“Don’tbeimpatient,”saidAngelica,whoseemedbentonteasingAisha,“Therearestillmoreastonishingthingstosee…Lookatthis!Whosepapersdoyouthinktheseare…”Sayingso,shetookoutastackofpapersandhahemtoAisha,whocaughtaglimpseoftheheadingolepagesaying“OnLifeinMatriarchalSociety”.AishaquicklysedoverthefirstfewpagesandfirmedthatitwasindeedherunfinisheddissertationthatwaslostintheruinsofthepatheKingdomofDreams.Thesestfewmonths,shehadbeenboriouslywragherbrainstryingtoreproduorythematerialshehadwritten,buthadnotbeeodosotohersatisfa.Shewasonlyabletorememberpartsofitandhadbeenfrustratedinhereffortstoputtogetherthewholedissertatioherewashermanuscript,magicallyreturoher.Happyandastonished,sheheldthestackofpaperstightlyinherhands,herpricelesspossession!Butthehoughtthatsomethingwasnotquiterightaboutthis.Ithappeoosuddenlyanduedly.Herfaceturnedsolemnandseriousassheasked,
“DidyougobackbyyourselftotheKingdomofDreams?Otherwise,howyouhavegottenthismanuscript?Ihaverepeatedlytoldyouallnottogobacktherebecausetheareaisstilloccupiedbythebarbariantribes.Iftheyshouldgetholdofyoutheresultwouldbedisastrous!WhydidgoagainstmyexpressrequestabacktotheKingdomofDreamsallbyyourself?”MegginnandSamanthahadneversee-spokenAishasoangrybeforeaooscaredtospeakoutandtohelpAngelica.ButAngelicakeptsmiling.Takingoutsomepiecesofpaperfromherbosom,shesaid,
“Don’tbeangry,Aisha.Readtheselettersfirstbeforeyoureadmetheriotact.”AishaunfoldedthepapersandsawatfirstgtheboldhandwritingbelooMedusa.ShelookedforthesignatureattheendoftheletterandfirmeditwasreallywrittenbyMedusa.Eyesopenedwide,expressionfearfundagitated,shebeganreadientsoftheletterandeveryone’shearttighteoo.Butasshereadon,herexpressiongraduallycalmeddown,untiltowardstheendherlipscurvedinaslightsmile.Itwasonlythenthateveryone’shearteasedandtheybreathedasighofrelief.AishathenpassedtheletterstoMegginnandSamanthaandaskedthemtoreadthemtoo.HervoitledassheturoAngelidasked,
“youtellmewhatthisisalbout?”
“Youwanttoknowwhatthisisalbout?”repeatedAngelicawithagrimace.“I’mafraidI’tmakeheadortailsaboutiteither.Ithinkwehadbetteraskourauthoressheretotellusherstoryfrombeginningtoend.”
YoungDornawasfastasleep.Shewasreallytootired.Thenightbefore,sheswaminthepoolmostofthenightbeforeshandgoingtobed.ShewasmakiheweekthatDream-Maker’sBakeryclosedshoptovisitAisha.Normallyeachwasbusywithherownscheduleanddidnothavemuchopportunitytomeet.ThetwoofthemwereverycloseinthekingdomofDreams.Itwasalmostamother-daughterretionship,soDornamadeuseofthisrareopportunitytospendsomequalitytimewithAisha.Theentigfragranceflowersseemedtowaftthroughthecracksofdoorandwindowsintotheroom.Dornahalfopenedhersleepyeyesandsawthatitwasalreadybrightandsunnyinthegardenoutsidethewindows.Springflowerswereinfullbloomandtreesrichwithtenderbudsdahespringbreeze.Dainclosedhersleepyeyeswhilethechirpingofbirdsmixedwithsofthumanversationfilledherears.ShedrowsilyrememberedthatAishahadtoldherAngelicawasingforbreakfastearlythism,buttherewasmorethantwovoicesoutside.Thereseemedtobeathirdoneaswell.JustthenloudsoundsofafamiliarginewereheardwhichshekobeSamantha’sexpensivesportscar.AllofasuddentheairoutsidebecamelivelywithgreetingsandughtersoDornasurmisedthatotherbeautieshadalsoarrived.ThensheheardthemallwalkintoAisha’slivingroomandweresoonchattinghappilytogether.Dornawasasociablegirlwhodearlylovedhustleandbustle,soshescrambledoutofbedexcitedlyandquicklydonnedherclothes.Hasteningthroughhermablutions,shewalkedtowardsthelivingroomandsawthatastrangeyoungwomanwastellingastoryaboutKingDimitri.Notwishingtointerrupther,DornasilentlygreetedtheguestswithhereyesandsatdowlybesideAisha.Shesawacutelittledogsittingonthecarpetlookingather.Beingadog-lover,shepickeditupquitenaturallyaonherpihatlittleaherthefirmfriendshipofthisnewvisitor.
CharinawastellioryofunderwhatcircumstancesshemetDimitri,howshegottoknowhim,howheofferedtoprovideherwithmaterialforherwritingandpersonallybroughthertotheKingdomofDreamstoletherseethepceforherself.Beinga,shemadesuchgooduseofherpowersofnarrationthatheraudienceturedbytheeloquent,dramatidvividportrayalofherstorywhichshedescribedidetailinhereasy,flowingstyle.ShewasintheprocessoftellingabouthowshewaslookingformaterialforherwritingintheburntoutruinsofthepacewhileDimitriflewuptotheseventhheavenonthebackofhismagicsteedLightningtomeetwithKingZeus,whenahugeearthquakefollowedbyathunderingtsunamishookthearea.ShetoldofhowKingDimitriceouslyridingonhissnow-whitesteedflewupanddownthealmost180degreessheercliffthatwasthebottomofthegiant’sfeet.Hedrewhismagicswordandthrustitintothecliff,tryingtofindtheweakestandmostsensitivepartofthefeetbutwasnotabletolocatetheprecisepointtostimutethegianttomoveorgehisposture,whichwasthecauseofthegigahquakethatrockedthewhiantMountainbrokeintoseveralses,shruggingoffthegoldpatheprocesswhichfellintothebottomoftheke.Everyoeinmouthwithabatedbreath,atthemostscaryanddramaticparts,onlybreathingasighofreliefwhentheyheardthatKingDimitrisurvivedandarrivedbacksafelyandunscathed.
“ThenKingDimitrireturnedbaundaneworldafterthat?”askedAisha.
“Yes,heisback”repliedCharina.“ThatissomethingIdon’tuand.Withsomaiesaroundhim,whywouldhechoosetolivethenomadlifeofahomelessperson?”Aishawassilent,herexpressionsadandsorrowful.
“Thatolddogisreallytoomuch!”criedDornainexasperation.“Hepromisedtotakemewithhimonhisadvehewentintothisallone.Heknowsthat’swhatIammostiedinbutheleftmeout!WaittillIseehimime.Iwillcertainlygivehimapieind!”Thesewordsfullyexposedthewillfulnatureofthiswildgirlwhosooftenactedbeforeshethought.ItalsoshowedhowKingDimitrispoiltthisyouofhis24beauties.
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