JustasLotuswasclearingawaythetables,ate-iywalkedin.ItwastheAsiay,Yoko,witheyesfullofafasatingsmile.TheytalkedwhileLotuswentonwithherworkathandandYokosatdowntotrythevegetabledumpling.
“Yoko,Amaliahasbeengoneforquitesometimenow,hasn’tshe?”
“Yes,”sighedYoko,andherbeautifulfaceclouded.“Itoldhertimeandagainthatshewasgettingoldandshouldtakebettercareofherselfandnotgoroamingabout.Butshewon’tlistentome,andkeepsdisappearingfperiodsoftime.Itworriesme.”
“HercharacterissomewhatlikeKingDimitri’s”observedLotus.“Theybothlovetoroamaroundtheworldanddon’tliketosettledownathome.”
Simirityincharactermaybecausedbybloodretionship,ortheycouldbetraitsdirectlyiedfromone’sparents.Stistshavenotbeeoetoanydecisiveclusiononthat,buttherewasundeniablysomestrangeboweenDimitriandAmalia.Firstofall,Amaliadidhaveason,whohadbeenlostandshekhingofhispresentwhereabouts.Dimitri’smother,fromwhomhehadbeenseparatedsincehisyouth,wasalsocalledAmalia.Ofcoursethesecluesdidnotproveanything,butithadgiveoallkindsofsurmisesandjectures,whiglikeapuzzlingcloudoverthemysteriouspaoonewaswillingtosolvethepuzzle,fearingohingswereoutintheopen,unforeseeablegesmighthappenthatcouldwrenchthetwolong-lostmotherandsonapartagain.hebeautieswahattohappenaherKingDimitrinorAmaliawerewillingtoreopenwoundsofthetraumaticpastburiedsodeeplyintheirhearts!Soonthesurfacethingsremaihesame,aingsleepingdogslieseemedtobethemostexpedientofpns.Atthispoint,LotusandYokobecamesilent,bothwishingtoavoidtheissue,sotheygedthetopicoftheirversationquitenaturallytothemeetingthatwasbeingcalledthatevening.ItwassaidAishawaogatherthebeautiestogether,hopingtousetheirbielligeoformatapusiblepnofathatwouldexpeditethepletionofthegoldpace,soitwouldbefinishedbeforeKingDimitricameback.ThatmadehisreturntotheKingdomseemmorereandimmihisfirmatihtsmilestothefacesofthetwoAsiaies.SuddenlyYokosaid,
“DoyouknowLotus,whileIwaswalkinginthegardenatnoooday,Isavedageousbutterflytrappedinawebago.Italmostbecamefoodforthatfiercebckspider.”
“Well”answeredLotushappily,“There’saproverbina‘thosewhodogoodwillberewarded’.Heavenwillrepenseyouforyooddeed.”Whatthetwobeautiesdidnotknowwas,thatthegeousstrippedbutterflywasactuallythereinationofDimitriinhisdreams.
ChapterTwoGoldPadtheBigWhiteFish
Acrossfromthepace,separatedbythewideexpanseofcrystalclearke,wasGiantMountain,socalledbecauseofitsresemboaparalyzedgiant,stretchedhorizontallyonthehorizon.Thepoolofcrystalbluewaterwascrestshapedanddeeplyembeddedierofthemountainrangeslikeanewmoon,justshowinghalfherfaceamidthehazy,obscuremoonlight,peepingdownohbelow.Therefore,itwasalsocalledStar-MoohisbinationofmountainandwaterreflectsthepletedomainofKingDimitri’sKingdom.Geographicallyspeaking,thesurroundingmountainsformedanaturalwall,likeanimpregle,easytodefendbuthardtoattack.Theonlypassageleadingtotheoutsideworldwasasmallmeanderingriverthatultimatelyvergedintotheopensea.Fnkedonbothsidesbylusciouswildflowersandtalreesrisingtotheskies,itremainedacovertroutehiddeniouchedprimitiveforest,knowntoveryfew.Thelocalresidents,isotedfromandindepeoftherestoftheworld,retainedman’snaturalkiheywereextremelyloyandsupportedKingDimitriwholeheartedly,strivingtoprotectthisstpieceofparadiseoh.
Dozensofboatsinastragglingformationplowedthroughthecrystalclearwater,makingtheirwaytowardstheGiantMountain,likeanorderlynofcamelsploddingalongonsolitudeintheendlessdesert.OntheshoresofGiantMountain,pyramidsofthepurestgoldbrickswerestackedupintheopenair,tobeusedasstruaterialforthepace.Atemporarydockhadbeenbuilt.Itwastherethattheformationofboatswereheadedfor,makingtheirwayslowly.Thisonlywaterrouteectedwiththeseawastoonarrowforthebulkyfreighterstonavigate.Therefore,topreservetheanonymityofthemysteriousKingdom,thetaskingthegoldtoshorewasgiventothenatives,whowereexcellentsailorsahewatersthhly.Theboatsweregregatedatthepcewhereseaandriververged,towaitforthearrivalofmertvessels,ownedsolelybyKingDimitri.Thegoldurchasedindiverseamountsfromallovertheworldiionalmarkets.Therefore,sometimesonlyadozenortwoboatswereneeded,whileatothertimesveritablefleetshadtobeamassedbecausetheboatscouldnotbeoverloadedwiththeheavycargoortherewouldbethedangerofoverturningandevenlossoflives,whichwaswhatthekindandmagnanimousKingDimitriwasloathtoseeorhear.Theseeminglytranquilriverhadpceswherethecurrentswereveryswiftandsubmergedreefsandunseenobstacleswerescatteredaroue,soonlythemostexperiencedsailorscouldhopetonavigateunscathed.IntheblueskiesofthismysteriousKingdom,nimblehelicopters,toolsoftransportationofthebeauties,couldsometimesbeseen.Theywerenotveryoftenused,andthebeautiestriednottotakeofforndfrombasesotherthanthoseiheKingdom,topreveionandtragbyradarsofothertries.KingDimitrididnotwanthisprivafringedupoherdidhewishtointerferewithothers.Thathasalwaysbeenhislifestyle.Inaword,theproduofstaplefoodandoditieswereenoughtomaketheKingdomself-suffit.Butmedieandotheriesthatthebeauties,whichcamefromhighlycivilizedoutsideworlds,wereusedto,hadtobeimportedbyseaandair.KingDimitrialsowaoimprovetheprimitivelivingstandardsofthenatives.Therefore,thiscovertroute,hiddeniouchedprimitiveforest,becamethemainsupplylineofKingDimitri’sKingdom.
DozensofboatsarrivedatthetemporarydockofGiantMountain.Aftercarryingthegoldbricksashore,thecrewleft.Frombehindtherocksofthemountain,afigurewithonesinglergestrathebackofhisheadcouldbeseenpeeringdownatthesebelofterhisfronteyewasblihepiergironedusa,Cyclopsbecameextremelysensitiveandashamedofhisdeformityandwouldnotshowhimselfuntileveryonewasgone.Soonlyaftermakingsurethatthecoastwascleardidheeoutofhidingandwalkdowntothedock.Hehoistedtwoheavygoldbricks,oneoneachshoulder,andwalkingbackwardsclumsilyandboriouslyuphillwithhisunwieldyload,ataskmademoredifficultbecausehecouldrelyonlyonhisbackeyefht.Buthisbulgingmusclesshowedtherewerelimitlessamountsofenergystoredinsidehisbody.Perhapsthismonotonousphysicalborwasonehelikedmost.
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