couple.Inaheyairofstar-crossedloversalwaysateachother’sthroat.Butwhethertheylovedorhatedeachother,theyweealle.Inthislife,whenyouappeared,MedusaabandonedCyclopsforyou.Shefollowedyouandservedyouloyally.What’sworse,youkilledistress,Eileen.Sothiscouplebecamebitterehiscycleoflife.ThereasonIstayedsolonginydomwasbecauseIwastryingtoresolveorvertthisknottyretionshipinsomeway...”

    “Sothat’showthingsstand...That’showthingsstand...”murmuredDimitriasifwakingfromadreamandsuddenlysawthelight.“Theyhavebeenacoupleformanylifetimes,butIunknowinglycamebetweenthemandseparatedthem.That’swrongandunsable.Imustthinkofawaytomakeamends...”

    20

    “It’stooteforthatnow.YdomofDreamshasalreadyperishedinfmes”saidDwarfMickey,holdinguphisburntbeardasiftoprovehispoint.

    “Really?”excimedDimitri,takenabaihadjusttoldhimaboutVioandCyclopspttingtoattackGiantMountainandtakeovertheiron-coatedgoldpaeeallofasuddeireKingdomhadbeenburnttoashes?Dimitriwasataloss.

    “Letmeexpinittoyouthisway”saidDwarfMickeypatiently.“Whathashappehisspadtime,mayhavealreadyhappenedinanotherspadtime.YdomofDreamsislikethat.Iwasquidescapedjustinaniefromtheseaoffire.Justlookatmybeard...”

    “Istherenottheslightestakingamends?Nottheslightesthopeofredemption?”

    “Ithinkthediehasbeencastaainhasedown”saidMickeysadly.Hesighedandtinued,“Iinteobeediatororsortsandmakepeacebetweehreeofyoubymakinguseofmyformermaster/servaionshipwiththetwoofthem.Atoime,tensioohaveabatedsomewhat,butwiththeappearanceofVio,thesituatiofrombadtoworseonadoiral.Eggedonbythatwoman,Cyclops’desireforrevengewasfaoitshighestpointandthingsbecameuntrolble.”

    “WhoisthiswomanVio?WhydoesshehatemesomuchthatshewantstodestroymyKingdomofDreams?”murmuredDimitri.

    “EvenIdon’tknowwhosheisorwhereshecamefrom”saidDwarfMickey.“butfromtheexpressionofhereyesIreizedherasthemasterthiefinaformerlife.Onedayshesuddenlyappearedinydomlikeavariableandtookthehelm,single-handedlyandstrategicallydiregthedevelopmentofthesituation.Ihaveallhowthingsevolved.Onlyheavenknows!”

    Dimitribowedhishead,tryingpainstakinglytothinkofwhothatwomanViocouldbe.Hewaogatherupthemainthreadsofthisplicatedandintricateretionshipbetweenthoseedahebottomoftheinanddevelopmentofthematter.Butitwassoplexandiedininnumerablewaysthatthemorehethought,themorefusedhebecame.Hecouldn’tgoonanymore,buthehadtotirytouhisGordianknot.Hehadtofindawaytodissolvethecrisissothathisbeautifulpacewouldnotgoupinfmesandhispeoplewouldnotbesughteredbythebarbariantribeslikesacrificialmbsorbeedestitute,sufferingdeprivationandhardships.Dimitriwasagainimmersedinthought.

    QueenAishaledthebeautieswhowerestillwithherintheKingdomofDreamstotheatticatthehighestlevelofthepadtheyallwalkedoutontothewideveranda.WhiteFairywascarryingKingDimitri’sswordwhileQueenAishaheldapowerfultelescopeinhehandwhichshewasusingtosurveythesurroundingarea.Herheartchedinpainasshelookedatthecrystalclearbluekebelow,nooolofdeadwaterdevoidofalquaticlife.Movinghereyeshigher,shesedthehorizonandsawatiny,fast-movingbckspotfarawayianceabov

couple.Inaheyairofstar-crossedloversalwaysateachother’sthroat.Butwhethertheylovedorhatedeachother,theyweealle.Inthislife,whenyouappeared,MedusaabandonedCyclopsforyou.Shefollowedyouandservedyouloyally.What’sworse,youkilledistress,Eileen.Sothiscouplebecamebitterehiscycleoflife.ThereasonIstayedsolonginydomwasbecauseIwastryingtoresolveorvertthisknottyretionshipinsomeway...”

    “Sothat’showthingsstand...That’showthingsstand...”murmuredDimitriasifwakingfromadreamandsuddenlysawthelight.“Theyhavebeenacoupleformanylifetimes,butIunknowinglycamebetweenthemandseparatedthem.That’swrongandunsable.Imustthinkofawaytomakeamends...”

    20

    “It’stooteforthatnow.YdomofDreamshasalreadyperishedinfmes”saidDwarfMickey,holdinguphisburntbeardasiftoprovehispoint.

    “Really?”excimedDimitri,takenabaihadjusttoldhimaboutVioandCyclopspttingtoattackGiantMountainandtakeovertheiron-coatedgoldpaeeallofasuddeireKingdomhadbeenburnttoashes?Dimitriwasataloss.

    “Letmeexpinittoyouthisway”saidDwarfMickeypatiently.“Whathashappehisspadtime,mayhavealreadyhappenedinanotherspadtime.YdomofDreamsislikethat.Iwasquidescapedjustinaniefromtheseaoffire.Justlookatmybeard...”

    “Istherenottheslightestakingamends?Nottheslightesthopeofredemption?”

    “Ithinkthediehasbeencastaainhasedown”saidMickeysadly.Hesighedandtinued,“Iinteobeediatororsortsandmakepeacebetweehreeofyoubymakinguseofmyformermaster/servaionshipwiththetwoofthem.Atoime,tensioohaveabatedsomewhat,butwiththeappearanceofVio,thesituatiofrombadtoworseonadoiral.Eggedonbythatwoman,Cyclops’desireforrevengewasfaoitshighestpointandthingsbecameuntrolble.”

    “WhoisthiswomanVio?WhydoesshehatemesomuchthatshewantstodestroymyKingdomofDreams?”murmuredDimitri.

    “EvenIdon’tknowwhosheisorwhereshecamefrom”saidDwarfMickey.“butfromtheexpressionofhereyesIreizedherasthemasterthiefinaformerlife.Onedayshesuddenlyappearedinydomlikeavariableandtookthehelm,single-handedlyandstrategicallydiregthedevelopmentofthesituation.Ihaveallhowthingsevolved.Onlyheavenknows!”

    Dimitribowedhishead,tryingpainstakinglytothinkofwhothatwomanViocouldbe.Hewaogatherupthemainthreadsofthisplicatedandintricateretionshipbetweenthoseedahebottomoftheinanddevelopmentofthematter.Butitwassoplexandiedininnumerablewaysthatthemorehethought,themorefusedhebecame.Hecouldn’tgoonanymore,buthehadtotirytouhisGordianknot.Hehadtofindawaytodissolvethecrisissothathisbeautifulpacewouldnotgoupinfmesandhispeoplewouldnotbesughteredbythebarbariantribeslikesacrificialmbsorbeedestitute,sufferingdeprivationandhardships.Dimitriwasagainimmersedinthought.

    QueenAishaledthebeautieswhowerestillwithherintheKingdomofDreamstotheatticatthehighestlevelofthepadtheyallwalkedoutontothewideveranda.WhiteFairywascarryingKingDimitri’sswordwhileQueenAishaheldapowerfultelescopeinhehandwhichshewasusingtosurveythesurroundingarea.Herheartchedinpainasshelookedatthecrystalclearbluekebelow,nooolofdeadwaterdevoidofalquaticlife.Movinghereyeshigher,shesedthehorizonandsawatiny,fast-movingbckspotfarawayianceabov