"It was so strange, Father. I didn't know I was dreaming at all until it was over, and it was such a long dream."

I nodded. "People say that when you know you're dreaming you're practically awake."

"Then I wasn't, but I was wide awake the minute it was over, and that was just a minute ago. Maybe I shouldn't have tapped your shoulder like I did."

"It's rather too late to think of it now." I yawned and stretched, believing-then-that I would be able to go back to sleep quite quickly.

"Can I get you something? A drink or something? There's a lot of wine left."

I shook my head, and suggested that he tell his dream, since he had awakened me for that purpose.

"I was in this big, big house. Like a palace. I've never seen a real one, but like the Calde's Palace you and Mother talk about. Only it wasn't grand like that, it was more like a great big kitchen with lots of rooms. I know this sounds petty silly."

"Dream-like at least."

"And halls and pantries and things, and tables and chairs and a lot of big cabinets of some kind of light-colored wood, smooth and waxed but not, you know, carved or painted very much. Some of the chairs were upside down. I don't smell things in dreams much, but I could smell food all the time, like meat with lots of pepper in it boiling in a pot, and bread baking."

"That was because you were hungry," I said. "People who go to sleep hungry are apt to dream about food."

"I never saw any, but the smell was in the air all the time. I walked around… I don't know how to explain this."

"You need not try, in that case."

"I was younger. I couldn't be sure how old I used to be, but I knew I was younger in my dream."

"I'd like very much to have a dream like that."