Dimitri’sweather-beateuresappearedbehindthergeballofpinkcottondy.Hewaslikeachildagain,ligatthedyinhishand,savitssweettaste.Henevermissedlivelyoccasionslikethese,fullofhustleandbustle.Hewouldpushhiswayintothecrowdtolistelytotheperformance,hisfoottappingihemusidthenhewouldgetoutofthecrowdattheotherendtojoinandchatleisurelywithhiscrowdofnomadfriendswhoweresittingorlyingonthesidewalks.Tinyalmostinvisibleflowerpollenaalswereliftedintotheairbythespringbreeze.Ah,theseweregoodtimes.WhenDimitriappearednooneknewfromwhencehecameandwhenhedisappearedinthecrowdatwillnooneknewwherehehadgoo.Hewaslikeahappyfairywhohadedowhtohaveagoodtime.

    Inthisseasonofpollinatingtreesandflowers,abuscarryingonlyafewpassengerswasmovingslowlyaelyoreetsofthecity.Thedriverwasinahappymoodasheleisurelytookchargeofthesteeringwheel,geniallycallingoutgreetingsandgoodbyestothepassengersastheygotonoroffhisbus.Onsuchabrightandcheeryspringday,itwashardtobeinabadmood.Butstraosay,thecrimeandmurderrateofthiscitywasveryhighandneverseemedtodrop.It’sreallyperplexingthatinspiteofsuchbeautifulweathertherewerepeoplewhowoulditcrimesandevenmurder.Justthenashrilloldvoicesoundedfromtheseatbehindhim.

    “Excusemesir,IogetoffatBroadwayand13thStreet.Couldyoucallmewheimees?”askedanolddwarfwithalongwhitebeard.Heworeesestylepantsandshirtandamelonshapedcap,buthadnopigtail.Helookedstrangeandoutndish.

    “Suresir,noproblem.Iwillcallyouwhehere;butforyourowy,pleasedon’tleaveyourseatuntilIstopthebus”repliedthedrivergood-naturedly.Heslowlyeasedthebustoastandstilttheopandamuscurman,obviouslydrunkgoton,stillholdingahalfemptybottleofliquor.

    “Ihavenomooday.Iwillpayime”heannounahoarsevoidthenswaggeredarrogantlytowardsthebackofthebus.Thedriverreizedthemanasafrequentfree-loaderanddecidedtoputhisfootdownonhis“freerides”thistime.Hestoppedthebus.

    “Pleasedonotdisruptpublicorder”hesaidthroughhismicrophone.“Everyoneisrequiredtopayforhisticket.Ifyouwillnotdoso,pleasegetoffthebus.Iwon’tbudgeuntilyoudoso.”Theotherpassengersbegantoboo.Thedruwasdangeroustoincurpublicwrath,soheslunkoffthebusfromthebackdoor.Standingoutsideheshoutingcursesatthedriver,whoignoredhimanddroveaway.Attheophestoppedthebus,stooduptocarrythewhite-beardeddwarfinhisarmsahimdownonthesidewalk.“Haveaniceday,sir”hesaidpleasantlyae-beardeddwarfwavedhisthankstothedriverwhogotbacktohisseatanddroveaway.Hehelpedtheolddwarfbecausehewasshortinstatureandlighti,lookinglikeafive-year-oldchild.Whathedidn’tknowwasthatinthedwarf’spocketwasanotherevensmallerperserthanafinger.

    2

    Noohisspringdaywasrexedandleisurely.Pedestrianswerenotinsuchashurryandmanysatiing,drinking,chattingandughing.Richard,Jamaz,BigOandMr.KaffeenormallymeteveryotherdayastheytookturnsingforMr.FihatdayitwasRichard’sturn,butheandJamazwerecalledtowork,sotheyaskedDwarfMickeytotakeoveriakingcareofthistrouble-makinglittlemanwasask.LuckilyMr.FingerwasasleepinDwarfMickey’spocketandhadnotwokenup,sohewasabletotakeabreakandenjoysomewindowshoppioodinfrontofanoptometrist’sandlookedattheframese

Dimitri’sweather-beateuresappearedbehindthergeballofpinkcottondy.Hewaslikeachildagain,ligatthedyinhishand,savitssweettaste.Henevermissedlivelyoccasionslikethese,fullofhustleandbustle.Hewouldpushhiswayintothecrowdtolistelytotheperformance,hisfoottappingihemusidthenhewouldgetoutofthecrowdattheotherendtojoinandchatleisurelywithhiscrowdofnomadfriendswhoweresittingorlyingonthesidewalks.Tinyalmostinvisibleflowerpollenaalswereliftedintotheairbythespringbreeze.Ah,theseweregoodtimes.WhenDimitriappearednooneknewfromwhencehecameandwhenhedisappearedinthecrowdatwillnooneknewwherehehadgoo.Hewaslikeahappyfairywhohadedowhtohaveagoodtime.

    Inthisseasonofpollinatingtreesandflowers,abuscarryingonlyafewpassengerswasmovingslowlyaelyoreetsofthecity.Thedriverwasinahappymoodasheleisurelytookchargeofthesteeringwheel,geniallycallingoutgreetingsandgoodbyestothepassengersastheygotonoroffhisbus.Onsuchabrightandcheeryspringday,itwashardtobeinabadmood.Butstraosay,thecrimeandmurderrateofthiscitywasveryhighandneverseemedtodrop.It’sreallyperplexingthatinspiteofsuchbeautifulweathertherewerepeoplewhowoulditcrimesandevenmurder.Justthenashrilloldvoicesoundedfromtheseatbehindhim.

    “Excusemesir,IogetoffatBroadwayand13thStreet.Couldyoucallmewheimees?”askedanolddwarfwithalongwhitebeard.Heworeesestylepantsandshirtandamelonshapedcap,buthadnopigtail.Helookedstrangeandoutndish.

    “Suresir,noproblem.Iwillcallyouwhehere;butforyourowy,pleasedon’tleaveyourseatuntilIstopthebus”repliedthedrivergood-naturedly.Heslowlyeasedthebustoastandstilttheopandamuscurman,obviouslydrunkgoton,stillholdingahalfemptybottleofliquor.

    “Ihavenomooday.Iwillpayime”heannounahoarsevoidthenswaggeredarrogantlytowardsthebackofthebus.Thedriverreizedthemanasafrequentfree-loaderanddecidedtoputhisfootdownonhis“freerides”thistime.Hestoppedthebus.

    “Pleasedonotdisruptpublicorder”hesaidthroughhismicrophone.“Everyoneisrequiredtopayforhisticket.Ifyouwillnotdoso,pleasegetoffthebus.Iwon’tbudgeuntilyoudoso.”Theotherpassengersbegantoboo.Thedruwasdangeroustoincurpublicwrath,soheslunkoffthebusfromthebackdoor.Standingoutsideheshoutingcursesatthedriver,whoignoredhimanddroveaway.Attheophestoppedthebus,stooduptocarrythewhite-beardeddwarfinhisarmsahimdownonthesidewalk.“Haveaniceday,sir”hesaidpleasantlyae-beardeddwarfwavedhisthankstothedriverwhogotbacktohisseatanddroveaway.Hehelpedtheolddwarfbecausehewasshortinstatureandlighti,lookinglikeafive-year-oldchild.Whathedidn’tknowwasthatinthedwarf’spocketwasanotherevensmallerperserthanafinger.

    2

    Noohisspringdaywasrexedandleisurely.Pedestrianswerenotinsuchashurryandmanysatiing,drinking,chattingandughing.Richard,Jamaz,BigOandMr.KaffeenormallymeteveryotherdayastheytookturnsingforMr.FihatdayitwasRichard’sturn,butheandJamazwerecalledtowork,sotheyaskedDwarfMickeytotakeoveriakingcareofthistrouble-makinglittlemanwasask.LuckilyMr.FingerwasasleepinDwarfMickey’spocketandhadnotwokenup,sohewasabletotakeabreakandenjoysomewindowshoppioodinfrontofanoptometrist’sandlookedattheframese