JustasLotuswasclearingawaythetables,alate-comingbeautywalkedin.ItwastheAsianbeauty,Yoko,witheyesfullofafascinatingsmile.TheytalkedwhileLotuswentonwithherworkathandandYokosatdowntotrythevegetabledumpling.

        “Yoko,Amaliahasbeengoneforquitesometimenow,hasn’tshe?”

        “Yes,”sighedYoko,andherbeautifulfaceclouded.“Itoldhertimeandagainthatshewasgettingoldandshouldtakebettercareofherselfandnotgoroamingabout.Butshewon’tlistentome,andkeepsdisappearingforlongperiodsoftime.Itworriesme.”

        “HercharacterissomewhatlikeKingDimitri’s”observedLotus.“Theybothlovetoroamaroundtheworldanddon’tliketosettledownathome.”

        Similarityincharactermaybecausedbybloodrelationship,ortheycouldbetraitsdirectlyinheritedfromone’sparents.Scientistshavenotbeenabletocometoanydecisiveconclusiononthat,buttherewasundeniablysomestrangebondbetweenDimitriandAmalia.Firstofall,Amaliadidhaveason,whohadbeenlostandsheknewnothingofhispresentwhereabouts.Dimitri’smother,fromwhomhehadbeenseparatedsincehisyouth,wasalsocalledAmalia.Ofcoursethesecluesdidnotproveanything,butithadgivenrisetoallkindsofsurmisesandconjectures,whichhunglikeapuzzlingcloudoverthemysteriouspalace.Noonewaswillingtosolvethepuzzle,fearingoncethingswereoutintheopen,unforeseeablechangesmighthappenthatcouldwrenchthetwolong-lostmotherandsonapartagain.NoneofthebeautieswantedthattohappenandneitherKingDimitrinorAmaliawerewillingtoreopenwoundsofthetraumaticpastburiedsodeeplyintheirhearts!Soonthesurfacethingsremainedthesame,andlettingsleepingdogslieseemedtobethemostexpedientofplans.Atthispoint,LotusandYokobecamesilent,bothwishingtoavoidtheissue,sotheychangedthetopicoftheirconversationquitenaturallytothemeetingthatwasbeingcalledthatevening.ItwassaidAishawantedtogatherthebeautiestogether,hopingtousetheircombinedintelligencetoformataplausibleplanofactionthatwouldexpeditethecompletionofthegoldpalace,soitwouldbefinishedbeforeKingDimitricameback.ThatmadehisreturntotheKingdomseemmorerealandimminent.ThisconfirmationbroughtsmilestothefacesofthetwoAsianbeauties.SuddenlyYokosaid,

        “DoyouknowLotus,whileIwaswalkinginthegardenatnoontimetoday,Isavedagorgeousbutterflytrappedinawebandletitgo.Italmostbecamefoodforthatfierceblackspider.”

        “Well”answeredLotushappily,“There’saproverbinChina‘thosewhodogoodwillberewarded’.Heavenwillrecompenseyouforyourgooddeed.”Whatthetwobeautiesdidnotknowwas,thatthegorgeousstrippedbutterflywasactuallythereincarnationofDimitriinhisdreams.

        ChapterTwoGoldPalaceandtheBigWhiteFish

        Acrossfromthepalace,separatedbythewideexpanseofcrystalclearlake,wasGiantMountain,socalledbecauseofitsresemblancetoaparalyzedgiant,stretchedhorizontallyonthehorizon.Thepoolofcrystalbluewaterwascrescentshapedanddeeplyembeddedinthecenterofthemountainrangeslikeanewmoon,justshowinghalfherfaceamidthehazy,obscuremoonlight,peepingdownontheearthbelow.Therefore,itwasalsocalledStar-MoonLake.ThiscombinationofmountainandwaterreflectsthecompletedomainofKingDimitri’sKingdom.Geographicallyspeaking,thesurroundingmountainsformedanaturalwall,likeanimpregnablecastle,easytodefendbuthardtoattack.Theonlypassageleadingtotheoutsideworldwasasmallmeanderingriverthatultimatelyconvergedintotheopensea.Flankedonbothsidesbylusciouswildflowersandtallancienttreesrisingtotheskies,itremainedacovertroutehiddenintheuntouchedprimitiveforest,knowntoveryfew.Thelocalresidents,isolatedfromandindependentoftherestoftheworld,retainedman’snaturalkindness.TheywereextremelyloyalandsupportedKingDimitriwholeheartedly,strivingtoprotectthislastpieceofparadiseonearth.

        Dozensofboatsinastragglingformationplowedthroughthecrystalclearwater,makingtheirwaytowardstheGiantMountain,likeanorderlycolumnofcamelsploddingalongonsolitudeintheendlessdesert.OntheshoresofGiantMountain,pyramidsofthepurestgoldbrickswerestackedupintheopenair,tobeusedasconstructionmaterialforthepalace.Atemporarydockhadbeenbuilt.Itwastherethattheformationofboatswereheadedfor,makingtheirwayslowly.Thisonlywaterrouteconnectedwiththeseawastoonarrowforthebulkyfreighterstonavigate.Therefore,topreservetheanonymityofthemysteriousKingdom,thetaskofbringingthegoldtoshorewasgiventothenatives,whowereexcellentsailorsandknewthewatersthoroughly.Theboatswerecongregatedattheplacewhereseaandriverconverged,towaitforthearrivalofmerchantvessels,ownedsolelybyKingDimitri.Thegoldwaspurchasedindiverseamountsfromallovertheworldininternationalmarkets.Therefore,sometimesonlyadozenortwoboatswereneeded,whileatothertimesveritablefleetshadtobeamassedbecausetheboatscouldnotbeoverloadedwiththeheavycargoortherewouldbethedangerofoverturningandevenlossoflives,whichwaswhatthekindandmagnanimousKingDimitriwasloathtoseeorhear.Theseeminglytranquilriverhadplaceswherethecurrentswereveryswiftandsubmergedreefsandunseenobstacleswerescatteredaroundtheroute,soonlythemostexperiencedsailorscouldhopetonavigateunscathed.IntheblueskiesofthismysteriousKingdom,nimblehelicopters,toolsoftransportationofthebeauties,couldsometimesbeseen.Theywerenotveryoftenused,andthebeautiestriednottotakeofforlandfrombasesotherthanthoseinsidetheKingdom,topreventdetectionandtracingbyradarsofothercountries.KingDimitrididnotwanthisprivacyinfringedupon;neitherdidhewishtointerferewithothers.Thathasalwaysbeenhislifestyle.Inaword,theproductionofstaplefoodandcommoditieswereenoughtomaketheKingdomself-sufficient.Butmedicineandothernecessitiesthatthebeauties,whichcamefromhighlycivilizedoutsideworlds,wereusedto,hadtobeimportedbyseaandair.KingDimitrialsowantedtoimprovetheprimitivelivingstandardsofthenatives.Therefore,thiscovertroute,hiddenintheuntouchedprimitiveforest,becamethemainsupplylineofKingDimitri’sKingdom.

        DozensofboatsarrivedatthetemporarydockofGiantMountain.Aftercarryingthegoldbricksashore,thecrewleft.Frombehindtherocksofthemountain,afigurewithonesinglelargestrangeeyeatthebackofhisheadcouldbeseenpeeringdownatthescenebelow.ItwasCyclopswatchingasthesailorscarriedtheirheavyloadonshore.AfterhisfronteyewasblindedbythepiercingironclawsofMedusa,Cyclopsbecameextremelysensitiveandashamedofhisdeformityandwouldnotshowhimselfuntileveryonewasgone.Soonlyaftermakingsurethatthecoastwascleardidhecomeoutofhidingandwalkdowntothedock.Hehoistedtwoheavygoldbricks,oneoneachshoulder,andwalkingbackwardsclumsilyandlaboriouslyuphillwithhisunwieldyload,ataskmademoredifficultbecausehecouldrelyonlyonhisbackeyeforsight.Buthisbulgingmusclesshowedtherewerelimitlessamountsofenergystoredinsidehisbody.Perhapsthismonotonousphysicallaborwasonehelikedmost.

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