.Hehauledawhitecottonbagontotheter,tooksomethingfromitandthrewitdownwithag.Itwasaglitteringgoldwitha-lookingdesigns.ExpertscouldseeatagthisricelessreliaIndiaandallthesurroundingeyesweregluedtothisrare.

    “Isthisenough?”askedthestrangeoldman.“Ifnot,Igiveyoumore”Sayingso,heupendedhiswhitebagaiedit.Hundredsofssptteredontotheterwithaseriesofgandg,somespillingofftothefloorandscatteredeverywhere.ThestartledpeopleexcimedinunisonandAmaliawassoshockedshedidnotknowwhattodo.Thewhite-beardedoldmanthensaid,

    “GotelltheguyyoucallDimitritoeoutandtalktome.”Yokowhowasstandingnearbyansweredcautiously,

    “Dimitrihasnotei.Assoonashedoes,Iwilltellhimtoeandseeyou.Howaboutthat?”

    “Ifhedoesn’teintodayhewillbeheretomorrow!Assoonasheappears,tellhimtoeandseeme.Ihavesomethingurgenttotalktohimabout.”Hepoihesandadded,

    “Givehimalltheseandputthemintohiscare.”Hetookuphishamsandwidlefttheshopswaggeringaing.Thebeautieswhowerebusilywbehiorewereattractedbytheexcmationsofshogingoalonwoodandallcameouttoseewhatitwasalbout.YokoandMaryexgedaknowinggndcametoataderstanding.

    “Ladiesalemen”saidYokoinaloudvoice,“Iamsorry,butsomethinghaseupandwehavetoclosethestore.Pleaseebaorrow......Sorry.Sorry......havetoclose.....Pleaseebaorrow......”Onhearingthis,thedisappointederscoulddonothingbutleaveandthepeoplewaitingoutsidegraduallydispersedtoo.MarkpulleddowntheirothehathundredsofpricelessashadappearedinsideDream-maker’sBakeryspreadlikethewindfarandwide.

    Mary,SheiandLaverheredtogetherthesontheterandputthembatothewhitebag.Thatwasthefirstcetheyhadtoexamihesepreciousrareartifacts.Someweregoldingotsfromaa,usedatthattimeforcurreneweresoftheRomanEmpire......Markbentdownlookingcarefullyonthefloorforthosethathadscatteredthere,searguables,ters,fourersoftheroomandeverynookandy.Aftermakingsurethateveryoheshadbeengatheredupandputbatothebag,theyretreatedtotheworkshopattheback,leavingAmaliaalohefront.Shetookoutathickwadofcashfromthecashregisterandstartedtingtheearningsofthathalfday,seeminglytohavefotterangeseeherejustamomentago.Intheba,everyonecametogetherinacircle,sittingorstanding.

    “Thesearenoordinarys”saidYoko.“Eaeofthemhasthousandsofyearsofhistorybehi’sapityAishaisnothereorshecouldtellusalbouttheirin.”

    “Strange”saidShei.“Thatwhite-beardedoldmanwantsustogivethesetoDimitri.DoesDimitriknowhim?Ihaveneverheardhimmentionanywhite-beardeddwarf!Whatbetheirretionship?”

    60页

    “Whydidn’tDimitrietoworktoday?”askedLaverne.“Iwantedsomuchtoseehimagain.Ihaven’tseenhimforsuchalongtime.”

    “Didyounoticethatoldman’sbeard?It’ssingedasifithadbeensizzledbyfire.”ThensheretedtothemhowDimitrihadn’tsleptallnighttalkingtoawhitelily,whichshepresumedtobeWhiteFairy,andhowafterWhiteFairyleft,Dimitrihadpacedbadforthinhisstudio,lookingheavyofheartandworried.Yokolookedoutsidetotheblueskiesandsaidsorrowfully,

    “Doest