“Thesuing.It’sstillearly.Whenthemoonaarseoutwewillleavehereandgoallouttocreateah-shakingspshthatwouldstunFatherZeushimself!”“Lookatthewomanthere.Whoisshe?”askedClementinepoihemirror.
Theseonthemirrorhadgedtotheruinsoftheburntpacebythesideoftheke.Inthemiddleoftheruihefreathallhadbeen,KingDimitri’sgoldthronesomehoedthefireandsparkledandshoneuheraysofthesettingsun,thepreciousstonesembeddedinitglitteredandgleamedlikestarsinthesky.Atall,slimbeautyairofbinocursinherhandsmiledasshesatohronelookingatthesurroundingsery.Thetwoferocioustigers,CortezandKojak,satonguardontwosidesofthethrone,justliketheyusedtodowhenKingDimitriwasthere.
“Oh,thatmyguestCharina,anauthoressfromthemundaneworld”repliedKingDimitriearly.ShewantstowriteatheKingdomofDreams.Ibroughtheralongforthetripsosheseethingsforherself,whichmighthelpherwithherwriting.”Charmaineaine’sbeautifuleyeswiththeirlongeyeshesblinkedseveraltimesandtheysaidwithatouchofenvyandjealousy,
“Doesthatmeanthatyouwillbeaddinganotherbeautytoyoucourt?”
“Oh,no,no,no”repliedKingDimitriquickly,shakinghishead“Iwillneverbacktraddosuchfoolishthingsanymore.Iwon’teverbuildgeouspadcollectbeautiesfromallovertheworldtolivethere.Retionshipbetweenmanandwomanaresimpleaplicated.It’sanimmeasurableburden.Igathered24beautiesfromthemundaneworldandhavejustsentthemallbackthereagaiainlywillnotdothisfoolishthingallain.”
“What?”thetwosisterscriedinsurprise.“Youthinkthattheretionshipbetweenmanandwomanisfoolish?”
“Ohno,that’snotwhatImean”expinedKingDimitrihastily.“Iaowledgethattheunionofbodyandsoulbetweenmanandwomanisverybeautifundisohehighestenjoymentsiiswhateverymanandwomanshouldseek.Butthoughtheunionofbodyandsoulisohehighestenjoymentsoflife,itissubjecttogewithtime.Ithinkthatpurespirituallove,likethelovebetweenusismorepreferable.Itwillstforeverandwillbepermalyimprintedonmymind.Don’tyouthinkso?IfpossibleIwouldlikeyoutomeetCharina,theauthoressIthinkyouwouldenjoytalkingwithheraboutmyviewsonlove.
“Sure,”repliedthesisters.“Ifthereisace,wewouldlovetomeetandtalktoher.Ithiionshipbetweenusisthebesttestimonytoyourviewonideallove.Webothhavetheappearanceofahuman,buthavenosubstanofleshbody.Yetwehaveforyouthedeepestlove.”
KingDimitriputCharinainthemidstoftheburntruinsofhispacesoshecouldroamaroundatwilndcollectmaterialforherwriting.Withthetwofiercetigersasbodyguards,shewasassafeascouldbe,soKingDimitrirodeonhismagichorseaheseventhheavewithKingZeusandhissonApollo.Charinalookedaroundandfoundherselfinwhatmusthavebeenthegreathall.TwomarblestepsledtoaptformwhereKingDimitri’sthronehadbeen;buthavingbeenexposedtofire,smoke,dust,ashestheelements,thesymbolofKingDimitri’sroyauthoritywasalmostunreizable.IntricatelycarvedchairsmadefromthemostexpensivewoodwerescatteredaurnedonbothsidesofthethroneandCharinaguessedtheymusthavebeesassighebeauties.Theywerebeautiful,butbroken.Charinathoughtthatwithcaretheycouldberestoredandrefurbished,soshetookthemfromtheruinsanddraggedthemoversotheyformedasemicirclearouhroheimmensepilrswhichwereusedtosupporttheroofhadbeentoppledandtheyweretoobigaobemoved,soCharinahadtoleavethemlyingtherebutwithherwork,theimageofwhatthehallhadbeenlikegraduallybecamedisible.Charinatinuedherworkamongtheashes.Kigamongtheashesanddigginginthesoil,shefoundjewelrymadewithdiamonds,gemsandotherpreciousstonelyingeverywherejustforthetaking.Shealsofoundsomewomen’sapparellyingaround.Thoughpartiallyburntbyfire,theexcellentqualityofthemateriandintricateworkmanshipleftlittletotheimaginationoftheimmeh,pompandsplendorofKingDimitri’scourt,ofallthebeautiesintheirbestdressesgatheringatbasaivals.Shewalkedforwardtofurtherexploretheruins.Sheestimatedthatshewasinthesidehallothegreathall.Thereintheashesandruins,shefoundaslightlydamagedbookofpoemshandwrittenbyafinefemininehand,anunfinisheddissertationon“OnLifeinMatriarchalSociety”andalsoapairofbinocursinperfeditionwhichQueenAishahadbeenusingtoobservethesurroundingareasduringtheinvasionofthebarbarians.Sheputallthesepreemorabiliaintoherbackpack,gratutingherselfthatshehadbroughtthebagalongwithherwhe;otherwiseshewouldnotbeabletanysouvenirsofthetripbackwithheraury-handed,whichwouldhavebeenaterribleletdowhoughtthattheunfinisheddissertationmustbelongtothecapableandlearnedQueenAishaandthebookofpoems,whichrecordedoddsandendsoflifeintheKingdomofDreams,wasanevenmoreprecioussourceforherownwritingfaveherfirst-handknowledgeoflifethere.Shelookedatthefine,delicatewritingandthoughtitlookedveryfamiliar,muchlikethatofAngelica’s.ThepoetessAngelicawasknownasthe“HermitPoetessoftheRoseGarden”,seldomjoininganysocialgatherings.Sheleftherrosegardenonlyforherearlymjogging.DoesherloagemeanthatshehadasecretroutetoDimitri’sKingdomofDreams?CharinathoughtthatshemustaskAngelicaaboutittheimeshemether.Charinawalkedcarefullyonintheashesandcametoarowofoverturnedet,withbrokengssalroundit.Itmusthavebelooawinecelr,shethought.Thoughsomebottleswerebroken,therewerestillsomethatwereleftwhole,allfamouswinefromallovertheworld.WhatlookedstraoCharinawas,shesawana-lookingporbottlepallsquaretableotheet.Thoughthebottlehadbeenscorchedbyfireandcoveredwithdustandashes,thestrahingwasthesmalltableitwasunscathed.Shewalkedoverandpulledoutthestopper.Astrongaromaofliquorrushedathernostrils.Sheedupthemouthofthebottleandtookasip.Thewidowhrhttoherstomach.Whatgoodwine,shethought.Itmustbethe100-year-oldmaotaiwineDornahadusedtopacifyMr.Fih.Sheputthesthtlybatheporbottleandputitintoherbackpackaswell,meaningtoshareitwithDimitriwheback.Charinacarefullybypassedthebrokengssandtiowalkforward.Shecametoapcethatlookedlikeakit.Alotofbowlsanddishesyiandashesbutanarrayofpletecookingutensilshunguntouchedonthewall.Shewalkedontoanopenspacethatcouldhavebeenthebackgarden.Intheerofthegardenwasarustedwaterfaucetwithtwobuckets,mopsandingcloth.Charinaeyesbrightened.“Whydon’tIusetheseingutensilstowashandupKingDmitri’sthrohatthethrosymbolizestheauthorityseesthelightofdayagain?”
ObedientlyfollowingCharina’sorders,thetwotigersKojakandCorteztookthebucketsbetweeeethandtrottedtotheketofillthemwithwater;whileCharinacarriedthemop,broom,ingclothandotheringutensilsandmadeherwaytowardsthegreathall.Itwasboriousasherfeetwereimmersedtotheankleiheachstepshetook.SooigerswerebackwiththeirbucketsofclearkewaterandsawthatCharinawassweepingawaythedustandashesfromtheptformwithabroom.Seeingthatthedustandashesaccumutedtherewasreallytoothick,shetookthebucketsofwaterandsimplyspsheditohroertheotheraigerstooktheemptybucketsandrantowardstheketogetmore.Shescrubbednon-stopatthedirt,owice,thrice.Thetigersraninnumerabletimestoandfrofromtheruinstothekeprinnumerablebucketsofwaterforheruntitstitwasagainandthehundredsofbrilliantpreciousstonesembeddedinitoncemaveforththeirbrilliance.Seeingtherewasstilldirtlodgedbetweenthepreciousstones,Charinasprayedthegapwithabottleofsingfluidandthencarefullyedeveryinchofthethrone.Finallysatisfiedwithherwork,shespsheditagainwithkewaterandrubbeditdrywithhercloth.ThethrosymbolizestheroyauthorityofKingDimitriatstagainsawthelightofday.EverygleamingpreciousstoobetellioryofthegoldeneraoftheKingdomofDreams.Charinaspshedwateroformtoclearawaytheremainingdustandashes,straighteheoverturnedchairsandputthemintheirpce.Bythen,shewasverytiredandherarmsandlegsweresoresoshesatohroorest.Thetwotigerssatoneoneachsideguardingtheirnewmistress.
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