“Whydon’tyouletMaureenwalkonhisown?”askedDimitri.“Thatwouldgivehimmoreexercise.”
“Ithinkhe’shadenoughexercise”repliedCharina.“ItookoffhisleadlethimrunaroundfreelyoreetslookingforyouwhileIfollowedclosebehind,alwayskeepingmyeyesonhiswhereabouts.ApoliansawthatMaureenwasnotonaleadthoughtitwasathreattothepassersby,soshegavemeaticket.Wasn’tthattheworstofluck?ItriedtoexpihatMaureenwasthecleverestaestofdogsthatwouldneverhurtasoul,butshewouldn’tlistenandinsistedonwritiicket.Wasn’tthatabsurd?Iamsoangry.Ithinkthepolicehaveimpededonmypersonalfreedom!”
“Oh?”saidDimitri.“PerhapsIamsousedtomynomadlife,leisurelyandcarefree,secludedfromtheworldthatIhavefottenthereissuchathingaswandorder.heless,Iwouldriflewiththew.”
“Don’tyouthinkthepolianoverdiditandimpededmypersonalfreedom?”arguedCharina.“Iagreethatsocietyneedswstoprotectpublicorder,butpublicservantswhilecarryingouttheirduties,akeintoaitigatingcircumstaakeacleverlittledoglikeMaureenforexample.Everyonelovesit!Howcouldsuchalovablelittledogbiteandhurtpeople?Don’tyouthinkthepolianwastidindealingwiththis?Sheshouldhavebeenmoreflexible.Shepokedherowhat’snoneofherbusinessandimpededonmypersonalfreedom”
“Ohno,no”disagreedDimitri.“Lawisopreservesocialorder,ortherewouldbechaos.Onceawisestablisheditshouldbeupheldwithnoexceptions.Theregutionthatdogsmustbeonaleashoreetsunderhumansupervisionisreasonableandlogical.Siisthew,wemustupholdit.Otherwisehumansocietywilldeterioratebacktothetimeofjuhousandsofyearsago,whereonlythestrosurvivedandtheweakwerethepreyofthestrong.Wewouldbebacktouncivilizedprimitivesociety.Wouldyouliketogobacktosuchtimesandlivealwaysinfearanday?”
“ButIstillthinkthepolittoofarandimpededmypersonalfreedom”insistedthepoutingCharina.“Ifeelthatanarchismismoremycupoftea.”Dimitrismiledaonpatiently,
“Whatisfreedom?Whatisthetruemeaningoffreedom?Tomymind,freedomisnotwithoutlimitaraint.Freedomwithoutrestraintandlimitbeesunbridledindulgendgratificationandlosesitstruemeaning.”Hestoppedforamomentasiftocollecthisthoughtsandtheon,“Takemeforexample.Iamblind.Myfleshbodyseemstobeincarceratedforlifeinadarkprisonwithnoceofparole.Butjustbecauseofthis,myimaginationaivitybecamealiveandresurrectedfrommyfleshbody.TheybecamecarefreeandspontaneousaedmyKingdomofDreams.SoIcametotheclusionthatabsoluterestricreatesabsolutefreedom.Whatdoyouthink?”Dimitriseemedtowanttocrifyhismeaningmoreandadded,“Idoosaythatoloseone’ssightione’simaginationaivityintofullpy.Actuallysomesightedpeoplearealsoodatutilizingtheseiuralresources.IusedmyselfasanexamplebecauseyouhavebeentomyKingdomofDreams,andthuswouldbeabletouandwhatImeaer.”Spell-boundandfasated,CharinawassilenttryingtoabsorbthemeaningofhiswordswhenDimitrisuddenlyinterruptedherthoughtssaying,“Ohbytheway,wemustturnrighthereorwewouldovershootourdestination.”Dimitriwaspletelyblind,buthewasveryfamiliarwiththispartoftownandknewhiswayaroundthearea.
Turningtheertheycametoaquietandparativelynarrowstreet.Theshopsonbothsideshadlongclosedtheirdoors.Theroomsabovetheshopswereeitheroffiesbutnolightsshowedatalliworowsofthree-storeybuildings.Itwasasifnoonelivedthereatall.Theyseemedtohavewalkedintoaycity.Astheywentfurtheron,Charina’seyesopenedwideinshock.Thergestorewindowswereriddledwithbulletholesandspiderweblikecracksextewardsfromtheseholes.Thedoorsiercedwithbullets.Thoughalltheshopshadpulleduptheirironsecuritygrillgate,thesealsoboreevidenceofhavibyguherewererowsofmaegunbulletholesoreetsignprovingthatafierfighthadtakenpcehere.Remnantsofbrown-coloredbloodstainsandbrokengssnotquiteedupremaiheground.Thiswasthesiteofafiergbattlewheretworivalgangscshedoverterritorialrights,whidedwithbothsidesleavingbehindcasualtiesbeforethepolicearrived.CharinagaveaanddescribedtoDimitrithesebeforethem.
“Don’tbeafraid.Don’tbenervous,butlet’smoveonquicklyahistroubledspot.Thesesesareoninthelifeofavagabond;Ihaveseehahem,sodon’tbenervousandafraid.”Charinanoddedandsilentlyhurriedtowardsthereeter.Perhapsbecauseshewastooscaredandnervous,shefailedtonoticethatontheoppositesideofthestreetapairofeyeswasstaringattheminenvyandjealousy.WhileCharinaandDimitriwaitedattheerforageoflight,Dimitrisaidtoher,
“Youefromtheupperechelonofsocietyandhavealwaysledaveryfortablelife.Yhlyeducatedandhavemadeasuccessofyourcareer.Youdonotknowthatthereisanothercssofpeoplelivingatthebottomofsociety,fullofpoverty,crimeandviolenowthatyouhaveseewoextremesofsocietyitwouldcertainlybeagreathelptoyourwriting.”Thegreenlightcameonawohurriedacrossthestreettowardstherosegardenbytheke,closelysurveyedbythepairofcoldeyes.
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