Book1:TeDream-Maker (第9/166页)

ewayMariannasaid，

    "I’vetoldyouagainandagainyoucouldeandsleepinmygarage．Whydon’tyou?"Dimitrithoughtitoverandsaid．

    "Iwille,butI’llpayrent．Theysaythey’relookingfasattendahegasstationnearatown.”Mariannaleasantlysurprised．

    "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．Eachhadherindividualcharmandgracetobefullyappre