gsomedishespreparedforthemwhiletheywaitedataeroftherooheyeitherhadjobsorhadfoundtheirownnilifesothegloryoftheirformerlifewasnomore.Theexquisitelyremodeledhousedoorhadnotbeeedoutbutnowstoodemptyandunused.JamazandBig-OsatinRichard’soldvehicledoingsurveilnce.Fromtimetotimetheywouldstartupthedpatrolthesurroundihelookoutforanyunusuactivities.OfcoursetheywouldbenotifiedoftheresultsofthemeetingbyRichardorMr.Kaffee.Justaseveryonewasgettingimpatient,DwarfMickeycamerushingintothebakerythroughthebackgate,hisheadandfacewetwithperspiration,shouting

    “Mr.Fingerhadousforafewhours,butlookattheturmoilhehascaused!Heisreallyatrouble-maker!”Alleyesturohim.

    “”Don’tbeinsuchahurry.Takeyourtime,”saidMr.Kaffeesmiling.“esitdowakearestbeforespeakingtous.”

    “Haveadrinkbeforewetalk”saidRichardpagssofliquorforhim.“Whateveritis,weareallhereandputourheadstogetherandhelpetoaclusion.”DwarfMickeyacceptedthegss,fiinonequaffandthensaid,

    “WedoolookforthatlittlemanMr.Fingeranymore.IbelievehehasgonebacktotheKingdomofDreamsbecauseonlytherehefindhiswoman.Inourworldtherearenolittlewomenofhissize.Heisreallyobsessedaboutwomenandmusthavegoneback.”

    “Iheardhimsaidhehasabeautifulbride,calledVio”saidRichard.“Idon’tbelieveshecamebacktoourworldwithhim.Hemusthavegonebacktoher.”Theotherswereallverymuchsurprisedattheturs.

    3

    “TheKingdomofDreamsandtheworldwearelivinginnowareintwodifferentdimensionsoftime.Thetimeframeispletelydifferent.ThoughMr.Fingerhadousforafewhours,intheKingdomofDreamsitisalreadyquitealongperiodoftime.Duringthistime,earth-shakinggeshadtakehere.Ifeelgesintheshelloftheearthasimmehosecausedbyearthquakes.Becauseofthatthetreasurestolenfrommeaturyagohadresurfaced.ItracedittoDimitri’sKingdomofDreamswheretheclueended.IhavealwayssuspectedthatthethiefhaddiedandhadnowreinatedtoanotherlifeintheKingdomofDreamsbecausehewasnotwillingtogiveupthetreasure.Ihavewonderedforalongtimewhothethiefcouldbe.Ihaveiigatedaedallsuspects.TheonlypossibilitythatremainedisMr.Finger’snewbride.”

    “Thetwoofthemareextremelysuitableandshouldbeveryhappytogether”saidMr.Kaffee.“Whatmorecouldtheywant?Whatdotheywanttodo?”

    “I’mafraidthingsarenotthatsimple”saidRichardaontotellhowheandJamazmetSalina.Theothersalsofeltthemeetingwasnotactandthattherewasmuchthatobecleared.TheywereafraiditlottogetinformationaboutDimitriandthewhereaboutsofhistwenty-fourbeautiesthroughhisfriendsRichardandJamaz.

    “Ifthat’sthecase,I’mafraidtheyhavealreadymovedpartofmytreasuretothismundaneworldandmaybeintendingtomovestillmorehere”saidDwarfMickeyafterlisteningtoRichard’sreport.TurningtoMegginnheasked,“KingDimitri’sfinancialempiremayhavecolpsed,butsurelythereisstillsomecapitalleftsomewherethatweuse.Howmuchdoyouthinkwewegetourhandson?”Megginn’sexpressionturnedsomberasshereplied,

    “EversingDimitri’sfinancialempirecolpsed,hisemissariesthroughouttheworldwhohadtresumsofhismoneydecredtheirindependendseveredalltactwiththeKingdom.Whentheyheardthehathehadmysteriouslydisappearedintothinair,theyaddedfueltothefire

gsomedishespreparedforthemwhiletheywaitedataeroftherooheyeitherhadjobsorhadfoundtheirownnilifesothegloryoftheirformerlifewasnomore.Theexquisitelyremodeledhousedoorhadnotbeeedoutbutnowstoodemptyandunused.JamazandBig-OsatinRichard’soldvehicledoingsurveilnce.Fromtimetotimetheywouldstartupthedpatrolthesurroundihelookoutforanyunusuactivities.OfcoursetheywouldbenotifiedoftheresultsofthemeetingbyRichardorMr.Kaffee.Justaseveryonewasgettingimpatient,DwarfMickeycamerushingintothebakerythroughthebackgate,hisheadandfacewetwithperspiration,shouting

    “Mr.Fingerhadousforafewhours,butlookattheturmoilhehascaused!Heisreallyatrouble-maker!”Alleyesturohim.

    “”Don’tbeinsuchahurry.Takeyourtime,”saidMr.Kaffeesmiling.“esitdowakearestbeforespeakingtous.”

    “Haveadrinkbeforewetalk”saidRichardpagssofliquorforhim.“Whateveritis,weareallhereandputourheadstogetherandhelpetoaclusion.”DwarfMickeyacceptedthegss,fiinonequaffandthensaid,

    “WedoolookforthatlittlemanMr.Fingeranymore.IbelievehehasgonebacktotheKingdomofDreamsbecauseonlytherehefindhiswoman.Inourworldtherearenolittlewomenofhissize.Heisreallyobsessedaboutwomenandmusthavegoneback.”

    “Iheardhimsaidhehasabeautifulbride,calledVio”saidRichard.“Idon’tbelieveshecamebacktoourworldwithhim.Hemusthavegonebacktoher.”Theotherswereallverymuchsurprisedattheturs.

    3

    “TheKingdomofDreamsandtheworldwearelivinginnowareintwodifferentdimensionsoftime.Thetimeframeispletelydifferent.ThoughMr.Fingerhadousforafewhours,intheKingdomofDreamsitisalreadyquitealongperiodoftime.Duringthistime,earth-shakinggeshadtakehere.Ifeelgesintheshelloftheearthasimmehosecausedbyearthquakes.Becauseofthatthetreasurestolenfrommeaturyagohadresurfaced.ItracedittoDimitri’sKingdomofDreamswheretheclueended.IhavealwayssuspectedthatthethiefhaddiedandhadnowreinatedtoanotherlifeintheKingdomofDreamsbecausehewasnotwillingtogiveupthetreasure.Ihavewonderedforalongtimewhothethiefcouldbe.Ihaveiigatedaedallsuspects.TheonlypossibilitythatremainedisMr.Finger’snewbride.”

    “Thetwoofthemareextremelysuitableandshouldbeveryhappytogether”saidMr.Kaffee.“Whatmorecouldtheywant?Whatdotheywanttodo?”

    “I’mafraidthingsarenotthatsimple”saidRichardaontotellhowheandJamazmetSalina.Theothersalsofeltthemeetingwasnotactandthattherewasmuchthatobecleared.TheywereafraiditlottogetinformationaboutDimitriandthewhereaboutsofhistwenty-fourbeautiesthroughhisfriendsRichardandJamaz.

    “Ifthat’sthecase,I’mafraidtheyhavealreadymovedpartofmytreasuretothismundaneworldandmaybeintendingtomovestillmorehere”saidDwarfMickeyafterlisteningtoRichard’sreport.TurningtoMegginnheasked,“KingDimitri’sfinancialempiremayhavecolpsed,butsurelythereisstillsomecapitalleftsomewherethatweuse.Howmuchdoyouthinkwewegetourhandson?”Megginn’sexpressionturnedsomberasshereplied,

    “EversingDimitri’sfinancialempirecolpsed,hisemissariesthroughouttheworldwhohadtresumsofhismoneydecredtheirindependendseveredalltactwiththeKingdom.Whentheyheardthehathehadmysteriouslydisappearedintothinair,theyaddedfueltothefire