rs.Ledbywewilldestroythebarbarianswhoforciblyoccupieddomandtakebackourhomendwithitsbeautifulmountainsandkes.”Dimitrismiledwrylyatherwords.

    “Ihavealromotedpeacemywholelife”hethought“andhaveakenuparmslightlybecausewarbringslossoflifewhichIamloathetosee.However,sometimeswarisiableandisthesimplestandmostdirectwaytosolvedisputes.Iwohereisawayinthisworldtosolvecrisiswithoutrestoarmsandsheddingblood.ThisisacetotestmyintelligeurningtoMedusa,heasked,“Whathavethebarbariaotely?”

    “Nothingmuch.WhiteFairyisinchargeofsurveilnddetebecauseshegeintoaflowerandhideamongrealflowersorturnintoapuffofsmokewhichisimpervioustoons.Shereportedthataftertheyoccupiedourterritoryandtookoldpace,theyseemedtobeperfectlysatisfied.Alltheydoiseat,drinkandmakemerryanddoohaveanyendaontheirminds.What’sstraheirleaders:theferociousCyclops,theseductivebutintelligentViohavenotbeeely.WhiteFairyisafraidtheyareuptonogoodandhavesteppedupsurveilnce.”

    “Theseareverycorrectstepstotake”saidDimitri.Thenhesuddenlygedthesubjedasked,“BythewayMedusa,Igotthemessageyousentme.DoyouknowwhyZeus,theKingofgodswantstoseeme?Whatdoeshewanttodiscusswithme?”

    “Isupposeit‘sthatmagnifitgoldpaceagain.Vio,thatbewitgandviciouswomahebarbarianstotearofftheironthatwecoatedthegoldpacewith.NowadaysthesolidgoldpaceisagainshiningbrilliantlyuhesunandmusthavesparkedoffthejealeoftheKingofgods.Ithistoseeyouandtakeyoutotaskfornotfulfillingyourpromisetocoverupthegoldpace.”

    “That’sanotherheadache”sighedDimitrishakinghishead.“Anyway,IwillebackmyselftotheKingdomatthesuitabletimeandsolvethesedifficultproblems.”

    “Yourmajesty,thedayisbreakingandIhadbetterleaveorthesightofmewouldarmtheresidentshere.”

    “Sure.YouleavefirstandIwillebacktotheKingdomassoonasIhavedealtwithsomeproblemshere.”

    2

    “Takecareofyourself,yourmajesty”saidMedusa,lookingattheblindhomelessmanstoopingataerofthestreet.Hisclothesweredipidatedandhisfaceweather-beaten.WhowouldhaveguessedthathewasKingDimitri,nobleasapoetandbelovedofallthepeopleinhisKingdom?“Don’tfetthatyourpeopleareingtheirneckswaitingforyoutoreturnaheminthefightagainsttheaggressorsandrebuildtheirhomend.”Sayingso,sheopenedherarmsandherbodyfloatedupwards.Theurnedasomersault,gedagaintoahugeserpent-hairedbckbirdandsoaredstraightupswiftlyintotheskies.Actually,whileDimitritookashortnaponCharina’ssofaearlierinthenight,hemadeuseoftheopportunitytogobacktohisKingdomofDreamsandarrangedanddirectedahair-raisingsario.ThereheactallydiscoveredthesecretloveaffairbetweenMedusaandWhiteFairy,whichhedidnotwishtodealwithitatthetime,soheburieditihofhisheart.Thedetailsofthisepisodewillgraduallyberevealedtothereaderteroninthenarrative,buttoavoidfusionastothelogicalsequenceofevents,wearefirstmentioningithereatthetimewhenitactuallyoccurred.

    AfterMedusaleftlikeawhirlwind,Dimitriremaitingattheemptystreeter,hisbackagainstthehardcoldouterwallofthedesertedwarehouse.Hewasagaihought.HewentoveriailfromtheverybeginningofhowhistwoloyalservantscreatedhisKingdomofDreamsforhihiswascarriedoutwithhisse

rs.Ledbywewilldestroythebarbarianswhoforciblyoccupieddomandtakebackourhomendwithitsbeautifulmountainsandkes.”Dimitrismiledwrylyatherwords.

    “Ihavealromotedpeacemywholelife”hethought“andhaveakenuparmslightlybecausewarbringslossoflifewhichIamloathetosee.However,sometimeswarisiableandisthesimplestandmostdirectwaytosolvedisputes.Iwohereisawayinthisworldtosolvecrisiswithoutrestoarmsandsheddingblood.ThisisacetotestmyintelligeurningtoMedusa,heasked,“Whathavethebarbariaotely?”

    “Nothingmuch.WhiteFairyisinchargeofsurveilnddetebecauseshegeintoaflowerandhideamongrealflowersorturnintoapuffofsmokewhichisimpervioustoons.Shereportedthataftertheyoccupiedourterritoryandtookoldpace,theyseemedtobeperfectlysatisfied.Alltheydoiseat,drinkandmakemerryanddoohaveanyendaontheirminds.What’sstraheirleaders:theferociousCyclops,theseductivebutintelligentViohavenotbeeely.WhiteFairyisafraidtheyareuptonogoodandhavesteppedupsurveilnce.”

    “Theseareverycorrectstepstotake”saidDimitri.Thenhesuddenlygedthesubjedasked,“BythewayMedusa,Igotthemessageyousentme.DoyouknowwhyZeus,theKingofgodswantstoseeme?Whatdoeshewanttodiscusswithme?”

    “Isupposeit‘sthatmagnifitgoldpaceagain.Vio,thatbewitgandviciouswomahebarbarianstotearofftheironthatwecoatedthegoldpacewith.NowadaysthesolidgoldpaceisagainshiningbrilliantlyuhesunandmusthavesparkedoffthejealeoftheKingofgods.Ithistoseeyouandtakeyoutotaskfornotfulfillingyourpromisetocoverupthegoldpace.”

    “That’sanotherheadache”sighedDimitrishakinghishead.“Anyway,IwillebackmyselftotheKingdomatthesuitabletimeandsolvethesedifficultproblems.”

    “Yourmajesty,thedayisbreakingandIhadbetterleaveorthesightofmewouldarmtheresidentshere.”

    “Sure.YouleavefirstandIwillebacktotheKingdomassoonasIhavedealtwithsomeproblemshere.”

    2

    “Takecareofyourself,yourmajesty”saidMedusa,lookingattheblindhomelessmanstoopingataerofthestreet.Hisclothesweredipidatedandhisfaceweather-beaten.WhowouldhaveguessedthathewasKingDimitri,nobleasapoetandbelovedofallthepeopleinhisKingdom?“Don’tfetthatyourpeopleareingtheirneckswaitingforyoutoreturnaheminthefightagainsttheaggressorsandrebuildtheirhomend.”Sayingso,sheopenedherarmsandherbodyfloatedupwards.Theurnedasomersault,gedagaintoahugeserpent-hairedbckbirdandsoaredstraightupswiftlyintotheskies.Actually,whileDimitritookashortnaponCharina’ssofaearlierinthenight,hemadeuseoftheopportunitytogobacktohisKingdomofDreamsandarrangedanddirectedahair-raisingsario.ThereheactallydiscoveredthesecretloveaffairbetweenMedusaandWhiteFairy,whichhedidnotwishtodealwithitatthetime,soheburieditihofhisheart.Thedetailsofthisepisodewillgraduallyberevealedtothereaderteroninthenarrative,buttoavoidfusionastothelogicalsequenceofevents,wearefirstmentioningithereatthetimewhenitactuallyoccurred.

    AfterMedusaleftlikeawhirlwind,Dimitriremaitingattheemptystreeter,hisbackagainstthehardcoldouterwallofthedesertedwarehouse.Hewasagaihought.HewentoveriailfromtheverybeginningofhowhistwoloyalservantscreatedhisKingdomofDreamsforhihiswascarriedoutwithhisse