back...Whoarethey?Iwon’ttellyouatthismoment.Youwillknowwheimees.Getthingsreadyforthewelepartytonight...Yes...Yes...PleasetellElinaasIdon’thavehercellphonenumber...Bytheway,doyouneedanyhelp?Isendpeopleover...OK...Seeyouter.”

    “HiMegginn,thisisYoko.Areyoubusy?Well,nomatterhowbusyyouare,youandSamanthamustebaightfortheweleparty...Yes,somemorepanionshaveeback...Whoarethey?Iwon’ttellyounow.Iwillonlysayit’smorethanone...Ohyes,ewithyouroldtaxis.Wedon’thaveenoughvehicles...Good,seeyouatonight.‘bye.”

    Amaliawassmilinghappily,busyingherselfarouore.Shedidnotknoasgoingonorwhothenewerswere,butleasedasPunchthatthestorewassolivelyandbustling.Toher,itwasthemore,themerrier.

    “Gopulldowntheirongate”sheorderedMark.“We’reclosingearlytoday.”

    “Yes,m’am”saidmarkaoclosethestore.Maryaookthefournewarrivalstothenewlyrenovatedhousedoorandaskedthemtocheesetheirownrooms.ThoughAngelicahadherownhouse,shechosearoomheretootobebetterabletoenjoythepanyofherpanions.LikeMegginnandSamantha,shewaoehereoftentostay.Amaliahadherownquartersabovethestoreandobstinatelyrefusedtomove,soYokoandSheihadtostaybehindalsotokeepherpany.Everyonewasbusilygettiled,whileDimitrisatalohebackyard,silentandmorose.AstohowtheyallterattehewelepartyatNovel’srgeandspaansion,howDimitritriedtolookcheerfulinspiteofhisheavyheart,howfacedwiththedirecrisisintheKingdomthebeautiesdidnotfeeluptocelebration...wewillnotgoiailhere.Afterthedinnerparty,ElinadroveDimitribacktohisoldstudioapartmentasusual.

    IntheKingdomofDreams,thedayhadjustbegunandsunlightsnteddownfrombehindthemountains.ObliviousofthefactthatonthegroundthepacehadgedhandsandnolongerbelooKingDimitri,thesunshoneindiscriminatelydownoh.Therounddomeofthegoldpaceglitteredwithablindingbrilliahemfoggraduallydispersed,thegoldpacedispyedmoreandmoreofitsdazzlingradiance.Whenthesunfinallyrosehighinthesky,theentiregoldpace,grandandmagnifit,wasagainexhibitedinitsfullglory.Buttheihispaceoldwasfilledwithanatmosphereofbruteterroryage.Severalhumanheads,stilldrippingblood,werehungontheeaves,obviouslyretlydecapitated.Viohadorderedthatthegreatestcarewastobetakenwhilestrippingofftheironcoatingofthegoldpadthatthetiinfraunishablebydeath.Thesepoorsoldiershadthemisfortuneofchippingsomeintricatecarvingsonthepilrsinthecorridorsandhadtheirhandsandheadschoppedoff.Thedecapitatedheads,stilldrippingblood,werehungontheeavesaswarningthatsuchwasthefateofanyonewhodidnotobeyorders.Ihegoldpace,ViosatonthegoldthrousedtobelongtoKingDimitri.TalndmuscurCyclopsstoodbesideherlikeaguardian.Viowatchedthebarbariansoldierspractigarcheryoutsideinthecourtyardandotherswhowerepractigrowingandsailingbytheke.Thosebows,arrowsandboatsoilsofwar,nowbeingusedasonstoattagDimitri’space.ThebravewarriorswhodiedfDimitriindefendingtheirhomendwouldcertainlyhavediedwithagrievance.Vioorderedarrowstobedippedininfmmablessuchaskeroseneandsulfur,whichwouldbelightedwhentheirboatsheoppositeshore.SheinteoattackbyfireandburndownKingDimitri’space.WhatViofearedmostwasMedusa’spiergeyes.ThistroublesomeGonhadflowhea

back...Whoarethey?Iwon’ttellyouatthismoment.Youwillknowwheimees.Getthingsreadyforthewelepartytonight...Yes...Yes...PleasetellElinaasIdon’thavehercellphonenumber...Bytheway,doyouneedanyhelp?Isendpeopleover...OK...Seeyouter.”

    “HiMegginn,thisisYoko.Areyoubusy?Well,nomatterhowbusyyouare,youandSamanthamustebaightfortheweleparty...Yes,somemorepanionshaveeback...Whoarethey?Iwon’ttellyounow.Iwillonlysayit’smorethanone...Ohyes,ewithyouroldtaxis.Wedon’thaveenoughvehicles...Good,seeyouatonight.‘bye.”

    Amaliawassmilinghappily,busyingherselfarouore.Shedidnotknoasgoingonorwhothenewerswere,butleasedasPunchthatthestorewassolivelyandbustling.Toher,itwasthemore,themerrier.

    “Gopulldowntheirongate”sheorderedMark.“We’reclosingearlytoday.”

    “Yes,m’am”saidmarkaoclosethestore.Maryaookthefournewarrivalstothenewlyrenovatedhousedoorandaskedthemtocheesetheirownrooms.ThoughAngelicahadherownhouse,shechosearoomheretootobebetterabletoenjoythepanyofherpanions.LikeMegginnandSamantha,shewaoehereoftentostay.Amaliahadherownquartersabovethestoreandobstinatelyrefusedtomove,soYokoandSheihadtostaybehindalsotokeepherpany.Everyonewasbusilygettiled,whileDimitrisatalohebackyard,silentandmorose.AstohowtheyallterattehewelepartyatNovel’srgeandspaansion,howDimitritriedtolookcheerfulinspiteofhisheavyheart,howfacedwiththedirecrisisintheKingdomthebeautiesdidnotfeeluptocelebration...wewillnotgoiailhere.Afterthedinnerparty,ElinadroveDimitribacktohisoldstudioapartmentasusual.

    IntheKingdomofDreams,thedayhadjustbegunandsunlightsnteddownfrombehindthemountains.ObliviousofthefactthatonthegroundthepacehadgedhandsandnolongerbelooKingDimitri,thesunshoneindiscriminatelydownoh.Therounddomeofthegoldpaceglitteredwithablindingbrilliahemfoggraduallydispersed,thegoldpacedispyedmoreandmoreofitsdazzlingradiance.Whenthesunfinallyrosehighinthesky,theentiregoldpace,grandandmagnifit,wasagainexhibitedinitsfullglory.Buttheihispaceoldwasfilledwithanatmosphereofbruteterroryage.Severalhumanheads,stilldrippingblood,werehungontheeaves,obviouslyretlydecapitated.Viohadorderedthatthegreatestcarewastobetakenwhilestrippingofftheironcoatingofthegoldpadthatthetiinfraunishablebydeath.Thesepoorsoldiershadthemisfortuneofchippingsomeintricatecarvingsonthepilrsinthecorridorsandhadtheirhandsandheadschoppedoff.Thedecapitatedheads,stilldrippingblood,werehungontheeavesaswarningthatsuchwasthefateofanyonewhodidnotobeyorders.Ihegoldpace,ViosatonthegoldthrousedtobelongtoKingDimitri.TalndmuscurCyclopsstoodbesideherlikeaguardian.Viowatchedthebarbariansoldierspractigarcheryoutsideinthecourtyardandotherswhowerepractigrowingandsailingbytheke.Thosebows,arrowsandboatsoilsofwar,nowbeingusedasonstoattagDimitri’space.ThebravewarriorswhodiedfDimitriindefendingtheirhomendwouldcertainlyhavediedwithagrievance.Vioorderedarrowstobedippedininfmmablessuchaskeroseneandsulfur,whichwouldbelightedwhentheirboatsheoppositeshore.SheinteoattackbyfireandburndownKingDimitri’space.WhatViofearedmostwasMedusa’spiergeyes.ThistroublesomeGonhadflowhea