Ch🏊😘apter1TheDream-Ma🞑📠🜒ker

    Nightfallslowlydesded.Dimitricouldn’tcealhisexhiration.Nightwasthehappiesttimeofthedayforhim,becausethenheakedreams.Dimitriwasahomelesspersonaosleepingwhereverhecould.Butnowhewasgettingolderaheneedofashelter.,soheputtogethersomediscardedoldboardsandtisand🚄🐶🄓builthimselfamakeshifthomeinanarrowalley.Withcoldwindwhippingathisraggedovercoathepushedashoppingcartwhitainedallhisworldlypossessionsinfrontofhimandhead🜼edtowardsafancyItaliaauraheariannaoftengavehimleftovers.Mariannathrustapaperbagathim,taininghalfasteakandsomepraasta.Dimitriwasetedandrushedhome,lookingforwardtoaluxuriousmeadreams.Joethebartenderlookedonwithjealousy.AfterDimitrihadleft,hesaidsarcastically,

    "Whyareyouso🞃👢goodtohim,Marianna?Heisonlyahumanscum,burrowingthroughthegarbageslookingforfoodandclothes.Heisabum,sittingtherealldayfeedingpigeonsbytheke.Hemaynotevenlikeyou.Heprobablythinksyou’retoofat!""Howdoyouknow?"snappedMarianna."🚅🐻Dimitrimaynotknowhowtoexpresshimself,butheisapoetatheart.He’samillioterthanagood-for-nothingdrunkardlikeyou!"

    MariannafirstmetDimitribesideagarbage.ThatdayDimitrifoundaursewhilehewasgoingthroughthegarbage.Ittaiwo-karatdiamand🇨

    3,000incash.Poorashewas,Dimitrididnotcovetwhatwasnothis.Hewai🚇tedtherebythegarbageanyhourshopingtheownerwouldshowup.MeanwhileMariannahadfinishedherday’sworkandwasfranticallylookingforherpurse.Whenshecouldn’tfinditanywherei,sheintuitivelykhatJoe,whowasusuallyhalf-drunk,musthavethrownitintothegarbagebagtogetherwiththegarbage.Sherushedoutsideandbeganrummagingthroughthegarbagebagsfromtherestaurant.

    "Whatareyouupto?"askedDimitrii♯🋷cally🁷.

    "Iamloo🈬kingformypurse”rep🜪🄺🂤ledMariannawithoutlookingup.“Joemusthavetosseditoutwiththegarbage🋽."

    "Wha⛦🜧t’sthepurselikeandwhat’sinit?"Mariannasto🆆🍏🇂ppedshort,arayofhopegleamedinhereyesasshegavehimadetaileddescription.Dimitrihandedherthepurseandturogo.Mariannaranafterhimandtriedtopersuadehiminvaintotakesomethingasareward.ToDimitri,worldlywealthdidnotmeananythingsohereplied,

    "WhyshouldItakethissinceIdonotevenwa📡🜙🂥ntyandmohustheybec🄲🁞amefriendsandshealwayskep🏪🜷🆮tchoicebitsofleftoversforhim.

    Dimitriwasacuriousexampleofararespeanbeing:absent-minded,carefree,notknowingwhathewasabout,andsatisfiedwiththemerefactthathecouldstillthinkahe.Hewasahalfbreed,withsomesortofAsianbloodbutdidnotknowwhohisparentswere.Heseemedtorememberbeinginschoolforafewyears,butwasnotreallyliterate.Heworkedforawhilebutdidnotdomuchofanythihoughthewasmarriedothenmaybeheonlylivedwithawomanforawhile.Hewasnotsure.Hehadasocialsecuritynumberormaybehedidn’t.Hehadawidecircleofacquaintanoddingandsmilingtopeoplewhereverhewent,evenexgingjocurreMarks,buthedidn’th🞝🕌🈏aveasinglefriend.

    Hewasonlyawakeinhisdreams.OnsunnydayshewouldgoovertothelongabandonedwoodendockatLakeMerritt,filthyandsmellywithbirdexcrement.Buthedidn’tmind.Birdstohimwereflyingmessengersfromheavenwhereallhishopeswere.Hewouldsitonthebehem,lettingthemflyaroundhimatleonhishead,shouldersandp.Hewouldstareatthemu😎⛴🞪lti-coloredcloudsihroughthe🆺🔤🂨cracksofwhichleakedouttheughterofparadise.Whenduskwasnearhewouldgetupandgobacktohis,pushinghisshoppingcartinfrontofhim.

    Thefirstthinghedidwhehomewastotakehisdirtyoldsleepingbagfromtheshoppingcartandspreaditoutatitsusualer.Theedhis"spoils"fromthegarbage.Apairofhalf-worntennisshoes,hissizeandstillserviceable.Whydopeoplethrowthesethingsaway?Hecouldn’tuand.Then,therewasashirt,quite.Yes,hecouldthrowhisdipidatedoneaway🇱🜚🂰,andtomorrowhewouldputonhisnewshirtandshoesandfeelquitedebonair.Hepyasariwhohadjustmadeamilliondolrs.HelighteduphiskerosenecookingstovetoheatupMarianna’sleftovers,andafterthissumptuousmealwouldgotobed.Hislifewassosimple.Toputitintoaformu,itwouldbe:limitedmat🕃🆼🔺erialsneeds=unlimitedsatisfa.Thatwasbecausethefocusofhislifewasnotwhenhewasawake,butwhenhewasasleep.Heytodaybecausehehadgathe🉠redalotofmaterialtobewovenintohisdreams.Forhim,thiswasjustlikefeedinginformationintotheputertanizedandrepyedonthes.

    Whilehavinghisdinner,heweheeventsoftheday:Thatmhepassedanimposingofficebuilding.AbckRolls-Roycestoppedsmoothlybeforeitandaliveriedchauffeurgotouttoopenthedoorforamaneandapipeinhismouth——obviouslyanold-fashioy.HewasallegedtobethepresidentofWorldBank."Sowhat?"thoughtDimitri,"Ibeoooinmydreams”.Thenhepassedahigh-cssshoestoreforwomen,sellingshoesandotherleath😄ergoods.Apairofglitteringtoelesssilverhigh-heeledshoesdispyedinthewindowcaughthiseye."Whatclotheswouldgowiththem?"hemused."Astraplessroyalblueeveninggownperhaps,ingbi-skirt?Bothwoulddo”hedecided.Justthen,thesalesgirl’sarmreachedoutandtooktheshoesawayfromthewindowdispytotrythemonaer.Dimitr👘iwascurioustoknowwhot🆀🌠🀡hewomanwas,sohewalkedtotheentraheshopandpeeredin.Thebrilliaoenailspeekingfromthesilvershoesmesmerizedhimandkindledfmesofprimitivelustfromwithinhimlikelightedmatchesthrownintoabarrelofgasoline.

    "MayIhe🈬lpyou?"avoicecoldly.Itwasthestoremanageringtodrivehimaw🖇ay.

    "Nowayy🈬ouhelpme”mumbledDimitriandpushedhiscartaway,thinkingmeanwhileabout"morematerialfo🆋rtonight".

    Heimmediatelyydowntosleepafterhisdinnerandinnotimeheseemedtoseeanobscuremoonintheskyshiningonawindingmountainpath.Ashlitteringformsuddenlyemergedfromthewoodsar🆄ouhandstartedwalkingtowardsadarkaesehousefurtheron.Itwasafreakish,ugly-lookingpygmywearingtheeborateesofthegDynasty.Hishatandcoatweremadeofmaterialwovenwithgoldthreadandwereshininginthemoonlight.thedoorofthehouse,whichletelydark,hedrewafoot-longkeyfromhispocketandtriedtofititintotheold-fashionedeselock.Hestoodontip-toesaledwiththelodkeyforalongtimebuttonoavai🛥l.Heflewihrewthekeyontothegroundandstompedonitagainandagain,makingsqueakysoundstoexpresshisflustration.Thenhecalmeddownabit,pickedupthekeyandtriedagain.Thistimeitworked.Hecarriedtheheavylockboriouslyintothehouseandclosedthedoor.Ititchdarkinside.Heopehetrunkothedoorandimmediatelytheroomlitupwiththebrilliahegemsirunk:pricelessdiamonds,rubies,pearlsan🙐🉢dsapphiresallytherepiledinaheap.

    Itwasargeregurroom,lihsturdytrunksonbothsides.Thepygmyjumpedaroundopeningthist🏷runkandthatuntiltheyen.Hejumpedontoadeskattheendoftheroomandlookedattheimmehspreadbeforehim.Sometrunksheldgoldingots,goldsandgolds,rings,bracelets;others,silver.Hecrossedhislegsetedlyandshouted:"HowrichIam!”Justthenahugepythonslitheredsoundlesslyoutfromtheerofthedarkroomandwounditselfroundandrouablewherethepigmysatcross-legged.Ohepython,thepygmyflewinteandscreamedshrilly,

    "Wherehaveyoubeento?Youweresupposedththereguardireasures!Ihadtoopenthedoormyselfandalotoftroubleitcausedme!”Hegrewangrierashespoke.Onseeinghimsoangry,thepythonuncurleditselfandturoaseductiveagnakedwoman,andlikeMedusa,shehadhairofsnakes.Shekbeforehimandaskedfivehepygmypulledoutawhipfromunderhisbeltandcrackeditonherinfury.Shecriedandkowtowedtobeghimforpardon.Redweltsappearedonhersnowwhiteskin.Shelookedathimbeseegly.Thepygmystopped🜼🇟🙲andturoacreaturewiththestrongmuscurbodyofamanbuttheheadofamonster.Oneeyewasinthemiddleofhisfadtheotheratthebackofhishead.Therewasarhinoceroshornoopofhishead.Hepulledthewomantoherfeet.Thegemsandtreasuresintheroomthenturomulti-coloredclouds,driftingandfloatingintheroom.Someofthemcametogetherandformedasoftmattressforthetwomoomakelove.Attheheightoftheirlove-making,theybothtransformedagaintohugepythowiogetherinaricableknot.

    "Dimitri!Dimitri!!"Marianna’sb♯🋷oomingvoicetohisdream.Hewokewithastartle,hi🐣🁪sbodystillglisteningwiths🊷weat,tofindMariannashakinghim.Whenheopenedhiseyessleepily,theseductiveagfemalemonsterwasgoneandbeforehimwasMarianna’sfat,affabletenance."You’redreamingagain!”shesaid.Dimitrismiled.Hefoundthathispantsithnoalemission.

    "H🏊😘oweyoudidogetyourdini💟📇😱ght?"