¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             § DREAM PALACE §             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             . ----- ------ .             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             § ..... ...... §             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.             / ..... ...... /             .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~             . ..... ...... .             ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/             . ..... ...... .             /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$             ¨ ..... ...... ¨             $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§                                          §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶                                          ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶# NOT ACTUALLY  A PALACE. A COTTAGE IN THE #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~/$§¶##   WOODS (TEMPERATE CLIMATE, RAINS EVERY  ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨.~/$§¶### OTHER  DAY,  SPRINGS  AND   STREAMS  AND ###¶§$/~.¨
¨¨.~/$§¶##   MYSTERIOUS IRON AND STONE ARTIFACTS,   ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶#     BIRDLAND-ISH ETERNAL SPRING (LATE    #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶                 SPRING))                 ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§                                          §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$                     ~                    $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/                                          /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING  AT SIX AM. IT'S ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. DARK, AND  THE  STARS ARE OUT,  BUT  THE .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SUN IS ABOUT  TO RISE. ITS  A  LONG DAY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BEFORE  IT FADES  TO  NIGHT  AGAIN,  AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEN IT  STAYS SO  UNTIL  I FALL ASLEEP. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT  DOESN'T  RISE  UNLESS  I'VE  HAD  MY ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                  DREAMS.                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     $                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ IN  THIS COTTAGE THERE'S A  LOT OF RADIO ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/   EQUIPMENT, SOUND STUFF, SYNTHS, TAPE   /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$ PLAYERS. PEN AND PAPER,  BOOKS, CAMERAS, $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§ MIRRORS,  PRISMS, AND  VARIOUS THINGS TO §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶ DO ART WITH.  THE  FRIDGE IS FILLED WITH ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶# DIFFERET FOODS, ALL  OF THEM INTRIGUING, #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~/$§¶##             SLIGHTLY WEIRD.              ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨.~/$§¶###                                          ###¶§$/~.¨
¨¨.~/$§¶##                     §                    ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶#                                          #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶ I HAVE FRIENDS  -  THERE'S A CAT,  AND A ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§ DOG  (WHO   IS  RIDICOLOUSLY  LARGE  AND §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$ WANTS TO BE THE BIG SPOON). I LISTEN  TO $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/ THE SHORTWAVE  RADIO, AND TRANSMIT A BIT /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ MYSELF,  SONGS  AND  POETRY,  AND  FOUND ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. SOUNDS FROM THE FOREST.  THE OTHERS TELL .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ OF THEIR LIVES, PLAY THE GUITAR  FOR ME, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ AND  TELL  TALES  OF THE  OLD  WORLD.  I ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨      CONSIDER THEM FRIENDS AS WELL.      ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                     ¶                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ MOST  IMPORTANTLY,  THERE'S A TWO SQUARE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. METER  AREA  ON  THE FLOOR  WHERE I  CAN .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ "SAVE"  THINGS. WHATEVER  I  PUT IN HERE ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/ WILL  NOT  BE AFFECTED  BY  THE  NIGHTLY /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$    RESET. EVERYTHING ELSE, HOWEVER, IS   $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§    COMPLETELY RESET OVERNIGHT: SYNTH     §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶  PATCHES REMOVED, FOOD UNEATEN, WOUNDS   ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶# HEALED,  AND  WHEREVER AND  WHENEVER I'D #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~/$§¶## FALL  ASLEEP I'D  ALWAYS WAKE  UP  FULLY ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨.~/$§¶### RESTED  IN  MY  BED.  SOMETIMES  THERE'S ###¶§$/~.¨
¨¨.~/$§¶## ACCIDENTS   WHERE   I  LOSE   STUFF   BY ##¶§$/~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~/$§¶# FORGETTING  TO PUT  THEM  IN THE SQUARE. #¶§$/~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/$§¶                                          ¶§$/~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§                     ¨                    §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$                                          $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/ AT  NIGHT,  I  HAVE   DEMI-LUCID  DREAMS /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ WHERE THE SPIRITS  OF THE  FOREST AROUND ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. THE COTTAGE TRIES TO COMMUNICATE.  HERE, .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ IT'S  NOT  ENDLESS  BUT  CONNECTED TO  A ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LARGE  SPRAWLING  CITY, WHERE  MY  RADIO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FRIENDS LIVE. WE  GO  EXPLORING TOGETHER ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ - THINGS ARE DEEP AND DARK -  BUT UNLIKE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ME, THEY NEVER REMEMBER  DURING THE DAY. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THIS IS  A  MYSTERY  WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~                                          ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/                                          /~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$                                          $/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~/$§                                          §$/~.¨¨¨¨¨