Duringtheintervalofwaiting,Samanthatookoutthebeautifullywrappedlargepaperboxesshehadpreparedforthebeauties,eachwithacardindicatingitsrecipient.Theycontainedthenewoutfitsshehadspecificallydesignedfortheupcomingoccasion.Whentheyopenedtheboxesandsawthegorgeous,custom-madegowns,exclamationsofastonishmentanddelightfilledtheroom.Thegownswereloose-fittingrobeswithgoldastheirpredominantcolor.Thepartabovetheflowing,floor-lengthskirtwasmadeofmaterialwovenwithpuregoldthread,eachwithauniquedesignofabstractimpressionism.Athreeinchwidegoldenbeltsecuredtheflowingrobe,givingitanairofgrandeurandsteadiness,likethearmorofwarriors.Butthematerialusedontheskirtandthebroadsleeveswasdelicate,softandlight,addinganetherealandout-of-the-worldauratothesplendor.Eachofthebeautieswasequippedwiththesameaccessories–goldanddiamondearringsandbraceletsandnecklace,nobleandsplendid.High-heeledslippersgildedwithgoldandedgedwithsmalldiamondscompletedthisoutfit,embellishingtheivoryfeettheyadorned,addingadegreeofsexualalluretothemagnificence.Thebeautieswerebusytryingontheirnewgowns.Althoughclotheswerenotnecessarytocovertheirnaiveandnaturalbodiesinthismysteriouskingdom,andKingDimitrihatedtohaveanymaterialhinderthefreedomofhisfleshbody,theloveofdressingupandenhancingtheirbeautywasanaturalfemininetendencynottobedeniedorcriticized.Aftertheyhadtriedontheirnewdresses,theyhelpedeachotherwiththeaccessories,complementedeachother’sbeautyandexclaimedoverthewondrouseffectofthisextraordinaryoutfitandlaughterfilledtheroom.Theywerenotexultantandexcitedmerelybecauseoftheirnewclothesandtheimminentcompletionofthegoldpalace,theirmainsourceofjoyandexuberancewasthenewsthatKingDimitriwouldbecomingbacksoon.Dimitriwasthecenteroflightandheat.Hisrelationshipwiththebeautieswassimilartothatofthesunanditsplanets.Solongasthelightandheatofthesunexists,theplanetsofthesolarsystemwillcontinuetorevolvearoundit.ThosenearKingDimitrifeltthattheywerebeingcaressedbythewarmsunandspringbreeze.

        Amidthelaughterandthechatterthatfilledtheroom,onelonebeautystoodbythewindow,herheartuneasy,herheadraisedtowardsthecloudlessskywithitstwinklingstarsandfullmoonthatlitupthegroundbelowtoabrightnesssimilartoday.Herheartwaswithhertwinsister,Charmaine.Hadshereturnedsafelytoheaven?WhatexcusewouldsheusetoenticethemetalsmithstosomedowntoearthandworkonKingDimitri’sgoldpalace?Justthen,aheavyfogcoveredGiantMountain,throughwhichblazingflamescouldbediscerned.Crowdsofsingingangelsflewdownfromtheskyontheirmightywings,fillingtheairwiththeirheavenly,majestictunes.Thebeauties,attractedbythisunusualscene,crowdedaroundthewindow.Medusachangedintoahuge,fierce,blackbirdandcircledthepalace,onguardagainstanyuntowardhappenings.Intheheavyfog,thehubbubofvoices,theclangorofclashingmetalandthemelodiousandsynchronizedshoutsoflaborerscarryingheavyloadsofgoldresoundedthroughoutthemountains.Thesoundofflappingwingscontinuedtobeheardasyetmorecrowdsofangelsdescendedfromtheheavenstojointheteamsalreadyatworkonbuildingthegoldpalace.Thebeautiesweresoenthralledbythespectacularscenebeforethemthattheywerespeechless.Itwasonlyafterafewmomentsthattheycametoandletouttheirbreathtogiveashoutofjoy.ClementineknewthiswasallCharmaine’sdoing.Herplanhadsucceeded!Rushingtothemirrorshecalledouturgently,

        “Charmaine!Charmaine!Whereareyou?”

        “Don’tworry”saidCharmaine’sbeautifulimageasitappearedonthemirror.“I’mback.”

        “Quick!Quick!”saidClementine.“TellmehowyoumanagedtogetholdofsuchahugeworkforcetocomeandworkonKingDimitri’sgoldpalace.”

        “It’squitesimplereally”saidClementine.“WhenIgotbacktoheaven,Isawsomemetalsmithspolishingacoppermirror.IappearedonitssurfaceandtoldthemFatherZeuswantedtobuildapalaceonearth,similartothatintheseventhheaven;onlythematerialwastobeofsolidgold.Itoldthemtogetholdoftheircomradesandgodowntoearthatonce.Theyneverdoubtedforaminutetheauthenticityofmyorderandlefttocarryitout.Itwasassimpleasthat!”

        “What!”Clementinewasshockedandcriedoutindismay.“YouforgedFatherZeus’imperialdecreetogetthemhere?”

        “Yes.”repliedhersister.“Haveyouabetterplan?”

        Clementinedidn’tknowwhattosay.NotrealizingtheseriousconsequencesofCharmaine’saction,thebeautiescrowdedaroundandpraisedherclevernessandquickwit.Charmainetoowasproudofherself,thinkingshehadmadeagreatcontributiontoKingDimitri’sKingdom.NoonenoticedthecloudedcountenanceofClementine,whoknewtoowellthejealousnatureofherfather,Zeus,whowouldbeveryangrytoknowthatapalace,similartohisownhadbeenbuilt,andofsolidgoldatthat,muchmorepreciousandexpensivethanhispalaceintheseventhheaven.IfheeverfoundoutthatithadbeenbuiltbyhisowncelestialmetalsmithsunderordersforgedbyCharmaine,hewouldbefuriousandwouldsurelycomedowntoearthhimself.Thenhersecrethavenwouldbeexposed.WhatwouldFatherZeusdotoadaughterwhoranawayfromhispalacetoliveontheearthbelow?WhatgreatmisfortunewouldthisbringtoKingDimitri’sKingdom?Clementinedidnotdaretothinkmore.Charmainehadfulfilledhermission,butatthesametimeshehadmadeafatalmistake.Butwhat’sdoneisdoneandcouldnotberemedied.Theycouldonlywaitforthingstotaketheirnaturalcourse.

        JustastheworkontheconstructionsiteofGiantMountainwasgoingonintenselyatfullspeed,aslimsolitaryfigureappearedontheoppositeshore.Itwasthenativegirl,Deanna.Whowaswalkingslowlyintotheicywaterofthelake?Whenthewaterreachedherwaist,shebegantoswimtowardstheGiantMountain.However,hergoalwasnotthemountains,butthedeepwatersinthemiddleofthelake.Havinggrownupamidthesemountainsandlakes,itwasnowonderthatshebecameanexceptionallyskilledswimmerwhothoughtnothingofstayinginthewaterfortwo,threedaysonendwithoutgoingashore.Whenshewastired,shewouldfloattothesurfacetorestoreventakeashortnap.Shewaslikeafishwhokneweverynookandcornerofthelake.Buttonightwasnotquitebusinessasusual.Deannafelttensebecauseshewasnotjustgoingforacasualswim.Heregoalwasthedeepestpartofthelake,aplaceshehadneverreachedbefore,andwherethedepthmightbebeyondnormalhumancapacity.Hermotivewassimple:severaltimesrecentlyshehadencounteredthelargewhitefish,motherofalllivingthingsinthewater,whoseemedtowanttoleadhertothedeepwaters,whereperhapssecrettreasureswerehidden.Deannawascertainthelargefishmeanthernoharmbecauseitwasamemberofthelivingpopulationofthelake,andtherebyKingDimitri’ssubject.Shewasmerelyfulfillingherdutiesasavassal.Curiosityfullyaroused,shedecidedtogoontheadventureofdiscovery.Ice-coldwaterstimulatedherskin,increasingthebloodcirculationofherwholebody.Sheswamonquickly,hopingtogetoutoftheelongatedshadowsofthemountainsassoonaspossible.Inthedarkness,thesesteepcliffscrowdedaroundthelakelookedominouslylikefiercemonstersimmersedinthelake,withonlytheirheadsshowingabovethewater.Billionsofyearsold,theyseemedtobegrowingoutofthebottomofthelake,lyingtherelatent,readytopounceandswallowDeanna.Luckilyshequicklylefttheshadowsbehindherandswamintotheluminousmoonlight.Suddenlyshesawnotfarawayfromher,theshinyscalesofthelargewhitefishsparklingunderthesilverymoon,likearegalqueeninatight-fittingsequinedeveninggown,herfullbreastsasymbolofhersex.Tailswitching,sheledtheway,withDeanafollowingclosebehind.Thegirlandthefishswamtowardstheheartofthelake.

        TheheartofthelakewasmidwaybetweenGiantMountainandthepalacewhereallthebeautiesresided.Theclosershegottoit,thenearershecametoGiantMountain.Inathickfogwhichcoveredthemountain,shecoulddiscernfiguresmovingbusilyaboutamidtheblazingfireswhichreddenedhalfthenightsky.Angelscouldbeseenflyingtoandfro,andsheknewtheconstructionofthegoldpalacewasgoingonred-hot,atfullblast.ThelargewhitefishswaminacirclearoundaspotnearbyandDeanaknewthatwastheplacetodivedownintotheheartofthelake.Afterraisingherheadhighabovethewatertoinhaleasmuchoxygenasherlungscouldhold,shenose-divedintothewater.Herabove-averagelungpowerenabledhertoremaininthewaterlongerthanmosthumans.Asshecarefullydescendedintothestrangeunfamiliarunderwaterworld,anindescribablefellingoffearcameoverher,butthefamiliarfigureofthelargewhitefish,alwayshoveringnearby,bolsteredherconfidence.Unusualrocksofstrangeandgrotesquesizesandshapesresembledfiercebeasts.Theyhadneverseenthelightofdayastheyweretheproductsofhugechangesoftheearth’scrustmanymillions,nayevenbillionsofyearsago.Theywouldhavetowaitbillionsmoreyearsforthenexthuge,earth-shakingmovementtoraisethemabovegroundsurface.Butthen,itisalsopossiblethatthemovementmightburythemevendeeperintothewater.AsDeanadescendedslowlyandcarefullytowardsthebottomofthelake,itgotdarkeranddarker,andsheinstinctivelyfeltshehadcometoasortofunderwatervalley.Ablurrylightappearedinthedistance.Justasshewasabouttogoforwardandinvestigate,thedwindlingamountofairleftinherlungswarnedthatitwasimperativeforhertosurfaceandinhaleorshewouldbeindeeptrouble.Decisively,shechangedherdirectionandslowlyascended,temporarilygivingupherurgeofdiscovery.

        Asshelaytherepantingonthesurfaceofthelake,wavesofheatoriginatingfromtheGiantMountainhitherintheface.Theblazingfireshadraisedthetemperatureofthearea.AwispofsmokeflewbyoverheadandDeanaknewitwasWhiteFairy,whohadcometoseehowthingsweregoingandwouldthengobackandreportherfindingstothebeauties.Shehadtheremarkableabilitytoassumeanyshapeshewanted,whetheritwasawispofsmoke,agorgeouswhitelilyorhumanform.Deanamarveledandenviedher,thinkinghowwonderfulitwouldbeifshecouldchangeherselfatwillintoafish.Afterrestingawhile,Deanaagaintookadeepbreathanddiveddeepintothewater.Thistime,shewasmorefamiliarwiththeunderwaterworld,soshemaneuveredherwaythroughthegrotesquemonsterbeasts,carefulnottodisturbthem.Thoughtheywereonlyinanimaterocks,theyseemedtopossessinordinateamountoflifeandenergy.Iftheyfoundoutshewastheretolookfortheirtreasures,theywouldbesuretopounceonherandswallowherwhole.Shesuccessfullyreachedtheentranceofthevalleyandfoundthelargewhitefishpatientlywaitingforher.Wheredidthevalleyleadto?Coulditbetheentrancetohell?Followingherguide,sheswamtowardsthelight.Thistime,shesawclearlythelightemanatedfromarockwhichlookedlikeanopenhumanhand.Inthehandwasanenormousoystershellwhichheldasinglegiganticpearl.Fromherplaceseveralfeetaway,Deanacouldseethatthepearlwasaslargeasahumanskull.Deana,whohadbeenroamingthesepearl-producingwatersatwillalltheseyears,hadseenallkindsofpearls;butneveronetomatchthisinsizeandtexture.Afolklorehandeddownthroughcenturiesinhertribe,suddenlycametomind.Itwassaidthattheeweretreasuresinthelakewhichoriginallydroppedfromthemoon.Thereasonwhythemoonwassoluminousinthedistrictwasbecauseshewasroamingouttherelookingforherlosttreasures.Butnoonehadeverseenthetreasuresorknewwhattheywere.Regardlessoftheauthenticityofthisfolklore,thatenormouspearlwouldhavetakenlongertonurturethanhumancivilizationhadexisted.JustasDeanareachedouttotakethepearl,theoystersuddenlyclosedupandDeanafeltherstoreofoxygendwindlingdangerously.Soshehadtoresurfaceagain.

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