“Dimitrishouldbesomewhereseveralblocksfromhere.Iwasjusttalkingtohimawhileback.Goandfindhim.”Davidthankedhisgenerousbeorprofuselyandstoodlookingattheretreatingbackasthatpersonhurriedquicklyaway..Thoughhewaswearingloose,ill-fittingclothing,itcouldnotcealhistall,sveltefigure.Whenhehandedoverthetainerandbottleofbottle,Davidnoticedthatthehandswereslimandwhite.Theywereawoman’shandsthathadneverbeencoarsenedbyphysicalbor.Healsoobservedthatashewalkedawayhisbareanklesweretrimandwhiteasabaster.Suddenlyasefromthepastfshedintohismind.HerememberedseeingDimitritalkingtoagenteendrefinedyoungwomanonedaybythekeside.Shewaswearingaskybluedress,white,broad-brimmedsunhatandwhitewalkingshoes.Shewascssya.Thismustbeher!Herememberedthatonthatdaythewomanhadalovelycockerspahher.Thatjustchedit.Itmustbethesamewoman.Davidsmackedhisforeheadandsaidtohimself,“Whatcharmandfasationcouldthatblindolddoghavethatattractssuchabeautifulwomantoaskalroundforhiswhereabouts?WhyisitthatIdonothavesuchgoodluck?Sucheroticamorousluckcouldneverdropintomyp!”
Intheshadowswheremoonlightcouldrate,Davidhalfstooped,halfsatontheground,hiseyesfullofenvyandjealousyashewatchedthetwofigureswalkfartherandfartheraway.Thoughtsemergedoeranotherinhisbraindrivingsleepinessaway.Hethought,
“AmanlikeDimitriislikeabrokenballbytheroadside,whiyonecouldkick.Heissomellow,mildandgoodtemperedthatheisneverangry.Hisisalsoamysteriouscharacterwhowoulddisappearformonthsonendasifhehadevaporatedfromthisearth.Nooneknowswherehewent.ThenhewouldsuddenlyreappearamongstushomelesspersonsandjabberabouthisKingdomofDreamsandthingsthathappehere.HesayseveryonehashisownKingdomofDreams…Weallthinkheisacrazyfoondnonepayanyattentiontohisgibberishandhedoesn’tcare.Heisabletomaintainahappydispositionthatexternalcircumstancespen,whichistrulyadmirable!OfthisIamreallyenvious!Takeallofuspoorhobosforexample,ooraschurchmidhavenothingtocallourown,soitstandstoreasonwehavenothingtoworryabout,butwestillhavetobeedaboutwhereourmealisingfrom.ButDimitriseemstobeabletobeabovesudaneaiesandalwaysmaintainsahappymood,whichdissolvesalltroubleuntiltheymeltawayandbeeent.Hissoulseemstobeabletoexistindepelyoutsideofhisbody.ThisissomethingIadmireandenvymost.
Dimitrialsohasmademanyfriends.RichardandJamazaretwohalfhoboandhalfpart-timeborerswhoarewillingtoydowntheirlivesforhim.Mr.Kaffee,thatunderworldbigshot,isanotherofhisfriends.Thoughhehasretiredfrombothfinancial,politidgangactivities,heisstilforcetobereedwithandwieldsgreatinflueheworldsheusedtodominate.Anotherohatcold-bloodedassassinBig-OwhoobeysDimitri’severywishandorder.Ihavealwayswonderedowerandcharmthatblindolddogwieldsthatattractsbeautifulwomenaswelsformidablementohihyes,retlyawhite-beardedolddwarfjoiheirrankswhoissaidtohavemasteredamagicfeatlosttotheworldforthousandsofyearsandturnapieceofaperintoacrispygreenback.TheimeIseethedwarf,Iwillbeghimtoteachmeafewtricks.Iwilldoanythingheasksmeto,evesmetokowtowtohimthreehuimes.Iamdownonmyluddesperate.
Davidwasfullofpent-upgrievandfrustratiocametothesubjeoney,whichhesideredusefulbutalsotherootofalltrouble.Hesighedandsaidtohimself,
“Mywholelifehasbeenfritteredaway.Timerolledbywithnothingaplished.NowthatIamoldthereisalmostnohopeofaturnover.MylifehasbeenmostunfortunateandIhaveneverbeeobreakoutfromuhecloudofbadlugingoverme.Why’tIbelikeDimitriandliveonhappily?Thisbstedlifeofmineisreally,reallyjinxed.”David’slifehasreallybeenquitemiserable,alwayslivingonthebrinkofstarvation.Hedidnotknowwhohisparentswere,havinglivedallhisyounglifeinvariousfosterhomesandinandoutofjuvenilehall.Laterwhenhecameofagehewasincarceratedquiteafewtimes.Thenhedecidedtoreformandgotapart-timejob.Heactuallyhadsomesavingsandawomanwaswillingtolivewithhimandmakeahome.Lifeseemedtobegoingonasmoother,upath.Butasthegoodlifewaslikethemdew,goneinafsh.Themiserlysunshutoffitsradianhislifeandtheskyabovehimwasoncemreyanddark.Therewasamortalweaknessinhischaracter,aninnateiia.Hehadneverhadanyformalschoolingbutdidknowhowtoreadandwriteafewwords.Hehadsomeslycleverhatheusedtogoafterpettygainsandbecameproopilfering.Thatinitselfwouldnothavedooogreataharmtohislife,buthebelievedthatallhisemployerswereagainsthimanddidtheirutmosttoexploithim,sugawayhislifeblood.Therefore,heworkedckadaisicallyathisjob,neveroverlookingacetofilchwhateverhecould.Whenitcametorealworkheshiftedittootherswhenhecould.Hewouldmakeexcusesanduseatogetoutofit.Whenhecouldn’t,hewoulddraghisfeetandmuddlethroughinaperfunctoryway.Soitwasnowohatnoonewouldhirehimandwhensomeoakehimon,thejobedmorethanamonth.Astimewentby,thewomanwholivedwithhimlefthim,hissavingsentandhegrewold.Theonlyroadlefttohimwastogobacktobeingahobo,beggingoreets.Hewasneverwillingtoexamiherealcauseofhisfailureibecamemoreandmoreical.Hewasindignaheinequalityofthesocialsystemandtheinjusticeofthews.Viewingtheworldwithsucheyes,hewasneverhappy,forinthisworldthereisnosystemthatcouldequallydistributethewealthoftheworld.
Apopurpoliticaltheoryadvogtheuseofforcetoequallydistributethewealthofthisworldonceappearedanddominatedalmosthalfthepoputionaoryoftheworld.Afteratury’strial,itrovedthatthistheorywasadeadendandwasthrownintothegarbageofthehumanhistory.Thattheorywasunism.Thecurrentsystemoffreemarketinuseallovertheworldisafarsuperiorsystem,butittoohasmajorfwshardtoovere.Forinstahegapbetweentheridthepoorhasbeewiderandwider,givingrisetotheadversityandantagonismofthesetwocssesofpeople.Manyluckypeoplelivehappilyabovethepovertylimanymoreunfortunatepeoplelivinguhepovertylirugglefortheirveryexistenequalitybetweentheridthepoorwillbeeahardtosolveprobleminthedevelopmentofhumancivilization.David’ssadfacereflectedhisunprehendingquandary.Helightedupthestofhiscigarettebuttandsmokedsilently,thinkinghisownthoughts.
“Isthedistributiohinthisworldsolelyinthehandsoffate?Isthescaleheholdsinhishaoolwithwhichhedealsoutwealth?Thenwhatmeasuredoeshegoby?Itiscertainlynotacctoone’sintelligenanyintelligentmenarepooraute,ofwhichIamaprimeexample.Oherhand,manyasimpleandignorantmanenjoygreatwealth.IsthatFate’syingatrianityoristhatasarcasticpracticaljoke?”LookingatDimitri’sdisappearingback,hethought,“DimitrioftentalksabouthisKingdomofDreams.Iwonderhowwealthisdistributedthere?”
Suddenlylikelightninglightingupthedarkskies,David’smuddledandfusedbrainhadanintuitiveinspiration.Hiseyeslightedupasifhehaddiscoveredatreasuretrove.HerackedhisbrainsandrecalledDimitri’swordsabouthisKingdomofDreams.“Ifyougiveupyingaforthematerialthingsoftheexternalworldandgobacktotheinnermostpartofyourheartandmakegooduseofyinationaivityasnaturallyasthebirduseditswings,thenyouwillbeabletoflyfreelyintheblueskies“shisengyu”submerged?inyourboundlessinnerworld.ThatiswhereydomofDreamsis.Thereyourdepressedheartwillbeliberated;yourtwisted,unbanddeformedthoughtswillbesoothedandoncemainbandsteadiness.Desireswhichyouhaveneverbeetainwillbesatisfied.”
“Really?”murmuredDavid.“Myunattainabledesireswillbesatisfied?Well,IwouldliketoseeoncemorethatrareanduniquegreendiamondwhichIhadlost.WouldIbeabletodoso?”Somethinggreenandbrilliantsuddenlyappearedbeforehiseyes.Hetookacloserlookandfounditwasnotonlyoteringgreendiamond,butactuallyawholeboxofthemathisfeet.Davidwasexuberantanddughishandsintotheboxtoholdupahandfuloftheserarebrilliantgreendiamondsbuthishandscameupempty.TohisdismayhefoundthatitwasonlyatemporaryillusiobathegroundindisappoiandwonderedwhetherDimitrihadtrickedhimandwasjustpyinghim.“Ohno,no.JustnowIclearlysawwithmyowhatboxofglitteringbrilliantgems.LetmetryagainaherDimitriyingatrickwithme.”Herememberedthatoernoonhesawinthedispywindowofahighcssman’sclothingstoreanexpemadeofhighqualitywoondofexcellentcut.Atthetimehehadthoughtthatifheputonthatsuithewouldbeeabigshot.Suddenlythatsuitofclothestooappearedbeforehiseyes.Davidrememberedonceseeingsomeveryappetizingfoodinamagazihoughtwhatawonderfulexperiewouldbeifhecouldwearthatsuitofclothes,walkintothatrestaurantandorderawholetableoftheirbestdishes.Altonceawholetableofappetizingfoodmaterializedbeforehim.Heseemedtobegettingtheknackofusiwoioolsthatcamewithhisbirth,namelyimaginationaivity.Likeachildwhocouldn’tstoppyingwithaoy,Davidcouldotearhimselfawayfromhisnewlyacquiredskilndpractitilitcametohimnaturally.Butthesepictureswerelikeslideshowsprojectedontothes.Thoughrealistic,clearandsharplydefiheywerejustindividualpictures.Davidthoughtthatitwouldbewonderfuliftheycouldbebiogetherseamlesslylikeamovieandhehimselfcouldeoitandiaspartofthestory.Themomentthatthoughtfshedinhismindthesebeforehiseyesgedinabrightdazzlingbzeoflight.Helookedcloserandfoundthatbeforehimwasargegardenwheremyriadsofmulti-coloredflowersbloomedinprofusion.Inthemiddleofthegardenwasamajesticpacebuiltofsolidgold.Davidwalkedonthesolidgoldpavementtowardsthegoldfountainwheresproutsofwatercrisscrossedtoformdifferentpattereppedontothegeandlookeddown,amazedtofindthatthebottomofthefountainwascoveredwithathickyerofsparklinggoldsand.Fishofallcolorsandspeciesswamleisurelythere.Hethenproceededquicklytothespaciousgreathallofthegoldpacewherehewasfrohehugeportraite,majesticbirdwiththefaceofabeautifulsnake-hairedwomanwhosepowerfulwingedweresinflight.Thewallsofthehallwerecoveredwithmuralsandexquisite,truetolifesculpturesofKingDimitri’stwenty-fourbeautiesbuthehadnotimetospareonthesemagnifitartworks.HerushedupthestepsandploppedhimselfdownonKingDimitri’sgoldthrone.Davidsattherelookingaroundathisgloriousandresplesurroundingsisatisfaandsaidloudly,
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