acutebeautieschattingonawoole.Everyoheyoungwomenwasastonishinglyaakinglybeautiful.Theshortmanthoughttohimself,“Tocaptureallfouroftheseyoungwomenwouldbeverydifficult,butevenifIowoofthemIwouldbeabletoenjoysublimefulfillmentfortherestofmylife.IfIalsocapturethesleepingtrillionaireDimitriJa,IcouldgaintrolofhisimmeuhenIwouldhavebothbeautiesandfortune.”Justashewaslostinhiswishfulthinking,hispositionosed.TheevervigintlittleMaureenspottedhimamidtheflowersandbeganbarkingfrantically.“Opportunitiesdon’tebytwice.IhadbettergrabitwhileI.”thoughttheshortmanwithanarrowforehead.SoheranoutoftheflowerbedandmadeforClementine,whosattherequietandmotionlesswithouttheslightesthintoffear.Asthemanluggedfrabholdofhisprey,hefeltasifheiyair,losthisbandfelltotheground.HeimmediatelyjumpedupandheadedforCharmaihesamethinghappened.Heclearlyanddefinitelycaughtholdoftheyoungwoman,butsomehowheseemedtobeholdingavacuousvoidandfellheadlongtothegroundagain.Beforehecouldgetup,theresourcefulImaginationcircledbehindhim,grabbedholdoftheheavyicebucketandhithimontheheadwithallhermight.Theshortmaandfainted.Imaginationwasveryangryandshoutedintotheair,

    “WhereareyouCreativity?Showyourselfatonce.Iwasjustboastingabouthowresourcefulyouwereandthatwithyouasourbodyguardnothinguntowardwouldhappen.Nowlookpened!Ourthreehuestswerealmostassaultedbythishooligathatyoumademelosefaon-sequential,butbyallowingtheseruffianstoeveherosegardenandupsetourhuestswhiletheywereallhavingananimatedversationhasmadeyourmasterKingDimitrilosefaceaswell!”

    “Iamsorry,soverysorry!”saidapleasingmasevoitheair.“Iwasbusyattendingtothebigbossandhisgroupofunderlingsanddidnotnoticethatthisslipperylittleeelhadslippedoutofthe!Ididn’tknowthathehadsomehowwahispce.Letmetakefirst.”Theshortmanwhohadfaihegrouobewakingupandmadeaslightmovement.Beforehecouldreallyeto,hewashauledupintotheairandanothershadowflewinanarctowardsthemiddleoftheketojoinhisradesintheicywater.ClementineandCharmainechuckledmerrily,cppedtheirhandsandsaid,“That’swonderful!Lethimgoandtakeanicyshowertoo!Ohyes,wehaven’tseenyouforalongtime,Creativity.Whydon’tyoushowyourself?”

    “Thereisanewguesthere.Idon’thaveanyclotheson,soit’sformetoshowmyself.IthinkIhadbettergoandpatroltheareaaroundtherosegarden.IpromiseyouIwillinanotherrascaltointerruptyourversation.”Withthataslightwindroseaivityseemedtohaveleftthem.

    13

    “Ihadbettergobaydutiestoo”saidImagination.“Youthreetinueyourversation.Iwillbestandingguardihegardentosafeguardyourprivacy.”Sayingso,shetoodisappearedintothinair.ClementineandCharmainelookedateachotherforamoment.

    “IthinkthatthetwoofushadbettergobacktoFatherZeus’baheSeventhheaven”saidClementine.“We’vebeeoolongandareworriedabouthowthebaisgoing.IfFatherZeusfoundthatthetwoofushadslippedawaywithouttellinghim,therewillbeabiguproar.AlsoweotingoodsceleavealltheworktoWhiteFairy.”Thetwinslookedagainateachother,thentwopairsofeloqueurnedinquiringlytoCharina.Charihatshehadtosaysomethingtoletthemknowherfeelings,sosheraisedhereyestothetwonymphsandsaid,

    “When

acutebeautieschattingonawoole.Everyoheyoungwomenwasastonishinglyaakinglybeautiful.Theshortmanthoughttohimself,“Tocaptureallfouroftheseyoungwomenwouldbeverydifficult,butevenifIowoofthemIwouldbeabletoenjoysublimefulfillmentfortherestofmylife.IfIalsocapturethesleepingtrillionaireDimitriJa,IcouldgaintrolofhisimmeuhenIwouldhavebothbeautiesandfortune.”Justashewaslostinhiswishfulthinking,hispositionosed.TheevervigintlittleMaureenspottedhimamidtheflowersandbeganbarkingfrantically.“Opportunitiesdon’tebytwice.IhadbettergrabitwhileI.”thoughttheshortmanwithanarrowforehead.SoheranoutoftheflowerbedandmadeforClementine,whosattherequietandmotionlesswithouttheslightesthintoffear.Asthemanluggedfrabholdofhisprey,hefeltasifheiyair,losthisbandfelltotheground.HeimmediatelyjumpedupandheadedforCharmaihesamethinghappened.Heclearlyanddefinitelycaughtholdoftheyoungwoman,butsomehowheseemedtobeholdingavacuousvoidandfellheadlongtothegroundagain.Beforehecouldgetup,theresourcefulImaginationcircledbehindhim,grabbedholdoftheheavyicebucketandhithimontheheadwithallhermight.Theshortmaandfainted.Imaginationwasveryangryandshoutedintotheair,

    “WhereareyouCreativity?Showyourselfatonce.Iwasjustboastingabouthowresourcefulyouwereandthatwithyouasourbodyguardnothinguntowardwouldhappen.Nowlookpened!Ourthreehuestswerealmostassaultedbythishooligathatyoumademelosefaon-sequential,butbyallowingtheseruffianstoeveherosegardenandupsetourhuestswhiletheywereallhavingananimatedversationhasmadeyourmasterKingDimitrilosefaceaswell!”

    “Iamsorry,soverysorry!”saidapleasingmasevoitheair.“Iwasbusyattendingtothebigbossandhisgroupofunderlingsanddidnotnoticethatthisslipperylittleeelhadslippedoutofthe!Ididn’tknowthathehadsomehowwahispce.Letmetakefirst.”Theshortmanwhohadfaihegrouobewakingupandmadeaslightmovement.Beforehecouldreallyeto,hewashauledupintotheairandanothershadowflewinanarctowardsthemiddleoftheketojoinhisradesintheicywater.ClementineandCharmainechuckledmerrily,cppedtheirhandsandsaid,“That’swonderful!Lethimgoandtakeanicyshowertoo!Ohyes,wehaven’tseenyouforalongtime,Creativity.Whydon’tyoushowyourself?”

    “Thereisanewguesthere.Idon’thaveanyclotheson,soit’sformetoshowmyself.IthinkIhadbettergoandpatroltheareaaroundtherosegarden.IpromiseyouIwillinanotherrascaltointerruptyourversation.”Withthataslightwindroseaivityseemedtohaveleftthem.

    13

    “Ihadbettergobaydutiestoo”saidImagination.“Youthreetinueyourversation.Iwillbestandingguardihegardentosafeguardyourprivacy.”Sayingso,shetoodisappearedintothinair.ClementineandCharmainelookedateachotherforamoment.

    “IthinkthatthetwoofushadbettergobacktoFatherZeus’baheSeventhheaven”saidClementine.“We’vebeeoolongandareworriedabouthowthebaisgoing.IfFatherZeusfoundthatthetwoofushadslippedawaywithouttellinghim,therewillbeabiguproar.AlsoweotingoodsceleavealltheworktoWhiteFairy.”Thetwinslookedagainateachother,thentwopairsofeloqueurnedinquiringlytoCharina.Charihatshehadtosaysomethingtoletthemknowherfeelings,sosheraisedhereyestothetwonymphsandsaid,

    “When