epAngelipany,shecasuallybeganwonit,makiitches.NowLotustookupaneedleandthreadandcarriedonthehandiwork.Shesewedcarefully,makingsmallclosestitchessothatthemendingwouldbeasinvisibleaspossible.Angelica’seyesfollowedLotus’fingersandwatchedtheneedleandthreadgomethodicallyupanddown,upanddown.Theuniform,systematicmotionhypnotizedAngelica.Shefelthereyelidsgrowheavyandsoonfeesleep.

    8

    Inthegreathall,QueenAisha,MedusaandWhiteFairyweretalkingabouttheihatafternoon.penedwasthis.Ioihesecurityofthenewlyinstalledbasefromwhichapowerfulwebofarrowsweretobeshotintothesky,Medusahadreassighewarriorswhodefehepacetovarioushilltopstainstpossibleaggressionfromthesky,leavingthepacegroundsdefehebarbarianstookthisopportunitytoencroaKingDimitri’skingdomandreoiter.Onhearingaboutthatafternoon’si,MedusaatonceaskedWhiteFairytogotothevarioushilltopsandrecallthewarriorsshehadsentthere.Shegatheredthemtogether,formedthemintogroupsahemfanningouttolookflinggroupsofbarbarianswhomightbewanderingaround,tryingtogettheyofthend.Medusaherselfflewaroundhighinthesky.Whenherwarriorsshotwhistlingarrowsupintotheair,signalingthediscoveryofenemies,shewouldzoomdowntothespotahem.Asshehadsurmised,theyfoundseveralgroupsofbarbariansintheforest.WhenMedusaarrived,shedidnotkillthem,butjusttrainedhereyesonthearmofsomenativesandturntheselimbsintostoheshewouldletthemgo.Suchmeasureswereoverlyddrastic,buttheydidachievehergoalhteningtheehebarbariansthatgotawaywentbadtoldtalesofthecoldaifulsnake-hairedmonsterinKingDimitri’sKingdom,whoseeyesweresharpasaknife.AnylivingthingthatwascaughtinhergnceswasturostoheywouldthenexhorttheirskepticaudieogoandlookatthearmsandlegsofthosethatMedusahadturostone.Medusa’sfamespreadandthebarbarianstrembleatthemerementionofhername.NonehaddaredtostepontoKingDimitri’sKingdom.

    “Thisisnotapermasolution”saidQueenAisha“WemusttinueminingtheironandgildthegoldpacewithittodiminishitsbrillianceasKingDimitripromisedZeus.HepromisednottopetewithZeusonanyfrontandsworeallegiaohim.Thesoohisisdohesoonerourpeoplegobacktotheirhomesahepeacefullifetheycrave,secludedfromtheworld.Won’tthatbegood?”WhiteFairyandMedusanoddedinagreement.Aishathenasked,

    “WhereisDeanna?Whensheesback,pleaseseome.Iwanttoknowhowtheminingisgoingon.”WhiteFairypromisedtodosoandstooduptoleave.Medusaalsostoodupandsaid,

    “Iahewarriorsintogroupstoehesafetyofthepace.”Afterthetwoleft,AishaalsogotuptovisitAngelicaagainandseeifshehadmadeanyrecovery.

    Lotuswascarefullymendingthegirdlewith,closestitches.Atsttheworkwasdohoughthemendingwouldalwaysbevisible,itwasasgoodassheakeitandthatwasallshecoulddo.Remaininginthesamepositionfortoolongaperiodhadtiredherback.Shelookedupandsawthatduskhadarrivedandtheskiesweredarkening.ShestooduptostretchherselfandturoseeQueenAishaeinwithDorna.ShewasabouttogoupahemwhenQueenAishasignaledhertosilence.Shewalkeduptothebed.SeeingthatAngelicawassoundasleep,eyesclosedahingnormally,shefeltgreatlyrelieved.ShewavedLotusoutoftheroomandclosedthedoor.InthespaciouscorridorQueenAishaasked,“HowisAngelic

epAngelipany,shecasuallybeganwonit,makiitches.NowLotustookupaneedleandthreadandcarriedonthehandiwork.Shesewedcarefully,makingsmallclosestitchessothatthemendingwouldbeasinvisibleaspossible.Angelica’seyesfollowedLotus’fingersandwatchedtheneedleandthreadgomethodicallyupanddown,upanddown.Theuniform,systematicmotionhypnotizedAngelica.Shefelthereyelidsgrowheavyandsoonfeesleep.

    8

    Inthegreathall,QueenAisha,MedusaandWhiteFairyweretalkingabouttheihatafternoon.penedwasthis.Ioihesecurityofthenewlyinstalledbasefromwhichapowerfulwebofarrowsweretobeshotintothesky,Medusahadreassighewarriorswhodefehepacetovarioushilltopstainstpossibleaggressionfromthesky,leavingthepacegroundsdefehebarbarianstookthisopportunitytoencroaKingDimitri’skingdomandreoiter.Onhearingaboutthatafternoon’si,MedusaatonceaskedWhiteFairytogotothevarioushilltopsandrecallthewarriorsshehadsentthere.Shegatheredthemtogether,formedthemintogroupsahemfanningouttolookflinggroupsofbarbarianswhomightbewanderingaround,tryingtogettheyofthend.Medusaherselfflewaroundhighinthesky.Whenherwarriorsshotwhistlingarrowsupintotheair,signalingthediscoveryofenemies,shewouldzoomdowntothespotahem.Asshehadsurmised,theyfoundseveralgroupsofbarbariansintheforest.WhenMedusaarrived,shedidnotkillthem,butjusttrainedhereyesonthearmofsomenativesandturntheselimbsintostoheshewouldletthemgo.Suchmeasureswereoverlyddrastic,buttheydidachievehergoalhteningtheehebarbariansthatgotawaywentbadtoldtalesofthecoldaifulsnake-hairedmonsterinKingDimitri’sKingdom,whoseeyesweresharpasaknife.AnylivingthingthatwascaughtinhergnceswasturostoheywouldthenexhorttheirskepticaudieogoandlookatthearmsandlegsofthosethatMedusahadturostone.Medusa’sfamespreadandthebarbarianstrembleatthemerementionofhername.NonehaddaredtostepontoKingDimitri’sKingdom.

    “Thisisnotapermasolution”saidQueenAisha“WemusttinueminingtheironandgildthegoldpacewithittodiminishitsbrillianceasKingDimitripromisedZeus.HepromisednottopetewithZeusonanyfrontandsworeallegiaohim.Thesoohisisdohesoonerourpeoplegobacktotheirhomesahepeacefullifetheycrave,secludedfromtheworld.Won’tthatbegood?”WhiteFairyandMedusanoddedinagreement.Aishathenasked,

    “WhereisDeanna?Whensheesback,pleaseseome.Iwanttoknowhowtheminingisgoingon.”WhiteFairypromisedtodosoandstooduptoleave.Medusaalsostoodupandsaid,

    “Iahewarriorsintogroupstoehesafetyofthepace.”Afterthetwoleft,AishaalsogotuptovisitAngelicaagainandseeifshehadmadeanyrecovery.

    Lotuswascarefullymendingthegirdlewith,closestitches.Atsttheworkwasdohoughthemendingwouldalwaysbevisible,itwasasgoodassheakeitandthatwasallshecoulddo.Remaininginthesamepositionfortoolongaperiodhadtiredherback.Shelookedupandsawthatduskhadarrivedandtheskiesweredarkening.ShestooduptostretchherselfandturoseeQueenAishaeinwithDorna.ShewasabouttogoupahemwhenQueenAishasignaledhertosilence.Shewalkeduptothebed.SeeingthatAngelicawassoundasleep,eyesclosedahingnormally,shefeltgreatlyrelieved.ShewavedLotusoutoftheroomandclosedthedoor.InthespaciouscorridorQueenAishaasked,“HowisAngelic