howcuteyouare.”

    “DwarfMickeytoldusalboutyou,abouthowbraveandcleveryouweretosaveyourmistress.Youarereallyspecial!”Satisfiedbybeingmademuaureenpyasthethreefriends.Richardcarriedthelittledogonhisshoulderssaying,

    “IknowgreatgeshavetakenpydomofDreams.Weherearedoingourbesttohelpre-establishyourfinancialempire.Everyonehasbeenwhardandwehaveestablishedsecretheadquarterhere.”

    “Iheardthatyouarehavingsometroublewithsomeenemiesandthatyouiomeetthemtonight.Areyougoingtofightwiththem?JustleavetheselittlethingstoJamazandme.Youdon’thavetodealwiththemyourselfatall.Ifyouthiwoofusarenotenough,IcallBig-O.”

    “Don’tworry’smiledDimitri.“Iamnotgoingtofightaonight.Iamjustmeetingwithtwolittlepeopleandhaveaheart-to-hearttalkwiththehat’ssettledeverythingwouldbefine.Ohyes,atthemomentIhaveaproblemthatyouguyshelpmewith.”

    “Sure,anythingyousay”repliedthetwooftheminachorus.“Saythewordanditwillbedone.”

    “Iosendmytlefriendbaetohismistress.HehasbeenwithmethewholeafternoonandIamsuresheisworriedandmissinghim.”

    “Noproblem.Butwheredowetakehimto?Wheredoeshismistresslive?”

    5

    “Idon’treallyknowtheexactaddress…”saidDimitri.“HeyMaureen,youknowyourwaybae,right?”Maureenbarkedasifsayingindignantlyofcoursehedid,howcouldacleverdoglikehimnotknowhiswayhome?“Wellthen,Maureen,yougointotheircarwiththem.Ifyouwaur,looktotheleftandbarktwice.Ifyouwaurnright,lookthtandbarktwice.Ifyouwaoght,thenlohtaheadandbarktwice.Ifyouwaostop,barkthreetimes.Wouldthatdo?”Maureenbarkedhisagreement.Turningtohisfriends,Dimitrisaid,“AfterIamfinishedhere,Imayhavetoetardeeandstayforafewdays.BeingoreetsalldayincreasesmyeetingothermembersoftheKingdom.Doyouwele?”

    “Hey,man”saidJamazhittingDimitriontheshoulder“Doyoueveoask?”

    “We’llleaveyouthenandwaitforyouathome”saidRichard.CarryingMaureenonhisshouldershewalkedtowardshiscar.MaureenbarkedatDimitriasifsayinggoodbye.Dimitriwavedatthemuntilheheardthecarstartup,makeaquickturnanddriveoff.ThedipidatedpickuptrukedandrattleditswaydowreetwithlittleMaureeing.Soonhewouldbejumpingintohismistress’sarms.

    “DidyounoticethatDimitriseemeddistressed?”askedJamaz.“Iwonderwhathewouldbefagtonightandwhatknothehopestountie.Hedidn’twantourhelpbutIworrythathemaybeindanger.”

    “Don’tworryabouthim,brother”repliedRichardoptimistically.“Heisarealman,ofabreedapartfromusandhastheproteofthegods.Don’tworry.Hewilleoutsafelyfromanydanger.Nothingstophim.”

    Dimitritemporarilyiddowntheheavyburdensonhisshouldersforamomentofpeadquiet.Byforceofhabithewalkedtowardsareeter.Hestoodbeforeastorethathadalreadyclosedupfortheday.Heneverknewwhatmerdiseitsold.Itwasolythathefoundouttheysoldallkindsinkcartridgeforputersandprinters,carryingargevarietyofinkofallbrands.Dimitriwasnotfamiliarwiththebyproductsofthemostadvancedbranchesofsdhadnoiihereasonhecameherewasbecauseeveryafternoonatduskwhenalltheshopscloseddownitracticetimeforthepianistwholivedonthesedfloorapartmentwhichhadaseparatestairexttothestore.Dimitriwouldsitonthegroundoutsideandlistentoafreecertofhighqualitymusic

howcuteyouare.”

    “DwarfMickeytoldusalboutyou,abouthowbraveandcleveryouweretosaveyourmistress.Youarereallyspecial!”Satisfiedbybeingmademuaureenpyasthethreefriends.Richardcarriedthelittledogonhisshoulderssaying,

    “IknowgreatgeshavetakenpydomofDreams.Weherearedoingourbesttohelpre-establishyourfinancialempire.Everyonehasbeenwhardandwehaveestablishedsecretheadquarterhere.”

    “Iheardthatyouarehavingsometroublewithsomeenemiesandthatyouiomeetthemtonight.Areyougoingtofightwiththem?JustleavetheselittlethingstoJamazandme.Youdon’thavetodealwiththemyourselfatall.Ifyouthiwoofusarenotenough,IcallBig-O.”

    “Don’tworry’smiledDimitri.“Iamnotgoingtofightaonight.Iamjustmeetingwithtwolittlepeopleandhaveaheart-to-hearttalkwiththehat’ssettledeverythingwouldbefine.Ohyes,atthemomentIhaveaproblemthatyouguyshelpmewith.”

    “Sure,anythingyousay”repliedthetwooftheminachorus.“Saythewordanditwillbedone.”

    “Iosendmytlefriendbaetohismistress.HehasbeenwithmethewholeafternoonandIamsuresheisworriedandmissinghim.”

    “Noproblem.Butwheredowetakehimto?Wheredoeshismistresslive?”

    5

    “Idon’treallyknowtheexactaddress…”saidDimitri.“HeyMaureen,youknowyourwaybae,right?”Maureenbarkedasifsayingindignantlyofcoursehedid,howcouldacleverdoglikehimnotknowhiswayhome?“Wellthen,Maureen,yougointotheircarwiththem.Ifyouwaur,looktotheleftandbarktwice.Ifyouwaurnright,lookthtandbarktwice.Ifyouwaoght,thenlohtaheadandbarktwice.Ifyouwaostop,barkthreetimes.Wouldthatdo?”Maureenbarkedhisagreement.Turningtohisfriends,Dimitrisaid,“AfterIamfinishedhere,Imayhavetoetardeeandstayforafewdays.BeingoreetsalldayincreasesmyeetingothermembersoftheKingdom.Doyouwele?”

    “Hey,man”saidJamazhittingDimitriontheshoulder“Doyoueveoask?”

    “We’llleaveyouthenandwaitforyouathome”saidRichard.CarryingMaureenonhisshouldershewalkedtowardshiscar.MaureenbarkedatDimitriasifsayinggoodbye.Dimitriwavedatthemuntilheheardthecarstartup,makeaquickturnanddriveoff.ThedipidatedpickuptrukedandrattleditswaydowreetwithlittleMaureeing.Soonhewouldbejumpingintohismistress’sarms.

    “DidyounoticethatDimitriseemeddistressed?”askedJamaz.“Iwonderwhathewouldbefagtonightandwhatknothehopestountie.Hedidn’twantourhelpbutIworrythathemaybeindanger.”

    “Don’tworryabouthim,brother”repliedRichardoptimistically.“Heisarealman,ofabreedapartfromusandhastheproteofthegods.Don’tworry.Hewilleoutsafelyfromanydanger.Nothingstophim.”

    Dimitritemporarilyiddowntheheavyburdensonhisshouldersforamomentofpeadquiet.Byforceofhabithewalkedtowardsareeter.Hestoodbeforeastorethathadalreadyclosedupfortheday.Heneverknewwhatmerdiseitsold.Itwasolythathefoundouttheysoldallkindsinkcartridgeforputersandprinters,carryingargevarietyofinkofallbrands.Dimitriwasnotfamiliarwiththebyproductsofthemostadvancedbranchesofsdhadnoiihereasonhecameherewasbecauseeveryafternoonatduskwhenalltheshopscloseddownitracticetimeforthepianistwholivedonthesedfloorapartmentwhichhadaseparatestairexttothestore.Dimitriwouldsitonthegroundoutsideandlistentoafreecertofhighqualitymusic