utyoudidn’tevenhearmeandjuststoodthereexpressionlessandmutelikethemudfigureyouare.Whatareyoubutalifelessthing?Youarenottheonlygodhere.Thereareothersbetterthanyou.I’llgoahem.”Mr.Fingerkbeforethestatueontheright,kowtowedrepeatedlytoitaedhisprayersasbefore.Buthedidaerresults.Heagainroseandwasabouttoheapinsultsonthatgodtoo,whenheheardsomeoneughingcoldlyathimandashrillvoicesaid,

    “Whyareyouprayingtothosemudandwoodstatuesfor?Theyeitherseenorhearyou.Youarejustwastingyourtime.Whydon’tyoupraytome,aliveandrealgod?Ha-ha.Iseeyouareonlyafool.Ha-ha…”Mr.Fingerfollowedthisvoidsawintheshadowsohestleftsideofthealtarwasaatue.Hewalkedovertothestatueandsawthatithadwhitehairandalongwhitebeardandwaswearingasmallmelonlikecap.Why,wasn’tthatDwarfMickey?Mr.Fingerwasextremelyhappytoseehimandshouted,

    “Hey,DwarfMickey,oldbrother!Whatareyoudoinghereinthisdipidatedoldtemple?It’sarealcemeetingyouhere.Justmygoodluck.Lookslikemyluckisfinallyturning.HeyoldbrotherIneedyourhelp.Pleasehelpme…”DwarfMickeyinterruptedhimbeforehehadfinishedspeaking.Hewavedhimoversaying,

    “Hey,kneeldownandstartkowtowing.Iwantyoutorepeattheperformanceyoujustdidforthosetwogods…”Mr.Fingerrubbedhishandstogetheragainasifabashed.Heresumedhisnormalcheekybehaviorandsaid,

    “eon.Don’tbesosarcastic.We’refriendsafteralnddon’thavetoghallthatshenanigan.IknowyouarethegodofwealthandIgreatlyrespectyou.YouheardmepraytothemjustnoreallydidohurtJamaz,butinafiteIwasnotabletotrolIhurthimbadly.It’stherealtruth,Isweartoit.Ireallyamwillingtogiveupmylifeforhisifhislifeisindanger.IreallymeanitDwarfMickey,Iswear!”

    “Youdaretofacemeaftertheatrocitiesyouhaveitted?”scoldedDwarfMickeysternly.“Howdareyouhurtyouownfriend…Butyoutritionandyourwilliogiveyourlifeforhis,showthatyoustillhavesomeshredofdecyleftahereforesalvageable…Jamazwon’tdie.Hestillhasworktodo.Heavenwohimdielikethat.”

    “That’sgreat.Youhavesetmyheartatrest”saidMr.Fihasighofrelief.“ButwhatareyoudoihisdipidatedtempleistoosmallfreatbiggodofwealthlikeyouDwarfMickey.”

    11

    “WhatamIdoinghere?”askedtheDwarfgringatthelittleman.“Iamwaitinghereforyou,that’swhy.”

    “Waitingforme?”askedMr.Fingerinsurprise,pointingathimself.“Whyareyouwaitingforme?Whatdoyouwantwithme?”

    “Tocollectadebt.Doyoumeantosayyouarenotgoingtopayyourdebt?YouandViobrokeintomytreasuretroveandbroughtabagofdiamondtothismundaneworldandhadgreatfunscatteringitalround.Don’tyouthinkIhavetherighttocollect?”

    “Thathasnothingtodowithme”saidMr.Fingerrighteously.“ItwasViowhobrokeintoyourtreasuretrove.Itwasshewhhtmewithher.Itwasshethatdideverythingandsohasnothingtodowithme.”Heshovedoutthepalmsofhishandsasiftopushawayallresponsibility.“GoandfindVio.Ithasnothingtodowithme.”

    “Ohyes.WhereisyourwifeVio.Whyisn’tshewithyou?”askedDwarfMickey.

    “ShewentbacktotheKingdomofDreamslongago”Mr.Fingerreplied.“Shesaidthismundaneworldhaslostitsattraandsheishomesick,soshewentback.”

    “Yourwifeisverycleverandhasgonebacktowhereshebelongs.Whyaren’tyouwithher?”

    “Ihaven’thadenoughfu.Iwillstayo

utyoudidn’tevenhearmeandjuststoodthereexpressionlessandmutelikethemudfigureyouare.Whatareyoubutalifelessthing?Youarenottheonlygodhere.Thereareothersbetterthanyou.I’llgoahem.”Mr.Fingerkbeforethestatueontheright,kowtowedrepeatedlytoitaedhisprayersasbefore.Buthedidaerresults.Heagainroseandwasabouttoheapinsultsonthatgodtoo,whenheheardsomeoneughingcoldlyathimandashrillvoicesaid,

    “Whyareyouprayingtothosemudandwoodstatuesfor?Theyeitherseenorhearyou.Youarejustwastingyourtime.Whydon’tyoupraytome,aliveandrealgod?Ha-ha.Iseeyouareonlyafool.Ha-ha…”Mr.Fingerfollowedthisvoidsawintheshadowsohestleftsideofthealtarwasaatue.Hewalkedovertothestatueandsawthatithadwhitehairandalongwhitebeardandwaswearingasmallmelonlikecap.Why,wasn’tthatDwarfMickey?Mr.Fingerwasextremelyhappytoseehimandshouted,

    “Hey,DwarfMickey,oldbrother!Whatareyoudoinghereinthisdipidatedoldtemple?It’sarealcemeetingyouhere.Justmygoodluck.Lookslikemyluckisfinallyturning.HeyoldbrotherIneedyourhelp.Pleasehelpme…”DwarfMickeyinterruptedhimbeforehehadfinishedspeaking.Hewavedhimoversaying,

    “Hey,kneeldownandstartkowtowing.Iwantyoutorepeattheperformanceyoujustdidforthosetwogods…”Mr.Fingerrubbedhishandstogetheragainasifabashed.Heresumedhisnormalcheekybehaviorandsaid,

    “eon.Don’tbesosarcastic.We’refriendsafteralnddon’thavetoghallthatshenanigan.IknowyouarethegodofwealthandIgreatlyrespectyou.YouheardmepraytothemjustnoreallydidohurtJamaz,butinafiteIwasnotabletotrolIhurthimbadly.It’stherealtruth,Isweartoit.Ireallyamwillingtogiveupmylifeforhisifhislifeisindanger.IreallymeanitDwarfMickey,Iswear!”

    “Youdaretofacemeaftertheatrocitiesyouhaveitted?”scoldedDwarfMickeysternly.“Howdareyouhurtyouownfriend…Butyoutritionandyourwilliogiveyourlifeforhis,showthatyoustillhavesomeshredofdecyleftahereforesalvageable…Jamazwon’tdie.Hestillhasworktodo.Heavenwohimdielikethat.”

    “That’sgreat.Youhavesetmyheartatrest”saidMr.Fihasighofrelief.“ButwhatareyoudoihisdipidatedtempleistoosmallfreatbiggodofwealthlikeyouDwarfMickey.”

    11

    “WhatamIdoinghere?”askedtheDwarfgringatthelittleman.“Iamwaitinghereforyou,that’swhy.”

    “Waitingforme?”askedMr.Fingerinsurprise,pointingathimself.“Whyareyouwaitingforme?Whatdoyouwantwithme?”

    “Tocollectadebt.Doyoumeantosayyouarenotgoingtopayyourdebt?YouandViobrokeintomytreasuretroveandbroughtabagofdiamondtothismundaneworldandhadgreatfunscatteringitalround.Don’tyouthinkIhavetherighttocollect?”

    “Thathasnothingtodowithme”saidMr.Fingerrighteously.“ItwasViowhobrokeintoyourtreasuretrove.Itwasshewhhtmewithher.Itwasshethatdideverythingandsohasnothingtodowithme.”Heshovedoutthepalmsofhishandsasiftopushawayallresponsibility.“GoandfindVio.Ithasnothingtodowithme.”

    “Ohyes.WhereisyourwifeVio.Whyisn’tshewithyou?”askedDwarfMickey.

    “ShewentbacktotheKingdomofDreamslongago”Mr.Fingerreplied.“Shesaidthismundaneworldhaslostitsattraandsheishomesick,soshewentback.”

    “Yourwifeisverycleverandhasgonebacktowhereshebelongs.Whyaren’tyouwithher?”

    “Ihaven’thadenoughfu.Iwillstayo