Inthedipidatedshelterattheendofthealley，Dimitriyftonhisbatheground,tootiredtomoveevenafinger．FromthesidehisproureresembledtheramblingraheGiantMountaininhisKingdomofDreams．Hiseyesweretightlyclosedenduriremepain．Hehadusedupallhisstrengthtomovehisfleshbodystrenuouslybacktohisshelter．Hiseyeswereblurrylikepeeringatflowersinafogorlookingatthefogfromuer．Theshapesofallobjectsweredistortedanddeformed．Thishadhappenedmanytimesbefore,butusuallyquicklyresolveditself．Thistimeithad1astedlohaneverbeforeandshowednosigingup．Maybethiswastheend，thoughtDimitrisadly．Thetimehadewhenhewouldbepletelyblind．Ihereroftheshelter，apint-sizeemptybottleywiththecorkoff．Besideit,inDimitri’soldchippedbowlfullcheapwhiskey,ythesatisfiedandhappyMr．Finger,immersaedinliquor,drinkingwhelikeit．
"HowIwishIhadDimitri’shugebodysoIcoulddrinkmore!"hesaidtohimself．"Mioosmalndottainmuch．More’sthepity!"Heclimbedtipsilyoutofthebowl,hiccuppingdrunkenlyandstaggeredtowardsDimitri,pullingatthelegsofhistrethisattention．ButDimitriseemedtobeallspentandpaidohiscall．Mr．Fingershruggedhisshouldersandhelduphishandinhelplessresignation．
"Thisguiyistoomuch!Tobehisfriendisreallynofun．Todiesosoon!Maybeheisoutonlytemporarily．WhatIdoforeai?”Hetuggedatthestringoftheballoonandpulleditoutsidetheshelter．AsitroseintotheairpullingMr．Fihit，heshoutedingleefulexultation，
"Hey，I’mflying!Free!Free!Iflynow!"Butastheballoonrosehigherandhigher,hesuddenlyrealizedthatshouldtheballoonburst，hecouldfalltohisdeath!However，bythenitwastooteastheballoonhadsoaredupintotheair．Inspiteofhisintoxir．Fingerwasquickwittedenoughtoswinghisbodytoandfrolikeapendulumtogeandslowtheast,hopingtobeabletottosomething．Luckilyasitrosetothetopfloorofanearbyfivestoryapartmentbuilding，Mr．Fioecaughttheedgeoftheveranda．Assooafirmhold,heletgoofthestringoftheballoon．Soberedandcoveredbycoldperspiration，hecmberedontosolidgroundagaiingrelievedlythathehadnotmissedhisstce．
TheFrenchdoorsleadingtotheverandawasleftajar,withacrackjustrgeenoughforMr.Fiosqueezethroughandhefoundhimselfinasimplyfurnishedlivingroom．Inaerstoodanoldpiano,itskeysyellowwithageanditssurfacebadlyscratchedandnollossy．Onthefirepexttoit，ortraitoftheHolyMary,fnkedbyavaseoflilies．Argecrucifixadorhewallbehindit．Infrontofthefirepcewasacushion，evidentlyusedfenuflexion．Inanothererwasasinglesofaaable．Ontheoppositesideoftheroomwasasmalldini．JustasMr．Fingerwaslookingaround，assessinghisnewenviroheheardthegrowlingofabeast．LookingsharplyaroundhefoundacutePekinese,alertupondiscoveryofanintruder，butasitwasshutinacage，Mr．Fingerfeltnocauseforarmandtinuedroamingaboutatwillunedly．Hewalkedthroughanotherhalf-closeddoorandsawitwasasmallbedroomwithafull-sizebedandsomesuitcases．Onlyafewsuitsanddresseshunginthecloset．Evidentlytheownerhadolymovedinandhadn’thadtimetounpackfullyyet．Throughanotherdoor，hecametothebathroomwithaundrybaskethalffull,standingbesidethetubandapairoffamiliarfish-ogshangingoowelbar．ItsuddenlydawnedonhimthatthoseverystogshadretlycoveredthelegshehadtriedtoclimbthatmintheparkaigerchasinghimwasthePekihecage．
"Ah!Whatluck!"hecried．"IhavestumbledintothehomeofthatbeautifuldyImetthism!”TheintoxicatedMr．Fihought,“Thoughthestogswerenolongerencaseds,theystilllookedverysexyjusthangingthere.IfIcouldclimbintoohosestogsandtakeanap，itwouldbelikesleepinginahammock!"Soheproceededtodoso．
Thiswasel’stemporaryabode．Thatmsheroseatthecrackofdawn，washedinthedimgraylightandsaidhermprayersaswasheranyyears．ShehadlongsidereddevotingherlifetotheChurdbreakthroughthemuineofhumaelwasnotsatisfiedwiththeexisting，rigidstatusquo,handeddownthroughtheageswhichcrampedandlimitedman’spotentiallifeforce，limitingittoyouth，ageah，soshesoughtahoflife．Shesideredherselfapilgrim．Notsatisfiedwithjustlivinginherallottedspace,shewaomigratetowardsheavenlypeadpcidity．Alsotrarytoherwishes，shecouldnotdoso．Shehadalwayssideredchastityanunalterablepre-requisitetoherodeof1ife，butinanindefensiblesituatiohervirginityandherhighhopescolpsed．Disillusioned,shelivedalifeofdece，lettingherbodydeveloplustfulcravings，wallowinginthehappinessandfulfillmentofherfleshbody．Butthedesiresofthefleshandthelongingsofthespiritproduextremelypainfundtraumatitroversy．Retly，thehopetotinuerimageroseagain．Shepulledherselftogetherabacktoheroldlifestyle．Shethenwalkedpensivelyovertothewindow,gandpusheditopen．Gustswindlikehermindsofullofses,surgedintotheroom．Feelingchilly,elclosedthewindowandbeganpreparingbreakfastintheobscurelightofdawn.Thewindwasnotfiercebutitmadetheroomandthepersoninitfeesiffloatinguponthecurrent．Sheatehersolitarybreakfastsilentlyinthiswindyhourbeforesunrise．Soonthewindcalmeddownandthecloudsdispersed，heraldingabrightsunnym．Thegeableweatherwasasynopsisofel’skaleidoscopiclife．
Theincessantbarkingofthepekinese，obsessedwiththeintrusionofastraoitsdomainmadesleepingoutofthequestion．Mr．Fingerclimbedangrilyoutofel’sfishogandstompedovertothedogcage，Hefistedhishandsandshouted，
"Pipedownamegetsomesleep,willyou?Forifyoudon’t,waitandseehowIwilldealwithyou!"Butthedogonlybareditsteethandbarkedmorefrenziedly．Mr．Fingerclimbednimblyupthelegsofachair，thetableclothandfinallyontothetable．Therehesateieandsomeleft-overscrambledeggsonit，evidentlyremnantsofel’sbreakfastwhichshehadn’thadtimetoclearaway．Besidethepteweretwosmallbottles,oneofpepper,theotherofsalt．Therewasalsoabnkpieceofscratchpaper．UsingallhisstrengthMr．Fingermaooverturleofpepperandspillthetentsontothepieceofpaperwhichherolleduptightlyandfoldedtheedgestopreventthepepperfromleakingout．Thentakingitandthepiewithhim，hescrambleddownfromthetableclothtothechairahefloor．Feigningfriendliness,hefedthepietothedog．Whileitsattentionwastratedonsuspiciouslysniffingandexaminingthepeace,Mr.Fingerfoldeddthepieceofpaperinhishandintoapipeandblewallthepepperontothedog’sface．Eyesandnoseirritatedbythishotpowderlikesubstahedogbegantosneezeuntrolbly，tearsandmucusrunningdownitsface．Mr．Fingerughedandcppedhishandsihesight，buttheinfuriateddogonlybarkedmoreloudlyandangrily．Mr．Fingersaid，"Sothisisn’tenough?Youwantmore,eh?"Helookedallroundforoolsoftoingintothebedroom，hefoundasewingkitandhiseyeslightedwhehepincushionfullofneedles．Takingonehehiditbehindhisback，wentbacktothecageandwaitedfortheinstahedog’shindlegwashecagebarstojamtheneedlehardintoitsflesh．Thedoghowledinpain．JustasMr．Fingerpreparedtostrikeagain,thedogbackedawaytotheinnermostrecessofthecage，sothatitcouldn’tbereachedbyMr．Finger’sshortarms，allthewhilebarkingincessantly,dauntlessandunsubdued．Mr．Fingerkherewasnowaytoreachthedogagaiwaswisetohisstrategy，sohethrewdowntheneedleandlookedforsomethingelse．Seeiensioncordleftiletonthewall,hewentbacktothesewingkittogetapairofscissorsandabde．Thenpgbothhisfeetagainstthewallforadditio，hepulledatthecordwithallhismight，untilitfinallypoppedout．Hecutopeherendofthecordbaringthecopperwireswithinandfrayiedthemwiththebde．Meanwhilethehaplesspekineselookedonattheseactivities,puzzledandunblinkingly，foritssimplemindcouldnotprehendthatthislittlefiallmanwasmaliciousandsly．Mr．Fiiedthefrayedcordtotheironbarsofthecageandthenpluggeditbacktotheoutlet．Electriccurrentspassedtoeveryinchofthecage．Thepoorpekineserushedaroundinfrenziedagonybutcouldnotescape．
Theanguishedstrugglesoftheanimalbeforehim，broughtafeelingofsatisfar.Finger’ssadistiature．Buthekhatosmistresscamehomeaout，hewouldbeirouble，astherewouldthenbenowaytoescapeitswrathandrevenge．Hewouldbehouilessly．Itwaseasytoeintotheapartment,butimpossibletogetoutunderhisownpower．Buildingsweredesigosuitonlytheaveragehumanform．Hecouldn’tevehedoor．Evenifhemaogetoutside,hewouldnotbeabletoreachupandpushthebuttonsoftheelevator．hercouldhewalkdowairs．Thestepsweretoosteepforhim．Evenifhedidn’tfalndbreakhisneck,hewouldnothavethestrengthaomahestaircase．Soiterativetothinkofawaytotamethetigersoitwouldnotdaretoassaulthiminrevenge．Yes,thatwastheonlysolution．Thinkinghard,helookedaroundtheroomoncemoreandsaackofcigarettesandabookofmatchesoable．Hequicklyclimbedupandbroughtthematchesdownwithhimtothecage．Thepekinesewasrestlesslyrunningaroundhischargedcage．Mr.Fingershowedittheboxofmatches,lightedoneandsaid，
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