He should face the other way, I tell you!" Her voice shook with irritation. "The gnomes were bad enough, but at least they have those little red hats and they are shorter!"

Mitrian sighed. He loved his wife, he truly did, but when it came to the royal gardens, she was a terror. Everything had to be placed just so, every bud and leaf and ornament set in a certain way to achieve the desired effect. He spent almost as much time negotiating ornaments with Teliza as he did trade with other kingdoms, or so it sometimes felt. He gave a resigned nod. "Very well, m'love, which way should it face?"

"The other way, away from my window! I don't want to have his leering face be the first thing I see when I look out on my gardens!"

"Dear, please, they do have feelings, you know! You there, be a good fellow and turn around! That's a good man."

"Bloody ax I will!" The dwarf in question slammed his gilded pickax into the flower bed. "I heard what she said! I'm no peeping nixie! And I tell you what else I am, your lordship, I'm not standing around in a bed of flowers for four hours a day in the hot sun until it's time for Changing of the Ornaments just so it pleases your loony wife." The dwarf tromped through the flowers and onto the carefully groomed gravel path. Then with a malicious grin he scuffed the white pebbles with his boot heel.

"You... you... stop that! " Teliza would have brought her fan down on the rebellious ornament's head if Mitrian hadn't grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wait, I'm sure we can work something out, Master...?" The king frowned. It was difficult to keep all their names straight sometimes.

"Way too late for that. I'm done!" The dwarf stood there with hands on hips and glared around the garden. "Who's with me?"

For a moment, all was silent. Then there came some angry murmuring and the rustle of shrubs. "We are!" Gnomes, brownies, and faeries poured out onto path to join the dwarf, and then the entire group marched out through the garden gate past the royal couple.

"Oh, Teliza! What have you done?"

And so began the Dwarf Revolution Revolution.


05/2003