Noonewasaroundthedesertedstreeteratnight.Thedimstreetlightshoneonanolddipidatedtruckparkedu.Thecarwasnotlocked.Itwasjustapileofjunkthatheremotestiinstealingasitwasatbestapileofmetalscrapsthatwasstilbletomove.Behindthenarrowsidewalkwasthedesertedrosegardehesoundsofughter,versationandjazzmusiccouldbeheard.Thisjazzcouldonlybeenjoyedasbausidcouldnotbeusedtodancebecauseitstempowasirrational,sometimesquidsometimesslowanditssoundnowloudnowsoft…afarcryfromthecssicwaltzinNovel’smansionwhichallthebeautiesweredangto.Fiveorsixhomelessmensataroundanopehedesertedgardeinganddrinking.Therewasametalgrillofsortsmadeofwirespcedabovethefireandsomeournipittoandfro,sendingoffmouth-wateringaromaofbakiintotheair.Therewasn’tanabundanceofporkandmbchops,sotheyhadtorationandshare,buttheliquorwasmorethansuffit.Itwascheap,strongwhiskey,quiteunlikecocktailswhichwereonlygoodforshowandrecreation.Therewerenowomenaroundthefire,justfiveorsixhomelessmales,amongwhomwasthemissingbridegroomDimitriwhomnooneknewwheretofind.Dimitridrailyfromthechippedgssinhishandandsaid,
“Ihavehadenoughofthemeatandwhiskyandamquitefull.Youguysgoonandenjoy…JustgivemeapieceofbreadsoakedupwithsomeofthemeatsaudI’llbeOK…”DavidwassittioDimitri.Theexpressiononhisfacethatusedtobepermalyfullofmiseryandangerwasnowdifferent.Thoughstillwrinkledaher-beaten,itwasflushedafterimbibingalotofhardliquorandsittingaroundarfire.Heughedandsaid,
“HeyDimitri,don’tbesopolite.Eatanddrinksomemore.Everyoneoneofusisusedtohunger,whyshouldyoualoheoosuffer?Youare…AmIright?”heaskedturningtotheothers.Everyone,Mr.Kaffee,Big-O,RichardandJamaz,nodded,saying,
“Ofcourse.Yht.eon,everyone,Gan-bei!”Mr.Kaffeetooktheleadaiedhisgssataquaff.Jamazwhoneverusedgssesgrabbedthebottleontheground,threwbackhisheadandguzzledappreciatively.Thenwipinghismouthwiththebackofhishaookapieeatandsaid,
“ThatoldbastardDavidneverusedtohaveanythinggoodtosay,butthistimehiswordsaretrue.”Dimitriwasclearlyunfortablewiththeirappreciativewords.ElbowingDavid,hesaid,
“Youoldbum.Youdon’tknowhowtodoanything,butwhatagreatfttereryouare!Iknowyousowell;youhavesomedevilishideainyourhead.eon,spititout,whatisityouwantthistime…?”Davidwavedhishandsandsaid,
“No,no,no…IamnotftteringyouandIhavenodevilishideasinmyhead.Iamspeakih.Lastnight,IsnuckagainintotheKingdomofDreamsandsatonthegoldthrone.ForonenightIwasthealmightykingofarealm…Ha-ha…itwasreallyagreatexperience…areallywonderful,wonderfulexperieIthoughtIheardyousaythatthegoldpacehadbeensunktothebottomofStarMoonLake.However,thesttwotimesIwentthere,itwasrightwhereitalwayswas,bythesideofGiantMountain.Howcouldthatbe?”Onhearingthis,Dimitribegantough.Hequicklychewedandswallowedthepieceofbreadhewaseating,dranksomeliquortowashitdownandthensaid,
“Actuallyit’sverysimple.Letmeexpinittoyouthisway.TheKingdomofDreamsisinaverymagicalsphereoftimewherethepast,presentandfutureallexistatthesametime.Itispletelydifferentfromthisrealworldwelivein.Hereinourrealmoftime,thepastisgoneandnolos.Thefutureisnothereyet,soitdoeseither.Weliveonlyinthepresent.Butwhatisthepresent?Thepresentisnonstopbeiwithoutased’sdey.Thefutureisstantlyevolvingintothepresentwithoutased’sdeyeither.Sotheretionshipbetweenthepresent,pastandfutureisextremelyindistindhardtotrol.I’llgiveyouanotherexample.IntheKingdomofDreamstimeandspacearelikeabigbook.Whatyouseedependsonwhichpartofthebookyouto.Ifyouturntothebeginningofthebook,thegoldpacehadbeenbuilt.Ifyouturntothemiddleofthebook,thegoldpacehadalreadybeenbuiltbutwasoccupiedbythebarbariantribes.YouDavidarealuckydogbecauseyouhappeurntothepartofthebookwhenthegoldpacehadalreadybeenbuiltbuthadbeenoccupiedbyanyone,soyouhadbeeoeandgoatwill.Ifyouturhepartwhereitwasoccupiedbythebarbariantribes,youwouldhavebeencapturedandbeheadedbythebarbarianoccupiersandyourbloodyheadwouldhavebeenhungontheeavesofthepacegate.SoIsayyouhavereallybeenlucky.Youhavebeeogotwicetothegoldpace,sitonthesolidgoldthroneandenjoythelifeofamonarch,experiengwhatitistoberoyandalmighty…Iused‘abigthickbook’asanexampletomakeiteasierforyoutouand.Actually,amoreappropriatewaytoexpinitwouldbetosaythattimehasnobeginningandnoend.”Mr.Kaffeequaffedhiswineaosinkihought.Afterawhilehemurmured,
“Iseemtorememberhavihatmagicsphereoftime…Yes…IamsureIonceledalegionofabout200,000soldiersoftheaRomanEmpireandidsiegetdomofDreamswhichlookedlikeanimpregle.Later…ter…yourushedoutofthecastleleadingabouttenthousandwarriorstofightwithmyRomanlegionhebodiesofyourwarriorsweremadeofdtheywereweldingonsmadeofstoheyrushedfearlesslyintothemidstoftheRomansoldiers,whoevaporatedintodarkclouds.Thesedarkcloudsgatheredoverheadandtorrentsofrainpoureddown,fallingonyourwarriors,whobegabatothesoilfromwhichtheyweremade.Intheend,dustturodustandsoilturosoil,eachrevertingbacktoitsinalstate.So,thatbattleehbotharmiespletelywipedout.Nosidewonandnosidewasdefeated…SeeBook1Chapter2TheDream-maker”
“Atthetime”saidDimitri,“IwaostoptheinvasionoftheRomansoldiers,soItransformedmyselftoahuskysavagedeity,witharhinoceroshornatthetopofmyhead,onehugeeyeonmyfadanothereyeatthebayhead.Ijustwaoscarethemwithmyimage,neverrealizingthattherewasjustsuchapersonedinacaveatthebaykingdom.Later,IgavehimthenameofCyclops…”Hethenadded“Justnowyouspokeofwar,andthattouchesmedeeply.Sihebeginningoftimewhenmanfirstappearedonthisearth,innumerablewarsbigandsmallhavebeenfought.Everywariablybeesadgruesomeseofdeathandbloodshed,withcorpsespilinguponbattlefieldswherebloodhaddyedthegroundred,fullydispyingtheremnantsofdferociousanimalinstinctsstilliveinhumannature,namelykillingandpugnacity.herhavethehumanracelearntanylessonsfromtheirexperienpreviouswars.Iftheycouldbecool-headedandanalyzethingssoberlyandcalmlybeforethewarbegan,theywouldbeabletodecidewhichwarisiableandwhichcouldbeavoided.Inwarsbetweennations,wheionalsnty,i,honororsanctityareinvolved,thesituationbeesespeciallyexplosiveandcouldbesetoffwithatouch,getoutofhandandbeeanirreciblemess.Thescopeofwarfarehasalsoescated,involvingfromhundredsofthousandsofpeopletomillionsandtensofmillionsofpeopleandhasetothepoihoseinvolvedwerewillingtorisktotannihitionifnecessary.Suchirrationalmadnesswillonedayleadtothedestruoftheworld.Onthisearthwehumanbeingshavenonaturalenemyandnooutsideaggressionhasthreatenedus.Itisweourselvesushedthehumahebordersofselfdestru…Why?Ireallydonotuand…Ifwetakealong-sightedviewandlookbaourhistory,atthewarsthathadbeergerandrgerinscope,wewouldfindthatmostofthemwereunnecessaryandcouldhavebeenavoided.Butpeopledecidedtosettleproblemswithvioleusingbruteforce,themostsimple,diredbarbarouswaytosettleproblemsiscertainlynotanexpressionofclear-headednessandrationality.Iure,ifhumansarewillingtogiveupbrutefordviolenceasameansofsettlingdisputesaablishnewrulestodosobyothermeans,thenhumancivilizationwouldhavereachedabraage,muchclosertoTruth.”
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