¨¨,«=%$¤##                                          ##¤$%=«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«=%$¤#                                          #¤$%=«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=%$¤                                          ¤$%=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=%$                                          $%=«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=%                                          %=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=             $ 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. ##¤$%=«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«=%$¤#                                          #¤$%=«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«=%$¤                                          ¤$%=«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«=%$                                          $%=«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=%                                          %=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=                                          =«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨