htsweredim,givingforthanatmosphereofquiet,peadtranquility.Emmanuel’sfirstimpressionwheumbleduponthispcewasthatitwasagoodpcetohide.Abruptlyheturhesteerihesportscardashedintothedenseshadeoftreesandshrubbery.Hedidn’tcarentsorflowershekilledorwhatwell-tendedbdesofgrasswerecrushedbythewheelsandjustparkedhisderatalltree.EmmauroSalinainthepassenger’sseatandsaid,

    “Ialwayssuspectedthatthehelicopterhoverheadyingonus.”

    “Youmeantosaythathumaneyesareaskeenasaneagle’sandseeallthedetailsofwhatishappeningonthegroundbelow?”sheasked.

    “Humaneyesareofcoursenotthatkeen”answeredEmmanuel.“OnlyMedusa’seyesightisevensharperthananeagle’s.Butyouotuimatethepowerofmodernsdteology.Perhapstherearewaystheyseepensonthegroundbeloweveninthedarkofthenight.Whoknows?”

    “Medusa!”criedSalinainfright.“Don’teveionher.Justthesoundofhername

    scaresmetodeathandmakesthehairstandupallovermybody!”

    “Really?Ihavethesamefeeling”saidEmmanuel.“WhenIcamebackheretothemundaneworld,Ifeltthatwehadfallenintoaninescapablesnare,veryhardforustoescapeunscathed.”,

    “Thenwhoisourenemy?”mutteredSalinasoftly.“IsitDimitri?Idon’tthinksobecauseInolohinkofhimasmyenemy.InfactIthinkheisakindandgenerousman.Thenwhoisourehesepeoplelooklikepoli.Didyouoffendtheminanyway?Whyaretheyafterus?”

    “Idon’tknow”repliedEmmanuel.

    10

    “Oh,Iknow!”criedSalina.“Couldthepremonitionsofsomethingbadhappeningfallontheheadsofmypoor,unfortunateparentswhoarerepentingtheirsinsinGahanna,prayingforredemption?Theirsafetyissomethingthatisonmymindallthetime…Iwant…ImustgobacktotheKingdomofDreamsandvisitmypoorparentstoseeifthey’realright.”

    “Ohno”saidEmmanuel,shakinghisheadviolently.“Thatisonlyyinationatwork.Don’tscareyourselfneedlessly.I’msurenothinghashappehem…”

    Pushihecardoor,Emmaeppedoutandstoodintheshadeofthetrees.Lookinguptowardstheskies,hesawthatthehelicopterwasstillhnearby,whichmeanttheywerestillunderscrutinyandnotoutofda.Justashewasthinkingofthebestwayofescape,hisattentionwasdistractedbythesoundofspshingwaterbehindthewoodenfence,asifsomeonewasswimming.Itmustbesomeone’sbackyardwiththefeedtoprotecttheirpersonalprivathepryiheoutsideworld,hethought.Emmanuelbecamecurious.Heclimbedupthehoodofhisdthensteppedupontotheroof,whereholdingontothefencehepeepedinside.Awomanwasswimminginthepool.Lookingarounduhemoonlight,hethoughtthepcelookedveryfamiliarasifhehadbeentherebefore.Thetoursofthehousegavehimafeelingofwarmth.Thewnwaslycut.Underargeopenedsunumbrelbythesideofthepool,therewasaloungechairandasmallroundtablewithabottleofbrandyandantallemptygss.Thewomanhadfinishedherpandwaswalkingupthestepsofthepoolwithdropsofwaterdrippingdownhergraceful,talndslenderbody.Takingupthebathtowelonthechairshedriedherselfwithitaookoffherswimmingcaptoletdownherlovelylonghair,whichshewoundcasuallyintoabunatthebackofherhead.Shethenturnedandydownnguidlyontheloungechairtorest.ItwasthenthatEmmanuelsawherfeaturesandrealizedwithastartthatitwasQueenAishaoftheKingdomofDreams!Lookingsubsciouslyatthepairofexquisitesandalspeatlyandq

htsweredim,givingforthanatmosphereofquiet,peadtranquility.Emmanuel’sfirstimpressionwheumbleduponthispcewasthatitwasagoodpcetohide.Abruptlyheturhesteerihesportscardashedintothedenseshadeoftreesandshrubbery.Hedidn’tcarentsorflowershekilledorwhatwell-tendedbdesofgrasswerecrushedbythewheelsandjustparkedhisderatalltree.EmmauroSalinainthepassenger’sseatandsaid,

    “Ialwayssuspectedthatthehelicopterhoverheadyingonus.”

    “Youmeantosaythathumaneyesareaskeenasaneagle’sandseeallthedetailsofwhatishappeningonthegroundbelow?”sheasked.

    “Humaneyesareofcoursenotthatkeen”answeredEmmanuel.“OnlyMedusa’seyesightisevensharperthananeagle’s.Butyouotuimatethepowerofmodernsdteology.Perhapstherearewaystheyseepensonthegroundbeloweveninthedarkofthenight.Whoknows?”

    “Medusa!”criedSalinainfright.“Don’teveionher.Justthesoundofhername

    scaresmetodeathandmakesthehairstandupallovermybody!”

    “Really?Ihavethesamefeeling”saidEmmanuel.“WhenIcamebackheretothemundaneworld,Ifeltthatwehadfallenintoaninescapablesnare,veryhardforustoescapeunscathed.”,

    “Thenwhoisourenemy?”mutteredSalinasoftly.“IsitDimitri?Idon’tthinksobecauseInolohinkofhimasmyenemy.InfactIthinkheisakindandgenerousman.Thenwhoisourehesepeoplelooklikepoli.Didyouoffendtheminanyway?Whyaretheyafterus?”

    “Idon’tknow”repliedEmmanuel.

    10

    “Oh,Iknow!”criedSalina.“Couldthepremonitionsofsomethingbadhappeningfallontheheadsofmypoor,unfortunateparentswhoarerepentingtheirsinsinGahanna,prayingforredemption?Theirsafetyissomethingthatisonmymindallthetime…Iwant…ImustgobacktotheKingdomofDreamsandvisitmypoorparentstoseeifthey’realright.”

    “Ohno”saidEmmanuel,shakinghisheadviolently.“Thatisonlyyinationatwork.Don’tscareyourselfneedlessly.I’msurenothinghashappehem…”

    Pushihecardoor,Emmaeppedoutandstoodintheshadeofthetrees.Lookinguptowardstheskies,hesawthatthehelicopterwasstillhnearby,whichmeanttheywerestillunderscrutinyandnotoutofda.Justashewasthinkingofthebestwayofescape,hisattentionwasdistractedbythesoundofspshingwaterbehindthewoodenfence,asifsomeonewasswimming.Itmustbesomeone’sbackyardwiththefeedtoprotecttheirpersonalprivathepryiheoutsideworld,hethought.Emmanuelbecamecurious.Heclimbedupthehoodofhisdthensteppedupontotheroof,whereholdingontothefencehepeepedinside.Awomanwasswimminginthepool.Lookingarounduhemoonlight,hethoughtthepcelookedveryfamiliarasifhehadbeentherebefore.Thetoursofthehousegavehimafeelingofwarmth.Thewnwaslycut.Underargeopenedsunumbrelbythesideofthepool,therewasaloungechairandasmallroundtablewithabottleofbrandyandantallemptygss.Thewomanhadfinishedherpandwaswalkingupthestepsofthepoolwithdropsofwaterdrippingdownhergraceful,talndslenderbody.Takingupthebathtowelonthechairshedriedherselfwithitaookoffherswimmingcaptoletdownherlovelylonghair,whichshewoundcasuallyintoabunatthebackofherhead.Shethenturnedandydownnguidlyontheloungechairtorest.ItwasthenthatEmmanuelsawherfeaturesandrealizedwithastartthatitwasQueenAishaoftheKingdomofDreams!Lookingsubsciouslyatthepairofexquisitesandalspeatlyandq