$†==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==†$
§$†==,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,==†$§
#§$†==,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,==†$§#
##§$†==,¨¨                                          ¨¨,==†$§##
###§$†==,¨                                          ¨,==†$§###
##§$†==,¨¨             $ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==†
$†==,¨¨¨¨¨ THE COTTAGE TRIES  TO COMMUNICATE. HERE, ¨¨¨¨¨,==†$
§$†==,¨¨¨¨ IT'S  NOT  ENDLESS BUT  CONNECTED  TO  A ¨¨¨¨,==†$§
#§$†==,¨¨¨ LARGE  SPRAWLING  CITY, WHERE  MY  RADIO ¨¨¨,==†$§#
##§$†==,¨¨ FRIENDS LIVE. WE  GO  EXPLORING TOGETHER ¨¨,==†$§##
###§$†==,¨ - THINGS ARE DEEP  AND DARK - BUT UNLIKE ¨,==†$§###
##§$†==,¨¨ ME,  THEY NEVER REMEMBER DURING THE DAY. ¨¨,==†$§##
#§$†==,¨¨¨ THIS  IS  A  MYSTERY WE  OFTEN  DISCUSS. ¨¨¨,==†$§#
§$†==,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,==†$§
$†==,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,==†$
†==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==†
==,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,==
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,