Book3:WereMyDreamIs (第210/327页)

tlessuneasinessforquiteawhile,afraidthattheblueskieswouldsomehowsuddenlyescape.“Whywouldtheskies,sohigh,sodeepandhugeandsofar-reagthatitcoversthewholeearth,wanttodisappear?”shethought.“Wherecoulditgo?Ithasoescapeto!ButwhywouldIwanttodisappear?Everythingisgoingsosmoothly...TheownershipandmaofWorldBankhasbeentakenback.AllDimitri’sformerindustries,paniesandpropertieshavealsobeenrecovered.Hishugefinancialempirehadnotonlysufferednoloss,buthadoraryexpandedquiteabit.WhateverIpainstakinglydesignedandcarriedoutmyselfworkedperfectlylikeclockwork,sowheredidthisfeelingofuanduneasinessefrom?”Shediagasherownpsychologicalditionedreflex.Theonewhowishedtoescapewasherself;onlyshetransferredsuchfeelingstotheblueskiesaboveherhead.Justthentheprofound,psychologidinsinuativewordsAishaoncesaidtohersuddenlycametomind.‘Everyoneoneislikealongstringofastronomiumbers,followedbyseventeeeenzeros.It’sreallyhardtoreadoutsuumbers.Ifthefirstofthesehecapitalletter‘I’disappears,thenwhatmeaningdoallthezerosthatfollowhave?’Megginnsuddenlythought,“Why,that’sjustwhatishappeningtome!IhaveworkedtirelesslytoseethatWorldBankandallhisotherassets,whichhadstruckouttobeetheirownindepeentities,werefullyrecovered.Dimitri’shugefinancialempireisnowevenstrohanithadeverbeenbefore.Buthisastronomicalwealth,withallthezerosafterit,ismeaninglesswithoutthecapitalI,Dimitri,whohaddisappearedwithoutatrace.IworkedthishardbecauseofmyloveandloyaltytoDimitri.WhatmotivehaveItogoonwithouthim?Aishawasright.Ifthefirstofthesehecapitalletter‘I’disappears,thenwhatmeaningdoallthezerosthatfollowhave?”LastnightMegginnmadeherfinaldecisionaedittoMr.Kaffee,afterwhichallthefatigueandexhaustionaccumutedfrommonthsofhardworkcolpsedonher.Layingherheaddownonherdesk,shefellsoundasleepanddidnotwakeuntilthefollowingm.Shestareddumbfouheblueskiesoutsidethewindowlostinthought.Thenhereyesfellontothestringofastronomicalfiguresonherputers,gingeverysedasiftheywerealive.Hereyesmovedbackwardsandforwardsbetweentheblueskiesandtheputerstwoorthreetimes.Shesuddenlystoodup,asifshehadetoacertainenlighte.Walkingtoherprivateroombehindtheoffice,shetookoffhersomber,dullbutveryexpensivebusinesssuitandgedtothecasualbutlivelyandyouthfuttiresheusedtofavor–miniskirtandtanktop.ThewholebuildingwassilentwithnosoundofhumanactivityasshewalkedoutofherCEOoffice.Itwasthesilencebeforeanotherbusyaicday.Megginntooktheelevatorfromthe24thfloordowntothespaciouslobby.ShewalkedoutofthefrontdoorofWorldBank,andcrossedovertotheparkingstructurereservedfortheseniorstaff.Raisingherheadtotheblueskies,sheagaiherowninsignifioddingtotheparkinglotattendantshewalkedovertoherddroveaway,eagertotalktoAishaassoonaspossibleaboutthedecisionshehadmade.ShehadetothisdecisioninspiredbyAisha’swords,soMegginnthoughtAishawouldapprove.Asshedrove,Megginnthoughtaboutthedramatichappeningsthatenfoldediwenty-fourhours.Shedrovemoreslowlyandjustgotoffthefreewayexit,whichwasabouttenminutesawayfromAisha’shome,whensuddenlytheemergencyarminhercarsoundedandredlightsfshedonandoffonallthegaugesandinstruments