"Inthatcase，yousleepinthegarage．Youeintothehouseandsharemybedroom．I’mgdyouarewakinguptoreality．Ihopeyouwon’teverliveonlyinyourdreamsagain．"
"Whynot?"askedDimitrismiling．"Youaretoowideawake．Youpuyourwakinghours.Actuallydreamsarethemostpreciouspartoflife.Itisatreasureasrotraofreallife.”Mariannadidnotwanttuefurtherwithhimforfearhewouldgehismind．
"Let’sgo,”shesaid．Shetookhisarmandtheywalkedawaywithaliltieps．
Chapter2KingdomintheDream
I,amidawildernessofmountainrangeswheretherewerenosignofhumanlifeandwhereevenbirdsandanimalsseldomvisited，liesthefountain-headofthesurroundingmountainstreams—apool，crystalclearandicycold．Thewaterflowedbetweewihatstoodguardbesideit．Purplecloudscouldbeseenrisingfrombehindthemountainsintheearlym．Acctoesegeomancy，thefeng-shuiofthispcesofullofmysteryandserenity，wasexcellent，aso-called"gold-swallowing"locatioeofanewkingdomabouttorise．
Thetwinpeakshadaniure-bothofthemwereftatthetip，fanaturalpteauofrichredsoil．Inthisseeminglygodforsakehesepteausectedbyasuspensiewereingruouswiththeirsurroundings．Opteauwasanaesepace-stylebuildingofglitteringyellowgzedtile，redwallsandtiltingeavesofcarveddragons．Therightpteau，however，wasultramodern，sistingofahelicopterndingfield，ahugeteleunicationssatellitedish，apowerpnt，ahospitandanadministrativebuilding．
Thehallofthisesepace-likebuildingwasenormous,talndsolemn．Ithadanintimidatingatmospherethatmadeanyindividualingtoitseeminsignifit．ThickPersiancarpetscoveredthefloorandatriumphantgoldendragon，tailswishing，whiskersflyingandcwsdang，decoratedonesideofthewall．Infrontofitwasaedptform．Asolidgoldthrooodinthemiddleofthisptform，fnkedohersidewithalife-likespeofanAsiantiger，ferociousteethbared，eyesglmaliciously，itsjetbckstripesstandingoutagainsttheglossyyellowfur．Twhtlinesofpinredwoodchairs，twelveoneachside，ledtowardsthedoor-way，withspesofotherwildbeasts，bears，leopardsandenormousspread-wingedeaglespcedbehindthem，givingthehalfearsomeatmosphere．
Atdiime，nativesofthemountainswouldhearmelodiousmusiingfromthediningroomothehalndtheykheking"washavingdinner．Noonehadeveractuallybeeninthediningroombutgrapevinenewshaditthattwenty-fournudebeautiesofdifferentnationalitiesservedthemeal．Theywouldrotateintheirduties,butfouralwayssatwiththekingatthetable；tenwouldservethemeahertenwouldpymusistrumentstoapanythedinneras"theking"likedmusidwouldorderdifferentinstrumentstobepyedacctohisfanetimescssical，sometimeseastern，sometimeswestern．Nomhtingapplianceswereused；theroomwaslitexclusivelybydlesandpaterns．Thetwenty-fourbeautieswereadorhdiamonds，rubies，sapphiresandotherpreciousjewels，lendingamystidromanticairtothebaheCaucasiaiesweregradelegant，theLatiies，vivaciousandpassioheorientalbeauties,mysteriousandexquisitelyfeminine．Eachhadherindividualcharmandgracetobefullyappreciatedandsavored．
Dimitrisatday-dreaminguhetreeattheparkinglot．Thiswashisfirstdayatworkattheatowngasstation．Itsparkinglothadbeehtandtherewasonlyoreeleft．Therewasaeserestaurantacrossthestreet．Theexteriorwasdecoratedlikeapace．withcolorfulnternshangingattheentrandesemusiccouldbeheardingfromit，allofwhichbecamematerialforhisdreams．Thetwootherattendants，onameseandoneMexi，stoodtalkingtoeachotherinpidginEnglishwhichtheyuood，apaniedbybodynguage，buttheirdisdainandptforDimitriwerequiteevident．Theyknewhimtobeahomelesspersonwhousedtoroamaboutthedistridthereforetheywerealittleindignantthathewasnoloyeelikethemselves．Sotheydidnothingtohelphimgetacquaihhisnewsurroundings，butlookedonsfullyashesattherelostinreverie．DisciplinewasfntoDimitri’snomadicwaysandhehadnonotionofwhateatajob．Hewaswillingtoworkhard，buthesawnoharminsittingtheredaydreamiherewasnoworktobedone．Justthen，awhiteRollsRoycedroveupforafill-up．Thetwoattendantsrushedover，smilingandobsequiousbecauseMrs．IleenKaffeewasanoldpatronofthegasstationandalwayslefthercartheretobewashedwhileshehaddimsumatherfavoriterestaurantacrossthestreet．Dimitri，however，sattherelookingonastheyfussedoverthedthought，"Addinggastothetankisreallylikeabloodtransfusion，andinhisimaginatioecargraduallybecamepinkasitfilledwithgas.Mrs.Kaffeewasawomaninherforties，withshortblondhairfashionablydicyblueeyes，sharpandkeen．Hercoldthoughcharmiureswerespoiltbytheexpressionandceit．Sapphiresadherearsaddedadashofrevoltanddissipation．Hervoiceleasantbuthercourtesyhony．
TheowhegasstatiooDimitri，joggedhimwithhisfootandsaid，
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