twindblewmehere.Well,itwasthiswindthatbroughtmehere.Aishawaotellyouthatretlytherehavebeenstraroublinghappeningsaroundthekingdom.Thingsareturbulentandsheiseditmaynotbesafeforyoutobelivingalothisdesotespotbytheke.Shewouldfeelmuchbetterifyouwouldgobadstayatthepacefornow.”JustthenLightningtoucheddownontheopenspacebeforethehut,evidentlysentherebyAishatofeteoushadalreadyfiheworkonhand,soshesaid,

    “Iwillgowithyhtaway.”ShetookthefishiandfollowedWhiteFairyoutofthehut.Shehuorees,gotontheflyinghorseahergewhitefishhadnotgonefarandwasstillswimmingintheviity.ShesawLotusridingontheflyinghorse,apaniedbyapuffofsmoke,makingforthepace.Sheturnedbacktogheshoreandwasstartledtoseeafishihangiweentwotrees.Herheartlurchedandshebegantotremble.“Fishihenemesisofwewholiveier”shethought.

    “Coulditbeabadomehanginghere?”

    Thatnightthergewhitefishheldthetwolittlepeopleinhermouthandswamtowardsthegoldpace.Whenshealmostreachedtheshore,sheopenedhermouthahemout.VioandMr.Fingerswamvigorouslyier,almostexhaustingalltheireryingtogettond.Aftertheyclimbedtiredlyonshore,theyturnedandsawthatthergewhitefishwasstillswimmingnearbyasiftoassureherselfoftheirsafetyatheywerenotoverwhelmedbymercilesswaves.Mr.FingerwavedtratitudebutwasdraggedunceremoniouslyawaybyViowhowashurryingforward.Hercuriousandinquisitiveheartwasthumpingwithexcitementtobesoothemysteriousgoldpace.Themoonlessandstarlessnightwastoopitchdarktoeveheirownfiheyhadtorelyonthemomentaryfshoflightningtodistheirdire.Whentheycametotheentrahepace,theyfoundthehuge,heavydoorajar,sotheyslidinsidewaysthroughthegapandwalkedon.Whatusedtobebarrenyellowsoilonbothsidesofthesolidgoldpathwaytheywereonwasnowcoveredwithgreenshrubsandamultitudeofcolorfulflowersinfullbloom.Theyweresoprolificthattheyfloodedtheirbordersandalmostswallowedupthenarrowpathway.Whentheycametoamoreelevatedspot,afshoflighteningrevealedanendlessmassofvividblossomsofallcolors.Notfarawaystoodthemajesticgoldpace.Viojumpedupanddowninjoy,exg,

    “Look!Thereitis!Thereitis!It’sthebewitgGoldPaydreams!”andranquicklytowardsit.Mr.Fingerquicklyfollowed.

    Thetwoofthemwalkedoverthezigzagginggeandfinallygottothepace.Vio’senviouseyeslookedallover,exgoverwhatshesaverythingwasmadeofsolidgold.AllofthiswasnovendiingtoVio.Thoughititchdark,everythihefurnishingsandaccessories,thepicturesandmuralsonthewallswereallclearlyvisible.Viowasjustwaboutitwhensheraisedhereyesandsawagiganticpearlhangingfromthetopofthedomelikeceiling,givingforthasoft,gentleglow.Viosaid,

    “Haveyoueverseensuchargepearl?”BeforeMr.Fingercouldreply,therewasanear-deafeningcrashofthunderapaniedbyblindingfshesoflightning.Throughthewindowtheysawtheshapeofamanappearingbythepilrsoutsidethepace.Themanwasstrongandmuscur.Ahornprotrudedfromthetopofhisheadandeeyewasonhisforehead,whiletheothereyewasatthebackofhishead.Hisorsoexposedhissinewyaonedmuscles,showingoffhisinfirengthandmight.ThiswasCyclopswhomKingDimitriorderedtoguardhisgoldpace.HisfronteyehadbeenfatallywoundedbyMedusa’sbattleandhehadlostthesightofthateye.Butretly,h

twindblewmehere.Well,itwasthiswindthatbroughtmehere.Aishawaotellyouthatretlytherehavebeenstraroublinghappeningsaroundthekingdom.Thingsareturbulentandsheiseditmaynotbesafeforyoutobelivingalothisdesotespotbytheke.Shewouldfeelmuchbetterifyouwouldgobadstayatthepacefornow.”JustthenLightningtoucheddownontheopenspacebeforethehut,evidentlysentherebyAishatofeteoushadalreadyfiheworkonhand,soshesaid,

    “Iwillgowithyhtaway.”ShetookthefishiandfollowedWhiteFairyoutofthehut.Shehuorees,gotontheflyinghorseahergewhitefishhadnotgonefarandwasstillswimmingintheviity.ShesawLotusridingontheflyinghorse,apaniedbyapuffofsmoke,makingforthepace.Sheturnedbacktogheshoreandwasstartledtoseeafishihangiweentwotrees.Herheartlurchedandshebegantotremble.“Fishihenemesisofwewholiveier”shethought.

    “Coulditbeabadomehanginghere?”

    Thatnightthergewhitefishheldthetwolittlepeopleinhermouthandswamtowardsthegoldpace.Whenshealmostreachedtheshore,sheopenedhermouthahemout.VioandMr.Fingerswamvigorouslyier,almostexhaustingalltheireryingtogettond.Aftertheyclimbedtiredlyonshore,theyturnedandsawthatthergewhitefishwasstillswimmingnearbyasiftoassureherselfoftheirsafetyatheywerenotoverwhelmedbymercilesswaves.Mr.FingerwavedtratitudebutwasdraggedunceremoniouslyawaybyViowhowashurryingforward.Hercuriousandinquisitiveheartwasthumpingwithexcitementtobesoothemysteriousgoldpace.Themoonlessandstarlessnightwastoopitchdarktoeveheirownfiheyhadtorelyonthemomentaryfshoflightningtodistheirdire.Whentheycametotheentrahepace,theyfoundthehuge,heavydoorajar,sotheyslidinsidewaysthroughthegapandwalkedon.Whatusedtobebarrenyellowsoilonbothsidesofthesolidgoldpathwaytheywereonwasnowcoveredwithgreenshrubsandamultitudeofcolorfulflowersinfullbloom.Theyweresoprolificthattheyfloodedtheirbordersandalmostswallowedupthenarrowpathway.Whentheycametoamoreelevatedspot,afshoflighteningrevealedanendlessmassofvividblossomsofallcolors.Notfarawaystoodthemajesticgoldpace.Viojumpedupanddowninjoy,exg,

    “Look!Thereitis!Thereitis!It’sthebewitgGoldPaydreams!”andranquicklytowardsit.Mr.Fingerquicklyfollowed.

    Thetwoofthemwalkedoverthezigzagginggeandfinallygottothepace.Vio’senviouseyeslookedallover,exgoverwhatshesaverythingwasmadeofsolidgold.AllofthiswasnovendiingtoVio.Thoughititchdark,everythihefurnishingsandaccessories,thepicturesandmuralsonthewallswereallclearlyvisible.Viowasjustwaboutitwhensheraisedhereyesandsawagiganticpearlhangingfromthetopofthedomelikeceiling,givingforthasoft,gentleglow.Viosaid,

    “Haveyoueverseensuchargepearl?”BeforeMr.Fingercouldreply,therewasanear-deafeningcrashofthunderapaniedbyblindingfshesoflightning.Throughthewindowtheysawtheshapeofamanappearingbythepilrsoutsidethepace.Themanwasstrongandmuscur.Ahornprotrudedfromthetopofhisheadandeeyewasonhisforehead,whiletheothereyewasatthebackofhishead.Hisorsoexposedhissinewyaonedmuscles,showingoffhisinfirengthandmight.ThiswasCyclopswhomKingDimitriorderedtoguardhisgoldpace.HisfronteyehadbeenfatallywoundedbyMedusa’sbattleandhehadlostthesightofthateye.Butretly,h