"Inthatc📶🝬ase，yousleepinthegarage．Youeintot🗌🚊hehouseandsharemybedroom．I’mgdyo👗uarewakinguptoreality．Ihopeyouwon’teverliveonlyinyourdreamsagain．"
"Whynot?"askedDimitrismiling．"Youaretoowideawake．Yo🙂upuyourwakinghour😊⛕s.Actuallydreamsarethemostpreciouspartoflife.Itisatreasureasrotraofreallife.”Mariannadidnotwaherwithhim💧forfearhewouldgehismind．
"Let’sgo,”shesaid．Shetookhisarmandtheywa🜅⛛lkedawaywithaliltieps．
Chapte🞌💬🔸r2KingdomintheDream
I,amidawildernessofmountainrangeswheretherewerenosignofhumanlifeandwhereevenbirdsandanimalsseldomvisited，liesthefountain-headofthesurroundingmountainstreams—apool，crystalclearandicycold．Thewaterflowedbetweewihatstoodguardbesideit．Purplecloudscouldbeseenrisingfrombehindthemountainsintheearlym．Acctoesegeomancy，thefeng-shuiofthispcesofullofmysteryandserenity，wasexcellent，aso-called"gold-swallowi🆔🏐ng"locatioeofanewkingdomabouttorise．
Thetwinpeakshadahofthemwereftatthetip，fanaturalpteauofrichredsoil．Inthisseeminglygodforsakehesepteausectedbyasuspensiewereingruouswiththeirsurroundings．Opteauwasanaesepace-stylebuildingofglitteringyellowgzedtile，redwallsandtiltingeavesofcarveddragons．Therightpteau，however，wasultramodern，sistingofahelicopterndingfield，ahugeteleunicationssatellited🐬🂺ish，ap🕦🝧owerpnt，ahospitandanadministrativebuilding．
Thehallofthisesepace-likebuildingwasenormous,talndsolemn．Ithadanintimidatingatmospherethatmadeanyindividualingtoitseeminsignifit．ThickPersiancarpetscoveredthefloorandatriumphantgoldendragon，tailswishing，whiskersflyingandcwsdang，decoratedonesideofthewall．Infrontofittform．Asolidgoldthrooodinthemiddleofthisptform，fnkedohersidewithalife-likespeofanAsiantiger，ferociousteethbared，eyesglmaliciously，itsjetbckstripesstandingoutagainsttheglossyyellowfur．Twhtlinesofpinredwoodchairs，twelveoneachside，ledtowardsthedoor-way，withspesofotherwildbeasts，bears，leopardsandenormousspread-wingedeaglespcedbehindthem，givingthehalfearsomeatmo🞛🔷sphere．
Atdiime，nativesofthemountainswouldhearmelodiousmusiingfromthediningroomothehalndtheykheking"washavingdinner．Noonehadeveractuallybeeninthediningroombutgrapevinenewshaditthattwenty-fournudebeautiesofdifferentnationalitiesservedthemeal．Theywouldrotateintheirduties,butfouralwayssatwiththekingatthetable；tenwouldservethemeahertenwouldpymusistrumentstoapanythedinneras"theking"likedmusidwouldorderdifferentinstrumentstobepyedacctohisfaimescssical，sometimeseastern，sometimeswestern．Nomhtingapplianceswereused；theroomwaslitexclusivelybydlesandpaterns．Thetwenty-fourbeautieswereadorhdiamonds，rubies，sapphiresandotherpreciousjewels，lendingamystidromanticairtothebaheCaucasiaiesweregradelegant，theLatiies，vivaciousandpassioheorientalbeauties,mysteriousandexquisitelyfeminine．Eachhadherindividualcharmandgracetobefullyappreciatedan🖸dsavored．
Dimitrisatday-dreamireeattheparkinglot．Thiswashisfirstdayatworkattheatowngasstation．Itsparkinglothadbeehtandtherewasonlyoreeleft．Therewasaeserestaurantacrossthestreet．Theexteriorwasdecoratedlikeapace．withcolorfulnternshangingattheentrandesemusiccouldbeheardingfromit，allofwhichbecamematerialforhisdreams．Thetwootherat😳🅝tendants，onameseandoneMexi，stoodtalkingtoeachotherinpidginEnglishwhichtheyuood，apaniedbybodynguage，buttheirdisdainandptforDimitriwerequiteevident．Theyknewhimtobeahomelesspersonwhousedtoroamaboutthedistridthereforetheywerealittleindignantthathewasnoloyeelikethemselves．Sotheydidnothingtohelphimgetacquaihhisnewsurroundings，butlookedonsfullyashesattherelostinreverie．DisciplinewasfntoDimitri’snomadicwaysandhehadnonot🞹🙀ionofwhateatajob．Hewaswillingtoworkhard，buthesawnoharminsittingtheredaydreamiherewasnoworktobedone．Justthen，awhiteRollsRoycedroveupforafill-up．Thetwoattendantsrushedover，smilingandobsequiousbecauseMrs．IleenKaffeewasanoldpatronofthegasstationandalwayslefthercartheretobewashedwhileshehaddimsumatherfavoriterestaurantacrossthestreet．Dimitri，however，sattherelookingonastheyfussedoverthedthought，"Addinggastothetankisreallylikeabloodtransfusion，andinhisimaginatiraduallybecamepinkasitfilledwithgas.Mrs.Kaffeewasawomaninherforties，withshortblondhairfashionablydicyblueeyes，sharpandkeen．Hercoldthoughcharmiureswerespoiltbytheexpressiona．Sapphiresadherearsaddedadashofrevoltanddissipation．Hervoiceleasantbuthercourtesyhony．
Theo💭w♀hegasstatiooDimitri，jogge🁯dhimwithhisfootandsaid，
"Hey．areyouheretoworkortodream？DoyouthinkIpayyoutositthereandsl🍜eep?Youthinkmoh⛮🝮🎝ateasily?"Dimitriwokeupwithastartle．
"Oh，I’msorry．Ifot．"
"WashMrs．Kaffee’sdthenandvacuumt🙄🇸heseatandtherugs．Bequick!"
Dimitrihadneverdoneanyprofessionalcar-washingbefore．Herushedaboutlookingfortherightequipmentandi🄻💕nstrusonhowtousethem，buthegotlittleresponsefromhisfellowworkers．Finally，hewasreadyaowashtheotrealizin🏿☐⚈gthatthewindowswereopewoattendantswatchedhimwithmaliciousgleeasdirtywaterspshedonthegoldeseatandcushionsandtheyraheowner．
"Goatherookieisdoing．Heis🖁🏦washingthecarwithoutrollingupthewindows.”Theownerrushedout，afraidtoloseavaluableerandshouted，
"Whatareyoudoing，youidiot!Don’ty🙄🇸ouknowyouhavetorollupthewindowsbeforeyouwashthecar🎝💃?Ifyou’tdothejob，youleave．Don‘tmaketroubleforme．"
"I’msorry．I’llbemorecareful”saidDimitriquiteabashed.Luckily，thedam🕜👪agetotheupholsterywasslight，soheedupandstartedagain，sayingtohimself，"CarwashingisnotaseasyasIthough☨t.Imustpaycloserattentiontomyworkandmymindwander.”Some🖲🖦howhegotthecarwashed,waxedandvacuumed．Pleasedwithhiswork，Dimitriclosedthedoorofthecar，returheutensilsabacktoreporttohisbossthattheworkwasdone．
Meanwhile，Mrs．Kaffeefinishedherdimsunandwaswa🎞💊itingtocrossthestreet，whehreemeoherddr🃩🚜iveaway.Sheshoutedatthembuttonoav🃭🚿🙆ail．Shestormedintotheoffidshoutedattheowner,
"Mycar！It’sstolen！Isthathowyoutakecareo🄟fyourers?Where’sthecarkey?"Theownerlook⛮🝮🎝edatDimitriandasked，
"Where’sthecarkey?"Dimitr🖁🏦ialledandsaid,
"Ididn’tknowIhadtotakeitout."Whenthepolicearrivedan🙂devery🕲onehadbeeio😊⛕ned，Mrs．KaffeepointedanacgfiDimitriandsaid，
"Officer📶🝬，Isuspectthatmanisanapliceofthethieves．Heleftthekeysiionally．”
"Youhavenoproofofthatma’am．Butwe’lltakehiminforquest⚜💏ioning."
TheofficerthenturoDimitriandsaid，"Wearenotarrestingyoubutweohaveyouedowntothestationandmakeastatement.Pleasegetintoth🌩esquadcar."