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.

        Onthetopofthemountainwasahugeironpotofmeltinggold,overablazingfire.Cyclopsputdownthetwoheavygoldbricksandwentovertothepot,usinganironsticktostirthemeltedgold.Fromexperienceheknewitwasnotquitereadyyet.Morefuelneededtobeaddedtothefirebeforethegoldwouldbefullymelted.Oppositetotheironpotwasabroadfoundationofthegoldpalacewithfourhugegoldpillarsrisingtotheskies;makingthebarrenmountainseemwilderandmoremysteriousthanever,liketheruinsofancientstructure.ThesoundofhelicopterenginesgrewlouderandCyclopssawasmall,exquisitehelicoptercomingtowardsGiantMountainpreparingtoland.Havingnowheretohide,heslippedbehindoneofthepillarsandpeeredoutasRomi,MegginnandClementine,whohadcometoinspecttheconstructionsite,steppedoutofthecraft.Romi,whohadandarchitecturalbackground,rolledouttheblueprintsoftheplanswhichshehaddrawnaccordingtoideasandguidelinessetbyClementine,whointurnbasedherdimensionsonthepalaceofZeusintheSeventhHeavenwhereshegrewup.OnlyZeus’palacewasmadeoflightcopper,whileKingDimitri’swasofsolidgold.Aftermakingtherounds,MegginnsaidtoRomi,

        “Ithinkwehavesufficientgoldheretobuildthepalace,butthespeedofconstructionistooslowifwewanttofinishitbeforeKingDimitrireturns.”

        “That’stobeexpected”repliedRomi“ifwerelyonthelaborofonlyoneman.”

        “MaybeI’llbeabletohelp”saidClementine.“Let’sgoandinspectthewidthanddepthofthefoundationfirst.”Thethreewalkedupthestepsandcircledthefoundation,inevitablydiscoveringCyclopsbehindoneofthepillars.Clementine,whoseemedtoknowhimcalledout,“Cyclops!Cyclops!Comeout.Youdon’tneedtohide.Wemeanyounoharm.”ButCyclopstooktohisheelsanddisappearedintheneighboringmountainranges.“Whyishesoscaredofus?”Clementineasked.

        “Idon’tknow”repliedMegginn.“Ionlyknowheisanoldmanwhodoesnotliketobewithpeople.”

        “No”answeredRomi.“HeoncecommittedadulterywiththetraitorIleen,oneofKingDimitri’sbeautiesandcausedacatastropheintheKingdom,forwhichIleenwasputtodeath.KingDimitriatfirstmeanttocastrateCyclops,butthenpardonedhimoutofthekindnessofhisheart.IthinkCyclopsisgrateful,soheshunsallfemalecompanyandgoesasfaraspossiblefromthebeauties.HeworkshardfrommorningtillnightbuildingthegoldpalaceingratitudetoKingDimitri.”

        “Let’sgobacktothepalace”suggestedMegginn“andtalkaboutourideasandsuggestionsatthemeetingAishaiscallingtonight.”Thethreeofthemwalkedbacktothehelicopterandgotin.

        “Iusedtobeabletoflyaroundtheheavensatwill”exclaimedClementinenostalgically.“NowIneedtouseman-mademachines.Thechangeisgreatindeed.”Frombehindtherocks,CyclopswatchedasthehelicoptergrewsmallerandsmallerasitmadeitswaytowardstheairbaseonTwinpeaks,hisheartfullofinferiorityandregret.Perhapsthesewerethemoodyemotionsburiedinthedepthoftheheartofawidower.

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