Aladdin Central Messageboard

[Syera]

CHAPTER 3
Searching for Answers


"So, does this mean the baby will have... magical powers?"

Jasmine had taken the news pretty well. Actually, extremely well. She'd seemed almost relieved when Aladdin had explained to her what Genie had said was going on. Now she was full of questions.

Genie snorted while making a pfft noise. "I'd say that's pretty likely."

"And am I going to keep seeing things while I'm carrying the baby?"

"Eh, probably," Genie answered.

"She should be able to control it, right?" Aladdin asked.

Genie shrugged. "With practice, yeah, probably. Maybe. The truth is, genie/human hybrids aren't exactly numerous. All in all, off the top of my head I can think of... none. So, to be perfectly honest with you, even I don't really know what to expect."

Jasmine sighed.

"But there have been genie/human children before, right?" Aladdin asked.

"Oh, I'm sure there've been some somewhere. I mean, you know the old story where genie and master fall in love... kinda like nurses and patients... yeah."

"What about recorded cases?" Jasmine asked.

"You know as much as I do."

"If I may make a dumb suggestion, why don't we see what's in the library?" Aladdin inquired.



Countless hours were spent in the library, sorting through book after book. Although many of them contained interesting material, none contained what they were looking for. Aladdin began to feel that it really was a dumb idea. As the sun sank toward the rest, he felt that it was time to call it a night, and said so.

"Yeah, good idea," Jasmine agreed. She proceeded to roll up a scroll she'd just been reading. "Here, catch," she announced, tossing it to Aladdin.

He instinctively reached for the scroll, but missed just slightly. It sailed past his fingers and landed beneath a writing desk.

"You know, I just should make you go get it, but since I'm feeling gentlemanly tonight..." Aladdin muttered, bending down to retreive it.

"Sorry," Jasmine apologized.

Before he finally found the scroll, he found several pieces of scrap parchment, a few old pens, and a very empty inkhorn. He tossed these out as he found them. Finally, he found what he was looking for and proceeded to put it back.

Jasmine, meanwhile, had picked up one of the parchments he'd tossed out. "Aladdin, listen to this," she began.

"What is it?"

"From Bourkan, son of Yazid, Grand Vizier to the Sultan Faraj et cetera et cetera," Jasmine began, "to Sheik Asad, son of Yabis et cetera... this was written a long time ago. I found your exhaustive and detailed research regarding genies and other magical, mysterious, and unusual creatures extremely interesting and informative. It would be my deepest pleasure that we could meet to discuss such subjects further, for I have also been conducting a study of and gathering information upon the same subject."

"So, who was Vizier Bourkan?" Aladdin questioned.

"He was Grand Vizier during my great-grandfather's time," Jasmine answered.

Aladdin whistled. "So, what was he doing looking for genies?"

"I don't know. But it doesn't seem that anything came of it."

"Unless old Jafar used his research. So, where did this Sheik Asad guy live?"

"Sheik Asad el Yazid was a nobleman under alliegance to Agrabah, if I remember my history right. He lived up north. We'd have to check some maps to make sure, though."

Every thought of calling it a night had suddenly vanished. Aladdin scrambed to where the maps were kept and pulled out the newest map he could find of Agrabah and the surrounding lands. He found one, slid off the ribbons holding it shut, and spread it out on the table. The vanishing light made it impossible to read, however. "Um, Genie?" he prompted, "it's kinda dark in here."

Lights appeared, and he could make out the details. Jasmine suddenly leaned over the map, shoving him aside slightly. She gazed at it for a few moments, then pointed to a mountainous spot. "There," she said. "The town of El Radi."

"So, who's in charge of El Radi now?"

"Umm... let me think... the last I heard, it was Sheik Alim, though his son or even his grandson could have succeeded him by now."

"They still recognize Agrabanian overlordship, right?" Aladdin asked, mildly surprised to hear such an educated-sounding question coming from his mouth.

Jasmine nodded. "Well, they pay their annual tribute."

"Great. So, all we need is a good excuse to visit, and we're all set."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

Aladdin glanced at Genie. "Well, we can't tell them the real reason why we're going... I mean, think about it!"



The next day after breakfast, Aladdin proposed his idea of visiting El Radi to the Sultan.

"Why the interest in El Radi so suddenly?" the Sultan inquired.

"Well..." Aladdin fumbled, scratching his head in an effort to dislodge an idea, "I figured that I might need to get to know Agrabah's allies. I mean, it's a good idea, isn't it?"

"Well, of course it's a good idea." The Sultan paused for a few moments. "Very well, you shall visit as my ambassador."

Aladdin's arm dropped, along with his jaw. "Really?"

"Really. And you shall take notes of how everything is being managed over there. To be honest with you, this type of thing has been needing done for a long time, but I haven't gotten around to hiring any worthy viziers." He paused again. "And if you're going over there, you're going to need the title to back it up. Therefore, I pronounce you Royal Vizier."

"But-" Aladdin sputtered.

"There's no getting away from responsibility this time. I know I was lenient with you before, but now that you're officially married to Jasmine and thus into the royal family, it's time you start taking on some royal duties."

"But..." Aladdin repeated, an octave higher this time.

The Sultan gave him a very stern look.

"But I didn't say I wouldn't do it," the now-vizier added hastily.

"Good! It's settled, then! You'll leave at once!"



Grumbling to himself, Aladdin walked into his room and changed into his travelling clothes.

Behind him, Jasmine snickered.

"What's so funny?"

"Aladdin, being a vizier isn't going to kill you," she said.

He sighed. "I know. It's just that... well, the Sultan's probably right. I mean, I did marry the princess, so it's only fair that I act like a prince... right?"

Jasmine didn't answer.

"I didn't mean those guys who courted you, you know," he added hastily.

She smiled. "I know. And... and I'm proud of you." She began reaching into her own wardrobe and pulled out a few outfits.

"You don't have to go. Are you sure you want to go?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Well, I figure I'm going to be miserable wherever I am, so does it matter where I'm miserable?"

"I guess not."

"Besides," she said, "somebody's got to be checking out the library while you're making notes in town."

Aladdin shrugged. "Yeah, that's true."



"Hello, I am Genie and I will be your tour-guide. Welcome to El Radi, a small, quaint, out-of-the way farming community with a population of approximately seven hundred and thirty-three. Popular tourist attractions include Ahabijeet's Old Thyme Djinn and Spirits, Irfan's Viewpoint, and the local eatery, Loopy Lutfi's."

"Right now, I think we'll just go to the sheik's place," Aladdin said. Looking downward from his vantage point on Carpet, he didn't spot anything that struck him as being palatial-size. Well, given that this was, after all, a farming community, whoever was in charge probably wouldn't live in a palace. "Do you know where he lives, Jasmine?"

The princess shrugged. "Taking a guess, I'd say... there." She pointed to the largest domicile in the town.

Aladdin nodded. "Let's go down, Carpet."

The carpet dove sharply downwards, making a neat stop outside the front gate. Taking note of his surroundings, Aladdin saw that only one guard was posted.

Upon seeing the carpet's descent, the lone guard snapped to attention, drew his scimitar, and advanced toward Aladdin. "Who might you be?" he demanded, waving his blade threateningly.

"I'm Aladdin."

The guard didn't budge.

"Aladdin, Royal Vizier of Agrabah," he clarified.

The guard backed down a couple of inches. "Oh," he said. "I thought Agrabah's vizier was older."

"Ah, he was."

"But his employment was... terminated," Genie, who had taken the guise of an ordinary traveler, supplied.

"Oh, I see. Well, where's your letter?"

"I'm not delivering a letter; I'm here to see the sheik in per-"

"I mean the letter that proves you're a vizier, numbskull."

With an embarassed grin, Aladdin pulled the letter from his clothing and handed it to the guard.

The guard unrolled it, and spent the next five minutes staring at the parchement and mumbling incoherently. "All right," he said at last, handing the letter back to Aladdin, "go on in."

"Don't we get an escort?"

The guard took a deep breath. "Well, under normal and more royal circumstances, yeah. But we're kinda short-staffed right now, and somebody's gotta stay here and guard the gate, see?"

"Why are you short-staffed?"

"All the guards've been placed on patrol to keep the storehouses safe from the raiders who've been giving us trouble."

"Raiders?"

"Yeah," the guard said, turning to open the gate. "Desert raiders who come 'n steal our crops every now and then. You can talk to the sheik about it - he knows more than I do." The gate now unlocked, he pushed it open. "There ya go."

Aladdin bid him thanks and walked through the gate. It led into a courtyard, where a few large trees provided shade. Beyond the courtard was a very large house. Although it wasn't huge, it was still well-built and well-kept

As he approached the door, it suddenly opened and a large, black dog barreled out and straight into his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Arfan, get offa him!" a little boy's voice shouted. "I'm sorry, sir. Please forgive my dog, sir. He doesn't know better."

As soon as he got out from under the dog, Aladdin spotted the boy. He was a wiry thing of about six years old, with large eyes and a mop of black hair on his head. "Ah, it's okay," he grunted, dusting himself off. "I've been through worse. Hey, I'm here to see the sheik - can you tell me where he is?"

"The sheik - my grandpa - isn't here now," the boy said.

"Well, then who should I talk to?"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment. "My dad," he said, walking back into the house. "Who should I tell him is calling?"

"Aladdin, Vizier of Agrabah," Aladdin responded, following the boy inside. That title was going to take some getting used to.

"Okay."

The boy led them into a sitting room. "I'll go get my dad," he announced, and darted off into another room.

Aladdin heard a flumpf beside him. He turned his head to see Jasmine sitting in a comfortable sofa with a faraway look in her face. "Well," he said, sitting down beside her, "what're you thinking?"

"He's so cute."

Several minutes later, the boy returned with a man in his mid- to late-twenties behind him. "We haven't heard from Agrabah in awhile," the man remarked. "I'm Prince Farid. Welcome to El Radi."

"Now this guy's a... geek," Genie whispered into Aladdin's ear.

Aladdin wasn't sure what "geek" meant, but it somehow seemed to apply to the man. He was tall and gangly, with a complexion that wasn't exactly smooth. On top of that, his dark hair seemed to stick out in all the wrong directions.

"I'm sorry my father isn't here to greet you, but... well, we've been a little tied up. What brings you to El Radi?"

Aladdin stood up. "The Sultan wanted a report on the latest activities in the town," he answered.

"Well, you should find everything in order," Farid said. "Mostly everything," he added with a frown. "But please, follow me. You're just in time for lunch, and you must have had a tiring journey." The prince looked at the three with an appraising eye. Suddenly, his expression turned to one of mild surprise. "Princess Jasmine?"

"That's right," the princess answered.

"So you finally found a husbund. What do you know. Well, come along - lunch is waiting." Farid began walking down a hallway, and the three quickly followed.

"So, Prince Farid is..." Aladdin whispered to Jasmine.

"Old suitor," she whispered back. "Good with mathematics, but he's a terrible poet."


Coming Next - Chapter 4 - El Radi



C&C appriciated and wanted. Come on, people... I won't bite. Really.
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Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[Nez]

I'm sorry that I haven't commented on this. It's a very intriguing story.
_________________

[persian85033]

Very good story.I can't wait to read more.

[Syera]

CHAPTER 4
El Radi


"Well, have a seat," Prince Farid invited as they entered the dining room. The boy and a woman - presumably the prince's wife - were already seated inside. "This is my son, Galeel, and my wife, Adiba."

Aladdin and Jasmine politely made their introductions, and sat down. "So, what did you mean by 'mostly everything'?" Aladdin inquired.

"We've been having raiders who live up in the mountains steal from our storehouses," Farid replied. "We've tried to wipe 'em out, but... it's no use. They know the mountains like an ant knows its den. My father's out making sure everything's secure at the storehouses. Of course, you'll probably be wanting to see them yourself soon."

Aladdin nodded. "Yeah, but first we need to see your library."

"Library?"

"Yeah, to check the town's records."

"Of course. Absolutely. But perhaps after lunch, you'd like to listen to some poetry?"

Aladdin sighed. "Ooh, if only we could," he said. "But the Sultan wants this done as quickly as possible, so, er, I'm afraid we don't have time to waste."

"No, absolutely not," Jasmine agreed.

"Well, if you say so."

Once they were finished eating, Prince Farid led them to the library. It wasn't nearly as large as the library of Agrabah, which Aladdin found rather relieving.

"The records are kept on this shelf," Farid pointed out. "My father, Sheik Kateb, should be back tomorrow or the day after. If you need anything, let us know. We'll have rooms ready for you this evening."

"Thank you," Aladdin said. After the prince was gone, he turned to Jasmine. "Ex-suitor, huh?"

"Yep. I almost considered him, but he - here, start with this record book - he was always talking about something he was working on. Did I also mention he's an architect?"

Aladdin took the book from Jasmine and began reading through it. "Nope."

"Well, he tried to court me with poetry and blueprints. I'm sure there are some girls who find that kind of man irresistable, but I'm not one of them." Jasmine walked to a likely-looking shelf and began sorting through the scrolls. "What is it with libraries that are built with poor lighting?" she wondered aloud.

"You know, I don't even know exactly what I'm doing," Aladdin remarked. "Maybe you should go through the records and I should try to find..." he trailed off, for as he spoke, Jasmine began to glow a brilliant shade of pink. "Well, that's different," he remarked.

"Just keep looking through the records. That part's for show."

"Right," he said. "Um, did you do that on purpose?"

"No, not really."

"Well, douse it," Aladdin whispered. "If somebody sees..."

Jasmine's glow faded. "Now I can't see what I'm reading," she groused. "No, wait I have an idea." She sat the scroll down on a table, and suddenly, a lit oil lamp appeared behind it. "I could get used to this," she said, the grin evident in her voice.

"Well, try not to. Trust me."

Several hours later, Aladdin felt ready to die - or at least pass out - from boredom. Every now and again, Jasmine would read a passage she'd found interesting out loud or Genie would snicker at something he'd found - making Aladdin realized that he'd seriously been handed the short end of the stick.

"Hey, I've found some of Sheik Asad's research," Jasmine said excitedly.

"Oh, good. Now we can get out of here."

"No, we can't."

"Why not?"

"Wouldn't it be a little strange if the vizier just... left?"

Aladdin grunted in disgust.

"Besides," Jasmine said, "I still haven't found exactly what we're looking for."

"Okay, fine. But I'm taking a break."




"So, how is everything, Vizier Aladdin?" Farid inquired as Aladdin walked into the sitting-room.

"Fine... just fine," he said flatly. Then he turned more cheerful. "Actually, I'm more interested in seeing what's going on in the town."

"Very well. Would you like a horse?"

"I think I'll just walk."

"Walk?" Farid questioned.

"Well, it's a good way to see the town, isn't it?"

"I suppose." The prince paused. "So, where are you from, anyway?"

"I'm the Vizier of Agrabah."

"No, I mean before you came to Agrabah."

"I've lived there my whole life."

Farid looked puzzled. "Really."

"Really." Aladdin made his way outside the mansion, not sure if Farid would follow him or not. But the prince did. "You don't have to do that," he said quickly. "I think I can find my way."

"You're our guest, Vizier Aladdin. Besides, I wanted to see the storehouses for myself."

"All right."

For a few moments they walked in silence. "I plan to see if there are any improvements to be made in the storehouse's structural design that could make them any more secure."

Aladdin nodded. "Oh, yeah. I heard you were into architecture."

"It's my passion! You see that building over there, the one that's being built? I designed it."

Aladdin looked over. Whatever it was, it was going to be on the large side, but it was difficult to say exactly what it would look like, given that it wasn't even halfway completed.

"It will look more impressive when it's done," the prince said, a bit defensively. "Maybe I can show you the plans later?"

"Maybe."

"To be honest with you, vizier, the crime rate's been going up lately. With the city guards stationed at the storehouses, the delinquents around here are getting bolder."

"Uh-huh," Aladdin said, trying to sound like he was officially taking mental notes.

"Something needs to be done about those raiders, but we just don't have the manpower. I mean, we should in theory, but it's like trying to route out an anthill."

Looking around, Aladdin could see that El Radi looked about like any other farming village. The most notable detail being that there was probably more livestock than people wandering around. "Why don't we take a look at the storehouses?" he suggested.

Farid nodded in eager agreement. "Definitely. This way."



"I suppose he didn't really need to be looking at the record books," Jasmine remarked after Aladdin left the room. "I mean, nobody was looking." She sighed, turning the page of the book in front of her. "Well, I'm not learning anything I didn't know before."

"Keep looking," Genie muttered. Then, a little louder, "would you believe I found this great book on the art of escaping?"

"That would be very nice if we were actually trying to escape."

"True," Genie agreed. "Okay, what else've we got authored by Sheik Asad? Too bad nobody's figured out how to index anything yet..."

"I found some of his stuff over there," Jasmine answered, pointing toward one of the shelves.

"Right."

A few books later, Jasmine still hadn't found anything useful. "I had expected exhaustive and informative research to be... I don't know, more informative." Suddenly, Jasmine's light disappeared. "Genie, my light's gone."

Genie raised an eyebrow. "You'd probably better rest."

"But I'm fine."

"Listen, Jasmine. Humans weren't meant to use genie powers. If you're out of power, it probably means you're getting tired."

"But..."

"What, are you a five-year-old? Go to bed or you're grounded!"

Jasmine was feeling very much like a five-year-old at the moment, but realized that Genie probably was right. She was getting tired. All the same, though she had wanted to find the book they were looking for. If she went to bed now, then someone else might find it first.

All the same, she reluctantly went to bed.



"We need to see my father, Sheik Kateb. Where can we find him?" Prince Farid asked an ostentaciously important-looking guard.

Aladdin looked around. The storehouses - of which there were five - were certainly large enough to hold enough food for the town, and probably then some. There were, in his opinion, remarkably few guards. Not that he'd been expecting an army, but he had been expecting a little more vigil.

"Sheik Alim isn't here," the guard said.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. He hadn't been here since this morning."

Farid frowned. "If you see him, tell him that I need to speak to him."

"Yes, sir."

After they were out of earshot, Aladdin cleared his throat. "I'd expected more guards."

"Me, too," Farid said with a frown. "Could be their break, though. And besides, nobody's going to raid during the day."

Farid then proceeded to give Aladdin a tour of the storehouses. He explained what had been stolen - a little of everything, it seemed.

"So, what do you think should be done?" Aladdin inquired.

"I think that enough men should be sent up to the mountains to find and eradicate the soundrels," Farid answered. "But we don't have enough men. Not in El Radi."

"Why don't you... I dunno, train some of the people in town?"

Farid chuckled sadly. "These're farmers, not soldiers. They're not cut out for fighting, and besides, they've got their farms to keep. Now, if it's not too bold or presumptious to ask, how are the armies of Agrabah?"

"Uh... I don't know."

"Don't know?"

"Well, Agrabah's been at peace so long... it must've been years since anybody's assembled an army."

The prince whistled. "Well, that's great. So, you have one of the biggest trade hubs in the Seven Deserts, and the army you do have is probably watching their grandkids play tab right now." He paused for a moment. "No offense, of course!"

"None taken."

He looked relieved. "Um... if I may speak frankly with you..."

"Go ahead."

"If somebody gets it figured out that Agrabah doesn't have much of an army, it'll only be a matter of time before someone ambitious decides that they should be in charge of Agrabah."



Jasmine woke up. She'd been asleep for a couple of hours, judging from the way the shadows now fell.

"Exhaustive and informative research, indeed," she grumbled to herself. She sighed, and mentally reminded herself that there had been no actual promise of finding what they were looking for - just a clue. That was all.

She slid out of bed and was going to go back to the library when she was met half-way by Adiba. "Is everything all right, Princess?"

"Everything's fine," Jasmine answered. "Wait - actually, I was looking for some of Sheik Asad's writings. I found some, but... I thought there would be more."

"Hmm. Well, let's go take a look."

She proceeded to walk toward the library, and Jasmine followed. Adiba walked to the shelf that Jasmine had been investigating earlier. "All of his writings are kept here," she said. "If there's anything else, let me know."

"That's all, thank you."

Adiba nodded. "You're welcome."

The prince's wife left the room, leaving Jasmine alone.

"If those're all his books, I'm afraid we're out of luck," Genie's voice said. "'Cause what we're looking for isn't in them."

The princess sighed. "Well, so much for that."



A few hours later, Aladdin and Farid returned to the mansion, hot and dusty. Farid called for Adiba and sent her off to fetch cold drinks, and then flopped down onto a sofa. Aladdin followed suit.

"Next time, we ride," Farid said at last.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad. It gets hotter in Agrabah."

"And speaking of Agrabah, what're you going to do when you get back?"

"Tell the Sultan what's going on here," Aladdin said with a shrug.

"Good. Because, you know, we supply a lot of Agrabah's food."

Aladdin nodded.

A few moments later, Adiba returned. "Your wife seems to be an avid reader," she commented as she handed Aladdin his drink.

"I don't know whether to envy or pity you," Farid remarked as Adiba sat beside him and gave him his drink.

"About what?"

"Jasmine. She's been said to be the most beautiful and the most troublesome woman in the Seven Deserts."

"Nah. She just takes a little understanding, that's all."

"Well, let's hope that if she gives you any daughters, they don't take after her," Farid said with a chuckle.

For a brief moment, Aladdin suffered a vision of a young girl who looked a lot like Jasmine and a little like himself. Destroying the palace in a temper fit augmented by genie powers.

Hearing footsteps, Aladdin looked toward the doorway. He saw a tall, muscular man in his fifties enter the room. Suddenly, Farid scrambled to his feet. "May I present my father, Sheik Kateb, son of Sheik Amir, son of Sheik Asad."

Aladdin bowed slightly.

"And this is Aladdin, Vizier of Sultan Hamed of Agrabah."

Kateb bowed in return. "Welcome, vizier. We haven't heard from Agrabah in awhile."

Aladdin nodded. "I know. That's why I'm here."

"I trust my son has been a good host?"

"Excellent."

"I told him all about the raiders," Prince Farid said. "And how we need help to defend ourselves and our goods."

"Help? I think we can hold our own well enough. Besides, if you start sending for help, they'll start thinking they're important. No, we can't let them think that."

Farid's face reddened slightly. His mouth opened for a brief second, but shut again.

"Go back to your plans and blueprints, my son, and let me run my own town."


Coming Next - Chapter 5: There and Back Again


All righty... I feel a few notes are in order.

The name "Adiba" is just a coincidence. I chose it way before Ms. Adiba registered here... and when she did register, you can bet I registered some mild surprise at seeing the name.

"Tab" - with a B - is an actual game. All I know is that it's an out-doors game and it was mentioned in The 1001 Nights.
_________________

Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[Syera]

CHAPTER 5
There and Back Again


"I don't care what he says," Farid fumed angrily as he stomped down the hallway, "El Radi can't defend itself from the raiders and have enough goods to feed the town and trade with. We're losing too much!"

"I'm sorry, Farid," Aladdin said. "But I promise I'll talk to the Sultan."

The prince nodded. "Thanks. But I don't know what good it'll do if my father won't listen to reason."

"Well, who's the sultan? Him or Hamed?"

Farid nodded, and took a deep breath. "You're a good guy, Aladdin."

Aladdin quickly located Jasmine and Genie, and informed them that they were ready to leave. Jasmine was more than ready to leave.

"We went through Sheik Asad's books, but we didn't find much," she explained.

Outside the mansion, Farid bid them a final farewell. "But... where are your horses? Or camels?" he inquired, a look of confusion on his face. "Or whatever you rode in here on."

"Actually," Aladdin with with a grin, "I rode in on my carpet."

"A carpet," he echoed, furrowing his eyebrows. "How does that work?"

Aladdin put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. In a few seconds, Carpet zipped by and around the two young men a few times. "Kinda like that," Aladdin answered.

Prince Farid whistled. "That's... unusual."

"Well, it eats less than a horse."



Before long, they were home in Agrabah again. Jasmine announced that she was going to her room, and Aladdin decided he might as well talk to the Sultan.

After a bit of inquiry, he located the Sultan, who was in the middle of assembling some sort of mechanical device.

"Well, I'm back from El Radi," he announced.

"Very good. How's it going?"

"Not well. They've got mountain raiders who keep making raids on their storehouses. Prince Farid says they need help in protecting their goods, but Sheik Kateb believes they can hold out on their own."

"Well, Sheik Kateb is in charge."

"Yes, but El Radi does supply a lot of Agrabah's food," Aladdin pointed out. "And Prince Farid seemed very sure that they needed help."

"Well, what do you think should be done about it?"

"If, just saying, if we were going to send assistance, do we have the assistance to send?"

"What do you mean?"

"When was the last time soldiers were trained to defend Agrabah?"

The Sultan was silent for a moment. "We haven't needed soldiers for... years. Most of them became guards after the last war."

"So, if somebody attacked Agrabah now, we wouldn't have anyone trained to defend it except for the city and palace guards, right?"

"Aladdin, nobody's going to attack Agrabah. We're at peace."

"But El Radi's not at peace."

"You said yourself that Sheik Kateb doesn't want help."

"I know what I said," Aladdin fumed. "The point is, if they or anybody else asks for help, we don't have the help to give them."



Feeling effectively brushed off, Aladdin wandered into another room and sat down at a checkers table.

"Well, was I hearing things, or is my Aladdin starting to sound like a military strategist?"

Aladdin looked up to see Genie, who was looking at him with a puzzled-yet-curious expression. "What d'you mean?"

"Advising the Sultan to train soldiers... that's a little unusual coming from you."

Aladdin paused for a moment. "Genie, do you think El Radi can defend itself?"

"What do I look like, the Secretary of Defense? I'm afraid I can't help you there."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Genie shrugged. "You're the vizier. What do viziers normally do?"

"I don't know."

"Well, if it were up to me, I'd say you got snoopy and decide for yourself. But, y'know, that's only me."

"Get snoopy?"

"Yeah. Find out how much they're actually losing in supplies. It should all be in the book-keeping. And if it's not... well, then there're problems."

Aladdin smiled. "Thanks, Genie."




"Good grief, you're back in a hurry," Prince Farid remarked. "I want a carpet. Well, what has the Sultan said?"

"Well, in the end, it's up to the sheik," Aladdin answered. "Speaking of which... is he here?"

Farid nodded. "Do you wish to speak to him?"

"Ah, yes. Yes, I do."

"Come with me."

This time, Aladdin had come to El Radi by himself. Jasmine had chosen to stay home, as she had no reason to go back. Genie had stayed behind to keep an eye on Jasmine.

Farid led Aladdin into the back gardens, where Sheik Kateb was in the middle of lunch. He politely rose to greet Aladdin. "So, what news do you bring?" he inquired.

"Oh, none really. The Sultan respects that you believe El Radi can hold it's own, and I'm here to make sure everything else is in order."

"I see. Care to join me for lunch?"

Aladdin sat down opposite the sheik. "Thank you."

"If everything's fine, I'll be going now," Farid said.

The sheik nodded, and Farid left.

Sheik Kateb called for a servant to bring Aladdin some lunch. Once that was in order, he cleared his throat. "I apologize for my behavior yesterday," he said. "But my son does worry too much. He is... too eager."

"Too eager?"

The sheik nodded. "Too eager to take his father's place. I leave to oversee a project, and the first thing I know, my son is giving orders."

"Seemed to me like he was just trying to keep things smooth."

"Indeed, and a little too much."

Aladdin had a feeling he knew what Kateb was hinting at. "You're not suggesting Farid would... do something drastic, are you? Because he doesn't seem like that kind at all."

Kateb didn't answer. "So, how is the royal family?" he asked.

"Fine," he answered, slightly put off at the change of subject. Still, he decided not to make waves.

"And your wife?"

"She's also fine."

"Perhaps if, one day the princess has a daughter, she could marry my grandson." The sheik chuckled. "Providing she's a little more behaved than her mother."

"Good grief, the baby hasn't even been born yet, and everybody's trying to...!" Aladdin exclaimed.

The sheik was taken aback. "Oh, she is expecting?"

"Yes."

He chuckled again. "I didn't know that she was expecting now. Why, who else asked?"

"Ah, just a friend," Aladdin replied. He wasn't sure why, but he had a vague notion that it would be best not to answer too directly.

"Remember, in choosing spouses for your children, you also choose your friends."

"I think my children can choose for themselves," he said, rather grumpily. Noting the sheik's surprised look, Aladdin realized that he'd probably just said something remarkably stupid.

They both lapsed into silence and finished their lunches, after which Aladdin hopped up from his seat. "Well, thanks for the lunch, but I gotta get busy."



The next few days of Aladdin's life were mind-numblingly dull and nerve-grating as he personally oversaw the indexing of the El Radi storehouses. By the time it was over with, he was of the opinion that he never wanted to see a record of any kind again, ever. But the next few days weren't any better, either, as he had to compare his findings with the official records. Fortunately, Farid and his assistants were more experienced in the matter and were willing to help.

"I can tell you're not the type of man who enjoys paperwork," Farid commented.

"Ughn!" Aladdin agreed.

"You know, I know my father and I don't always get on... but I declare, he's so... dedicated."

"Huh? Why?"

"He's driven himself prematurely gray; did you notice? He looks about ten years older than he is."

"I'm gonna look ten years older than I am if I have to keep doing this."



"Father, I... Father, I need to tell you that my child is half genie. No. Father, I need to tell you that Aladdin was a genie when our child..." Jasmine trailed off. She was going to have to tell the Sultan sooner or later, she knew. She cleared her throat and looked her mirror in the eye. "Father, Aladdin was a genie when our child was conceived, so our child will be half-genie."

Even she had to admit that that was the most ridiculous story she heard - and she knew it was true!

She cleared her throat and tried again, this time telling the story from the very beginning and explaining everything in as fine of detail as she remembered it. Now it sounded somewhat believable.

Hopefully, the Sultan would believe her.



"Hey, Aladdin, we're gonna run outta candles if you keep staying up until all hours to do this."

Aladdin lifted his tired head away from the records book in front of him. "I... know," he muttered sleepily. "I just wanna get this done."

Prince Farid rolled his eyes. "Look, as much as I admire your... tenacity, you do realize that sleep deprivation does dull one's senses?"

"Coffee," Aladdin grunted.

"You heard 'im, fetch him coffee!" Farid barked to a servant. Then the prince threw up his hands in frustration. "Candles... and coffee. Well, fine. Have it your way. Good night."

Farid left, and a few moments the servant returned with the coffee. Aladdin took a long draft of the warm liquid. It wasn't a drink that he'd been really accustomed to in the past, but lately... well, he was barely noticing its bitter taste now.

Then he saw it.

He leapt from his chair, bolted out the door, through the hallway, and stopped mere inches before colliding with Prince Farid. "Your Highness," he said excitedly. "I found something."

The prince turned around. "What is it?" he grumped.

"According to the official records, there should be a whole lot more than what's in there right now."

Farid rapped his own head. "Raiders, remember?"

"I also compared it with the reports of what was stolen by the raiders. There are a lot of goods unaccounted for."

The prince stared at Aladdin, looked like he was going to say something, blinked a few times, and yawned. "Sorry, but I'm too tired right now. Tell me tomorrow."


Jasmine had considered breaking the news to her father several times, but at last she decided to let it wait until Aladdin was there. If anything, she thought, it wouldn't hurt to have him present to back up the story. That, and it was his child, too.

That night, she sat on the balcony, brushing her hair and watching toward the horizon. She didn't know exactly how long Aladdin would be gone, so she entertained a fantasy of him flying in on Carpet that very evening. She wished he would!

Suddenly, a speck appeared on the horizon. Was it Aladdin? She watched as it drew nearer, its shape becoming more distinct - it was!

Or was it?

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to disbelieve what she had just seen. Opening them again, she saw that the thing had disappeared. It had just been another image conjured by her imagination.

Although she was disappointed that it hadn't actually been Aladdin, she felt rather victorious in that she'd recognized the illusion for what it was. Which meant that she was getting the hang of her powers.

Her powers...

Aladdin had said not to get too used to them... but all the same, if she had them, why shouldn't she use them? Wouldn't it be a waste to... let them go to waste?

But now that she thought about it, she couldn't think of anything to actually do with her powers. Well, darn it, anyway!

Well, it was late. She really needed to go to bed. After checking the sky one last time to see if Aladdin might - just really might be coming home, she went back into her chambers and flopped in bed.

There was a heavy breathing beside her.

Not another illusion, she thought to herself briefly as she turned her head to see what it was. Then she breathed a sigh of relief. "Rajah, I declare, you like it when Aladdin's gone, don't you?"

The tiger seemed to grin. No, he was grinning.

"Because then he's not here to kick you out of bed and you get me all to yourself. Too bad you weren't a handsome prince, huh?" Jasmine giggled the thought.of Rajah, dressed in the attire of a prince, probably one from India. She reached over to scratch the tiger behind the ears... and forced herself to stop thinking of Rajah as a prince. If she weren't careful, she might just turn him into a prince - and that would be awkward!

Suddenly, Rajah stiffened and began to growl. Realizing that the tiger sensed something that was potentially threatening, Jasmine instinctively held her breath, looked, and listened.

She could hear and feel a breeze, but nothing more. Did Rajah smell something? Maybe. She experimentally inhaled. If the tiger smelled something, it wasn't strong enough for humans to smell... no, wait.. There was a scent. Barely imperceptable... and somehow familiar. But she couldn't place it. And although it wasn't in and of itself repulsive, there was something about it that bothered her. Where had she smelled it before?

But she no longer had time to wonder. For at that moment, two lights - no, a pair of eyes glowed in the darkness.

Rajah now rose. He crouched. Jasmine had a feeling that it wasn't a good idea, but before she could whisper for him to do otherwise, he sprang.

A flare of white light illuminated the room for a moment, and the tiger was suddenly thrown to the side. Jasmine, now truly frightened, leapt to her feet and ran toward the doorway. But before she could reach it, a tall, masculine figure blocked her path, features softly illuminated by a quickly-fading light emitting from his eyes.

Wordlessly, he grabbed for Jasmine.


Coming Next - Chapter 6: An Evil Plot
_________________

Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[persian85033]

Did she turn Rajah into a prince? Or is she being kidnapped?

[Syera]

Given that Rajah was just accosted and I don't think his eyes glow white... I'd say your latter suspicion is far more likely.
_________________

Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[persian85033]

Oh, no!

[IRideAladdin'sCarpet]

OMG!!! please write more!!! yet again, you've gotten me hooked on one of your brilliant stories!!!!!
_________________
I loveses my Ger-bear! (me and Ger-bear>>)

[Nez]

Wow, it's getting exciting.
_________________

[Syera]

IRAC, I don't release stories until they are virtually completed. So, it's all written... it just isn't released. So don't you worry about me writing more.
_________________

Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[Syera]

CHAPTER 6
An Evil Plot


Next morning, Aladdin ambled into the sitting room. Farid was already awake, reading a scroll. "Ah, good morning," he said politely. "You have something to tell me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll tell you over breakfast, okay?"

"Okay."

"But maybe we should have breakfast where people aren't going to be... y'know, listening."

"Right. I'll just tell 'em to take it to the back terrace."

This was done, and the two young men were soon sitting out on the terrace enjoying their breakfast. Aladdin quickly recounted his discoveries to Farid.

The prince whistled. "You're right. That is more damage than has been reported. Weird."

"I was thinking last night-"

"Thinking. Last night. You astonish me," Faried interrupted. "But go on - what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that maybe somebody else is using the raiders as a... well, cover for some kind of operation. But it'd have to be someone who has direct control of the records."

Suddenly, Farid turned an unpleasant shade of green.

"Hey, are you all right? What's the matter?"

"Up until a few years ago, my father had a secretary in charge of the records. Then he died. We haven't hired one since."

"And?" Aladdin pressed.

"My father's been doing it all since then." He paused, and for a moment, Aladdin thought he was going to be sick. "It all fits in," he said at last. "The lack of guards... everything."

"Why would he do this?" Aladdin inquired.

Farid shrugged. "I have no idea. Financially, we were pretty well off - until the raiders started coming in. That's what doesn't make sense. Things were great here." He paused. "Look, are you sure you didn't make a mistake? It was late last night..."

"We can check them again."



Jasmine felt that she could cry.

But she wasn't going to, she decided. Just because she'd been kidnapped, flown across the desert by who-knows-what, locked into a miserable cell and left to rot... well, she wasn't going to give whoever had done it the satisfaction.

With little effort, she conjured a candle so she could better see her surroundings. Yes, a dungeon cell of some kind. Too bad she didn't know how to pick a lock - otherwise, she conjure a lockpick. What about the bars? Was there anything to be done about them? They looked like ordinary wooden bars...

A knife. She needed a knife. With a toothed edge - just the kind for cutting through wood.

And then it was in her hand. Perfect.

She knelt down by the floor, held the knife ready, and began trying to saw through.

Trying was the operative word. The knife didn't penetrate the wood. Looking down, she saw no damage to the rod whatsoever. That was odd. She checked her knife. It was sharp.

She was about to try it again when she heard footsteps. She stood up, letting the knife disappear. Soon, a figure came into view - and if she wasn't mistaken, it was the same figure who had kidnapped her.

She'd been expecting a monster of some kind, but to her surprise, it was - or at least looked like - an ordinary human man, tall with a muscular frame.

"The bars are enchanted. You can't break out." He paused. "But if you'd rather not stay in there, there's a room prepared for you."

She was silent. In her experience, evil maniacs weren't nice unless they thought they had something to gain "What's your price?" she finally asked.

He shook his head. "No price. Just don't try to escape. Not that you could."

"Why have you brought me here?"

There was a long pause. "That's not important right now."

"It's important to me."

"You want the long answer or the short answer?"

"Just answer the question."

"All right: you have something I want."




"See? No mistakes."

Farid slumped down in his chair and leaned forward, shaking his head. "I just can't believe it."

"Well, everybody makes mistakes. We just need to find out why he's doing it."

"Yeah," he agreed weakly.

Just then, something that Aladdin at first thought was a gust of wind blew into the room. However, the "gust of wind" poofed into a recognizable form... Genie. A very frantic, panicked genie.

"Al - it's Jasmine! She's gone!"

"Gone?" Aladdin demanded.

Genie nodded. "We searched everywhere! She's nowhere around the palace!"

"When did she go missing?"

"Who knows? The last time we saw her was last night."

Aladdin fought the urge to fly into a panicked frenzy himself. "Okay, okay... did anyone see anything last night?"

"Well, some of the staff were talking about a falling star... a big one But those happen all the time."

"A big one? How big?"

"Who knows? I didn't ask! I was trying to find Jasmine!"

"Which, they also said that the falling star was going toward El Radi and it was a bad omen for Aladdin... but that's all silly superstition." Genie muttered.

"They did?"

"Come on, Al, you don't believe in those old superstitions, do you?"

"Maybe it wasn't a falling star," Aladdin ventured.

"Then what?" Farid asked.

"Maybe something to do with why Jasmine's gone. Farid, find the sheik. We've got to get some questions answered around here."



Jasmine watched in fascination as the sheik removed his outer cloak and tunic. It wasn't that she was fascinated with his body - but rather, what was all over his body.

Bits and pieces of metal gleamed here and there, some crisscrossing across his arms and chest. Some trailed downward toward his wrists, attaching to metal sheaths on his fingertips. Even stranger, as far as Jasmine could tell, they seemed to be growing from his body in various places. Or at least coming from his body. "What...?"

"What you see allows me to absorb and modify almost any form of magic," he said.

It didn't take long to put it together. "So... you want my baby's magic."

He nodded. "Despite the fact that the child is only half genie, the magic is young, fresh, and potent. I was watching you, you know. You were looking for Sheik Asad's writings."

"Yes."

"They're in here."

"In here? Where are we?"

"This... is where I do most of my work. It's completely inaccessable, except to those who know about it."

"So, do Sheik Asad's writing say anything about..."

"Oh, yes. He managed to document a few cases. Don't worry, princess. You'll be well cared-for."

"What about the baby?"

"I don't know. Nobody's ever tried this before."

"You fiend!" Jasmine spat. "And how long do you plan on keeping me here?"

"Until it's about time for the baby to be born, when the magic reaches its peak. Now, princess, there are much more accomodating chambers available to you... and this cell isn't a healthy place; for you or the baby."

Suddenly overcome with anger, Jasmine found herself flinging small, magically-created knives toward the sheik. But he raised his hands, and as the blades approached, they disintegrated and were absorbed into the metallic fingertips he wore.

"Well, thank you for allowing me to demonstrate how well this works," he said, a grin on his face. Then he took a deep breath. "It's so strong! If this is what you've got now, I can't wait to see what's a few months in the future!"

Still grinning insanely, he pulled his tunic and cloak back on, and then proceeded to unlock the door. "Well, out you get."

Although Jasmine would have preferred to have steadfastly refused his hospitality, she knew that he was right about one thing - staying there would be unhealthy. And it was difficult to say how long it would take to be rescued, if she was rescued. So, she stepped outside - making special effort to look as rebellious about it as possible.

"Come along - your room's this way."

Jasmine followed Sheik Kateb through the hallway. As near as she could tell, they were in some kind of cave. A torch here or there provided a little light - just enough to get around by.

Jasmine followed him up a hewn staircase, into another cavern, up another staircase, and finally, into a hall that had obviously been built of bricks. But he didn't stop there. He eventually went up another staircase, and finally, into what was clearly the wing where the servants - if there were servants, anyway - would stay. At last, he unlocked a door and ushered Jasmine inside.

Although it was obvious that he hadn't gone out of his way to make the room particularly lavish, he had clearly gone to the effort of making it fairly comfortable. At least, Jasmine noted gratefully, the bedding was clean.

"I'll have servants sent to make sure that your requirements are met," he said. "Until later, princess."

With that, he shut the door and locked it.

Now, left all alone, Jasmine could finally do what she'd felt like doing for several minutes.

She laid down on the bed and cried.



Prince Farid was positively stomping through the hallway toward Aladdin. "You're going to love this," he growled.

"What?"

"He's not anywhere. He's gone again, and guess what? Nobody saw him leave. Nobody!"

"Nobody?"

"Look, unless he was invisible, there was no way he could get out of this place without being seen by somebody. And nobody saw him!"

"You're saying he was invisible?"

"No," Farid said darkly. "I'm saying there's a secret passage around here. We gotta find it."

"Ah. So, how do you plan on finding a secret passage?"

"I'm an architect, remember? I know how to find these things. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a secret passage to find. You go to the library. See if you can find the plans for this place."

With that, Farid stomped off.

Aladdin blinked. No doubt about it, that guy was in a bad mood. "Wait," he said, running up behind the prince, "how do you exactly find a secret passage?"

"You look for it in the blueprints."

"No, I mean..."

"You look for something that doesn't make sense architecturally speaking."

"Like what?"

"Like a room that's smaller than it should be. Or you can look for a draft that doesn't have an obvious source. But the easiest way for you non-architects is to check the plans!"

"Would they still be around?"

"How am I supposed to know? There's only one way to find out!"

Aladdin rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll take a look. But I think you need to remember that I'm the one acting under the Sultan's authority."

He heard Farid mutter "I'm sorry," then quickly shuffle off elsewhere.

Gritting his teeth, Aladdin began walking to the library. He hadn't gotten very far, however, when something large hit him from behind, knocking him onto the ground. He rolled over to see Farid looking at him with an insane grin on his face. "What, find it already?" he ventured.

The prince nodded. "Uh-huh." He quickly sprang up again. "Sorry about that, Vizier. You're okay, right?"

"I've lived through worse."

"Good. Come on!" The prince dashed off in a fit of excitement, Aladdin close behind.



Jasmine laid on her bed and glanced out the window. She'd felt like the day had been creeping on forever... but it clearly wasn't even noon.

She heard the door open behind her. She sat up, and saw a maidservant walking through with a dish of food. Immediately, her stomach rumbled, and as soon as the servant had set the plate on the table, she began to eat.

"Everything all right, lady?" the servant inquired.

Jasmine decided there was no point in correcting her in that she was a princess. "Well, as well as it can be, for being a prisoner of some insane guy."

The maid nodded. "After you eat, lady, you should get some sleep."

"Why? It's not even noon."

"No, it's not, but... time doesn't work the same here."

"What?"

"In this place, time moves more quickly. It's been over twelve hours since you were brought here from the dungeon."

Jasmine nearly choked. "Excuse me?"

"The sheik uses it to his advantage," the maid said. "He can get more work done here while nothing much happens out there. So, you can't really trust the sun to tell you when to sleep. You'll get used to it."

"How long have you been in here?"

"A few years... in this place's time. Maybe only a year or a few months in the rest of the world. I don't know. I don't know much about how it works."

Jasmine sighed. If that was the case, she could be waiting a very long time before she was rescued.

"The Sheik said that, if you behaved yourself, he'd let you around the place more freely."

"Did he."

"He said he didn't see the point of keeping you all locked up for... how long?"

"Five months."

"Five months, if you behaved yourself."

"Behave myself," Jasmine snorted.

"It's no good trying to defy the sheik," the maid said. "He's extremely powerful."

"But I can't stay here," Jasmine said. "He's... he's going to..."

"Going to what?"

Jasmine explained her story to the maid. Although she looked sympathetic and offered her condolences to Jasmine, she explained that there was nothing she could do.

"He'd have anyone killed who tried to interfere," she said. "I'm sorry, lady."





"So, where is it? Fireplace?"

"Nope."

"Under a rug?"

"My dad's smarter than that!"

"A switch behind a pillar?"

"Too complicated."

"Where?"

Farid stopped in front of a wall made of wooden planks. "Right here. Feel the draft?"

"Yep."

"This means that we've got a secret passage. Hurry - help me find how to open it!"

"Some kind of mechanism?"

"Maybe. Could be simpler."

"Oh?"

"Maybe there's no mechanism. Maybe you just have to pull it."

Aladdin tried this, but found that, although the planks gave slightly, there was something on the other side that prevented it from moving. "It's locked on the inside, I think."

"Naturally. We'll just have to tear it down. I'll go find an axe." Farid turned around, but suddenly stopped. Genie stood, holding an axe, in the guise of some metallic man-like creature with a pointed head.

"I might be a little rusty at this, but I think I've got the heart to chop through a door."

:"Er... be my guest." The prince hastily stepped aside, and Genie quickly set to hacking away with gusto. Everything from large chunks of wood to tiny slivers flew this way and that, and the young men cautiously turned aside to avoid getting hit.

A few moments later, Genie stopped hacking away, and Farid and Aladdin turned to look.

They now stared into the mouth of a cave. After grabbing a torch, Aladdin took a few steps inside. "It's big," he called.

"How big?" Farid asked.

"Hard to say. We'll definitely need to take supplies, though. Looks like a real maze in here."

The prince whistled. "All right. Let's get some stuff together and go."

"You're going?" Aladdin asked as he walked back out of the cave.

"Of course. If it's my father who's causing all this trouble, I might be able to talk some sense into him."

"Right. I'll just go find Carpet, and..." Aladdin furrowed his eyebrows. "Farid, have you seen Carpet today?"

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"I think our ride's been heisted."

Several hours later, Aladdin and Farid were prepared to go. Farid, Aladdin noted, just didn't seem like the type of guy to be doing some kind of underground exploration. Unless it involved spinning a web, he thought, noting afresh his gangly frame.

"Genie," Aladdin said, "we need you to stay here in case anyone comes through - and if it's Sheik Kateb or any other evil wierdo, restrain him and tell us immediately."

"Aye aye, captain!"


Coming Next - Chapter 7: Evening Falls



Well, I think you can see that the story just got a whole lot weirder. Once again, my love of sci-fi has wibbled its way into another story.

And, just for the record, that was chapter 6 of 10. Whew - it's more than half-way posted!
_________________

Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[IRideAladdin'sCarpet]

HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING!!!!! i can't wait for the next chapter!
_________________
I loveses my Ger-bear! (me and Ger-bear>>)

[Syera]

Well, you lucky little duck, it just so happens to be post-a-chapter day. Enjoy.



CHAPTER 7
Evening Falls


After... however long, Jasmine began to lose all sense of time. The sun moved at an agonizingly slow rate. She knew that it should have been night several times over - at least, from her perspective of time.

She'd feel homesick, but mostly, she missed Aladdin. And everyone in the palace, really. Her father. Rajah. Abu. Sometimes, to amuse herself, she'd conjure something or other with her genie powers, but even that grew stale. She had no-one to spend her time with, and with no-one around, previously enjoyable activities had no point.

Every now and then, the sheik would come to her room and make notes of how she was doing. At first, Jasmine tried to show her defiance, but eventually it sunk in that it wasn't going to do her any good. If there was one good side, it was that the sheik's interest in her was purely scientific. Even if he is an evil, twisted man, Jasmine decided, at least he's not trying to take my heart.

"Have you had any skin discoloration?"

"No."

"Any cravings lately?"

"Not really."

"Not really?"

"The food you've been giving me is fine."

"All right. Any magical fits?"

"What?"

"You know... times when you can't control your powers."

"Oh, those... no, I've been doing fine."

"Good."

Once the sheik was satisfied with her answered, he would leave. She wouldn't see him again for a long time - not until he came back to ask more questions. Sometimes, she'd try to ask him a question or two - like what he was going to do with the power when he had it - but he'd tell her that she didn't need to worry herself with such questions - or something to a similar effect.

Then, much later, he brought in a bowl filled with an unusual fruit. Jasmine might have thought they were grapes, except that she'd never seen blue grapes with a slightly fuzzy skin. "You need to eat these," Kateb told her simply.

"Why?"

"Because carrying a magical child can have an immense strain on the mother," he answered. "Especially as the child grows. These fruits have a magical quality; they will help prevent your body from converting too much of your own strength into magical energy for the child."

"Did Sheik Asad's research tell you this?"

"Yes."

"You do realize, don't you, that Aladdin won't just let me rot here?"

"Yes, but I'm not too worried about that."

"Why?"

"One: time is now going so fast that it will only be a matter of days in the rest of the world's time before you have your child. Two: I have your husband's flying carpet. He can't get in here."

It took every ounce of self-restraint that Jasmine had not to fly into a rage then and there.



Aladdin and Farid had been making their way though the cave for several hours now. They'd taken countless wrong turns and had almost lost themselves a time or two.

They'd even had a few narrow scrapes. After wandering around several caverns and finding only dead ends, Aladdin was contemplating where to go next when he heard the sound of something sliding down a slope. Sliding downward and away from him.

"Farid?" he inquired, looking toward his companion. Farid wasn't there. What Aladdin did see, looking down, was a rather sharp slope. From the looks of it, Farid had fallen down. So he lowered himself to the ground. "Farid?"

"I'm here," the prince's voice called. "Fell."

"Are you okay?"

"Well, I got dirt and rocks and stuff up my... everything, but yeah, I think I'll live."

"Should I come down?"

"Not unless you can fly back up."

And to think, Aladdin thought, once he could. "Should I throw a rope?"

"Yeah, but be careful that you don't fall yourself. The edge isn't stable. And the hill isn't much better."

Aladdin unwound his rope and threw the end downwards. "The rope's down."

"Okay, got it. Hey, look behind you."

Aladdin looked. There was nothing. "I don't see anything."

"Oh, good." There was a pause. "I just figured that if a cave monster was going to sneak up on us, this would be the time it would."

"A little jumpy, aren't we?" Aladdin asked. He could feel Farid's weight on the rope.

There was a pause. "Anything behind you yet?"

"No."

After a few moments, Aladdin could hear Farid's breathing, and soon the prince's extremely dirty face appeared over the edge of the slope.

And he was looking at something behind Aladdin.

Aladdin briefly turned around. Nothing. "Will you stop that?!"

"Stop what?" Farid wheezed as he hauled himself over the side.

"There is nothing behind me."

"I know that. I was just making sure. I thought I was hearing something earlier."

For a minute, the two stood in silence as they caught their breaths. "Well, let's go," Aladdin finally said.

They began walking again, but not before Farid took another quick glance around the area.

Except for their own breath and footsteps, it was completely silent. Aladdin soon determined that they were walking along a rather narrow path between where, to the left, it dropped about ten to thirty feet, depending on the area, and to their right, rose sharply upward.

"Hey, footprints," Farid observed.

"Huh?"

"Footprints. People've been in here."

"People?"

"Yeah. This must be where the mountain raiders've been hanging out. We're probably on the right track now."

Then something wrapped around Aladdin's foot.




Jasmine glanced out the window. For the second time in what felt like months - or what might have even been months or the equivalent thereof, the sun was reaching the lower end of the sky. It was nigh impossible to determine the passage of time.

As she reached for another mazan fruit - Kateb had been keeping her supplied with them for awhile now - she noticed something peculiar.

Her skin had just a tint of... green? No, she thought, more of a blue tint. But mingled with her own skin color, it looked green.

She needed to read those books, she thought.

"Hey!" she called, hoping that there was someone outside to listen. "Open the door!"

No response.

I will not be ignored, Jasmine thought. With a flash of inspiration, she conjured the noisiest thing she could think of - musical instruments playing in cacophony. The fact that she didn't know how to play any of them didn't hurt the awful sound, either.

A few moments later, the door was flung opened. Sheik Kateb stood in the doorway, an irritated look on his face. "What's the meaning of this?"

Jasmine let the instruments disappear. "I was trying to get your attention," she said.

"Well, you've got it," he said dryly. "Now, what do you want - well, your skin's starting to change. So, you must be around your sixth month."

"Sixth month? Has it been that long? I've been in here for two months already?"

"Nearly three, princess. The time does get away from you without those subtle hints... the sun... the moon. Anyway, what was it you wanted?"

"May I read Sheik Asad's research?"

"Absolutely. I'll have it sent-"

"I'd rather go to where you keep your books."

"Have it your way. Just don't... touch anything. There's a lot of delicate equipment around here. Follow me."

She followed him, and he led her through a few hallways and passages to a small room where a few books and scrolls sat on shelves. "The ones you want are here," he said. "Now, can I leave you unsupervised for a few moments?"

"Oh, please... where would I go?"

Kateb shrugged and left the room, leaving Jasmine alone. Licking her lips in anticipation, she began searching through the scrolls. It wasn't long before she found what she wanted, and sat down in a chair to read.

Half-genie offspring, although not common, have occured with enough frequency that I feel they are worth writing about.

I have determined that it is normal for the mother to begin expressing magical tendancies around the third to fifth month, depending on the potency of the child's own magic. Around the fifth month, however, the child's demands on the mother's strength become so great that she must either eat constantly, eat something that contains magical energy, or be infused directly with magical energy.

My longtime friend and colleague Sherkan son of Douban felt it worth mentioning that the mazan fruit are excellent at such a time, not only being magical in nature but nutritious as well. He had, he said, discovered their qualities when he discovered several plants growing in the wild, which would often be visited by various magical animals.

Here Jasmine found a drawing of the fruit. Indeed, it was the same kind that Kateb had brought her.

During the time in which the mother begins to express the child's magic, it is common for her to subconciously conjure up images from her own mind. One woman said that she had seen her husbund, years after he had died in battle. Once they become aware that they themselves are creating the illusions, they can, with practice, learn to control their thoughts better and thus stop the images from appearing. They can also learn to use this magic in the manner of the genies, although prolonged use is taxing and, therefore, not advised.

Around the sixth or seventh month, the mother's skin begins to take on an unusual hue, generally that of the child. This color becomes increasingly more vivid until after the child is born, after which it resumes its natural color.

The child, once born, seems to grow at the normal rate of a human child. Although they have some genie magic, they are still mortal and their powers are much weaker. Unfortunately, many of these hybrids met tragic ends. Some overestimated their own abilities, either exhausting themselves to the point of death, or putting themselves into dangerous situations believing that they would be able to fend for themselves. The hybrid's magic can often be sporadic, and not necessarily very strong. Horribly, some of these children were killed outright-"

For a moment, Jasmine had to tear her eyes away from the page. Was that the fate her child would suffer?

Horribly, some of these children were killed outright by those believing that such hybrids should not be allowed to live. Of course, it is also my opinion that the type of woman who would have a genie's child would probably not make a very good parent.

Jasmine rolled her eyes.



Aladdin hit the ground with a wumph. He gazed upwards toward the top of the slope to see Farid peering down at him.

And then he heard something very large inhaling behind him. He rolled over..

It had a large, hairy face. It had large, sharp teeth. It had huge, insect-like eyes. And it was preparing to grab Aladdin with huge, hairy tentacles.

"Of course they'd keep a cave monster," he grunted as he sprang to his feet to evade the creature. "Can't have caves without one, can you?"

"Aladdin, got your sword?" Farid called.

He reached for his belt, and found to his relief, that it was still there. He quickly unsheathed it, holding it at ready and backing from the monster.

"Want me to come down and give ya a hand?"

"You gotta pull me up, remember?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

The creature seemed to have no legs to speak of, but rather moved on more tentacles than Aladdin could count at the moment. One of the hairy tentacles got dangerously close; he slashed at it with his sword. Mostly, he succeeded in giving the creature a partial haircut.

"I can't pull you up if that thing eats you," Farid commented.

"Look, let's just see how this goes, all right?" He dodged another tentacle, slashed at another, and barely managed to evade the thing's mouth. Disgustingly, the creature was positively drooling in anticipation of eating him. He could just tell it.

Another tentacle caught one arm. He swung at it. It dropped off. Another grabbed his foot. Then his left arm. He tried to free his foot with his right arm, but another tentacle grabbed that one, too.

"I'm coming down!" Farid called.

"No! Not yet! Throw your torch at it!"

"What?"

"THROW YOUR TORCH AT IT!"

"Right!"

Aladdin watched as Farid armed and threw. The torch fell down... downward toward the monster. The creature, being focused on Aladdin, didn't notice a thing. If Farid missed, Aladdin thought, he'd would have another shot with Aladdin's torch. But they'd be left in the dark.

It didn't miss. It landed on the creature's back. It suddenly looked very surprised, then stiffened in pain. Then a patch of fur began to burn. With a yowl, it let go of Aladdin and ran away.

Farid tossed down the rope, and Aladdin climbed back up. "All right?" the price asked.

"Fine," he grunted, hauling himself over the edge. "Good shot."

"Thanks."



Coming Next - Chapter 8: The Fortress
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Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette

[Syera]

CHAPTER 8
The Fortress

Hours later, they reached an opening, and tumbled out into the open, blinking and bleary-eyed. "I hate caves," Farid said at last.

"Well, look on the bright side. The worst thing we found was a monster."

"Yeah," Farid agreed, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic.

They were now in a very small and very steep valley. No doubt about it, there was no obvious or easy way in or out. It was now well into evening. If Aladdin was any judge of time, they'd probably been in there for at least thirty-odd hours. How far had they come? They'd made several wrong turns, but all the same, they'd covered a lot of ground.


"Hey, what's that over there?" Farid asked, pointing.

Aladdin looked. "I'd say it's a... fortress or something. What's it doing out here?"

"I was going to ask the same thing."

"Well, why don't we go find out?"

It ended up taking well over another hour to walk to the fortress. By the time they reached it, it was nearly dark. Suddenly, Farid whistled.

"What?"

"See that light in the window?"

"What about it?"

"Watch."

At first, nothing happened. But then it abruptly went out. And a moment or so later, was lit again. And repeated.

"See?"

"Yeah. Weird. Well... I guess we go in. Wait... does this place seem unguarded to you?"

Farid nodded. "Yeah, but I think that's because he thinks nobody can get in. He's like that."

"You're probably right," Aladdin agreed.

They continued on. They had just about made it to the open gate when, from out of nowhere, a tornado suddenly formed. If Aladdin had known more about tornados, he would have thought it very odd that it blew him away rather than sucking him inside. As it was, he found himself laying on the ground and staring up at he whirlwind. And he was pretty sure it was staring back.

Then, the whirlwind became smaller and took on the shape of a human female with lavender skin and straight, glossy white hair in no particular style. "Sorry, only those with proper authorization can go inside," she said in a bored voice.

"Proper authorization?" Aladdin echoed, standing up.

"From the Sheik."

"And who are you?" Farid asked.

"I'm the Genie Zarah. I keep the riffraff out of this place." She sighed. "For what it's worth. I'd rather be anywhere else, really, but-"

"So the sheik is inside?" Aladdin asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"'Cause we have business with him."

"Sorry, but you can't get in unless you've been authorized by the sheik of El Radi."

"I'm the Vizier of Agrabah. I think you can make an exception in this case."

"Actually, I'd love to, but Kateb's third wish clearly stated that I keep everyone out who is not personally authorized by the sheik himself. So, you're S-O-L."

"I'm the sheik's son," Farid said. "I think you can let me in."

"Nope."

"Come on," Aladdin whispered. "There's gotta be a back entrance somewhere."

"In which case, I'll have to follow you and keep you out of that entrance, too," Zarah said. "Nice try, though."

At that moment, Aladdin caught sight of a figure walking outside the fortress. Instintively, he ducked behind a rock, yanking Farid down for good measure. He held his breath and watched.

"Oh, Sheik Kateb," Zarah said to the figure. "What are you... oh, please, not that again!"

The figure - Sheik Kateb - suddenly reached forward and grabbed the genie by the arm. Aladdin could see that he was wearing some kind of metal sheaths on the tips of his fingers. These tips began to glow, a glow going up his arms and toward his chest. Zarah, meanwhile, was clearly in pain.

Kateb turned loose of her, and she fell to the ground. Without taking and more notice of her, he walked back inside. Once Aladdin was sure he was gone, he ventured from his hiding place.

"See what kind of crap I have to put up with on his job?" Zarah groused. "He does that every so often."

"Does what?"

"Saps my magic. Who knows what he does with it. Just awhile ago, he came in here with this woman who he said had a lot of magic in her, better than mine-"

"What?!"

"I"m not very powerful, magically-speaking-"

"No, the woman! Was her name Jasmine?"

"How am I supposed to know? I didn't ask, he didn't tell. He just brought her in one night and locked her up. 'Course, I have no idea how long they've been in there now, not with that time-dilaty-thingy he's got."

"Time-what?"

"It's a contraption that affects time. You ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

"I'm here to rescue my wife!"

"And I'd let you if I could. But... I can't. Sorry about that."

"Wait," Farid said quickly. "The person has to have authorization from the sheik, right?"

"That's right."

"Did he say what sheik?"

"The Sheik of El Radi."

"Any sheik of El Radi in particular?"

"No, but there's only one. Your point?"

Aladdin saw where Farid was going with this. "With the power vested in me by the Sultan Hamed of Agrabah, I officially give the title, all responsibility, and all power of sheikdom of El Radi thereof to Farid son of Kateb!" He knew very well that his speech wasn't the most proper, but hopefully it would work. "Farid, you are now Sheik Farid of El Radi."

"And I, Sheik Farid of El Radi hereby grant permission to Aladdin and myself to enter the fortress of ex-Sheik Kateb. Now, miss, if you'll let us in..."

"Sorry. I can let you in, but not the vizier."

Farid's face reddened in ire. "Why? I just gave him permission!"

"It has to be written permission. Signed with the Sheik's signature."

"Why didn't you tell us that in the first place? Aladdin, I don't suppose we have parchment and ink and all that with us, do we?" Farid asked sarcastically.

"No."

"Didn't think so. So this means we'll have to go all the way back and get the stupid written permission!"

"There's writing materials inside the fortress, you know," Zarah pointed out. "You could go inside and write up some permission."

"And I'll do that!" With that, Farid stomped inside.

Zarah, meanwhile, slumped to the ground. "I hate my life," she muttered.

"Why?"

"I've been guarding this place for twenty stupid years against nonexistant stupid people! Do you know how often people come here? Never! And that's not even the beginning of it. No."

"Well, uh, while we're waiting, why don't you tell me about it?"



There was something about that place that gave Farid the creeps, and it wasn't just the lack of decorating. It was a lack of... people. Life. How, he wondered, could his father steal away to such a place for who knew how long on end?

But that didn't matter right now, he thought. Right now, he had to find some parchment and ink.

Or did he? Couldn't he take... no, he couldn't. He was not the athletic type that Aladdin or his father were. He was just scrawny Farid, who had been too happy to while away his time designing grandiose buildings, half of which would probably never, ever be built. And write poetry, when the mood struck.

"Hey, who are you?" a voice called from behind.

Farid froze, then turned around. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Just a maid."

"Well, if you tell anyone that I'm here, I'll kill you," he said, trying to sound threatening.

To his surprise, the maid chuckled. "I wouldn't tell the rats you were here, if you're here to stop Sheik Kateb."

"Well, that's what I'm doing. Except he's not sheik anymore. I am. So, where's the office?"

She pointed behind him and to the left. "Upstairs, third room on the right. Anything else?"

"Nope... that'll be... wait, where's he keeping the princess?"

"Servant's quarters - that way." She pointed to the right. "Good luck, m'lord."

"Thanks. Remember, not a word!"

"Of course!"

He briefly wondered if she'd just been putting on an act and was actually plotting to betray him, but quickly decided not to worry about it. If she did, she did, and he'd find out soon enough.

So he set off at a brisk jog. Upstairs. Third room on the right. He pushed on the door, found it unlocked, and stepped inside.

Well, he was in the office, all right. In short order, he grabbed a pen, inkhorn, and parchment, and set about writing an entrance permission for Aladdin with all the formalities he could think of for good measure. To his annoyance, the farthest he could get on Aladdin's pedigree was to his father, Cassim. After he finished, he quickly folded the parchment, put it in his tunic, and hastily exited the room.

However, he had to duck back inside, as he heard what he recognized as his father's footsteps. He held his breath. If he was discovered...

"Get the equipment set up. I want the transferance done in no more than six hours."

Transferance? Oh, yes. Zarah had mentioned that he was planning on draining Jasmine's magic. Jasmine had magic? Farid's mind made a few circles wondering about that, but he quickly forced himself to think on his current mission.

Poor Jasmine, he thought. He'd stop and let her know that they were there to rescue her, he decided. Even if she had turned him down for marriage.

Once he was certain that his father was gone, Farid softly made his way to the servant's quarters, and to the room where Jasmine was staying. To his surprise, the door was unlocked, and pushed open quite easily. "Princess?"

"Who is it?"

"It's Farid, and..." his eyes widened and his voice trailed off as he spotted Jasmine. Her skin was a vivid greenish blue color - perhaps not as bright as Aladdin's genie friend, but bright enough.

"And what?"

"Aladdin and I are going to try to rescue you. What did my father do to you?"

"It's a long story. Your father didn't do this."

"Are you a genie?"

"No. I have genie powers, but..."

"You do? Well, maybe I can get you out of here now."

"No, I can't. He's got this thing stuck to him, and..." she sighed. "It's a very long story."

"Right. Hey, did he take the carpet?"

"Yes, but he never said where it was."

"Okay. You stay here, and I'll be back with Aladdin in a few minutes. I'd get you out myself, but... look, Princess, I'm really, really sorry that I couldn't have been your true love... I realized that I was a selfish, spoiled brat back then, and-"

"Farid, this is no time to get sentimental!" Jasmine snapped. "If you're going to go, get going!"

"Right!"



Zarah sniffled. "I never knew my parents... I mean, do genies even have parents? I guess I never did. Or maybe I did, but they didn't want me. I don't know. I'll never know, probably!"

Aladdin gave the lavender genie a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm maybe only five-hundred years old, just-"

Suddenly, Farid barreled outside. "Aladdin! I got the permission! Come on - they're going to do some kind of energy transferance in about five or six hours!"

Aladdin raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You just went in!"

"I was in there long enough to write this-" he pulled out the parchment and handed it to Zarah, "-and tell Jasmine we're coming to rescue her."

"You were in there for maybe thirty seconds."

"I was?"

"It's the time-dilation device," Zarah said. "It makes time inside go faster than it does outside. So while Farid was inside for probably an hour, we were outside for under a minute."

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Farid demanded.

"I did."

"So, we don't have five hours at all," Aladdin said grimly. "Zarah, how long would you say we have?"

"I'd say you'd better get moving."



Coming next: Chapter 9 -Time And Tide Wait For No Man


I think Chapter 8 could've just as easily been titled "Oh! The Vogonity!" But since this story doesn't involve Vogons or even their jewelled scintillating crabs, it's probably just as well.
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Weblog | SH.net | Ed-sprite by Janette