.IregretmypartinthefallofKingDimitri’sempire.Givemeasedce.”

    “Letmethink,littlegirl”saidDwarfMickeywhoseemedtohavetakenaspeciallikingtonaughtygirlDoredherontheheadsaying,“Iwillgiveyouadetailedlistofstocksbondsandotheroditieseverymonth,tellingyouwhiestobuyorselodoso.Youjusthavetocarryoutmyordersfaithfullyandsoonwewouldhavequicklyaccumutedahugeamountofcapital…”ThenturningtoMegginnandSamantha,hesaid,“Theepwilldependonyoutwo.Megginn,youareainfinandknowmorethanIinthisfield.Whatdoyouthinkweshoulddo?”Megginnbitherlowerlipinthoughtforawhilebeforesaying,

    “IwanttobuybackortakeovertheenterprisesthatusedtobelongtoKingDimitri.ThenIwilldealwiththoseemissariesallovertheworldwhowereissioakeitri’sassetsbutinsteadbetrayedhim.Byhookorbycrook,Iwilldealthemasevereblowontheheadatheyreceivetheirjustdesertsandareseverelypunished.”

    40页

    “Good.Good”saidDwarfMickey.“Youjustmissedohing.Youmustpaygreatattentiontothefinancialmarketathethiefwhostolemytreasurefromusingittocreatehavocresultinginanotherfinancialtsunami.Thisissomethingyoumustremembertokeepinmind.”ThenturningtoSamanthahesaid,“Iamsureyouknowverywellwhatyourpartinallthisis.Yileandflexiblesocialskillsbefullydispyedandwillbemueed.”

    “Whataboutme?”askedRichard.“Givemesomethingtodo,too.Ihavealotoftimeonmyhands.”

    “Don’tworry.Yourptewillbemorethanfulndyourtroubleswillbelegiontoo”saidDwarfMickeylookingveryseriousandsolemellyou.IbelievethatMr.Fingerandhisso-calledbrideViohavereturhismundaneworld.Mr.Finger’sappearancehasbeelyaltered.Hehassomehowacquiredtheabilitytogethesizeofhisbodyatwill.Heowtaketheshapeofanormal-sizedman,talndmuscur.Whatisworse,hehasgottenholdofanartifactwhichlookslikeanoldrustybrooise,buthasapotentmixtureofpowderstoredisinterior.Whenspurtedonitsvictim,thispowdercouldcausethepersontoberenderedunsciousandbeepletelyvulnerable,uoprotectherself.I’mafraidhewouldusethisonKingDimitri’stwenty-fourbeautiesialiation.Yourjobistoprotectthetwenty-fourbeauties.Isthisworkimportantenoughforyou?”Hisaudienoreturnedsilent,theirhighspiritsdampenedbyhisominouswords.

    “WhereisKingDimitri?”askedMr.Kaffee.“Whyisn’thebackherewtogetherwithustopullthroughthiscrisis?”

    “Ibelieveheisalreadybadwilppearatthesuitabletime.IamstillmystifiedaboutwhatreallyhappenedinKingDimitri’sKingdomtocausetheshelloftheearththeretoundergosuchdrastiges.”

    Uponwaking,Mr.Fingerfoundhimselflyingonasoft,fortablebed.Lookingaroundtheroominthegloaminglight,hesawminiaturetables,chairs,dressersandallkindsoffurnituredecoratingthesmallroom.Inaertherewereearthentainersusedtostorewine.Why,thiswastheloveheandViohadbuilttogether!HehadreturoKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams.TheodorofdegflowerpetalstoldMr.FihatquitesometimehadpassedsinceViostvisitedthetreeholehouseshebuiltwithherownhands.Hesatupandwalkedovertothetreeholetopeekoutattheworldoutsideinthefaintlight.Thesethatmethiseyescausedhimtoblinkinsurprise.Inthedeheoutlookseemedtohavegedsiderably.Normallyeveninthedefogorhts,theshapeofGiantMountainwasclearlydisableiancelikeagiantlyingh

.IregretmypartinthefallofKingDimitri’sempire.Givemeasedce.”

    “Letmethink,littlegirl”saidDwarfMickeywhoseemedtohavetakenaspeciallikingtonaughtygirlDoredherontheheadsaying,“Iwillgiveyouadetailedlistofstocksbondsandotheroditieseverymonth,tellingyouwhiestobuyorselodoso.Youjusthavetocarryoutmyordersfaithfullyandsoonwewouldhavequicklyaccumutedahugeamountofcapital…”ThenturningtoMegginnandSamantha,hesaid,“Theepwilldependonyoutwo.Megginn,youareainfinandknowmorethanIinthisfield.Whatdoyouthinkweshoulddo?”Megginnbitherlowerlipinthoughtforawhilebeforesaying,

    “IwanttobuybackortakeovertheenterprisesthatusedtobelongtoKingDimitri.ThenIwilldealwiththoseemissariesallovertheworldwhowereissioakeitri’sassetsbutinsteadbetrayedhim.Byhookorbycrook,Iwilldealthemasevereblowontheheadatheyreceivetheirjustdesertsandareseverelypunished.”

    40页

    “Good.Good”saidDwarfMickey.“Youjustmissedohing.Youmustpaygreatattentiontothefinancialmarketathethiefwhostolemytreasurefromusingittocreatehavocresultinginanotherfinancialtsunami.Thisissomethingyoumustremembertokeepinmind.”ThenturningtoSamanthahesaid,“Iamsureyouknowverywellwhatyourpartinallthisis.Yileandflexiblesocialskillsbefullydispyedandwillbemueed.”

    “Whataboutme?”askedRichard.“Givemesomethingtodo,too.Ihavealotoftimeonmyhands.”

    “Don’tworry.Yourptewillbemorethanfulndyourtroubleswillbelegiontoo”saidDwarfMickeylookingveryseriousandsolemellyou.IbelievethatMr.Fingerandhisso-calledbrideViohavereturhismundaneworld.Mr.Finger’sappearancehasbeelyaltered.Hehassomehowacquiredtheabilitytogethesizeofhisbodyatwill.Heowtaketheshapeofanormal-sizedman,talndmuscur.Whatisworse,hehasgottenholdofanartifactwhichlookslikeanoldrustybrooise,buthasapotentmixtureofpowderstoredisinterior.Whenspurtedonitsvictim,thispowdercouldcausethepersontoberenderedunsciousandbeepletelyvulnerable,uoprotectherself.I’mafraidhewouldusethisonKingDimitri’stwenty-fourbeautiesialiation.Yourjobistoprotectthetwenty-fourbeauties.Isthisworkimportantenoughforyou?”Hisaudienoreturnedsilent,theirhighspiritsdampenedbyhisominouswords.

    “WhereisKingDimitri?”askedMr.Kaffee.“Whyisn’thebackherewtogetherwithustopullthroughthiscrisis?”

    “Ibelieveheisalreadybadwilppearatthesuitabletime.IamstillmystifiedaboutwhatreallyhappenedinKingDimitri’sKingdomtocausetheshelloftheearththeretoundergosuchdrastiges.”

    Uponwaking,Mr.Fingerfoundhimselflyingonasoft,fortablebed.Lookingaroundtheroominthegloaminglight,hesawminiaturetables,chairs,dressersandallkindsoffurnituredecoratingthesmallroom.Inaertherewereearthentainersusedtostorewine.Why,thiswastheloveheandViohadbuilttogether!HehadreturoKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams.TheodorofdegflowerpetalstoldMr.FihatquitesometimehadpassedsinceViostvisitedthetreeholehouseshebuiltwithherownhands.Hesatupandwalkedovertothetreeholetopeekoutattheworldoutsideinthefaintlight.Thesethatmethiseyescausedhimtoblinkinsurprise.Inthedeheoutlookseemedtohavegedsiderably.Normallyeveninthedefogorhts,theshapeofGiantMountainwasclearlydisableiancelikeagiantlyingh