erevening”saidAngelica,hereyesdispyingherfusionandperplexityasshebeganherrecollesofthepast.“IhadjustfinishedapoemthatIsideredmybestandwasafraidthatIwouldneveragainbeabletowriteowouldsurpassit.Inthesummerwhenroseswereinfullbloom,abrilliantshootingstarfshedoverthenightsky.Atthetime,Iwasfilledwithasenseofsadnessandthoughtthatlifeshouldendatitsmostbeautifulmomentiokeepitsbeautyandimmortalityforever.ItookupthesilverpistolIhavehadinmypossessionforalongtimeinpreparationofthedayIwaoendmylife.Iwalkedtardenandwasabouttoshootmyself,whenIcedtoahomelesspersonwhohadslippedunnotitothegardenandwassleepingthere.Ithinkyoucouldguesswhothatpersonwas.KingDimitristoppedmefromittingsuicideandtookmetohisKingdomofDreams.ThereIenteredunimaginableandmysteriousexperiehatgedmylifeforever.Inolongerbelievethatlifeshouldendatitsmostbeautifulmomentbecauselifeitselfisbeautifundbeyondparison.Itisstableandsistent.ThatishowIwenttotheKingdomofDreams…Butwhataboutyou?Whenandhowdidyougothere?”Likeastory-teller,Charinasummarizedherjourhemysteriouskingdom,andtoldofhowKingDimitriledhertend,howshelookedintheruinsoftheburntdownpaaterialshecouldwriteabout.Whenshecametothepartofhowshepersonallysurvivedahair-raisihquakeandtsunami,howtheGiantMountainbrokeintoseveralpartsandhowthegoldpaktothebottomofthewater,Angelicawassostunnedandshockedthatshestoodupandexcimed,

    “Ohmygod!Allthisistoosuddenandued!Idon’tthinkQueenAishaknowsanythingaboutthesegesintheKingdomofDreams.Let’sgoatheserethappeningstoher.”

    “It’sokay,Angelica”soothedCharina.“Thingsarenotasbadastheyseem.”ShetookoutthethreeshortlettersMedusahadsenttoKingDimitriandhahemtoherfriend,whoreadthemandwasreassuredthatthestrong,eicstrokescouldohevirilehandwritingofthebraveMedusa,ProtectoroftheKingdom.Shepattedherchestandsaid,

    14

    “Howperilousthisallwas!Sothegianthadonlygedhispositionfromlyingfaceupwardstosidewaysandnoweverythingisquietagain.That’sgood.That’sgood.ButIstillthinkweshouldgoandtelleverythingtoQueenAisha.”AngelicastuffedthethreelettersintoherbosomandaskedCharina,“Doyouhaveahandbagwhereutthesefouritems?Ithinkweshouldbringthemalongtoo.QueenAishashouldseethemastheyareproofthatyouhaveactuallybeentotheKingdomofDreams.”Angelica’swordswerejustwhatCharinahopedfor.Shebroughtoverthehandbagshehadalreadygottenreadybeforehandandputallfourthingsintoit.Thewoofthemhastilyleftthehouse.Maureenofcoursefollowedhermistresswherevershewent.

    Twomid-sizedcigaretteshadbeenlighted.DavidandDimitriweresittingbythesquareotheBartstationpuffingleisurelyandtentedly,sendingwhiffsofsmokeintotheairwheretheydisiedwithoutatrace.Itwasabright,sunnyday.Crowdsofpeoplecamea,busilygoingabouttheirbusiness.Humansarereallyastrangebreedofanimals,obsessedwithragagainsttime.Whyaretheyalwaysinahurry?Whatisthereworthyforthemtobehurrying?DisorderlyfootstepsalroundhimarousedDimitri’sihefootstepsofthosewearingtennisshoesweresoftandlightaedasqueakysoundwhenrubberrubbedagai.Somefootstepswereheavy,asifbelongingtoapersonofsuccessfuplishments,amiddle-agedmanperhapsweari

erevening”saidAngelica,hereyesdispyingherfusionandperplexityasshebeganherrecollesofthepast.“IhadjustfinishedapoemthatIsideredmybestandwasafraidthatIwouldneveragainbeabletowriteowouldsurpassit.Inthesummerwhenroseswereinfullbloom,abrilliantshootingstarfshedoverthenightsky.Atthetime,Iwasfilledwithasenseofsadnessandthoughtthatlifeshouldendatitsmostbeautifulmomentiokeepitsbeautyandimmortalityforever.ItookupthesilverpistolIhavehadinmypossessionforalongtimeinpreparationofthedayIwaoendmylife.Iwalkedtardenandwasabouttoshootmyself,whenIcedtoahomelesspersonwhohadslippedunnotitothegardenandwassleepingthere.Ithinkyoucouldguesswhothatpersonwas.KingDimitristoppedmefromittingsuicideandtookmetohisKingdomofDreams.ThereIenteredunimaginableandmysteriousexperiehatgedmylifeforever.Inolongerbelievethatlifeshouldendatitsmostbeautifulmomentbecauselifeitselfisbeautifundbeyondparison.Itisstableandsistent.ThatishowIwenttotheKingdomofDreams…Butwhataboutyou?Whenandhowdidyougothere?”Likeastory-teller,Charinasummarizedherjourhemysteriouskingdom,andtoldofhowKingDimitriledhertend,howshelookedintheruinsoftheburntdownpaaterialshecouldwriteabout.Whenshecametothepartofhowshepersonallysurvivedahair-raisihquakeandtsunami,howtheGiantMountainbrokeintoseveralpartsandhowthegoldpaktothebottomofthewater,Angelicawassostunnedandshockedthatshestoodupandexcimed,

    “Ohmygod!Allthisistoosuddenandued!Idon’tthinkQueenAishaknowsanythingaboutthesegesintheKingdomofDreams.Let’sgoatheserethappeningstoher.”

    “It’sokay,Angelica”soothedCharina.“Thingsarenotasbadastheyseem.”ShetookoutthethreeshortlettersMedusahadsenttoKingDimitriandhahemtoherfriend,whoreadthemandwasreassuredthatthestrong,eicstrokescouldohevirilehandwritingofthebraveMedusa,ProtectoroftheKingdom.Shepattedherchestandsaid,

    14

    “Howperilousthisallwas!Sothegianthadonlygedhispositionfromlyingfaceupwardstosidewaysandnoweverythingisquietagain.That’sgood.That’sgood.ButIstillthinkweshouldgoandtelleverythingtoQueenAisha.”AngelicastuffedthethreelettersintoherbosomandaskedCharina,“Doyouhaveahandbagwhereutthesefouritems?Ithinkweshouldbringthemalongtoo.QueenAishashouldseethemastheyareproofthatyouhaveactuallybeentotheKingdomofDreams.”Angelica’swordswerejustwhatCharinahopedfor.Shebroughtoverthehandbagshehadalreadygottenreadybeforehandandputallfourthingsintoit.Thewoofthemhastilyleftthehouse.Maureenofcoursefollowedhermistresswherevershewent.

    Twomid-sizedcigaretteshadbeenlighted.DavidandDimitriweresittingbythesquareotheBartstationpuffingleisurelyandtentedly,sendingwhiffsofsmokeintotheairwheretheydisiedwithoutatrace.Itwasabright,sunnyday.Crowdsofpeoplecamea,busilygoingabouttheirbusiness.Humansarereallyastrangebreedofanimals,obsessedwithragagainsttime.Whyaretheyalwaysinahurry?Whatisthereworthyforthemtobehurrying?DisorderlyfootstepsalroundhimarousedDimitri’sihefootstepsofthosewearingtennisshoesweresoftandlightaedasqueakysoundwhenrubberrubbedagai.Somefootstepswereheavy,asifbelongingtoapersonofsuccessfuplishments,amiddle-agedmanperhapsweari