nforawhilelongerandhavemorefun.”Hewalkedovertothedoor,butstoppedatthethreshold.HewalkedbadsaidcheekilytoDwarfMickey,“Hey,DwarfMickey,weareoldfriends,right?Ihaveafavortoask.Youmaybeadwarfandareshortinstature;youarestilbletotakecareofthecatoutside,right?PleasegoanddrivethatcatawaysoIleave.”DwarfMickey‘sfacewaswithoutexpressionashesaid,

    “Iknewyoingtodefaultonyourdebt.Thatcatwascalledbymetostaybythedoortoblockyourescape.So,youaretryingtoescape,right?Ifyoudaretotakeoofthatdoor,thecatwillpoundbiteyourheadoff.Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,justgiveitatry.”Butthatwasthewrongapproachtotakewiththelittleman,whoagaingotonhishighhorseandbecamereallyangry,saying

    “What?Youwanttoscareme?I’llletyouknowIamnotafraidofyourstrongarmtactics.IfyoudaretothreatenmeIwilltakethedlesoarafiretothistemple.Youoldmanwillburh.Idon’tcareifIdiesolongasItakeyouwithme.YouthinkIdon’tdaretodoso?”DwarfMickeykhatthislittlemancouldnotdistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,goodandevil.Ifaershisbrainheableofcarryingitardlessofsequences.Herolledhiseyesaroundandthoughtofapn.HesmiledatMr.Fingerandsaid,

    11

    “Hey,oldfriend,haveyouhadanywioday?Ihavethisbottleofexcellentliquor.Wanttotrysome?Thenightislongandwedon’thaveanythingtodo.Whataboutwhilingawaythenightwithgooddrinks?”DwarfMickeywaogetthelittlemandrunksohecoulddealwithhimandhekhatwinewasohingMr.Fingercouldneverrefuse.Ihelittlemantookthebaitandhismouthwateredattheprospectofgoodwine.Heswallowedhissalivaashismouthwateredandhesaid,

    “Where’syourwine?Bringitout.Bringitout.Thewinebugsinmystomacharerioting!”DwarfMickeyjumpeddownfromthealtaranddoveuhetable,bringingoutahenwinejaraybowl.Hebrokeopenthesealedjarandthefragranceofseasonedwinefilledtheroom.Hepouredsomewiothebowndasked,

    “Whatdoyouwanttodo?Wouldyouliketolieinthereanddrink?That’syourfavoritewaytoindulge,right?”

    “Yeah,oldfriendsarethebestbecausetheyknowallmystrangehabits”Sayingso,Mr.Fingerbegantotakeoffallhisclothesandjumpedintothebowlofwineandbegandrinkingveraciously.DwarfMickeymeanwhiletookupthewholejugandbegandrinkingfromit.Hekhattoletthelittlemanremainalohemundaneworldwouldcauseunimagirouble,sohedecidedtogethimdrunkandtakehimbackbyforcetotheKingdomofDreamsandpcehimiodyofhiswifeVio.Viowouldbeabletokeepasharpeyeonhimsohewouldnotbeabletorunaroundcausingtrouble.ItwouldalsosetKingDimitri’sheartatrestifhedidn’thavethistrouble-makerunderfoot.

    Thedoortothedipidatedtempleushedopenanduhecrestmoonashadowyfigurecouldbeseenhastilystreakingintotheroom.ItwasRichard,whohadbeentryingtotrackdownDwarfMickeyattheoldman’soldhaunts.Helookedaroundthedimlylitemptyroom,lightedonlybytwodyingdles.Hesawajugofgoodwihreequartersgone,aybowlwithssofwiinitandknewwhatmusthavehappened.DwarfMickeyandMr.Fingerhadbeenhere,drinking.Knowileman’setrichabit,hemusthavejumpedintothebowndenjoyedhisdrinklyingdown;whileDwarfMickeywouldhaveheldthejugfastinhisarmsanddrankstraightfromit.Wherecouldthetwointoxicatedpeoplehavegoo?Richardatienttotinueonhismissionandsodidnotbotherseargtheroomformoreclues,therebymissi

nforawhilelongerandhavemorefun.”Hewalkedovertothedoor,butstoppedatthethreshold.HewalkedbadsaidcheekilytoDwarfMickey,“Hey,DwarfMickey,weareoldfriends,right?Ihaveafavortoask.Youmaybeadwarfandareshortinstature;youarestilbletotakecareofthecatoutside,right?PleasegoanddrivethatcatawaysoIleave.”DwarfMickey‘sfacewaswithoutexpressionashesaid,

    “Iknewyoingtodefaultonyourdebt.Thatcatwascalledbymetostaybythedoortoblockyourescape.So,youaretryingtoescape,right?Ifyoudaretotakeoofthatdoor,thecatwillpoundbiteyourheadoff.Ifyoudon’tbelieveme,justgiveitatry.”Butthatwasthewrongapproachtotakewiththelittleman,whoagaingotonhishighhorseandbecamereallyangry,saying

    “What?Youwanttoscareme?I’llletyouknowIamnotafraidofyourstrongarmtactics.IfyoudaretothreatenmeIwilltakethedlesoarafiretothistemple.Youoldmanwillburh.Idon’tcareifIdiesolongasItakeyouwithme.YouthinkIdon’tdaretodoso?”DwarfMickeykhatthislittlemancouldnotdistinguishbetweenrightandwrong,goodandevil.Ifaershisbrainheableofcarryingitardlessofsequences.Herolledhiseyesaroundandthoughtofapn.HesmiledatMr.Fingerandsaid,

    11

    “Hey,oldfriend,haveyouhadanywioday?Ihavethisbottleofexcellentliquor.Wanttotrysome?Thenightislongandwedon’thaveanythingtodo.Whataboutwhilingawaythenightwithgooddrinks?”DwarfMickeywaogetthelittlemandrunksohecoulddealwithhimandhekhatwinewasohingMr.Fingercouldneverrefuse.Ihelittlemantookthebaitandhismouthwateredattheprospectofgoodwine.Heswallowedhissalivaashismouthwateredandhesaid,

    “Where’syourwine?Bringitout.Bringitout.Thewinebugsinmystomacharerioting!”DwarfMickeyjumpeddownfromthealtaranddoveuhetable,bringingoutahenwinejaraybowl.Hebrokeopenthesealedjarandthefragranceofseasonedwinefilledtheroom.Hepouredsomewiothebowndasked,

    “Whatdoyouwanttodo?Wouldyouliketolieinthereanddrink?That’syourfavoritewaytoindulge,right?”

    “Yeah,oldfriendsarethebestbecausetheyknowallmystrangehabits”Sayingso,Mr.Fingerbegantotakeoffallhisclothesandjumpedintothebowlofwineandbegandrinkingveraciously.DwarfMickeymeanwhiletookupthewholejugandbegandrinkingfromit.Hekhattoletthelittlemanremainalohemundaneworldwouldcauseunimagirouble,sohedecidedtogethimdrunkandtakehimbackbyforcetotheKingdomofDreamsandpcehimiodyofhiswifeVio.Viowouldbeabletokeepasharpeyeonhimsohewouldnotbeabletorunaroundcausingtrouble.ItwouldalsosetKingDimitri’sheartatrestifhedidn’thavethistrouble-makerunderfoot.

    Thedoortothedipidatedtempleushedopenanduhecrestmoonashadowyfigurecouldbeseenhastilystreakingintotheroom.ItwasRichard,whohadbeentryingtotrackdownDwarfMickeyattheoldman’soldhaunts.Helookedaroundthedimlylitemptyroom,lightedonlybytwodyingdles.Hesawajugofgoodwihreequartersgone,aybowlwithssofwiinitandknewwhatmusthavehappened.DwarfMickeyandMr.Fingerhadbeenhere,drinking.Knowileman’setrichabit,hemusthavejumpedintothebowndenjoyedhisdrinklyingdown;whileDwarfMickeywouldhaveheldthejugfastinhisarmsanddrankstraightfromit.Wherecouldthetwointoxicatedpeoplehavegoo?Richardatienttotinueonhismissionandsodidnotbotherseargtheroomformoreclues,therebymissi