ouwouldliketotry,IwillhaveourchefmakeitespeciallyforyouacctoyourspecificationsandifthereisanythingIcoulddoforyou,youneedonlytoletusknow.”Salinanoddedandstooduptoleave.Themanagerfollowedhersaying,“Iseethatyouhaveyourshoppingbagsandargesuitcasewithyou.Perhapsyouhavearrangedforyings.Wouldyoulikemetocalltheciergeaupforyou?”Salinanoddedheragreement.Theroombegantofilsotherexpensivelydressedersstrolledintothediningroomandinafewmihemahehotelhimselfhurriedinapawoclerkswhoquicklymadethechearrasoandassignedbellboystocarrytheirparcels,bagsandluggage.ThemanagerhimselfandhistwoclerksledthewayasSalinaandEmmanuelwalkedoutofthediningroom,followedbythebellboyscarryingalltheirpurchasesacase.Thediningroommanagerandcaptainstoodbythedoorsmilingandbowingobsequiously,saying,“Pleaseeback.Itwouldbereatestpleasuretoserveyouagaiime.”Theyweremakingsuchabigto-dothatmadeSalinafeelspedverysatisfied,asifshewasbeiedlikeaqueenandcausedtheothererstostareatthemcuriously,wjustwhotheyweretobegivensuchspecialVIPtreatment.ThatwasthecourseofeventshowEmmanuendSalinaarrivedatthiscitybytheseaandcametobelodgedinthepresidentialsuiteofthisrgeandluxuriouso-resort.

    DimitriandhisfriendssatinCharina’slivingroomdrinkingfragrant,freshly-madecoffeeandtalkedsporadicallyaboutEmmanuendSalina,wwhatmischievous,underhandtricksthesetwelittlepeoplefromtheKingdomofDreamwouldeupwith.TheycouldnotuandhowthehugepinkdiamondknoinkPuzzle”cametobeauedoff.

    “Onthesurface,”saidMr.Kaffee“thesegrandandiionallywell-knownjewelrystoresmayseemtoberocksolidandimpervioustotheupsanddownofthefinancialworld.Theyholdexclusiveausforselectederswithallthetrappingsofwealthandluxurywithgreatpompandshowmanship.Butiy,thingsarenotgoingwellforthem.Theyhaveover-expandedarappedforcashinthisglobaleiturn.”DwarfMickeystoodup,stretchedhimselfandsaid,

    “It’salright.Let’sdropthesubject.Ithiwolittlepeoplejustgrabbedsomejewelsandcametothismundaneworldtoeat,drink,makemerryandhavesomefun.Idon’tthinkthereismuthisworldtoattractthemsotheywillsoonbegoingback.Thispinkdiamondisfabulouslyexpensive,worthanastronomicamountofmoney.Butitisnotthemostexpehinginmytreasuretrove.‘PinkPuzzle’isamagicalgem.Thepersonwhocovetsitwouldbedownontheirludiroublebecauseitknowsitswaybacktothetreasuretroveandwouldjustdisappearoneday…”Beforehefinishedspeaking,loudsnoreswereheardandtheysawthatJamaz,havingdrunktoomuehadfallenfastasleep.Richardwentoverandshookhimbytheshoulder,saying,

    “Hey!man.It’ste.Timetoleave…”

    “Ohno”saidCharina.“It’steandthereareenoughguestroomstoaodateallofyou.Stay.Itwouldbemorefunstayingtogether…”

    “What?”saidJamazgroggily.“Timetoleave?Okay,let’sgetgoing.”

    “Wehavetogobacktoourowherosegarden”saidRichard.Itmaybedesertedanddipidatedbutit’squiteindemand.Ifwedon’tgobackitmaybetakenoverbyotherhomelessruffians.Infactwemayeveofightthemtodefendourhomeahandthrowoutanyonewhohastakenover…”

    “Good!Let’sgo!”saidJamaz,whoseeyeshadbrighteheprospectofagoodfight.CharinalookedatMr.KaffeeandBig-Oandsaid,

    “What!Youtwoareleaving,too?”

 

ouwouldliketotry,IwillhaveourchefmakeitespeciallyforyouacctoyourspecificationsandifthereisanythingIcoulddoforyou,youneedonlytoletusknow.”Salinanoddedandstooduptoleave.Themanagerfollowedhersaying,“Iseethatyouhaveyourshoppingbagsandargesuitcasewithyou.Perhapsyouhavearrangedforyings.Wouldyoulikemetocalltheciergeaupforyou?”Salinanoddedheragreement.Theroombegantofilsotherexpensivelydressedersstrolledintothediningroomandinafewmihemahehotelhimselfhurriedinapawoclerkswhoquicklymadethechearrasoandassignedbellboystocarrytheirparcels,bagsandluggage.ThemanagerhimselfandhistwoclerksledthewayasSalinaandEmmanuelwalkedoutofthediningroom,followedbythebellboyscarryingalltheirpurchasesacase.Thediningroommanagerandcaptainstoodbythedoorsmilingandbowingobsequiously,saying,“Pleaseeback.Itwouldbereatestpleasuretoserveyouagaiime.”Theyweremakingsuchabigto-dothatmadeSalinafeelspedverysatisfied,asifshewasbeiedlikeaqueenandcausedtheothererstostareatthemcuriously,wjustwhotheyweretobegivensuchspecialVIPtreatment.ThatwasthecourseofeventshowEmmanuendSalinaarrivedatthiscitybytheseaandcametobelodgedinthepresidentialsuiteofthisrgeandluxuriouso-resort.

    DimitriandhisfriendssatinCharina’slivingroomdrinkingfragrant,freshly-madecoffeeandtalkedsporadicallyaboutEmmanuendSalina,wwhatmischievous,underhandtricksthesetwelittlepeoplefromtheKingdomofDreamwouldeupwith.TheycouldnotuandhowthehugepinkdiamondknoinkPuzzle”cametobeauedoff.

    “Onthesurface,”saidMr.Kaffee“thesegrandandiionallywell-knownjewelrystoresmayseemtoberocksolidandimpervioustotheupsanddownofthefinancialworld.Theyholdexclusiveausforselectederswithallthetrappingsofwealthandluxurywithgreatpompandshowmanship.Butiy,thingsarenotgoingwellforthem.Theyhaveover-expandedarappedforcashinthisglobaleiturn.”DwarfMickeystoodup,stretchedhimselfandsaid,

    “It’salright.Let’sdropthesubject.Ithiwolittlepeoplejustgrabbedsomejewelsandcametothismundaneworldtoeat,drink,makemerryandhavesomefun.Idon’tthinkthereismuthisworldtoattractthemsotheywillsoonbegoingback.Thispinkdiamondisfabulouslyexpensive,worthanastronomicamountofmoney.Butitisnotthemostexpehinginmytreasuretrove.‘PinkPuzzle’isamagicalgem.Thepersonwhocovetsitwouldbedownontheirludiroublebecauseitknowsitswaybacktothetreasuretroveandwouldjustdisappearoneday…”Beforehefinishedspeaking,loudsnoreswereheardandtheysawthatJamaz,havingdrunktoomuehadfallenfastasleep.Richardwentoverandshookhimbytheshoulder,saying,

    “Hey!man.It’ste.Timetoleave…”

    “Ohno”saidCharina.“It’steandthereareenoughguestroomstoaodateallofyou.Stay.Itwouldbemorefunstayingtogether…”

    “What?”saidJamazgroggily.“Timetoleave?Okay,let’sgetgoing.”

    “Wehavetogobacktoourowherosegarden”saidRichard.Itmaybedesertedanddipidatedbutit’squiteindemand.Ifwedon’tgobackitmaybetakenoverbyotherhomelessruffians.Infactwemayeveofightthemtodefendourhomeahandthrowoutanyonewhohastakenover…”

    “Good!Let’sgo!”saidJamaz,whoseeyeshadbrighteheprospectofagoodfight.CharinalookedatMr.KaffeeandBig-Oandsaid,

    “What!Youtwoareleaving,too?”