ndgamesisjustpartofhumannatureandDimitriisnoexception…AhomelessblindmanlikeDimitrilovestodreamandusedreamstowhileawaythetimethathangsheavyonhishands;forwhatelseisthereforamaodo?Forwhileheisablind,homelesspersoninthisamundaneworld,intheKingdomofDreamsheisamightyking,richasMidas.Itishardtosaywhetherheisaluckyguyoralucklessperson.”DwarfMickeyughedwryly.Behindhimcamethefamiliarsoundofacarbrakingandheknewwhoitwaswithoutturninghishead.Everysinglescrearepartsinthatdipidatedpick-uptrukedandrattledwhenthecarwasinmotion.Theonlythingthatdidn’tmakeasoundwasthehorn.RichardandJamazwalkeduptohim.

    “Hey,DwarfMickey”saidRichard“Whatareyoudoinghere?WasthatDimitriwhojustleft?Ithoughtthatretreatingbacklookedfamiliar.Howehehasalittledogwithhim?Whosedogwasthat?WasthatmanreallyDimitri?”DwarfMickeyturnedaroundandraisedhisheadtolookathistwotall,stalwartfriends.

    “I’lnsweryourquestionster.Dimitrileftinahurrytosolveadifficultproblemthathadbeengivinghimalotofheadaches.HeistryingtountieaGordianknotwhichheientlytiedwithsomeo’snotdistracthim…”Sayingso,heshookhisheadrepeatedlywithaicalsmile.RichardandJamazexgedaknowingghetwoofthemhadbeenpartnersforsolongthattheycoulduandeachotherwithoutwords.

    “Hey,Dwarf”saidRichard,“Youseemdepressed.Let’sgoandhaveagoodtime;that’llcheeryouup.eoothecar.”DwarfMickeygotintothesilendsatbetweewofriends.Richardstarteduphisracketyjalopywhereeverythingrattledandonlythehornwassilent.Theyhadonlydrivenashortdistanceolicecarpassedby.Therewerefourpoliinitandtwoofthemturogreatthedipidatedpickuptruck.Richardkeptsalutihhishandinapologybecausenooneinhiscarwaswearibelt.However,thepolievidentlyhadbetterthingstodoandhadnotimetodealwithminormisdemeanors,sotheydroveoffinahurry.

    Thesunwasslowlygoingdowniandthedaywasdrawingtoaclose.Richard

    drovetowardsadistrictwherestreet-walkersgathered.Hereandthereoreets,stily-dressedhookersstoodonerstryingtodrumupbusiness.Richardstoppedhisdwalkedtowardsabeautifulyoungwoman,whoseshortaightclothingfullyexposedhersexyandcurvaceousfigure,andsaidcasually,

    4

    “Heybabe,areyounewhere?Ihaven’tseenyouaroundbefore.How’sbusihisevening?”TheyoungwomanlookedatRichardeatyandwhoseclothesweredirtyandoily.Hecertainlydidnotlooklikeagoodprospect.Sheghetalndmuscurbstandingbesidehim,justasbadlydressedaainlydidnotlooklikeagoodguy.

    “Noneofyourbusiness”sherepliedshortly.“Arethetwoofyoucops?”

    “Ohno,no’repliedRichard.“Dowelooklikecops?Wearejustmenwholiketowalkaroundhereandbringyougirlsbusiness,especiallyfreshmeatlikeyou.Howaboutit?Wanttogetinmycar?”Thegirlwasyoungbutseemedtoknowherwayaround.Shecertainlywasn’tabouttogetintothecarjustlikethat.

    “Waogetintoyourcar?That’spossible,butIdon’tlikeyourold,broken-doy.Ifyouwaogowithyou,gogetaralonglimousine!”

    “You’rekidding!Alimousine?”repliedRichardsarcastically.“DoIlooklikeaguywhoownsalimousine?AndevenifIdo,areyouworthyofsuchacar?”

    “Ifyoudon’thavealimousine,justgetoutofhere.Scram!Don’tblockmybusiness.”

    Atthisjunctureitwashardtosaywhethertheversationwasb

ndgamesisjustpartofhumannatureandDimitriisnoexception…AhomelessblindmanlikeDimitrilovestodreamandusedreamstowhileawaythetimethathangsheavyonhishands;forwhatelseisthereforamaodo?Forwhileheisablind,homelesspersoninthisamundaneworld,intheKingdomofDreamsheisamightyking,richasMidas.Itishardtosaywhetherheisaluckyguyoralucklessperson.”DwarfMickeyughedwryly.Behindhimcamethefamiliarsoundofacarbrakingandheknewwhoitwaswithoutturninghishead.Everysinglescrearepartsinthatdipidatedpick-uptrukedandrattledwhenthecarwasinmotion.Theonlythingthatdidn’tmakeasoundwasthehorn.RichardandJamazwalkeduptohim.

    “Hey,DwarfMickey”saidRichard“Whatareyoudoinghere?WasthatDimitriwhojustleft?Ithoughtthatretreatingbacklookedfamiliar.Howehehasalittledogwithhim?Whosedogwasthat?WasthatmanreallyDimitri?”DwarfMickeyturnedaroundandraisedhisheadtolookathistwotall,stalwartfriends.

    “I’lnsweryourquestionster.Dimitrileftinahurrytosolveadifficultproblemthathadbeengivinghimalotofheadaches.HeistryingtountieaGordianknotwhichheientlytiedwithsomeo’snotdistracthim…”Sayingso,heshookhisheadrepeatedlywithaicalsmile.RichardandJamazexgedaknowingghetwoofthemhadbeenpartnersforsolongthattheycoulduandeachotherwithoutwords.

    “Hey,Dwarf”saidRichard,“Youseemdepressed.Let’sgoandhaveagoodtime;that’llcheeryouup.eoothecar.”DwarfMickeygotintothesilendsatbetweewofriends.Richardstarteduphisracketyjalopywhereeverythingrattledandonlythehornwassilent.Theyhadonlydrivenashortdistanceolicecarpassedby.Therewerefourpoliinitandtwoofthemturogreatthedipidatedpickuptruck.Richardkeptsalutihhishandinapologybecausenooneinhiscarwaswearibelt.However,thepolievidentlyhadbetterthingstodoandhadnotimetodealwithminormisdemeanors,sotheydroveoffinahurry.

    Thesunwasslowlygoingdowniandthedaywasdrawingtoaclose.Richard

    drovetowardsadistrictwherestreet-walkersgathered.Hereandthereoreets,stily-dressedhookersstoodonerstryingtodrumupbusiness.Richardstoppedhisdwalkedtowardsabeautifulyoungwoman,whoseshortaightclothingfullyexposedhersexyandcurvaceousfigure,andsaidcasually,

    4

    “Heybabe,areyounewhere?Ihaven’tseenyouaroundbefore.How’sbusihisevening?”TheyoungwomanlookedatRichardeatyandwhoseclothesweredirtyandoily.Hecertainlydidnotlooklikeagoodprospect.Sheghetalndmuscurbstandingbesidehim,justasbadlydressedaainlydidnotlooklikeagoodguy.

    “Noneofyourbusiness”sherepliedshortly.“Arethetwoofyoucops?”

    “Ohno,no’repliedRichard.“Dowelooklikecops?Wearejustmenwholiketowalkaroundhereandbringyougirlsbusiness,especiallyfreshmeatlikeyou.Howaboutit?Wanttogetinmycar?”Thegirlwasyoungbutseemedtoknowherwayaround.Shecertainlywasn’tabouttogetintothecarjustlikethat.

    “Waogetintoyourcar?That’spossible,butIdon’tlikeyourold,broken-doy.Ifyouwaogowithyou,gogetaralonglimousine!”

    “You’rekidding!Alimousine?”repliedRichardsarcastically.“DoIlooklikeaguywhoownsalimousine?AndevenifIdo,areyouworthyofsuchacar?”

    “Ifyoudon’thavealimousine,justgetoutofhere.Scram!Don’tblockmybusiness.”

    Atthisjunctureitwashardtosaywhethertheversationwasb