sly,tothegreatperplexityandsternationofthefewstoreowhere.Theapartmentsintheareaweremorenumerousandwereheavilysecuredwiththefrontdoorslockedatalltimes.ThepossibilityofMr.Fingerslippinginwasent.Thelittlemanest,creatingtroubleanddiscordeverywherehewent,butatthesametimehealshtughterandlivelinessintotheirlives.Thewickedideasandtridtheoddremarkshispeculiarmindcameupwithoftehemsplittheirsideswithughter.HewasgreatlylovedbyDimitriwhodidnotseverelyreprimandhimevenwhenhealmhthisKingdomofDreamstothebrinkofcolpsethroughhisdastardlytricks.Dimitri’sloveremainedunabatedinspiteofeverything,sohisfriendswereworriedabouthowtoatforMr.Finger’sdisappearance.

    3

    SuddenlyDwarfMickey’schestfeltasifithadbeenheavilyhitbysomething.Hisheartpoundedrapidlyandirregurlyandhisinternalaohavebeenturopsy-turvy.Hebckedoutandcolpsedwithathudtotheground.Theothersimmediatelyrushedover,callinghisnamerepeatedly,somemassaginghischestandsomepoundinghimontheback.AfterawhileDwarfMickeycameto,buthiseyesstaredunseeinglystraightaheadattheskieswhilehemurmured,“Whataterriblemess!Earth-shakinggeshavehappenedinKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams!Thatthief,thatrobberwhostolemytreasurehasre-appeared.Ihavewaitedforalmostaturyforhim.”Theothersweremystifiedbyhisalmostimutterings,notuandingwhattheymeant.Theyheardhimgoontosay,“Hemayusemytreasuretocauseasedtsunamiintheeicworld.Imuststopthembeforetheybegin;otherwisethepeoplewouldsufferandtheworldwouldghanothereiccrisis.”HestoodupslowlyandsaidtoDorna,

    “Quick.GoquicklytoMegginnandSamantha,KingDimitri’schieffinancialofficers.TellthemtomeetmeatDream-MakersBakery.Ialktothemassoonaspossible.”

    “Yessir,Iwilldosoatonce”repliedDornaobediently.“ShallInotifyAishaaswell?Sheisthequeendom.”

    “herbeforthemoment”repliedDwarfMickeyafteramomentofthought.“Letthebeautifundnoblequeenstayhappilyimmersedintheseaofacademicresearch.Wewillnotifyherwhenitisnecessary.Ihaveotherthingstoattendtoandmustleavenow.Meetmeatthebakery.”Sayingso,heleftwithoutanotherword.

    Thestscarletcloudsiernskies,solikethedrunkenblushoftheimperiale,disappearedinthedeepeningdusk.Theroarofpowerfulenginesrockedtheairasaluxurious,streamlinedairpneappearedandslowlytoucheddown.Itranoremelystraightrunwaytowardstheotherend.Afteritsloweddown,itmadeaturnandfourpowerfullightssho.Thepneslippedontotheapronandcametoastand-still.AdderushedovertothedoorofthepnewhichopenedandMegginnwalkeddownitlookiremelygauntandtired,herloifulhairblownaboutbythestrongwind.Wheotheststep,sheturhecrewwhocamedownbehindher,shooktheirhandsandsaidgoodbye.ShetookastlookatthepneespeciallyassighepresidentofWorldBankandwavedgoodbyetoit,whilethecrewsalutedherforthesttime.Thedaythepnewouldhaveanewboss.

    Megginnwalkedquicklytothebrandnew,luxuriousaerodynamicracecarthatwaswaitingforherattheparkiwasevidentlyaremelyexpensivedifitcouldfly,itwouldprobablybenoslowerthanthatphadjusttoucheddownhere.Meggihedoorofthedealmosthalfreing.Theenginerevveduplikeadozenyousrinunisonaookoffatanarminglyfastpace.Thedriverwasheroldpartner,vice-presid

sly,tothegreatperplexityandsternationofthefewstoreowhere.Theapartmentsintheareaweremorenumerousandwereheavilysecuredwiththefrontdoorslockedatalltimes.ThepossibilityofMr.Fingerslippinginwasent.Thelittlemanest,creatingtroubleanddiscordeverywherehewent,butatthesametimehealshtughterandlivelinessintotheirlives.Thewickedideasandtridtheoddremarkshispeculiarmindcameupwithoftehemsplittheirsideswithughter.HewasgreatlylovedbyDimitriwhodidnotseverelyreprimandhimevenwhenhealmhthisKingdomofDreamstothebrinkofcolpsethroughhisdastardlytricks.Dimitri’sloveremainedunabatedinspiteofeverything,sohisfriendswereworriedabouthowtoatforMr.Finger’sdisappearance.

    3

    SuddenlyDwarfMickey’schestfeltasifithadbeenheavilyhitbysomething.Hisheartpoundedrapidlyandirregurlyandhisinternalaohavebeenturopsy-turvy.Hebckedoutandcolpsedwithathudtotheground.Theothersimmediatelyrushedover,callinghisnamerepeatedly,somemassaginghischestandsomepoundinghimontheback.AfterawhileDwarfMickeycameto,buthiseyesstaredunseeinglystraightaheadattheskieswhilehemurmured,“Whataterriblemess!Earth-shakinggeshavehappenedinKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams!Thatthief,thatrobberwhostolemytreasurehasre-appeared.Ihavewaitedforalmostaturyforhim.”Theothersweremystifiedbyhisalmostimutterings,notuandingwhattheymeant.Theyheardhimgoontosay,“Hemayusemytreasuretocauseasedtsunamiintheeicworld.Imuststopthembeforetheybegin;otherwisethepeoplewouldsufferandtheworldwouldghanothereiccrisis.”HestoodupslowlyandsaidtoDorna,

    “Quick.GoquicklytoMegginnandSamantha,KingDimitri’schieffinancialofficers.TellthemtomeetmeatDream-MakersBakery.Ialktothemassoonaspossible.”

    “Yessir,Iwilldosoatonce”repliedDornaobediently.“ShallInotifyAishaaswell?Sheisthequeendom.”

    “herbeforthemoment”repliedDwarfMickeyafteramomentofthought.“Letthebeautifundnoblequeenstayhappilyimmersedintheseaofacademicresearch.Wewillnotifyherwhenitisnecessary.Ihaveotherthingstoattendtoandmustleavenow.Meetmeatthebakery.”Sayingso,heleftwithoutanotherword.

    Thestscarletcloudsiernskies,solikethedrunkenblushoftheimperiale,disappearedinthedeepeningdusk.Theroarofpowerfulenginesrockedtheairasaluxurious,streamlinedairpneappearedandslowlytoucheddown.Itranoremelystraightrunwaytowardstheotherend.Afteritsloweddown,itmadeaturnandfourpowerfullightssho.Thepneslippedontotheapronandcametoastand-still.AdderushedovertothedoorofthepnewhichopenedandMegginnwalkeddownitlookiremelygauntandtired,herloifulhairblownaboutbythestrongwind.Wheotheststep,sheturhecrewwhocamedownbehindher,shooktheirhandsandsaidgoodbye.ShetookastlookatthepneespeciallyassighepresidentofWorldBankandwavedgoodbyetoit,whilethecrewsalutedherforthesttime.Thedaythepnewouldhaveanewboss.

    Megginnwalkedquicklytothebrandnew,luxuriousaerodynamicracecarthatwaswaitingforherattheparkiwasevidentlyaremelyexpensivedifitcouldfly,itwouldprobablybenoslowerthanthatphadjusttoucheddownhere.Meggihedoorofthedealmosthalfreing.Theenginerevveduplikeadozenyousrinunisonaookoffatanarminglyfastpace.Thedriverwasheroldpartner,vice-presid