“Good.Good”saidDwarfMickey.“Youjustmissedohing.Youmustpaygreatattentiontothefinancialmarketathethiefwhostolemytreasurefromusingittocreatehavocresultinginanotherfinancialtsunami.Thisissomethingyoumustremembertokeepinmind.”ThenturningtoSamanthahesaid,“Iamsureyouknowverywellwhatyourpartinallthisis.Yileandflexiblesocialskillsbefullydispyedandwillbemueed.”
“Whataboutme?”askedRichard.“Givemesomethingtodo,too.Ihavealotoftimeonmyhands.”
“Don’tworry.Yourptewillbemorethanfulndyourtroubleswillbelegiontoo”saidDwarfMickeylookingveryseriousandsolemellyou.IbelievethatMr.Fingerandhisso-calledbrideViohavereturhismundaneworld.Mr.Finger’sappearancehasbeelyaltered.Hehassomehowacquiredtheabilitytogethesizeofhisbodyatwill.Heowtaketheshapeofanormal-sizedman,talndmuscur.Whatisworse,hehasgottenholdofanartifactwhichlookslikeanoldrustybrooise,buthasapotentmixtureofpowderstoredisinterior.Whenspurtedonitsvictim,thispowdercouldcausethepersontoberenderedunsciousandbeepletelyvulnerable,uoprotectherself.I’mafraidhewouldusethisonKingDimitri’stwenty-fourbeautiesialiation.Yourjobistoprotectthetwenty-fourbeauties.Isthisworkimportantenoughforyou?”Hisaudienoreturnedsilent,theirhighspiritsdampenedbyhisominouswords.
“WhereisKingDimitri?”askedMr.Kaffee.“Whyisn’thebackherewtogetherwithustopullthroughthiscrisis?”
“Ibelieveheisalreadybadwilppearatthesuitabletime.IamstillmystifiedaboutwhatreallyhappenedinKingDimitri’sKingdomtocausetheshelloftheearththeretoundergosuchdrastiges.”
Uponwaking,Mr.Fingerfoundhimselflyingonasoft,fortablebed.Lookingaroundtheroominthegloaminglight,hesawminiaturetables,chairs,dressersandallkindsoffurnituredecoratingthesmallroom.Inaertherewereearthentainersusedtostorewine.Why,thiswastheloveheandViohadbuilttogether!HehadreturoKingDimitri’sKingdomofDreams.TheodorofdegflowerpetalstoldMr.FihatquitesometimehadpassedsinceViostvisitedthetreeholehouseshebuiltwithherownhands.Hesatupandwalkedovertothetreeholetopeekoutattheworldoutsideinthefaintlight.Thesethatmethiseyescausedhimtoblinkinsurprise.Inthedeheoutlookseemedtohavegedsiderably.Normallyeveninthedefogorhts,theshapeofGiantMountainwasclearlydisableiancelikeagiantlyinghorizontallyontheground.Daywasnowbeginningtobreak,buttherewasneshapevisibleacrosstheke.Whatsurprisedhimwasthesoundofrushingwaterwhichhehadneverheardbefore.Hereturohissoftandfortablebed,determioexploreeverythingmorefullywhenitwasbrighter.Lyingthereonthebed,hismindwasbombardedwithallkindsofthoughts.HethoughtofhisromahViososweetandtehebeginningbutwhidedabruptlysodrastically,resultinginVioaryingtokilleachother.Nowhewasback,tryingtomakeupwithhisbelovedwifeandwonderedifshewouldfivehihereforeshejustmightnottrytokillhimthistime.AtthemomentViowasholdingallthecardsaheweakandvulnerableone.Shecouldgehershapeatwillwhilehewasonlythesizeofafinger.Forher,tokillhimwasaseasyasswattingafly.Thewaytogowouldbetoappearrepentantandvulnerableandtrytogainhersympathyandpity.Ifhesucceededhewouldbeabletohaveabeautifulwifeagain.Thinkingso,Mr.Fingerwasgreatlyforted.Heturnedaroundandwassoonsoundasleep.
Earlymthesunwasshiningaherwasmildaiful.Mr.Fingeropenedhiseyesarestedaic.Hesatupandgotoutofbed.Walkingdownthecrudestairsthathadbeensidethetreehesoonreachedthetreeholeontheground.Theserybeforehimgreatlyshockedhim.Thekewaterwasblueandcrystalclearasbeforebutthewaterlevelhadrisensiderably.Heusedtohavetowalkquiteadistaogettotheke,butnowthewaterwasonlyafewfeetfromhistree.Whatamazedhimmorewasthatthehorizontalgiantlyingontheoppositesideofthekehadfracturedintoseveralsesandnowlookedscatteredanddisorderly.Theheadwasstillclearlydisable,buthisbrokenbodyawereeitherpartiallyabovewaterorpletelysubmerged.Thesolidgoldpacesituatedatthechestofthegiantthatusedtoglitterwitheye-dazzlingbrillianderthesunlighthadpletelydisappeared,androbablyburieduheke.Mr.FingerlookedtotheleftandsawtheruinsofKingDimitri’sfnifitpacewhichhadlongbeenburnttotheground.Whereicy,crystalclearwaterflowedbetweewinPeaksintothemouthoftheke,ahugecliffhadsuddenlyrisenfromtheearth.Watercrashedagainstitandformedawaterfalbouttwentytothirtyyardswide.Mr.Fihought,“Ahyes,thesoundofwaterIheardstnightwasthatofwatercollidingagainstthecliff!ThegesMotherNaturemadeih’scrustwerereallymajestidfrightening.Nowthatthispcehadgedsodrasticallythatitisalmostbeynition,whereamItofindmylittlewife,beautifusaflower?ImayhavetoremainabachelorfortherestofmylifeforwhereelseIfindanotherwomanofmysize?”HisthoughtsturnedbacktothepastandMr.FingerdeeplyregrettedhavingtrickedDornawhichultimatelyledtothedestruofDimitri’smagnifitpadmysteriousKingdom.“IfIhadn’tdo,”hethought,“Iwouldstillbelivingtheeasylifewearingexpehesandenjoyingdeliciousfoodandmouth-wateringwine.Noweverythingisinruins.Oh!HrethavinglisteoVioandcausedallthisdestruaation!”
Mr.Fingerlookedalroundhimandsawonlywater,watereverywhere.Hedidnotknowwheretogofromhereorwhattodo.Suddenlyhisgazewasarrestedbysomethiahweedsintheshallowwater.HewadedirieveitandreizedthatitwasalittleembroideredbagLotususedtoweararoundherwaist,andwonderedhowitcametoturnuphere.Immediatelytheimageofthegentle,endearinggirlcametomind.Heundidthebuttonofthebagandfoundasewingkittainingsomesewingneedlesandsilkthreadbelongingtothecalmandquietbeautyoffewwordswholovedtodoneedlework.Hisstomachrumbledjustthenalemanhadasuddeninspirationastohoeasehishuakingthesmallestneedleinthebag,hesmashedatitwitharotilitbentandtookontheshapeofahook.Hethreadedtheeyeoftheneedlewithsomesilkthreadandtiedadeadknot.Thenwadingintoshallowwater,hemaocatunnamediwhichhepiercedwithhishookedouseaslivebaitanddecidedtotryhisluckatfishing.Hetimisticbecausethepreviouslydeadkeseemedtohaverevivedashehadcaughtglimpsesoffishandshrimpsswimmingaroundjustnowwhenhewadedintoit.Thebluewatersofthekewereoncemoreingtolife.Hethrewhisbaitfaroutintothewaterhopingtobeluoughtocatallfishorshrimpforbreakfast.Hesatidlybythebankoftheketowaitfortheoute.Boredbynotreceivinganynibble,hebeganpullingathismake-shiftfishingrodandsawhisthreadsinkdownasifthehookhadcaughtohing.Greatlyexhirated,hepulledhisthreadinchbyinchbacktowardsndbutbegantohavedoubtswhehreadthoughheavyshowednosignle.Surelyalivefishorshrimphoweversmallwouldputupastrugglewhencaughtandhewouldfeelthetensionohread.Hefeltnothing.Whenthefishhookfinallyemergedfromthewater,Mr.Fingerwasgreatlydisappointed.Hehadcaughtadeadfishwithitswhitebellyturnedupwards.Justthenheheardabarelyaudiblecryforhelp.“Helpme!Helpme!Dome!Please,Ibegofyou.”Mr.Fingerexaminedhiscatchmorecarefullyandsawthatatinyfigurewasgingdesperatelytothetailofthedeadfish.Hisheartfeltasifpunchedbyaheavyobjedhethoughtthatinthiswide,wideworld,therecouldneverbeatlewomanthesamesizeashe.Thismustbehisbelovedwife,Vio.Butwhatwasshedoingfloatingier,gingtothetailofadeadfish?Therewasnotimeforsper.Fingerusedallthestrengthofhislittlebodyandfinallysucceededinpullingthedeadfishtoshore.HepriedopenVio’sicycoldhandswhichwasstillgraspingthefishwithadeathlikegrip.Shehadbeeninthecoldwaterfortoolongandhadlostsomuchbodyheatastobealmostonthepointofdeath.
Mr.Fingerpcedhisbelovedlittlewifeobed.Evenhehimselfdidnotknowwherehefourengthtocarryherfromthebankoftheketothetreeholeandthenclimbupthestairsireewithheronhisback.HefeltpletelyexhaustedbuttherewasnotimeforrestasVio,beingseriouslyhypothermieededimmediatehelp.Hesuddenlyrememberedthatthereshouldbesomeofthewinewhiadebeforeleftihentainersintheeroftheroomandimmediatelywenttogetthehehesametotherestofherbodyincludingherhandsa.SoonVio’sbloodlesstenaoshowsomecnallythatshehadpassedthedangerzoshewasstillveryweak.WhenVioopenedhereyesandsawMr.Fiirelesslymassagingherwholebody,tearsofgratitudefloweddownhercheeksandshemurmured,
“IamsogdIdidnotkillyouthatdayoryouwouldnotbeheretodaytosaveme.Weweresuchalovingandwell-suitedcouple.Idon’tknowwhythingsgedandwebecameapairoffieremiesbentonkillingeachother.Well,allthatisnowoveranddoh.Wearetogetheragaiiopart.”Mr.FingersawthatViowasstillveryokehaltinglyasifshortofbreath,sohestoppedhersaying,
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