aybefore,hecouldain,allthesebeautiesweredetermiomarryhiminaformalchurchceremony,butatthecritienthemaoescapefromthetransomofthechurchridingonhisflyingbroom.DimitriturnedagaintoAisha’sportraitandtalkedtoitsaying,

    “Iamsosorry.Iamsosorry.TherewasanemergentheKingdomandIhadtoleave…I…I…IamsorryIfailedtoliveuptoyourexpectations…”Aisha’sportraitseemedtoetolifeandreplied,

    23

    “It’salright.Wedonotbmeyou.TherewassuchagreatcatastropheintheKingdomofDreamsthatyouastheirkingwasobligedtogobaddealwithit.Ifyoudidnotdosoandwerecaughtupininsequentialceremohyournumerousbeautiesyouwouldhegreatkingweallloveandrespect.”

    “…Iremember…”tinuedDimitri,“Iremember…thatIhavealreadyformallyaowledgedyouastheQueenoftheKingdomofDreams.Wearealreadyhusbandandwife,right?”Aishasmiledforlornlyandanswered,

    “Dreamsaredreamsayisreality…IfyouandIarehusbandandwife,thenhowareyougoingtodealwiththesixteeiesinthatportrait?Also,therearestillmorebeautiesremainingintheKingdomofDreams.Howwillyoutreatthem?Therearereallyonlytwooptionsopenbeforeyou–allornone.Youeitheracceptallofusoryouforswearusall…Thisisforyoutodecide.Ifyoumarryonlyoneofusorjustafewofus,youcouldnotpossiblypacifytherestofthebeauties...”Dimitri’seyesturheroupportraitofAishatakenwithfifteenotherbeauties.Sixteeifundfamiliarfacesbroughtbackvividlytohismindsesofthepastfromthetimehegottoknowthem,tohowhegraduallyinductedthemtohisKingdomofDreams.SeeBook1TheDream-Maker.hemcouldbepartedwithivenup.Aishawasrightitwaseithermarrythemallorleavethemall.

    “CouldIingoodsceaskthesegeousbeautifulyoungwomeifusflowers,allintheirprimetogiveupseekingtheiroinessandabrightfuture?Itseemsthereisonlyoioformetotake,thatofleavingthemall…”DimitrilookedagainatAisha,whosepcidsmilewassereneasever,buthereyesweremencholyandshadowedbysadness.Uomaintaiactwiththosesorrowfuleyes,hebowedhisheadandsaid,“ThenIlydisappointyoualndfallshortofyourexpectations.Ihadbettergobaylifeasahomelessperson.Perhapsroamireetsallmylifeismyungeabledestiny.Thankyouforbeingsosincerelywillingtodesdandmarryablindhomelessmanlikeme,butsorryIamuodoasyouaskandthereforehavetorefuseyourkindness.Goodbye…InreallifeImaybeabletopartwithyouall,butitwouldbeimpossibleformetogiveupyourloveinmydreamsunlessIgiveupdreaming.ButhowIlivewithoutdreams?No.No.No.That’simpossible.Soweeetindreamnd.Goodbye…queenofmydreams.Iloveyoudeeply.Iloveallofyoudeeply...but…goodbye…goodbye…wordsaresuperfluousandunnecessary…Goodbye…”Thepedestrianspassingbysawonlyaraggedyhomelessmanstandinginfrontofthergeandluxuriouswindowofthestudio,stampinghisfeetandthumpinghischestashesighedandmumbled.ThecuriousooppedtoseewhatDimitriwoulddoandsoontherewasasmallcrowdofidlersgatheredbehindhim,talkingamongstthemselves,

    “Lookatthathobo!Heismumblingandtalkingtothepictures…Ishecrazy?”

    “No,heisnotcrazy.Lookatthepictures.Thesearebeautifulyoungwomen.Ithinkheisjustatoadlustingafterswans…”

    “Luckilythereisgsswindowsprotegthepictures,orelsethatguywouldmostcertainlyrushupandkissthewomeniuresonebyoilthepicturesarewrinkled

aybefore,hecouldain,allthesebeautiesweredetermiomarryhiminaformalchurchceremony,butatthecritienthemaoescapefromthetransomofthechurchridingonhisflyingbroom.DimitriturnedagaintoAisha’sportraitandtalkedtoitsaying,

    “Iamsosorry.Iamsosorry.TherewasanemergentheKingdomandIhadtoleave…I…I…IamsorryIfailedtoliveuptoyourexpectations…”Aisha’sportraitseemedtoetolifeandreplied,

    23

    “It’salright.Wedonotbmeyou.TherewassuchagreatcatastropheintheKingdomofDreamsthatyouastheirkingwasobligedtogobaddealwithit.Ifyoudidnotdosoandwerecaughtupininsequentialceremohyournumerousbeautiesyouwouldhegreatkingweallloveandrespect.”

    “…Iremember…”tinuedDimitri,“Iremember…thatIhavealreadyformallyaowledgedyouastheQueenoftheKingdomofDreams.Wearealreadyhusbandandwife,right?”Aishasmiledforlornlyandanswered,

    “Dreamsaredreamsayisreality…IfyouandIarehusbandandwife,thenhowareyougoingtodealwiththesixteeiesinthatportrait?Also,therearestillmorebeautiesremainingintheKingdomofDreams.Howwillyoutreatthem?Therearereallyonlytwooptionsopenbeforeyou–allornone.Youeitheracceptallofusoryouforswearusall…Thisisforyoutodecide.Ifyoumarryonlyoneofusorjustafewofus,youcouldnotpossiblypacifytherestofthebeauties...”Dimitri’seyesturheroupportraitofAishatakenwithfifteenotherbeauties.Sixteeifundfamiliarfacesbroughtbackvividlytohismindsesofthepastfromthetimehegottoknowthem,tohowhegraduallyinductedthemtohisKingdomofDreams.SeeBook1TheDream-Maker.hemcouldbepartedwithivenup.Aishawasrightitwaseithermarrythemallorleavethemall.

    “CouldIingoodsceaskthesegeousbeautifulyoungwomeifusflowers,allintheirprimetogiveupseekingtheiroinessandabrightfuture?Itseemsthereisonlyoioformetotake,thatofleavingthemall…”DimitrilookedagainatAisha,whosepcidsmilewassereneasever,buthereyesweremencholyandshadowedbysadness.Uomaintaiactwiththosesorrowfuleyes,hebowedhisheadandsaid,“ThenIlydisappointyoualndfallshortofyourexpectations.Ihadbettergobaylifeasahomelessperson.Perhapsroamireetsallmylifeismyungeabledestiny.Thankyouforbeingsosincerelywillingtodesdandmarryablindhomelessmanlikeme,butsorryIamuodoasyouaskandthereforehavetorefuseyourkindness.Goodbye…InreallifeImaybeabletopartwithyouall,butitwouldbeimpossibleformetogiveupyourloveinmydreamsunlessIgiveupdreaming.ButhowIlivewithoutdreams?No.No.No.That’simpossible.Soweeetindreamnd.Goodbye…queenofmydreams.Iloveyoudeeply.Iloveallofyoudeeply...but…goodbye…goodbye…wordsaresuperfluousandunnecessary…Goodbye…”Thepedestrianspassingbysawonlyaraggedyhomelessmanstandinginfrontofthergeandluxuriouswindowofthestudio,stampinghisfeetandthumpinghischestashesighedandmumbled.ThecuriousooppedtoseewhatDimitriwoulddoandsoontherewasasmallcrowdofidlersgatheredbehindhim,talkingamongstthemselves,

    “Lookatthathobo!Heismumblingandtalkingtothepictures…Ishecrazy?”

    “No,heisnotcrazy.Lookatthepictures.Thesearebeautifulyoungwomen.Ithinkheisjustatoadlustingafterswans…”

    “Luckilythereisgsswindowsprotegthepictures,orelsethatguywouldmostcertainlyrushupandkissthewomeniuresonebyoilthepicturesarewrinkled