egeandhewalkedaily,allthewhilelookingfarettebuttsbytheroadside,hopingtostockupohatifheshouldbeluoughtomeetDimitrihewouldofferthemastributetothemightykingoftheKingdomofDreams.

    Dimitri’ssolitaryfiguregraduallyemergedfromthethiakinghiswaywiththehelpofhiswhitee.HedidnotstoplongatCharina’shouseaftertakingherhome.Heuzzlingoveraquestionthathadbaffledhimsincehisyouth,namelywhetherKingDimitrioftheKingdomofDreamsjusthappenedoodreamofDimitri,ordidDimitrirandomlydreamofKingDimitribyce?OrwasitthatsometimesKingDimitridreamedabouthisalternateselfwhowasahomelessmansufferinginthemundaneworld;andsometimesDimitriwentintodreamndtolookforthenobleKingDimitri?Orperhapsbothofthesesuppositiorue.PerhapsDimitriovefreelybetweendreamndandtherealworld,pyingtheroleoftwodifferentcharacters.PerhapsthesetwodifferentcharacterswerepersonifiedbyDimitri.Thequestionwasverysimple,butitpuzzledDimitrifordecadesandcouldnotberesolvedtohissatisfa.Takethepresentforexample.DimitriilotingthespaceshiptransformedfromhisfleshbodyfromtheKingdomofDreamstothemundaneworld,buthefeltasifhisfleshbodyhadneverlefttheworldforeveep.Thenhowcoulditbeflyingbackhere?Thendreamndwasakindofelusive,entsupposition;orwasitapartofandtinuationofreallife?Dimitrifellintoadeepreverie.

    Atthecrackofdawn,MaureenwokeDimitriupbypullingatthelegofhispants.HegotupahiswaytowardsCharinawhowascoughingupastorwasthenthatherealizedshewassick.Charinaalsowokeupandasked,

    14

    “pened?”

    “Youarecoughingandyourforeheadishot.I’mafraidyouaresickbutdon’twetdressed.Iwilltakeyouhomewhereyourestbetter.”

    “I’msosorrytobecausingyouallthistroubleonmyveryfirstdayoutasavagabond”saidshe.ItwasonlythenthatCharinarealizedshewasagalloverherbody.Herheadwasagbadlyandhernosewasallstuffedup.“Iamreallyquitehopeless”shesighed.

    “Don’tsayso”saidDimitritryingtoforther.“It’snotyourfault.Youarenotusedtothisharshlife.Aflowerraisedinahothouseisacclimatedtowarmtemperatureaiculouscarevisheduponit,soitflourishesandbloomsluxuriantlyandgracestheworldwithitsbeauty,exhibitingthevalueandmeaningofitslifeinaspecialway.Onceyousuddenlymoveitoutdoorsandexposeittotheelements,itwilldroopandwilt.Soitiswithyou.That’sonlynaturandnotyourfaultatall.“

    “Really?Thenwhataboutyou?”askedCharinacuriously.“Isawyoulyingfastasleeponthesoiluheshadowoftherosebushesandwasafraidyoumightcatchcetarthritisdoingso.Howeyouarenotaffected?”

    “Don’tfetthatIhavebeenlivingthisnomadlifeforalong,longtime”expinedDimitriwryly,“soIamusedtotheharshenvirosandisnotthataffectedbythehotandcoldweather.Iamlikeamigratorybirdthatmoveswiththeweather.Everyyeararoundspringandsummer,Iflyherefromfaradflybackthereagainwhenfalles.”

    “Whereareyougoing?”askedCharinatenselygrabbingholdofhisarm.“Willyoubegoingtosomefarace?Ifyoudo,pleasedon’tfettotakemewithyou.”

    “Ohno,noI’mnotgoinganywhere”repliedDimitripattingherwhite,ivorylikehandsfly.“Iwilljustbetakingyouhome.eodresseda’sgetgoingandnotmakeyourcoldworsethanitalreadyis.”IntelligentlittledogMaureeoddlinguptoitsmistressdraggingherold,d

egeandhewalkedaily,allthewhilelookingfarettebuttsbytheroadside,hopingtostockupohatifheshouldbeluoughtomeetDimitrihewouldofferthemastributetothemightykingoftheKingdomofDreams.

    Dimitri’ssolitaryfiguregraduallyemergedfromthethiakinghiswaywiththehelpofhiswhitee.HedidnotstoplongatCharina’shouseaftertakingherhome.Heuzzlingoveraquestionthathadbaffledhimsincehisyouth,namelywhetherKingDimitrioftheKingdomofDreamsjusthappenedoodreamofDimitri,ordidDimitrirandomlydreamofKingDimitribyce?OrwasitthatsometimesKingDimitridreamedabouthisalternateselfwhowasahomelessmansufferinginthemundaneworld;andsometimesDimitriwentintodreamndtolookforthenobleKingDimitri?Orperhapsbothofthesesuppositiorue.PerhapsDimitriovefreelybetweendreamndandtherealworld,pyingtheroleoftwodifferentcharacters.PerhapsthesetwodifferentcharacterswerepersonifiedbyDimitri.Thequestionwasverysimple,butitpuzzledDimitrifordecadesandcouldnotberesolvedtohissatisfa.Takethepresentforexample.DimitriilotingthespaceshiptransformedfromhisfleshbodyfromtheKingdomofDreamstothemundaneworld,buthefeltasifhisfleshbodyhadneverlefttheworldforeveep.Thenhowcoulditbeflyingbackhere?Thendreamndwasakindofelusive,entsupposition;orwasitapartofandtinuationofreallife?Dimitrifellintoadeepreverie.

    Atthecrackofdawn,MaureenwokeDimitriupbypullingatthelegofhispants.HegotupahiswaytowardsCharinawhowascoughingupastorwasthenthatherealizedshewassick.Charinaalsowokeupandasked,

    14

    “pened?”

    “Youarecoughingandyourforeheadishot.I’mafraidyouaresickbutdon’twetdressed.Iwilltakeyouhomewhereyourestbetter.”

    “I’msosorrytobecausingyouallthistroubleonmyveryfirstdayoutasavagabond”saidshe.ItwasonlythenthatCharinarealizedshewasagalloverherbody.Herheadwasagbadlyandhernosewasallstuffedup.“Iamreallyquitehopeless”shesighed.

    “Don’tsayso”saidDimitritryingtoforther.“It’snotyourfault.Youarenotusedtothisharshlife.Aflowerraisedinahothouseisacclimatedtowarmtemperatureaiculouscarevisheduponit,soitflourishesandbloomsluxuriantlyandgracestheworldwithitsbeauty,exhibitingthevalueandmeaningofitslifeinaspecialway.Onceyousuddenlymoveitoutdoorsandexposeittotheelements,itwilldroopandwilt.Soitiswithyou.That’sonlynaturandnotyourfaultatall.“

    “Really?Thenwhataboutyou?”askedCharinacuriously.“Isawyoulyingfastasleeponthesoiluheshadowoftherosebushesandwasafraidyoumightcatchcetarthritisdoingso.Howeyouarenotaffected?”

    “Don’tfetthatIhavebeenlivingthisnomadlifeforalong,longtime”expinedDimitriwryly,“soIamusedtotheharshenvirosandisnotthataffectedbythehotandcoldweather.Iamlikeamigratorybirdthatmoveswiththeweather.Everyyeararoundspringandsummer,Iflyherefromfaradflybackthereagainwhenfalles.”

    “Whereareyougoing?”askedCharinatenselygrabbingholdofhisarm.“Willyoubegoingtosomefarace?Ifyoudo,pleasedon’tfettotakemewithyou.”

    “Ohno,noI’mnotgoinganywhere”repliedDimitripattingherwhite,ivorylikehandsfly.“Iwilljustbetakingyouhome.eodresseda’sgetgoingandnotmakeyourcoldworsethanitalreadyis.”IntelligentlittledogMaureeoddlinguptoitsmistressdraggingherold,d