"Whatbeautyispermaanduedbytime?Liketheroseitwillsoonwither．Takemeforinstance,Iusedtohaveyouthayandeothehilt．Nowallthatisgone.”Shelookedsadlyatherlooseandfbbybodyier，withnoremnantofitsformershapelycurvesleft，notraceofbeautyattachedtoherfleshbody．
"No,”shethought，"fleshandbloodisnotliketherichsoilthatgrowsflowers．Noamountoffertilizermakeitproduceasingleredroseagain.”Amaliayieamingbath，graduallylosiensionandtirednessofmanydays,almostfallingasleep．Sheusedtobeyoungaifundwasoncepregnantandboreason，heronlychildwhomshehadlosttrackofsincehewasaboy．Perhapsthereasonwhyshefeltpelledtowanderaroundtheworldwasbecausesubsciouslyshewasseekingforhim．Lulledbythesoothingwarmth，Amaliasoonfelsleep．Inherdream，ahazyfigureemerged．Adarkbrownfigurewithathreequarterjacket，olivesafarihat，loosesdoldshoes．Amiddleagedmaninacrowdofbusypedestrians，bumpingaround，wearingdarkgssesandcarryingawhitee-ablindman．Hewasmakinghiswaywithdifficultyamidthebustlingcrowdofabusyprosperouscitystreet．Shecouldseehislipsmovingasthoughhewastalkingloudly，butshecouldhearnothing．Thesegedahesamefigurewalkingalongalonelymountaintrail．Thesunwassettingasheproceededboriously，perilouslyclosetoaprecipiorestepandhewouldpluohisdeathinthedeepunfathomableabyssbelow．Anabysssodeepthatitseemedasifohesundroppeddowting,itwouldneverriseagain．Atthatcrucialmoment,AmaliafeltsofthandsshakiwasYoko，herprotégé.
"Amalia!You’llcatchcoldsleepinglikethis!Theyareallwaitingforyouthere.”Amaliaopenedhersleepyeyes．Thestormhadstoppedandbrightstarsweretwinklinginthecooleveningskies．
Aswastheinthepace，awelepartyrogressforthenewarrivalsintheKingdom．Thebzingfireinthehugefirepce,brilliantlylitpaternsaerandchatterofthebeautiesbroughtanairofwarmthaivitytothesidehall．Slenderfiguresdashedaboutpreparingthedinheirshadowsonthefloorweredaintyag．Golden-hairedMarystoodtalkingtoWhiteFairyandDeanna，thethreeofthemallhadlongtressesfallingtotheirwaist，eachofadifferentakingalovelyuure.Marasattherestrummingherguitarandhummingherfavoritesongs，infusingtheroomwithdelightfulmusic．ButSheitightlyclutghertanbathrobe，curledinaer，herexpressionwoodenandunhappy,ashamedtoshowherabnormanddisfiguredleftleginthispanyoffwlessbeauties．WhenAmaliaentered，everyonecppedandcalledoutinjoy,facrestaroundherbeforethefire,eatinganddrinking,anticipatingtalesoffaroffpceswhichshealwaysentedthemwithwhenevershecamebaherwanderings．Buttonightsheseemedunusuallyquietandsubdued．Thehazyfigureofthestrangeblindmaninherdreamsgrippedandworriedher，pullingherheartstringslikestringsofakitewhichbobbedupanddhta，movinginterminably．
Meanwhile，golden-hairedMarywastellingofhowshecametotheKingdom．"IhaveknownKingDimitriformanyyears．Iworkedatadonutshopandoftengavehimday-olddonuts，neverdreamingthatthepabondwasmasterofallthisluxury!"ThewordsfloatedpastAmalia’siiveears．Herattentionwastratedoeinherheart，whichasdedhigherandhigherintotheblueskiesuntilitwasonlyasmallbckdot，stretgtautlythethihreateningtobreakawayanymiheimageofthestrangeblindmanresembledthemasterofthepace，ofwhomshehadoftenheard，buthadneverseen．Whywouldheenterherdreams?ThekiteinAmalia’sheartflewhigherandhigherandgrewsmallerandsmaller，strugglingtobreakawayfromthestringthathelditsdashforfreedom．TheotherbeautieswerelisteningtoMary’sstoryofhowsheandSheicametotheKingdomofDreams．
SheioorhomelessgirlwhohadbeenfortoprostitutionandwastrolledbyBig-O．Takingpityonhersadplightwhenshefoundherlyingsithestreets，Marytookherintoherhomeforpanionshipandtaughtherthenormaloutlookohetwoofthemstayedinthebasementofthehalf-burnthousewhichbelooMary’sparents,whobothperishedinthefmesandMaryhadlivedtherealonesinceshewasachild,secludedfromtheworld．Durihetwogirlsworkedtogetherinthedonutshop;andintheeveningstheystudiedatthelounitycollege．Sheihopedthatfromthenonshewouldbeabletowalkheadhighonlife’sbroadroad．Butas,shecouldnotshakeofftheshadowofBig-O！Oneeveningnotfeelingverywell，shedidnotgotocsswithMary．Big-Obrokeintothehouse,tiedherhandsa,gaggedherandwasabouttotakeherawaywhenMarycamebadhappehese．Big-Owasexuberanttogetanotherprettyvictimandkilltwobirdswithoone,soheeasilytiedandgaggedMarytooandstuffedthemintothetrunkofhiscar．Justatthatmoment，twofiguresjumpedoutfromtheshadows,oneofwhomwasab,braveandferociousasabeastofthewilderness．WhilehewasfightingwithBig-O，theotherslenderesemahetwogirls．Big-Owasnomatchfortheb,sohetookouthisbigMagnumandwasabouttopullthetriggerwhenastoofthedarkandhithimonthehead，causingbloodtoflow．Theguoff，butfortuhebulletwentwild．Thebsprangforwardandtriedtotakeun,butBig-Oranaway．ThatcrucialrockthrowerwasDimitri．Thethreeoldfriendswerehappytobereunitedagain．Theyembracedeachother,vyingtotellofpeertheiradveheroofofWorldBank．
Manyoflife’senterswererepeatedlyfocusedandcrisscrossed．Takethehalf-burnthouseforinstahadbeetheentraoKingDimitri’sKingdom．MegginnandLaverneactallystumbleduponthehouseandhappeomeetKingDimitri．Today,hecedtosavethetwoigirlsfromthebeastlycwsofBig-Oandbysheerluckwasreuhhisfriendswhohadbeenthroughlifeahadvehhim-decidedlyoneoflife’spluses!KingDimitrinolongerwishedtocealhisidentityfromhisfriends．HearrangedforthetwogirlstogotohisKingdomandlivetherehappily,freefromworriesandthreats．HerememberedRichard’spointedhimtothelongvatpostofpresidentofWorldBankwithJamazashisvice-president．Thetwocouldn’tbelievetheirlubeiedsuddenlyfromvagabondstotheranksofthemoversandshakersofthefinanceworld．Tothem,KingDimitriwaslikeanall-powerfulmagiwhocouldgetheirdestiny．KingDimitrididnotwanttoexposehisidentitytotheoutsideworld,sohedecidedtousetheshelteredburnt-outhouseastheirfuturemetiheyarraounicatebyputtingthreestonesiainspotoftherownbackyardwithdifferentarrasassecretsignals．Afterthattheyofte．Dimitriremainedinitoasahomelessperson,forheseemednottotireofhiscarefreelifeofwanderingintheworld．
Thebeautiessatbeforethebzingfire,listeningtoMary’snarrationofhowsheandSheicametotheKingdom．WhentheyheardthatRichardandJamazwerestilliveandwerereuhKingDimitri，theyshoutedinirrepressibledelightandcheeredinjoyfromthebottomoftheirhearts,happytheirmasterhadnotlosthisgoodfriends.Thoughtheyhadneverseewomen,theyfeltfamiliarwiththemfromthestoriestoldbysomeofthebeautiesontheirarrival．Justthen，MegginnreceivedKingDimitri’sdecreeascertainingtheappoiofRichardandJamaztotheirnewpositions．YokoandMara,whohadsharedintheadventuresofKingDimitriandhistwogoodfriendsjumpedforjoy．Theirtacthadbeenshortbutunfettable．Yokosaid，
"Atstthesetwoprolifigateshaveahappyending!Richardnolongerogambleforaliving．HeusetheunlimitedresourcesofWorldBankforiments，whichhadalwaysbeenhisdream．Nowhehasacetoprovehimself．Iamfidenthewilldowell.”
"AndthatJamaz,”addedMaraughingly"willbesurroundedbybeautifulwomenrunningafterhim．Hepidchooseandnolongerofearrepudiation!"
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