“Soyouareafraidofthis,eh?”saidDornaandimmediatelystraddledthebroomsaying.“Fly!”Shepulledonthelonghailitfloatedatanupwardsntawoofthemshotintothesky.Sheexperimentedongoingup,ingdown,turningright,andturnihebroomco-operatedfullyandDorlikeanexperiencedpilotskillfullyflyierouspneeasilyaly.Dorraighttowardstheheavy,solid-lookingcloudyer,butbythenZeushadgiveowithdrawandthecloudyerdisiedintohundredsofindividualclouds,scatteringtothefourersoftheearth,soondisappearingfromsight.Zeus’formidablearmyhadalsodispersedwiththecloudsandvahoutatrace.DornacaughtsightofKingDimitrionhiswhitehorse,Lightning,flyingfreelyinthecrystalbluesky.ShesawhimmakeaVsignwithhisfingersanduoodimmediately.Sheturnedaroundaraightdowntowardsthepace,hurryingtobethefirstoelleveryohegoodnewsofKingDimitri’svictory.Butalso,WhiteFairywasbeforeheralready,retingthemiraculousentertothebeautiesidetail.ShetoldthemhowKingDimitriflewuptotheskiesaloneonhishorse,howhefearlesslyfacedZeusandhisarmy,howhestoodupforthewoundedMedusachallengingApollo,thesungod,demandingjusticeforhissubject.Shetoldabouttheirbattlewhereeachofthemwonsomeandlostsome,whereKingDimitriexhibitedprowessequaltoApollo,butwhereinthesphereofarcheryKingDimitridefinitelyhadanedge.WhiteFairytoldofhowthetwoofthemuofightagainsttheninesuns,thepersonificationofninemonsters,atthesametimeriddingtheuniverseofs.ShetoldofhowKingDimitri’smilitaryskillwonoverZeusarmyandgaiherespedadmirationofZeusandApollo.Shetoldofhowonhisowninitiative,Zeusnullifiedtheliege-lord/vassalretionshipandannouhatfromthisdayforwardtheKingdomofDreamsandtheSeventhHeavenwouldmeetonequalfootingastwofriendlysnstates.ThenewsquicklyspreadaroundtheKingdomandthepeopleadmiredtheirceouskingfromthebottomoftheirheartsandtheirloyaltytohimknewnobounds.
Dornaandherbroomdesdedontothesmallcourtyard.Shewalkedintothepacekitholdingthebroominonehandachetiher.Thespotlesskitwasnooand,butwasequippedwitheveryarydeviceimaginable.However,itwassoontobeabandonedforeverbecausenowthatanyfoodaninhabitantoftheKingdomwishedcouldbehadjustbywishingforit,noonewouldtakethetroubletothinkofnewrecipesandthencookit.Dorhroughthekitintothesidehalndstoppedatthelittleroomwherewinewasstored.Shewenttothestet,climbedthedderstillleaningagainstitandhidthebroomachetbehiopoftheetwhereitwouldnotbeeasilyfound.Sheheardjubintshoutsrisinginwaves,onehighertha,rogthepins,resoundingintheskies.SheknewKingDimitrimusthavearrivedandtingthehomageofhispeople.ShequicklywalkedtowardsthedoorandinpassingsawMr.Fingerlyinginadruuporinthehalfemptycup,whichhehadnotbeeofinishbeforehesuccumbedtothepotentdrink.Dornawasgreatlyrelievedthatthepletelypsteredmischievouslittlemanwouldnotbeabletocauseanytroubleinthenearfuture.Shelefttheroom,closingthedoorbehindherandhasteowardsthegreathall.ShewentoutdoorsandsawKingDimitristandingonthehighptformwiththebeautieslinedbehindhim,tellinghispeopleabouthisbattleollo,thesungod,andhowtheyfoughttogethertoridtheuniverseoftheninesuns.Thenheencedandfortedhispeople.Hisshortspeechwasfrequentlyinterruptedbyappuseandshoutsofjoyousughter.KingDimitrihelduphishandsforsilendsaid,
“Startingfromnow,youmayallcelebrateandenjoyyourself.Whateveryouwishforwillimmediatelyappearbeforeyoureyes.Butstartingtomorrow,Iwillsendyoualltoworkonastrenuousproject.Areyoubraveenoughtoacceptthechallenge?Areyouabletocarryouttheproject?”Aresoundingshoutansweredhisquestionintheaffirmative.KingDimitrinoddedinsatisfaandsaid,
“Goandenjoyyourself.”Theurnedahebeautiesdowformtowardsthepace.Hestoppedforamomentbythesideoftheketolookatthedazzlinggoldpadthesurroundingmountainsandthenquicklywalkedintothepace,asifhavingetosomeclusion.
KingDimitriwalkedintothegreathall.ThefirstthinghedidwastogotoMedusawhowasgreatlyweakehelossofbloodandhadnotbeeoweleKingDimitriwiththebeauties.KingDimitrisawthatthoughstilnemic,Medusa’spaleplexionhadbeguntogainsomesignofcolor.Herwoundwashealingandwithherhealthystitution,shewouldbeupandaboutinafewdays.KingDimitripattedheronhershoulderssaying,
“Restwell.Youarethepilrdohavedemandedjusticeforyoufromthesungodwhosegoldarrowwoundedyou.Rest.”Medusadidnotanswer.Inhermindshehaddecidedtodevoteherheartandsoult,willingtoevenydownherlifeforhim.Wordswerenotadequatetoanswersuchabraveandceousmasterwhohadfoughtthesungodioavengeher.KingDimitrisatonhisthroneandsaid,
“Let’seatandtalkatthesametime.”ThebattlehadtakenatollonhisstrengthandKingDimitriwasbothtiredandhungry.Heateravenouslyandgulpeddownhiswihebeautiesallsmiledathisveraciousappetite.Soonhewasfull.ThepaceattendantofferedhimteatorinsehismouthandthenbroughthimacupofhisfavoriteOolongtea.KingDimitrisippedtheteaandsaid,
“JustnowasIwasgoingbytheke,Ilookedatthegoldpadthesurroundingmountainsandcametoaclusionastowhatweshoulddo.Isawthereisatall,bald-lookingmountainjustbehindthegoldpace.Ifwebuildapathfromthebottomtothetop,wetransportthemeltedironthatouritdownontothepace.Wecouldgettwicetheresultwithhalftheeffort.Inaddition,Iwouldneedargecaliberleatherpipetopumpouttheicycoldwaterfromthekeandpouritontotheliquidirontocoolit.PerhapsthatwouldgilditontothegoldpadcealitsdazzlingradiaurningtoDeanna,hesaid,
“Deanna,pleasegathertogetherthetribalchieftainsandeldersahemofthisphemdiscussittoseeifitisfeasibleandthenebadtellifwhattheysay.”
“Yes,yourmajesty”saidDeannaa.
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