“Idon’treallyknowtheexactaddress…”saidDimitri.“HeyMaureen,youknowyourwaybae,right?”Maureenbarkedasifsayingindignantlyofcoursehedid,howcouldacleverdoglikehimnotknowhiswayhome?“Wellthen,Maureen,yougointotheircarwiththem.Ifyouwaur,looktotheleftandbarktwice.Ifyouwaurnright,lookthtandbarktwice.Ifyouwaoght,thenlohtaheadandbarktwice.Ifyouwaostop,barkthreetimes.Wouldthatdo?”Maureenbarkedhisagreement.Turningtohisfriends,Dimitrisaid,“AfterIamfinishedhere,Imayhavetoetardeeandstayforafewdays.BeingoreetsalldayincreasesmyeetingothermembersoftheKingdom.Doyouwele?”
“Hey,man”saidJamazhittingDimitriontheshoulder“Doyoueveoask?”
“We’llleaveyouthenandwaitforyouathome”saidRichard.CarryingMaureenonhisshouldershewalkedtowardshiscar.MaureenbarkedatDimitriasifsayinggoodbye.Dimitriwavedatthemuntilheheardthecarstartup,makeaquickturnanddriveoff.ThedipidatedpickuptrukedandrattleditswaydowreetwithlittleMaureeing.Soonhewouldbejumpingintohismistress’sarms.
“DidyounoticethatDimitriseemeddistressed?”askedJamaz.“Iwonderwhathewouldbefagtonightandwhatknothehopestountie.Hedidn’twantourhelpbutIworrythathemaybeindanger.”
“Don’tworryabouthim,brother”repliedRichardoptimistically.“Heisarealman,ofabreedapartfromusandhastheproteofthegods.Don’tworry.Hewilleoutsafelyfromanydanger.Nothingstophim.”
Dimitritemporarilyiddowntheheavyburdensonhisshouldersforamomentofpeadquiet.Byforceofhabithewalkedtowardsareeter.Hestoodbeforeastorethathadalreadyclosedupfortheday.Heneverknewwhatmerdiseitsold.Itwasolythathefoundouttheysoldallkindsinkcartridgeforputersandprinters,carryingargevarietyofinkofallbrands.Dimitriwasnotfamiliarwiththebyproductsofthemostadvancedbranchesofsdhadnoiihereasonhecameherewasbecauseeveryafternoonatduskwhenalltheshopscloseddownitracticetimeforthepianistwholivedonthesedfloorapartmentwhichhadaseparatestairexttothestore.Dimitriwouldsitonthegroundoutsideandlistentoafreecertofhighqualitymusic.Soonnotesfromthepianofloateddownfromthewindowsoftheapartment.Dimitritookoutacigaretteandlighteditwhileheehesmoothandflowingmusic.Heseemedtoseewavesierreflectthebrightandluminousmoonlight.Ashelisterandented,he
thoughtofhislifeintheKingdomofDreams.Hehadhiberherefortoolong.Nowthathehadreturhemundaneworldhefoundthatmuchhadgedduringhisabsenstrumentsfamiliartohimsuchastaperecorders,recordpyersandtypewritershadlongbeenobsoleteandrepcedbydigitalmaessuchastheputer.Hefeltasifhewasfromanotherturyandthatheasapersonwasabouttobeabolishedbythisnewage.Hedidnotknoaspyingthepiano,butfromtheskillfulfingersahofthemusic,themusiwasahighlyprofitamateurpianistandperformer.Fromthewaythefiouchedthekeyssolightlyanddelicately,Dimitrisurmiseditmustbeawoman.Hedidnotknowwhotheposerwasbuthewassureitwasatalentedoheexquisitemusic,Dimitriseemedtoseetheposerdescribestraightforwardlyandsuctlythemoonintheskyandtheswayingsheenofthewaves.Thenheseemedtohavesubmergedtothebottomofthewaterandwatchedthemoonfrombeheosciltingwaves.Themusicdescribedtheexquisitesplendorofthemoonfromeveryangle,marvelingatitsunmatchedbeauty.Thispositionmusthavestedforaturyortwoandhavebeeanimmortalpieusic,oryoucallittheeverstingquintessentialmodel.Dimitrihadastrahought.Therewasaeaabilitybetweencssicalcivilizationandmodernteologybutitwashardtodetermikindofeaabilityitwas.Thecharmandfasationofcssicalcivilizationisithatitcouldstforeverindefinitelyintime,whilemodernteologywastinuouslyreiingitself,strivingtobreakthroughandsoarintotheskies.Wastheretioweewooneofpetitionoroneofrestri?Itwashardtofathom.Suddenlythemusicstoppedandthelidofthepianocloseddown.Dimitrikhatpracticewashtfootstepssouhewoodenfloorandsoonmovedfartherandfartheraway.DimitriquicklycheckedtoseethewhereaboutsofhistwoservantsImaginationaivityandwasrelievedtofindtheywerestillfastasleeponthegreengrassofthemoorndsandhadnotbeenawakehemusic.Hekhatthemomenttheyawoke,thesetwoworkaholicswouldsurelybuzzaroundcausingsparksefrileadingtounimagiasiesthatwouldspreadoutandoutlikeripplesgettingwiderandwider.Dimitrigreatlyadmiredtheworkethicsofhistwoservants,buthealsotreasuredthetimetheysleptbecauseonlythencouldhegetsomerespite,afewmomentsofpeadtranquility.Hestoodupawastimeforhimtogotohismeeting.
Dimitrisquattedonthegroundunderadimstreetlight,eatingthefoodinhisbowl.Alroundhimwerehugetallofficebuildings.Itwaslongpastofficehours,sotheemptystreetswerequitedeserted.Attheerofthesquare,hehappeoastastoresellinamesefastfoodwhichwasstillopen.HewasveryhungryandrememberedthatCharinahadgivenhimabowndabagofdogfoodforMaureen.Takingoutthebowlhescoopedsomedogfoodintoitandateashewalked.Butdogfoodwashardanddifficultforhumanstoswallowanddigest.Dimitrithoughtitwouldbebetterifhecouldsoftenitbysoakingitinwater,sohewalkedbacktothesmallVietoreandaskedtheownerforsomewater.Thenstoopinguhestreetlights,heatethefoodinhisbowlfeelingquitecarefree.“It’sfood,isn’tit?Ifadogcouldeatit,whynothumans?“hethought.
Suddenlyheseemedtohearsomethingandstoppedchewiy,sightlesseyesstaredaheadatthenearbytgroundofthesquare,wheretherewasnograssorshrubs,butheseemedtohearthesoundofgrasshoppersorcricketsjumpingaroundinthegrassoritcouldbethefeeblerustlingofthegrassassmalnimalswalkedoverit.
“Ha,haDimitri”soundedMr.Finger’sfamiliarvoice.“Lookatyoueatingdogfood!Whatawretchedandmiserableendyouhaveeto!Ha,ha.”
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