e,butallthistimeyouweresittingheredaydreaming!,Dimitri!Hey,,quick!Mr.Kaffeeisveryworriedaboutsomethingaallofustolookforyou,sopal!”Thenturningtothecrowdofcuriousspectatorshewavedhishandsatthemasifhewasherdingdudsaid,“Go!Go!Youpeople!Whatistheretoseehere?Scramallofyou,vamoose!!!”SeeingRichard’sbrutishfigureandferociouslooks,thecrowdscattered.Afewofthemstoodtheirground,waitingtoseeiftherewouldbeanymoredramaticdevelopments.Richardrolleduphissleeves,showinghisformidablemusclesandsaidthreateningly,“What?Areyouguysstillhere?Wantatasteofmyfists?”Notwantinganytrouble,theyslunkaway,muttering,“Badluckmeetinganothercrazyguy!”Turningbaitri,Richardhelpedhimupsaying,“eon,Dimitri.Let’sgoandseeMr.Kaffee.He’slikeaahottinroof!”

    “Whydoeshewanttoseeme?Hassomeemergeneup?”

    “I’mnotveryclearaboutthis.You’llknowwhenyougetthere.”Richardsawthentherewasanotherpersonsoundasleeponthegrouookacloserlookandexcimed,“Hey!That’soldDavid!What’shedoinghere?Heissleepingsosoundlythatfireworkswon’twakehim!”

    “Sh-sh-“shushedDimitriwithhisfiohislips.“Don’twakehim.Heisinhisdreamndweavingpleasantdreams…Let’sleavenowandnotkeepMr.Kaffeewaiting…”

    Mr.KaffeeagbadforthinthesmallbackyardofDream-maker’sBakery,movingaroundtoreleasesomeofhistension.Onthegsswindowwasanotice,“Weareclosedforoneweekduetointernalrepair.Weleoldandnewerstoebackafterweopenforbusinessweek.”Mr.Kaffeehadnotbeennotifiedofthisgebeforehandandwasw,

    15

    “CouldthisbeMaryandShei’syingaprankonme?”Butthisdidn’tlooklikeaprathatsomethingwaswrongwheMegginn’snightandcameherequicklytoseehowthingswere.HefoundthatnotonlywastheshopboardedandclosedbuttheluxuriousthreestoryapartmenthousepreparedformembersoftheKingdomofDreamswasalsoempty.ItwasthenthathewassurethingswereseriouslywrongaRichard,JamazandBig-OouttolookforDimitri.Justthen,JamazandBig-Orushedinpantingaing.Seeingtheirdejectedexpression,hekhattheyhadnotbeeofindDimitri.Hethoughttohimself,“Whatcouldhavehappened?Wehavelookedatallthepceshefrequentstonoavail.Couldhehavedisappearedintothinairagainfornoreasonatalljustlikesttime?”Greatlymystifiedandarmed,Mr.Kaffeefeltthattheburdenonhisshoulderswasheavierthanever.HecouldnotpossiblyshouldertheburdenofmanagingDimitri’sfinancialempirealone.Justashewaswwhattodo,hiscellph.WhenhesawRichard’snumberreflectedonthes,heintuitivelyfeltthatperhapstherewasgoodhistime.Heflippedopenhiscellphone,hisvoicetremblingwithnervousnessaement,

    “HowisitRichard?Didyoufindhim?”

    “Verygood…Verygood…You’llbehereintwominutes?Why,that’swonderful!”

    “Thefasterthebetter.Thefasterthebetter.Goodbye.”

    Mr.Kaffeegaveasighofreliefandcolpsedontoachairlikeanairlessball.Hewasthinkingthatifstepsweretakenrightaway,themaofDimitri’sfinancialempirecouldstillberetaiheirhands.Otherwiseitmightbetoote.SoonthefamiliarsoundsofRichard’singtoastopoutsidethegatewereheardandDimitriwalkedinquickly,hishandonRichard’sshoulder.Thefirstquestionheaskedwas,

    “WhereisAmalia?Theycouldn’thavejustleftherhereallbyherselfwhentheyleft,couldthey?”TheappearanitriatoMr

e,butallthistimeyouweresittingheredaydreaming!,Dimitri!Hey,,quick!Mr.Kaffeeisveryworriedaboutsomethingaallofustolookforyou,sopal!”Thenturningtothecrowdofcuriousspectatorshewavedhishandsatthemasifhewasherdingdudsaid,“Go!Go!Youpeople!Whatistheretoseehere?Scramallofyou,vamoose!!!”SeeingRichard’sbrutishfigureandferociouslooks,thecrowdscattered.Afewofthemstoodtheirground,waitingtoseeiftherewouldbeanymoredramaticdevelopments.Richardrolleduphissleeves,showinghisformidablemusclesandsaidthreateningly,“What?Areyouguysstillhere?Wantatasteofmyfists?”Notwantinganytrouble,theyslunkaway,muttering,“Badluckmeetinganothercrazyguy!”Turningbaitri,Richardhelpedhimupsaying,“eon,Dimitri.Let’sgoandseeMr.Kaffee.He’slikeaahottinroof!”

    “Whydoeshewanttoseeme?Hassomeemergeneup?”

    “I’mnotveryclearaboutthis.You’llknowwhenyougetthere.”Richardsawthentherewasanotherpersonsoundasleeponthegrouookacloserlookandexcimed,“Hey!That’soldDavid!What’shedoinghere?Heissleepingsosoundlythatfireworkswon’twakehim!”

    “Sh-sh-“shushedDimitriwithhisfiohislips.“Don’twakehim.Heisinhisdreamndweavingpleasantdreams…Let’sleavenowandnotkeepMr.Kaffeewaiting…”

    Mr.KaffeeagbadforthinthesmallbackyardofDream-maker’sBakery,movingaroundtoreleasesomeofhistension.Onthegsswindowwasanotice,“Weareclosedforoneweekduetointernalrepair.Weleoldandnewerstoebackafterweopenforbusinessweek.”Mr.Kaffeehadnotbeennotifiedofthisgebeforehandandwasw,

    15

    “CouldthisbeMaryandShei’syingaprankonme?”Butthisdidn’tlooklikeaprathatsomethingwaswrongwheMegginn’snightandcameherequicklytoseehowthingswere.HefoundthatnotonlywastheshopboardedandclosedbuttheluxuriousthreestoryapartmenthousepreparedformembersoftheKingdomofDreamswasalsoempty.ItwasthenthathewassurethingswereseriouslywrongaRichard,JamazandBig-OouttolookforDimitri.Justthen,JamazandBig-Orushedinpantingaing.Seeingtheirdejectedexpression,hekhattheyhadnotbeeofindDimitri.Hethoughttohimself,“Whatcouldhavehappened?Wehavelookedatallthepceshefrequentstonoavail.Couldhehavedisappearedintothinairagainfornoreasonatalljustlikesttime?”Greatlymystifiedandarmed,Mr.Kaffeefeltthattheburdenonhisshoulderswasheavierthanever.HecouldnotpossiblyshouldertheburdenofmanagingDimitri’sfinancialempirealone.Justashewaswwhattodo,hiscellph.WhenhesawRichard’snumberreflectedonthes,heintuitivelyfeltthatperhapstherewasgoodhistime.Heflippedopenhiscellphone,hisvoicetremblingwithnervousnessaement,

    “HowisitRichard?Didyoufindhim?”

    “Verygood…Verygood…You’llbehereintwominutes?Why,that’swonderful!”

    “Thefasterthebetter.Thefasterthebetter.Goodbye.”

    Mr.Kaffeegaveasighofreliefandcolpsedontoachairlikeanairlessball.Hewasthinkingthatifstepsweretakenrightaway,themaofDimitri’sfinancialempirecouldstillberetaiheirhands.Otherwiseitmightbetoote.SoonthefamiliarsoundsofRichard’singtoastopoutsidethegatewereheardandDimitriwalkedinquickly,hishandonRichard’sshoulder.Thefirstquestionheaskedwas,

    “WhereisAmalia?Theycouldn’thavejustleftherhereallbyherselfwhentheyleft,couldthey?”TheappearanitriatoMr