utonherfaceascamoufge,revealingherbeautiful,eleganttenandrgesoulfuleyeswhichlookedaroundwithspeakinggnces.Shehaddiscardedherdipidatedsafarihat,dirtyheavycoatandshirtrevealingtheyellowsummerdresswithnarrosthatsheworeunderh.Shestillhadonthebckbaggypants,buthadgedherill-fittingblock-headedshoesforapairofprettysandals.Itwasdeepintothenightandtherewasnoonearoundatthewideexpanseofndbytheke.Wasn’tDimitriworriedaboutthewelfareandsafetyofthebeautifundstylishdybyhisside?ActuallyhewasnotatalledbecauseassooeppedintardenhesawhistwoloyalservantsImaginationaivitystandinghandinhandunderhargetree.Theybowedrespectfullytohim.Hereturheirsalutebywavinghishandatthem,therebyaowledgingtheirpresence.Charina,whowasstandingbesidehim,askedwhohewaswavingtoandifhehadseenafriend.Dimitrididn’tknowhowtoreply,sohehemmedandhawedandevadedherquestion.Heknewandtrustedtheabilitiesofhistwoloyalservants,sonaturallyhewasnotworriedaboutthesafetyofhimselfandhisbeautifulpanionandhadnopunaboutdrinkingtohisheart’stent.Hehelduphisgssandsaidhappily,

    “IneverimagihatinmylonelynomadlifeIwouldgettoknowyou.herhadIeverdreamedthatonedayyouandIwouldbetogetherandpiithisbeautifulgardehebrightlusoonlight.Thisisreallyoneoflife’swonderfudventures.”Charinatookacracker,putapieokedcheeseonitandthethicklywithcaviar.Shehahesandwich-likeappetizertoDimitrisaying,

    “Trythisandseeifyoulikeit.”Dimitritookabiteandfouequiteunique,aromatidtasty;soheplimentedhersaying,

    “Good.Good.Thisreallytasteswonderful–ohegreatdelicaciesofthisworld!Ioteatthiswithoutapanyingitwithsomemorewhiskey.”Sayingso,hetookuphisgssanddrankuphalfofit.Charinaalsomadeoneforherselfandchewedonitreflectivelyapaniedbyasipofherwhiskey.

    “Haveyouanypnsforthefuture?”sheasked.

    “Pns?”inquiredDimitriquitestartledbyherquestion.“ns?Weroaminghoboshavenopnsanddonotneedany.Wearebutafallingleafdriftingwiththewind,orlikeaflowerthatbloomsandwithersbeforefallingtotheground.Wehavenopns.”Charinanoddedherheadandthensaid,

    “Yousouypoeticbuttoopassiveaivebyfar.Doyouhinkofstoppingyourroaming,formafamilyandliveanormandmorestabilizedlife?”Dimitrismiledwrylyandtossedofftherestofthewhiskeyinhisgss.Charinarefilleditforhimandtinued,“Ifthereisawomanwhoiswillingtomarryyou,takecareofyourhome,cookandwashforyouandevenhavechildrenwithyousoyournoblebloodlinebetinued,wouldyousiderit?”Dimitrisighedtohimselfalythought,

    “Thereisgoesagain.Asthesayihehardestthingtoendureisawoman’sdedication.It’swhateverymancravesforbutit’salsowhatheismostafraidofgetting…”Heclearedhisthroat,hesitantastohowtoreply.“Astothat…Ihavenever…eh…thoughtofitbeforeand…eh…havewithsuchasituation…”CharinacalmlycutapieahamandhaoDimitriediuce,saying,

    13

    “Don’tworryaboutit.Havesomethiandthinkitovercarefully.Nowthatyouarefrohsuchasituation,areyouwillingtosiderit?”Dimitrimadeuseofthepretextofchewinghisfoodtostallfortime.Hisbrainwasgoingatafuriouslyfastrate,thinkingofhowtodealwiththisdilemma.Itwasnotaneasyquestiontoanswer.Ifintryingtoslurthingsoverhisanswerwastoovagueandambiguous,itw

utonherfaceascamoufge,revealingherbeautiful,eleganttenandrgesoulfuleyeswhichlookedaroundwithspeakinggnces.Shehaddiscardedherdipidatedsafarihat,dirtyheavycoatandshirtrevealingtheyellowsummerdresswithnarrosthatsheworeunderh.Shestillhadonthebckbaggypants,buthadgedherill-fittingblock-headedshoesforapairofprettysandals.Itwasdeepintothenightandtherewasnoonearoundatthewideexpanseofndbytheke.Wasn’tDimitriworriedaboutthewelfareandsafetyofthebeautifundstylishdybyhisside?ActuallyhewasnotatalledbecauseassooeppedintardenhesawhistwoloyalservantsImaginationaivitystandinghandinhandunderhargetree.Theybowedrespectfullytohim.Hereturheirsalutebywavinghishandatthem,therebyaowledgingtheirpresence.Charina,whowasstandingbesidehim,askedwhohewaswavingtoandifhehadseenafriend.Dimitrididn’tknowhowtoreply,sohehemmedandhawedandevadedherquestion.Heknewandtrustedtheabilitiesofhistwoloyalservants,sonaturallyhewasnotworriedaboutthesafetyofhimselfandhisbeautifulpanionandhadnopunaboutdrinkingtohisheart’stent.Hehelduphisgssandsaidhappily,

    “IneverimagihatinmylonelynomadlifeIwouldgettoknowyou.herhadIeverdreamedthatonedayyouandIwouldbetogetherandpiithisbeautifulgardehebrightlusoonlight.Thisisreallyoneoflife’swonderfudventures.”Charinatookacracker,putapieokedcheeseonitandthethicklywithcaviar.Shehahesandwich-likeappetizertoDimitrisaying,

    “Trythisandseeifyoulikeit.”Dimitritookabiteandfouequiteunique,aromatidtasty;soheplimentedhersaying,

    “Good.Good.Thisreallytasteswonderful–ohegreatdelicaciesofthisworld!Ioteatthiswithoutapanyingitwithsomemorewhiskey.”Sayingso,hetookuphisgssanddrankuphalfofit.Charinaalsomadeoneforherselfandchewedonitreflectivelyapaniedbyasipofherwhiskey.

    “Haveyouanypnsforthefuture?”sheasked.

    “Pns?”inquiredDimitriquitestartledbyherquestion.“ns?Weroaminghoboshavenopnsanddonotneedany.Wearebutafallingleafdriftingwiththewind,orlikeaflowerthatbloomsandwithersbeforefallingtotheground.Wehavenopns.”Charinanoddedherheadandthensaid,

    “Yousouypoeticbuttoopassiveaivebyfar.Doyouhinkofstoppingyourroaming,formafamilyandliveanormandmorestabilizedlife?”Dimitrismiledwrylyandtossedofftherestofthewhiskeyinhisgss.Charinarefilleditforhimandtinued,“Ifthereisawomanwhoiswillingtomarryyou,takecareofyourhome,cookandwashforyouandevenhavechildrenwithyousoyournoblebloodlinebetinued,wouldyousiderit?”Dimitrisighedtohimselfalythought,

    “Thereisgoesagain.Asthesayihehardestthingtoendureisawoman’sdedication.It’swhateverymancravesforbutit’salsowhatheismostafraidofgetting…”Heclearedhisthroat,hesitantastohowtoreply.“Astothat…Ihavenever…eh…thoughtofitbeforeand…eh…havewithsuchasituation…”CharinacalmlycutapieahamandhaoDimitriediuce,saying,

    13

    “Don’tworryaboutit.Havesomethiandthinkitovercarefully.Nowthatyouarefrohsuchasituation,areyouwillingtosiderit?”Dimitrimadeuseofthepretextofchewinghisfoodtostallfortime.Hisbrainwasgoingatafuriouslyfastrate,thinkingofhowtodealwiththisdilemma.Itwasnotaneasyquestiontoanswer.Ifintryingtoslurthingsoverhisanswerwastoovagueandambiguous,itw