tshouldwedo?”

    “ThatisjustwhatIwaodo”answeredMedusawithgreatfidence.“Iftheydaretoebywater,thecrystalbluekebeingenwouldofferthemnocofanykindbehindwhichtheycouldhide.Iwilnnihitethemall,gethemtostoneandsihebottomoftheke.ThatIpromisedyouIdo.Pleasedon’tworry.”

    “Afiercebattleseemsunavoidable”saidQueenAisha.“IcalledyoubackbecauseIthinkthereshouldbefewerpeopleinthepace.Ithinkweshouldsendasmaiesaspossiblebaundaneworld.YouandIofcourse’tpossiblyleave.WhiteFairyisessentiasshehelpsyouscoutandcarrymessages.Deannaisourliaisonwiththenativechiefs,soshetooisindispensible.ButLotus,Natalie,elle,AngelidDornashouldleavethepadgobaundaneworld.”

    “Yht,yourmajesty”saidMedusa,nodding.“Thefewerpeoplethereareleftinthepace,themoreatpeacemymindwouldbe.ItrateonfightingCyclops.”

    “That’sgood”saidthenormallyretitLotus.“Sinceweareofnohelphere,butinsteadwouldbehindraisbetterforustogotothemundaneworldandfindKingDimitri.”

    “Iamscaredofbattles.Allthebloodandgore”saidAngelica,shuddering.“Wheimees,Iamsuretofaintandbeeaheavyburden.Ithinkweshouldgobaundaneworld.”elleandNatalienoddedsilentlyinagreement.OnlynaughtygirlDornavoicedherdissent.

    “Iwon’tgo!”sheobjected.IwanttoseeformyselfhowMedusafullydispyshertalentsandannihitethebarbariantribes.Iwillnotgiveuptheceofalifetimetoseesuchgrandanddramaticshow.”TurningtoQueenAisha,shemadeaicalfadsaid,“IfIleave...whoistheretokeepyoupanyandmakeyouugh?Don’tmakemego.Pleaseletmestay.”

    “Sheisright”thoughtQueenAisha.“Idoneedapanion,someoalktoandamusemeinthesedifficulttimes.AlsoIamtheonlyotrolherasshedoesn’tlistentoanyoneelse.Ifshegoeswiththem,whoknowswhatscrapsshewillgetinto?Yes,itisbettertokeepherwithme.”SosheturoDornaandsaidveryseriously,“Youmaystayifyoupromisetoobeyordersandnotdowhateveryouwishtowithoutrestraint.Timesofwarareemergencyperiods.Youmustbecareful.”

    21

    “Sure.Sure.Iwill.Iwill”

    “Youfourdies”saidQueenAishaturningtotheLotus,Natalie,elleandAngelica“Goandpreparetogobaundaneworldtonight.”ThefourbeautiesmusthavebeenthewillofheavenbecauseifDornahadgonebaundaneworldwiththeotherfourbeauties,therewouldstillbehopethatKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreamscouldbesaved.Dorna’sstayingbehiedanirredeemabledisaster.

    NataliewaslulledtosleepbythemonotonousswayingoftheBARTtrainandagainitasthisswayingthatwokeherup.Shedidnotknowwhyshegotorain,orwhyshewasfollowingthecrowdtotheexit.Inherdreamjustnow,alongtimeseemedtohavepassed,whileiyitwasonlyamatterofafewstopsoftheBARTtrain.Timewaslikeamonsterwhosemovementswerenoteveall,slimfigurewassoonswallowedbythemovingcrowd.“Timeisastrahing”shethought.“Itdeceivespeople.Oryousaytimeisadelusionmaodeceivehimself.TheeventsinmydreamjustnowweresorealisticthatIwasdeceivedbythem.Oristhemethatisgoingalongwiththehumanflowactuallyadream,andtheeventsinthedreamareality?”Nataliecouldnotfindheranswer.Shejustwalkedoutofthestationwiththecrowd.Whydidshegetoffatthisstop?Shedidnotknow.Shelookedthroughherbackpadsawittainedherdangshoesandclothes.

    “Ah!”shethought,“perhapsIwasverytiredaftermypractidfel

tshouldwedo?”

    “ThatisjustwhatIwaodo”answeredMedusawithgreatfidence.“Iftheydaretoebywater,thecrystalbluekebeingenwouldofferthemnocofanykindbehindwhichtheycouldhide.Iwilnnihitethemall,gethemtostoneandsihebottomoftheke.ThatIpromisedyouIdo.Pleasedon’tworry.”

    “Afiercebattleseemsunavoidable”saidQueenAisha.“IcalledyoubackbecauseIthinkthereshouldbefewerpeopleinthepace.Ithinkweshouldsendasmaiesaspossiblebaundaneworld.YouandIofcourse’tpossiblyleave.WhiteFairyisessentiasshehelpsyouscoutandcarrymessages.Deannaisourliaisonwiththenativechiefs,soshetooisindispensible.ButLotus,Natalie,elle,AngelidDornashouldleavethepadgobaundaneworld.”

    “Yht,yourmajesty”saidMedusa,nodding.“Thefewerpeoplethereareleftinthepace,themoreatpeacemymindwouldbe.ItrateonfightingCyclops.”

    “That’sgood”saidthenormallyretitLotus.“Sinceweareofnohelphere,butinsteadwouldbehindraisbetterforustogotothemundaneworldandfindKingDimitri.”

    “Iamscaredofbattles.Allthebloodandgore”saidAngelica,shuddering.“Wheimees,Iamsuretofaintandbeeaheavyburden.Ithinkweshouldgobaundaneworld.”elleandNatalienoddedsilentlyinagreement.OnlynaughtygirlDornavoicedherdissent.

    “Iwon’tgo!”sheobjected.IwanttoseeformyselfhowMedusafullydispyshertalentsandannihitethebarbariantribes.Iwillnotgiveuptheceofalifetimetoseesuchgrandanddramaticshow.”TurningtoQueenAisha,shemadeaicalfadsaid,“IfIleave...whoistheretokeepyoupanyandmakeyouugh?Don’tmakemego.Pleaseletmestay.”

    “Sheisright”thoughtQueenAisha.“Idoneedapanion,someoalktoandamusemeinthesedifficulttimes.AlsoIamtheonlyotrolherasshedoesn’tlistentoanyoneelse.Ifshegoeswiththem,whoknowswhatscrapsshewillgetinto?Yes,itisbettertokeepherwithme.”SosheturoDornaandsaidveryseriously,“Youmaystayifyoupromisetoobeyordersandnotdowhateveryouwishtowithoutrestraint.Timesofwarareemergencyperiods.Youmustbecareful.”

    21

    “Sure.Sure.Iwill.Iwill”

    “Youfourdies”saidQueenAishaturningtotheLotus,Natalie,elleandAngelica“Goandpreparetogobaundaneworldtonight.”ThefourbeautiesmusthavebeenthewillofheavenbecauseifDornahadgonebaundaneworldwiththeotherfourbeauties,therewouldstillbehopethatKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreamscouldbesaved.Dorna’sstayingbehiedanirredeemabledisaster.

    NataliewaslulledtosleepbythemonotonousswayingoftheBARTtrainandagainitasthisswayingthatwokeherup.Shedidnotknowwhyshegotorain,orwhyshewasfollowingthecrowdtotheexit.Inherdreamjustnow,alongtimeseemedtohavepassed,whileiyitwasonlyamatterofafewstopsoftheBARTtrain.Timewaslikeamonsterwhosemovementswerenoteveall,slimfigurewassoonswallowedbythemovingcrowd.“Timeisastrahing”shethought.“Itdeceivespeople.Oryousaytimeisadelusionmaodeceivehimself.TheeventsinmydreamjustnowweresorealisticthatIwasdeceivedbythem.Oristhemethatisgoingalongwiththehumanflowactuallyadream,andtheeventsinthedreamareality?”Nataliecouldnotfindheranswer.Shejustwalkedoutofthestationwiththecrowd.Whydidshegetoffatthisstop?Shedidnotknow.Shelookedthroughherbackpadsawittainedherdangshoesandclothes.

    “Ah!”shethought,“perhapsIwasverytiredaftermypractidfel