Chapter1T🔈⚔👋heDream-Mak📓er

    Nightfallslowlydesded.Di🗾♨mitricouldn’tcealhisexhiration.Nightwasthehappiesttimeofthedayforhim,becausethenheakedreams.Dimitriwasahomelesspersonaosleepingwhereverhecould.Butnowhewasgettingolderaheneedofashelter.,soheputtogethersomediscardedoldboardsandtisandbuilthimsel🊎famakeshifthomeinanarrowalley.WithcoldwindwhippingathisraggedovercoathepushedashoppingcartwhitainedallhisworldlypossessionsinfrontofhimandheadedtowardsafancyItaliaauraheariannaoftengavehimleftovers.Mariannat🍪🊼🕨hrustapaperbagathim,taininghalfasteakandsomepraasta.Dimitriwasetedandrushedhome,lookingforwardtoaluxuriousmeadreams.Joethebartenderlookedonwithjealousy.AfterDimitrihadleft,hesaidsarcastically,

    "Whyareyousogoodtohim,Marianna?Heisonlyahumanscum,burrowingthroughthegarbageslookingforfoodandclothes.Heisabum,sittingtherealldayfeedingpigeonsbytheke.Hemaynotevenlikeyou.Heprobablythinksyou’re🍺🍉🆔toofat!""Howdoyoukn🈁🞢🕲ow?"snappedMarianna."Dimitrimaynotknowhowtoexpresshimself,butheisapoetatheart.He’samillioterthanagood-for-nothingdrunkardlikeyou!"

    Mariannafir🜈⛴🞦stmetDimitribesideagarbage.ThatdayDimitrifoundaursewhilehewasgoingthr⛸🟍🛵oughthegarbage.Ittaiwo-karatdiamand

    3,0🊵🔭🃷00incash.Poorashewas,Dimitrididnotcovetwhatwasnothis.Hewaitedtherebythegarbageanyhourshopingtheown🛹erwouldshowup.Meanwhi🊰📿☾leMariannahadfinishedherday’sworkandwasfranticallylookingforherpurse.Whenshecouldn’tfinditanywherei,sheintuitivelykhatJoe,whowasusuallyhalf-drunk,musthavethrownitintothegarbagebagtogetherwiththegarbage.Sherushedoutsideandbeganrummagingthroughthegarbagebagsfromtherestaurant.

    "Whatareyouupto?🎬🔎"askedDimitriically.

    "Iamlookingformypurse”repledMariann🅇🄠⚧a🂲💲withoutlo🁹🊭📡okingup.“Joemusthavetosseditoutwiththegarbage."

    "What’sthepurselikeandwhat’sinit?"Mariannastoppedshort,arayofhopegleamedinhereyesasshegavehimadetaileddescription.Dimitrihandedherthepurseandturogo.Mariannara🔺nafterhimandtriedtopersuadehiminvaintotakesomethingasareward.ToDimitri,worldlywealthdidnotmeananythingsoh🟚🝫🎂ereplied,

    "WhyshouldItak🋬🜝ethissinceIdonotevenwanty☗⛈😗andmohustheybecamefriendsandshealwayskeptchoicebitsoflefto🌑⚀🎔versforhim.

    Dimitriwasacuriousexampleofararespeanbeing:absent-minded,carefree,notknowingwhathewasabout,andsatisfiedwiththemerefactthathecouldstillthinkahe.Hewasahalfbreed,withsomesorto🗨fAsianbloodbutdidnotknowwhohisparentswere.Heseemedtorememberbeinginschoolforafewyears,butwasnotreallyliterate.Heworkedforawhilebutdidnotdomuchofanythihoughthewasmarriedothenmaybeheonlylivedwithawomanforawhile.Hewasnotsure.Hehadasocialsecuritynumberormaybehedidn’t.Hehadawidecircleofacquaintanoddingandsmilingtopeoplewhereverhewent,evenexgingjocurreMarks,buthedidn’thaveasinglefriend.

    Hewasonlyawakeinhisdreams.Onsunnydayshewouldgoovertothelongabandonedwo♠odendockatLakeMerritt,filthyandsmellywithbirdexcrement.Buthedidn’tmind.Birdstohimwereflyingmessengersfromheavenwhereallhishopeswere.Hewouldsitonthebehem,lettingthemflyaroundhimatleonhishead,shouldersandp.Hewouldstareatthemulti-coloredcl🞌💰oudsihroughthecracksofwhichleakedouttheughterofparadise.Whenduskwasnearhewouldgetupandgobacktohis,pushinghisshoppingcartinfrontofhim.

    Thefirstthinghedidwhehomewastotakehisdirtyoldsleep🝖ingbagfromtheshoppingcartandspreaditoutatitsusualer.Theedhis"spoils"fromthegarbage.Apairofhalf-worntennisshoes,hissizeandstillserviceable.Whydopeoplethrowthesethingsaway?Hecouldn’tuand.Then,therewasashirt,quite.Yes,hecouldthrowhisdipidatedoneaway,andtomorrowhewouldputonhisnewshirtandshoesandfeelquitedebonair.Hepyasariwhohadjustmadeamilliondolrs.HelighteduphiskerosenecookingstovetoheatupMarianna’sleftovers,andafterthissumptuousmealwouldgotobed.Hislifewassosimple.Toputitintoaformu,itwouldbe:limitedmaterialsneeds=unlimitedsatisfa.Thatwasbecausethefocusofhislifewasnotwhe🅮🉹nhewasawake,butwhenhewasasleep.Heytodaybecausehehadgatheredalotofmaterialtobewovenintohisdreams.Forhim,thiswasjustlikefeedinginformationintotheputertanizedandrepye🆧👻🎄donthes.

    Whilehavinghisdinner,heweheeventsoftheday:Thatmhepassedanimposingofficebuild⚤ing.AbckRolls-Roycestoppedsmoothlybeforeitandaliveriedchauffeurgotouttoopenthedoorforamaneandapipeinhismouth——obviouslyanold-fashioy.HewasallegedtobethepresidentofWorldBank."Sowhat?"thoughtDimitri,"Ibeoooinmydreams”.Thenhepassedahigh-cssshoestoreforwomen,sellingshoesandotherleathergoods.Apairofglitteringtoelesssilverhigh-heeledshoesdispyedinthewindowcaughthiseye."Whatclotheswouldgowiththem?"hemused."Astraplessroyalblueeveninggownperhaps,ingbi-skirt?Bothwoulddo”hedecided.Justthen,thesalesgirl’sarmreachedoutandtooktheshoesawayfromthewindowdispytotrythemonaer.Dimitriwascurioustoknowwhothewomanwas,sohewalkedtotheentraheshopandpeeredin.Thebrilliaoenailspeekingfromthesilvershoesmesmerizedhimandkindledfmesofprimitivelustfromwithinhimlikelightedmatchesthrownintoabarrelofgasoline.

    "MayIhelpyou?"avoicecoldly.Itwasthestoremanageringtodri🁨🈖♼vehimaway.

    "Nowayyouhelpme”mumbledDim♖itriandpushedhiscartaway🝖,thinkingmeanwhileabout"moremateria♻🍪🊸lfortonight".

    Heimmediatelyydowntosleepafterhisdinnerandinnotimeheseemedtoseeanobscuremoonintheskyshiningonawindingmountainpath.Ashlitteringformsuddenlyemergedfromthewoodsarouhandstartedwalkingtowardsadarkaesehous😩🄄efurtheron.Itwasafreakish,ugly-lookingpygmywearingtheeborateesofthegDynasty.Hishatandcoatweremadeofmaterialwovenwithgoldthreadandwereshininginthemoonlight.thedoorofthehouse,whichletelydark,hedrewafoot-longkeyfromhispocketandtriedtofititintotheold-fashionedeselock.Hestoodontip-toesaledwiththelodkeyforalongtimebuttonoavail.Heflewihrewthekeyontothegroundandstompedonitagainandagain,makingsqueakysoundstoexpresshisflustration.Thenhecalmeddownabit,pickedupthekeyandtriedagain.Thistimeitworked.Hecarriedtheheavylockboriouslyintothehouseandclosedthedoor.Ititchdarkinside.Heopehetrunkothedoorandimmediatelytheroomlitupwiththebrilliahegemsirunk:pricelessdiamonds,rubies,pearlsandsapphires🃺🜸🆾allytherepiledinaheap.

    Itwasargeregurro🎬🔎om,lihsturdytrunksonbothsides.Thepygmyjumpedaroundopeningthistrunkandthatuntiltheyen.Hejumpedontoadeskattheendoftheroomandlookedattheimme🀰🀘hspreadbeforehim.Sometrunksheldgoldingots,goldsandgold📥🜽s,rings,bracelets;others,silver.Hecrossedhislegsetedlyandshouted:"HowrichIam!”Justthenahugepythonslitheredsoundlesslyoutfromtheerofthedarkroomandwounditselfroundandrouablewherethepigmysatcross-legged.Ohepython,thepygmyflewinteandscreamedshrilly,

    "Wherehaveyoubeento?Youweresupposedththereguardireasures!Ihadtoopenthedoormyselfandalotoftroubleitcausedme!”Hegrewangrierashespoke.Onseeinghimsoangry,thepythonuncurleditselfandturoaseductiveagnakedwoman,andlikeMedusa,shehadhairofsnakes.Shekbeforehimandaskedfivehepygmypulledoutawhipfromunderhisbeltandcrackeditonherinfury.Shecriedandkowtowedtobeghimforpardon.Redweltsappearedonhersnowwhiteskin.Shelookedathimbeseegly.Thepygmystoppedandturoacreaturewiththestrongmuscurbodyofamanbuttheheadofamonster.Oneeyewasinthemiddleofhisfadtheotheratthebackofhishead.Therewasarhinoceroshornoopofhishead.Hepulledthewomantoherfeet.Thegemsandtreasuresintheroomthenturomulti-coloredclouds,driftingandfloatingintheroom.Someofthemcametogetherandformedasoftmattressforthetwomoomakelo☱🃊🖊ve.Attheheightoftheirlove-making,theybothtransformedagaintohugepythowiogetherinaricableknot.

    "Dimitri!Dimitri!!"Marianna’sboomingvoicetohisdream.Hewokewithastartle,hisbodystillglisteningwithsweat,tofi🄂🝿ndMariannashakinghim.W🈍☨henheopenedhiseyessleepily,theseductiveagfemalemonsterwasgoneandbeforehimwasMarianna’sfat,affabletenance."You’redreamingagain!”shesaid.Dimitrismiled.Hefoundthathispantsithnoalemissi🚍on.

    "Ho🊵🔭🃷w🖳🖬eyoudidogetyourdinight♖?"