handsanxiouslyclutgthearmsofthesofa,uoanythingbutsittherewaitingfornews.HehadheardfromRichardjustasdaybrokeahatDwarfMickeyhadleftbehindahedipidatedlittletemple.RichardhadreadtheshortoDimitrioverthetelephone,soDimitrikhelittleoldman’siiontosinktothebottomofSunMooogetherwithhistreasures.Richardhadspeerpartofthenightinthemaze-likestreetstryingtotrackdownDwarfMickeyandMr.Ficouldfindnoclueoftheirwhereabouts.ItwasthenthathecameuponBig-O,pantingfromhissearch.Thetwoofthemputtheirheadstogetheranddecidedthatinsteadofseargrandomlytheyshouldgobacktothedipidatedoldtemple,whichwasthestpceRichardfoundtracesofthetwoandstartagainfromthere.TheysearchedthepcecarefullyandsawthewordsDwarfMickeyleftbehindohickdustofthealtar.HeimmediatelyreportedtoDimitri,whosaid,

    “Okay.Iknownow.Thetwoofyouhavebeenseargallnightandmustbeverytired.Youshouldbothgohomeandtakeabreak.Thereisnothingwedoatthemomentexceptwaitfornews…HopefullynewswillesoonfromtheKingdomofDreams…We’lltalkaboutthiswhe.”Charinahadheardtheversationahegistofthings.SheimmediatelysuggestedgoingbacktotheKingdomofDreamsrightaerhapsstopDwarfMickeyfromgoingdowntothebottomofthekewithhistreasures.

    “Toote”sighedDimitrishakinghishead.“It’stoote.Hehadleftquiteawhileago.”

    “Howcoulditbetoote?InydomofDreamsthereisnosuchthingasthestartingpointortheendingpoint.Thereisnobeginningandnoend.Anypointcouldbetheinalone,andwecouldgobacktothetimebeforeithappened.Youtoldmeitwaslikeflippingthepagesofabook.Youcouldstartatthebeginning,theendorthemiddle.Ifyouwanttoyoucouldwriteapletelynewbookandnoonewouldstopyou.Howcoulditbetoote?”

    “Don’tfetthatDwarfMickeymaylooklikeashort,etricdwarf”repliedDimitriwithawrysmile,“butactuallyheisthegodofwealthinchargeofalltherichesoftheworld.Heknowswhatheisdoingandthereissuretobeareasonorpnforhisas.Iknowhimwell.Oncehehasdecidedonacourseofa,wildhorsescouldnotdrawhimback.Hewillperseveretotheendandnoonecouldgehismind.Whoknowswhatisinstore?Perhapsgingthecourseofthingshehasdecidedonwouldbringaboutunknisequences.”

    “Really?”saidCharinamystified.SherememberedthefirsttimeshesawDwarfMickey.Hisdictatorialmannersandstigtohisohateverothermaysaydidnotleaveherwithafavorableimpression.Infact,hisslovenlyclothingandterribletablemannerswerequiterepulsive.Butasshegrewtoknowhimbetter,shediscoveredthathewasquitewittyandhumorousandwasalovableoldman.Hewasveryold,withsnowwhitelongwhitebeardandeyebrows,buthatedtobecalledold.Ifyoudidso,hewouldflyinteandturnhisbayou.CharinaturoDimitriandasked,“RichardreadyouthenoteoverthephonesayingDwarfMickeydecidedtogodowntothebottomoftheSunMooogetherwithhistreasures.Doesitmeanhewillitsuicide?Willhereallydie?”

    “Idon’tknow”repliedDimitri.“IotansweryourquestionbecauseIdon’thavetheanswer.Asyousaid,anythinghappenintheKingdomofDreams.Nothingisimpossible.Itisnotaquestionofyesorno.IthasnoahereforeIotansweryourquestion.

    Inthewideexpanseofblueskies,awhitedovecouldbeseenflyingfreelyintheblueskies.Whenitsawtheblueballoon,itseemedtohavefounditstargetaowardsit.Itencircledtheballo

handsanxiouslyclutgthearmsofthesofa,uoanythingbutsittherewaitingfornews.HehadheardfromRichardjustasdaybrokeahatDwarfMickeyhadleftbehindahedipidatedlittletemple.RichardhadreadtheshortoDimitrioverthetelephone,soDimitrikhelittleoldman’siiontosinktothebottomofSunMooogetherwithhistreasures.Richardhadspeerpartofthenightinthemaze-likestreetstryingtotrackdownDwarfMickeyandMr.Ficouldfindnoclueoftheirwhereabouts.ItwasthenthathecameuponBig-O,pantingfromhissearch.Thetwoofthemputtheirheadstogetheranddecidedthatinsteadofseargrandomlytheyshouldgobacktothedipidatedoldtemple,whichwasthestpceRichardfoundtracesofthetwoandstartagainfromthere.TheysearchedthepcecarefullyandsawthewordsDwarfMickeyleftbehindohickdustofthealtar.HeimmediatelyreportedtoDimitri,whosaid,

    “Okay.Iknownow.Thetwoofyouhavebeenseargallnightandmustbeverytired.Youshouldbothgohomeandtakeabreak.Thereisnothingwedoatthemomentexceptwaitfornews…HopefullynewswillesoonfromtheKingdomofDreams…We’lltalkaboutthiswhe.”Charinahadheardtheversationahegistofthings.SheimmediatelysuggestedgoingbacktotheKingdomofDreamsrightaerhapsstopDwarfMickeyfromgoingdowntothebottomofthekewithhistreasures.

    “Toote”sighedDimitrishakinghishead.“It’stoote.Hehadleftquiteawhileago.”

    “Howcoulditbetoote?InydomofDreamsthereisnosuchthingasthestartingpointortheendingpoint.Thereisnobeginningandnoend.Anypointcouldbetheinalone,andwecouldgobacktothetimebeforeithappened.Youtoldmeitwaslikeflippingthepagesofabook.Youcouldstartatthebeginning,theendorthemiddle.Ifyouwanttoyoucouldwriteapletelynewbookandnoonewouldstopyou.Howcoulditbetoote?”

    “Don’tfetthatDwarfMickeymaylooklikeashort,etricdwarf”repliedDimitriwithawrysmile,“butactuallyheisthegodofwealthinchargeofalltherichesoftheworld.Heknowswhatheisdoingandthereissuretobeareasonorpnforhisas.Iknowhimwell.Oncehehasdecidedonacourseofa,wildhorsescouldnotdrawhimback.Hewillperseveretotheendandnoonecouldgehismind.Whoknowswhatisinstore?Perhapsgingthecourseofthingshehasdecidedonwouldbringaboutunknisequences.”

    “Really?”saidCharinamystified.SherememberedthefirsttimeshesawDwarfMickey.Hisdictatorialmannersandstigtohisohateverothermaysaydidnotleaveherwithafavorableimpression.Infact,hisslovenlyclothingandterribletablemannerswerequiterepulsive.Butasshegrewtoknowhimbetter,shediscoveredthathewasquitewittyandhumorousandwasalovableoldman.Hewasveryold,withsnowwhitelongwhitebeardandeyebrows,buthatedtobecalledold.Ifyoudidso,hewouldflyinteandturnhisbayou.CharinaturoDimitriandasked,“RichardreadyouthenoteoverthephonesayingDwarfMickeydecidedtogodowntothebottomoftheSunMooogetherwithhistreasures.Doesitmeanhewillitsuicide?Willhereallydie?”

    “Idon’tknow”repliedDimitri.“IotansweryourquestionbecauseIdon’thavetheanswer.Asyousaid,anythinghappenintheKingdomofDreams.Nothingisimpossible.Itisnotaquestionofyesorno.IthasnoahereforeIotansweryourquestion.

    Inthewideexpanseofblueskies,awhitedovecouldbeseenflyingfreelyintheblueskies.Whenitsawtheblueballoon,itseemedtohavefounditstargetaowardsit.Itencircledtheballo