dproducedagem-studdeddouble-barreledtelescopewithaflourishasifshewasamagiperfamagicfeat.Aisha’shandsseemedtotrembleasshetookovertheinstrument.Thiswashers.HowcouldsheeverfetthetimewhensheusedittowatafarthetragicbattleonGiantMountain?Shehelditup,lookedthroughitslensesaitdown,softlycaressingitwithherhandssaying,

    “This…thistelescope…Wheredidyougetit?IrememberitwasburiedintheruinsofthemagnifitpaKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams!Howdiditfallintoyourhands?...Couldyouhave…couldyou…you…”AngelicaseemedtobebentonteasingAisha.

    16

    “Don’tbeimpatient,”saidAngelica,whoseemedbentonteasingAisha,“Therearestillmoreastonishingthingstosee…Lookatthis!Whosepapersdoyouthinktheseare…”Sayingso,shetookoutastackofpapersandhahemtoAisha,whocaughtaglimpseoftheheadingolepagesaying“OnLifeinMatriarchalSociety”.AishaquicklysedoverthefirstfewpagesandfirmedthatitwasindeedherunfinisheddissertationthatwaslostintheruinsofthepatheKingdomofDreams.Thesestfewmonths,shehadbeenboriouslywragherbrainstryingtoreproduorythematerialshehadwritten,buthadnotbeeodosotohersatisfa.Shewasonlyabletorememberpartsofitandhadbeenfrustratedinhereffortstoputtogetherthewholedissertatioherewashermanuscript,magicallyreturoher.Happyandastonished,sheheldthestackofpaperstightlyinherhands,herpricelesspossession!Butthehoughtthatsomethingwasnotquiterightaboutthis.Ithappeoosuddenlyanduedly.Herfaceturnedsolemnandseriousassheasked,

    “DidyougobackbyyourselftotheKingdomofDreams?Otherwise,howyouhavegottenthismanuscript?Ihaverepeatedlytoldyouallnottogobacktherebecausetheareaisstilloccupiedbythebarbariantribes.Iftheyshouldgetholdofyoutheresultwouldbedisastrous!WhydidgoagainstmyexpressrequestabacktotheKingdomofDreamsallbyyourself?”MegginnandSamanthahadneversee-spokenAishasoangrybeforeaooscaredtospeakoutandtohelpAngelica.ButAngelicakeptsmiling.Takingoutsomepiecesofpaperfromherbosom,shesaid,

    “Don’tbeangry,Aisha.Readtheselettersfirstbeforeyoureadmetheriotact.”AishaunfoldedthepapersandsawatfirstgtheboldhandwritingbelooMedusa.ShelookedforthesignatureattheendoftheletterandfirmeditwasreallywrittenbyMedusa.Eyesopenedwide,expressionfearfundagitated,shebeganreadientsoftheletterandeveryone’shearttighteoo.Butasshereadon,herexpressiongraduallycalmeddown,untiltowardstheendherlipscurvedinaslightsmile.Itwasonlythenthateveryone’shearteasedandtheybreathedasighofrelief.AishathenpassedtheletterstoMegginnandSamanthaandaskedthemtoreadthemtoo.HervoitledassheturoAngelidasked,

    “youtellmewhatthisisalbout?”

    “Youwanttoknowwhatthisisalbout?”repeatedAngelicawithagrimace.“I’mafraidI’tmakeheadortailsaboutiteither.Ithinkwehadbetteraskourauthoressheretotellusherstoryfrombeginningtoend.”

    YoungDornawasfastasleep.Shewasreallytootired.Thenightbefore,sheswaminthepoolmostofthenightbeforeshandgoingtobed.ShewasmakiheweekthatDream-Maker’sBakeryclosedshoptovisitAisha.Normallyeachwasbusywithherownscheduleanddidnothavemuchopportunitytomeet.ThetwoofthemwereverycloseinthekingdomofDreams.Itwasalmostamother-daughterretionship,soDornamadeu

dproducedagem-studdeddouble-barreledtelescopewithaflourishasifshewasamagiperfamagicfeat.Aisha’shandsseemedtotrembleasshetookovertheinstrument.Thiswashers.HowcouldsheeverfetthetimewhensheusedittowatafarthetragicbattleonGiantMountain?Shehelditup,lookedthroughitslensesaitdown,softlycaressingitwithherhandssaying,

    “This…thistelescope…Wheredidyougetit?IrememberitwasburiedintheruinsofthemagnifitpaKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams!Howdiditfallintoyourhands?...Couldyouhave…couldyou…you…”AngelicaseemedtobebentonteasingAisha.

    16

    “Don’tbeimpatient,”saidAngelica,whoseemedbentonteasingAisha,“Therearestillmoreastonishingthingstosee…Lookatthis!Whosepapersdoyouthinktheseare…”Sayingso,shetookoutastackofpapersandhahemtoAisha,whocaughtaglimpseoftheheadingolepagesaying“OnLifeinMatriarchalSociety”.AishaquicklysedoverthefirstfewpagesandfirmedthatitwasindeedherunfinisheddissertationthatwaslostintheruinsofthepatheKingdomofDreams.Thesestfewmonths,shehadbeenboriouslywragherbrainstryingtoreproduorythematerialshehadwritten,buthadnotbeeodosotohersatisfa.Shewasonlyabletorememberpartsofitandhadbeenfrustratedinhereffortstoputtogetherthewholedissertatioherewashermanuscript,magicallyreturoher.Happyandastonished,sheheldthestackofpaperstightlyinherhands,herpricelesspossession!Butthehoughtthatsomethingwasnotquiterightaboutthis.Ithappeoosuddenlyanduedly.Herfaceturnedsolemnandseriousassheasked,

    “DidyougobackbyyourselftotheKingdomofDreams?Otherwise,howyouhavegottenthismanuscript?Ihaverepeatedlytoldyouallnottogobacktherebecausetheareaisstilloccupiedbythebarbariantribes.Iftheyshouldgetholdofyoutheresultwouldbedisastrous!WhydidgoagainstmyexpressrequestabacktotheKingdomofDreamsallbyyourself?”MegginnandSamanthahadneversee-spokenAishasoangrybeforeaooscaredtospeakoutandtohelpAngelica.ButAngelicakeptsmiling.Takingoutsomepiecesofpaperfromherbosom,shesaid,

    “Don’tbeangry,Aisha.Readtheselettersfirstbeforeyoureadmetheriotact.”AishaunfoldedthepapersandsawatfirstgtheboldhandwritingbelooMedusa.ShelookedforthesignatureattheendoftheletterandfirmeditwasreallywrittenbyMedusa.Eyesopenedwide,expressionfearfundagitated,shebeganreadientsoftheletterandeveryone’shearttighteoo.Butasshereadon,herexpressiongraduallycalmeddown,untiltowardstheendherlipscurvedinaslightsmile.Itwasonlythenthateveryone’shearteasedandtheybreathedasighofrelief.AishathenpassedtheletterstoMegginnandSamanthaandaskedthemtoreadthemtoo.HervoitledassheturoAngelidasked,

    “youtellmewhatthisisalbout?”

    “Youwanttoknowwhatthisisalbout?”repeatedAngelicawithagrimace.“I’mafraidI’tmakeheadortailsaboutiteither.Ithinkwehadbetteraskourauthoressheretotellusherstoryfrombeginningtoend.”

    YoungDornawasfastasleep.Shewasreallytootired.Thenightbefore,sheswaminthepoolmostofthenightbeforeshandgoingtobed.ShewasmakiheweekthatDream-Maker’sBakeryclosedshoptovisitAisha.Normallyeachwasbusywithherownscheduleanddidnothavemuchopportunitytomeet.ThetwoofthemwereverycloseinthekingdomofDreams.Itwasalmostamother-daughterretionship,soDornamadeu