violeheonlywaytosolveproblemsinthissociety?violenlybesubduedbyviolence?”Dimitrisighedandshookhishead.Daylightwasshortinwinterandbyfiveo’clockitwasalreadydark.Theworkerswerecollegtheirtoolsreadytoleavefortheday.Justthen,Richardrushedoversaying,

    “Dimitri!YokocalledagaintosaytherearetwoVIPstoseeyouandwantsyoutogooverassoonaspossible.”

    “Ah!Iknowwhothesetwopeopleare”excimedDimitri.“Thatwasfast!”Hestooduptogo.KnowingDimitrihadguestswaiting,hisfriendsalltooktheirleave.

    “Alliswellheresowejustleavetheseworkerstodotheirwork.Ifyouguysarefree,etomyapartmentatnightandweeat,drink,talkandbemerry.”Withthat,everyoontheirway.

    JustasDimitrihadsurmised,thenewerswereNovelandElena;buthehadnotexpectedthemtoarrivesosoon.Thatday,Novelwokeupfromhernapstillfeelinggroggy.Openingdrowsyeyes,thoughtsstillonherdreams,shefoundherselfbaherhuge,amansion.Thecarpetsanddrapeshadbeengedandthewallshadbeenrepainted,butthesameexpensivepaintingshungthere.Shelookedoutofthewindowsandsaihetreesandshrubswerebare,butthebrancheshadbeenprofessionallyprunedandtrimmed.Thegroundswerewell-kept,withnotasinglefallenleafleftbehind.Shesuddenlythoughtofthedreamshejusthad,whereshelivedinawonderful,magnifitpace.There,thefourseasonswerenotlimitedtofollowingeachotherinthenormalsequecouldbealteredatwill.

    “Ifitwerespringnoonderfulthatwouldbe!”shethought.Nosoonerhadthethoughtetohermind,thantheseinhergardengeddramatically.Greengrassspranguporeesandshrubsburstintoleafandmulti-coloredflowersbloomedprofuselyeverywhere.Whatisthisifn?SherememberedhersistersinthepacludinghercousihebeautifuQueenAishaandthebrave,resolutebutalsogentleandromantigDimitri.

    “Dothesepeopleexistonlyinmydreamsandvanishlikebubblesinreallife?”shewondered.“No,iftheywereonlyillusivedreams,howIexpinthisunseasonablespringsebeforeme,soexuberantandluxuriant?Whydon’tIcallElenaandseeifshehadthesamedreamasIdid;ifshetoowasamemberoftheKingdomofDreams.ThiswayIwillknowthetruthforsure.”oodupfromherchair,onlythenrealizingthatshehadbeensittingonherhusband,Mr.Silkiesrogchair.Hermemorystartedingback.Afterherhusband’sdeath,shewaosellthisrgeoldmansionanditsspaciousgardens,teforhersimpleneeds,butbecauseitwaswidelyrumoredtobehauheghostofhertehusband,shecouldnotfindabuyer.Novelsmiled.Heroormentedheartwasfullhtness,serenityandgoodness.

    19

    “Thereisnosuchthingasghostsandgoblinsinthisworld”shethought.“Theserumorsarepletelyunfounded.”Shewalkedovertothetelephoocallhercousin,Elena.

    Warmwintersunshieredinthroughcracksofthewhitevelvetcurtainsontothepurplecarpetofthequiet,fortableroom,whichermeatedecialfemalefragrance.Ivory-likewhitefeetwithnailspaintedbrightredycurledonthefortablesofa.Shehadonapairreypantsandabckturtlenecksweater.Hergoldenhairreadoutonthecushion.Anovelyopenonherabdomen;apparentlyshehadfallenasleepwhilereading.Slightvibrationswokeherfromhernap.Takingthecellphoofherpocket,sheopeandsaidsleepily,

    “Hello.ThisisElena.Who’scalling...Ohhi,Novel,howareyou...Iwasn’tdoinganythingspecial.Iwasreadingonthecoudmusthaved

violeheonlywaytosolveproblemsinthissociety?violenlybesubduedbyviolence?”Dimitrisighedandshookhishead.Daylightwasshortinwinterandbyfiveo’clockitwasalreadydark.Theworkerswerecollegtheirtoolsreadytoleavefortheday.Justthen,Richardrushedoversaying,

    “Dimitri!YokocalledagaintosaytherearetwoVIPstoseeyouandwantsyoutogooverassoonaspossible.”

    “Ah!Iknowwhothesetwopeopleare”excimedDimitri.“Thatwasfast!”Hestooduptogo.KnowingDimitrihadguestswaiting,hisfriendsalltooktheirleave.

    “Alliswellheresowejustleavetheseworkerstodotheirwork.Ifyouguysarefree,etomyapartmentatnightandweeat,drink,talkandbemerry.”Withthat,everyoontheirway.

    JustasDimitrihadsurmised,thenewerswereNovelandElena;buthehadnotexpectedthemtoarrivesosoon.Thatday,Novelwokeupfromhernapstillfeelinggroggy.Openingdrowsyeyes,thoughtsstillonherdreams,shefoundherselfbaherhuge,amansion.Thecarpetsanddrapeshadbeengedandthewallshadbeenrepainted,butthesameexpensivepaintingshungthere.Shelookedoutofthewindowsandsaihetreesandshrubswerebare,butthebrancheshadbeenprofessionallyprunedandtrimmed.Thegroundswerewell-kept,withnotasinglefallenleafleftbehind.Shesuddenlythoughtofthedreamshejusthad,whereshelivedinawonderful,magnifitpace.There,thefourseasonswerenotlimitedtofollowingeachotherinthenormalsequecouldbealteredatwill.

    “Ifitwerespringnoonderfulthatwouldbe!”shethought.Nosoonerhadthethoughtetohermind,thantheseinhergardengeddramatically.Greengrassspranguporeesandshrubsburstintoleafandmulti-coloredflowersbloomedprofuselyeverywhere.Whatisthisifn?SherememberedhersistersinthepacludinghercousihebeautifuQueenAishaandthebrave,resolutebutalsogentleandromantigDimitri.

    “Dothesepeopleexistonlyinmydreamsandvanishlikebubblesinreallife?”shewondered.“No,iftheywereonlyillusivedreams,howIexpinthisunseasonablespringsebeforeme,soexuberantandluxuriant?Whydon’tIcallElenaandseeifshehadthesamedreamasIdid;ifshetoowasamemberoftheKingdomofDreams.ThiswayIwillknowthetruthforsure.”oodupfromherchair,onlythenrealizingthatshehadbeensittingonherhusband,Mr.Silkiesrogchair.Hermemorystartedingback.Afterherhusband’sdeath,shewaosellthisrgeoldmansionanditsspaciousgardens,teforhersimpleneeds,butbecauseitwaswidelyrumoredtobehauheghostofhertehusband,shecouldnotfindabuyer.Novelsmiled.Heroormentedheartwasfullhtness,serenityandgoodness.

    19

    “Thereisnosuchthingasghostsandgoblinsinthisworld”shethought.“Theserumorsarepletelyunfounded.”Shewalkedovertothetelephoocallhercousin,Elena.

    Warmwintersunshieredinthroughcracksofthewhitevelvetcurtainsontothepurplecarpetofthequiet,fortableroom,whichermeatedecialfemalefragrance.Ivory-likewhitefeetwithnailspaintedbrightredycurledonthefortablesofa.Shehadonapairreypantsandabckturtlenecksweater.Hergoldenhairreadoutonthecushion.Anovelyopenonherabdomen;apparentlyshehadfallenasleepwhilereading.Slightvibrationswokeherfromhernap.Takingthecellphoofherpocket,sheopeandsaidsleepily,

    “Hello.ThisisElena.Who’scalling...Ohhi,Novel,howareyou...Iwasn’tdoinganythingspecial.Iwasreadingonthecoudmusthaved