Three Wishes: Cairo (19 page)

Alone in her private forest garden, Enna was enjoying her reflection of the last few days. She had met a young man with whom she had great interest. She couldn't help but compare Aladdin to the young prince she had spent a great deal of time with. Prince Ezra was a nice enough young man. He should have had every advantage over Aladdin, yet there was simply no comparison. Ezra had been given everything, while Aladdin had scratched and clawed for everything he had. Enna respected that although Aladdin wasn't born with a litany of servants and the best education, he was already living life in the real world; something Enna herself had never experienced.

Her first taste of real life really had been the last few days and she absolutely loved the feeling. Throughout their three days in Nubias, her father looked upon her as an equal and was actually seeing
her
as a leader, not just the potential wife of a leader. Enna was genuinely excited about being the daughter of the Sultan and was planning a future for the kingdom that she would be a large and important part of. Even her dog had come back into her life. It seemed as if every wish was coming true. She was lost in her own thoughts and never even heard the person who approached her from behind.

Enna jumped when a hand lay gently on her shoulder. She smiled as she turned around. “Well, it's about…”

“Time?” said Katar.

“Katar, I suggest you remove your hand this instant before I…”

“Scream? By all means, please scream my dear. You've got yourself such a nice little secret hollow carved out back here, all snug and safe in the woods. I doubt that your screams could be heard. But I invite you to try.” Katar smiled back with the most heinous grin Enna had ever seen.

Enna was on the edge of screaming even now, when she too, realized it would be fruitless. She was just plain scared and starting to panic. Katar seemed strange. He had never been brazen enough to touch her, yet now, his talon-like grip was holding her at bay. She soon gave up the struggle, as it seemed, the more she fought, the more it hurt.

It was time for a different tactic. “What do you want with me, Katar?” she said bluntly.

“Don’t ask questions you really don't want to hear the answers to, my dear.”

“And what is that, some new brand of courage?” she said, pointing at the new half-moon-shaped scar on his left hand.

“Oh, this old thing,” he said as he admired the hand with great fondness. “I picked it up while you were gone. It's more like a symbol of new found power.”

“And the beard; is that a symbol of your new found puberty,” she smiled. Even when Enna was scared, she still wielded a cutting blade of sarcasm.

Katar ignored her insult, but did reach reflexively to his chin where indeed, a gray beard had commenced rapid growth almost instantly since he’d taken this body. “Well, isn't that coming in nicely? I really wasn't keen on the weak chin this one sported, but the beard will make me feel right at home here.” He smiled as he stroked his beard with his free hand.

Again, Enna tried to rise, but a startling pain shot through her shoulder all the way to her back. “Katar, you are really starting to make me angry now. I think you've finally lost your mind for good.” She fought back tears of frustration as she would just as soon die as give him the satisfaction of knowing he was actually really hurting her.

“Please stop this fidgeting,” said this crazy-strong person who was clamping down on her with incredible force. “I'm not sure if you know exactly who you are dealing with, but you would be wise to sit quietly and listen to me or I can promise that your pain will increase tenfold in the mere blink of an eye.”

Enna finally stopped fighting, resigned to her complete helplessness in this situation and instantly the pain relented. “I don't know when you lost your mind Katar, but whatever it is you're planning will run into a dead end fairly soon. When my father finds out what you've been doing behind his back, he will not be pleased.”

Katar only smiled. His lack of any response but a smile unnerved the young woman but she forged ahead anyway.

“I know you have betrayed us on several fronts and now, I think it will be time to make these transgressions known to the Sultan. I was actually content to allow you to remain as my father's best friend, but I can see now that even this has been a miscalculation on my part.

You will be banished from the kingdom and for now, you will retain your life. But keep pushing me, Katar and you'll find that I'm no one to be trifled with.” She stared directly into his eyes to show that whatever fear she had experienced earlier was now tamped down firmly with strength and bravado she never even knew she could muster. Yet that eye contact did nothing to assuage her fear. As a matter of fact, what she saw in the dark void behind his eyes revealed her own mortality to her with complete certainty. For just an instant she saw the emptiness and loathing behind the mask and it chilled her to her very core.

The pressure on her shoulder returned again with a dull and constant pain, which told the young woman that her threats and bluster had fallen on deaf ears. Whatever Katar was now, he certainly could not be threatened because it appeared that he had no fear of exposure. For the first time in her life Enna felt mortal fear. She had read about soldiers who, when exposed to their own deaths went numb with terror. At this moment, Enna felt nothing.

And then she heard a faint voice in her head.

The road to Egypt was mostly sand with scattered patches of forest that made travel fairly easy for Aladdin. Of course, it was a hot and dry desert trek, but this climate was all Aladdin had ever known, so he traversed the distance quite easily and had made great headway since they started at dawn. Rather than walk side by side with the Genie and have an extreme amount of explanation necessary to the few individuals they passed, Aladdin felt it best if the Genie remained in the lamp in a small cloth bag he carried on his shoulder. For his part, the Genie found it quite enjoyable to have his master carrying him along like a 'beast of burden'. He did not however, find Aladdin's idea of filling the lamp with drinking water the least bit humorous.

Anyone watching closely would have thought the young man quite mad, carrying on a wonderful conversation with no one in particular as he made his way across the land. Aladdin chuckled at the thought of how he must look and was quite careful to stop speaking aloud when other travelers crossed into his view.

Aladdin spent most of the first day describing Enna to the Genie. “Her hair is as blond as the sun and as smooth as honey. You would think she spends hours in front of a mirror preparing her appearance, yet, once you know her, you'd find that she's the exact opposite. Her beauty is completely natural and she's the last person on the planet to fuss over herself.”

The voice from his pack uttered confirmation by saying, “It sounds as if I already know your Enna. If you asked me to describe Ameerah, I could not have done a better job than you just did. We are quite fortunate to have found women who possess more than outward beauty.”

Aladdin just nodded in the affirmative, but added. “She must have been quite a person that you could lose everything, yet still consider yourself fortunate.”

“My boy, some people live full lives and never find the person that fits them perfectly. If I had Ameerah for a day, a week, a month or forever, I could never consider myself to be anything less than blessed. If she still survives, I know without reservation that she has never stopped looking for me. I have suffered for love and for friendship, but I would not trade my life for anyone's. Each of us is like a stone sculpture; as we roll through life, each bump along the way helps carve out the shape that we become.”

“Once Enna returns, I can't imagine us ever being apart again. I am excited for the adventure our lives will present to us.” Aladdin stopped and sipped from a small skin pouch he used to carry a modest amount of water. His upper lip glistened with the moisture of sweat combined with the water he was drinking. There were some sporadic water tributaries near the path they traversed, but it was easier to at least, have some water that was mobile. Aladdin also carried some dried vegetables and seeds from his garden so he would not starve on the trip. For this one circumstance, he envied the Genie's modest life requirements. Supernatural beings had no need for sustenance, although they did seem to need sleep.

“It is important that you continue on the path you walk now, Aladdin,” said the Genie. “Your partnership with Enna is only part of what will define you as a man. The man you are meant to be lies apart from wishes and princesses. It lies in the core of what you are as a person through your deeds and actions. Once you establish that strength of character for yourself, you will be that much stronger when you add her to the mix. Your willingness to take part in this journey, with no real benefit to you, is part of coming into your own fine character.”

“I don't see this journey as some sort of character building effort,” smiled Aladdin. “You saved my life and this journey into your past is not only my way of repaying that debt, but also to satisfy my own curiosity about stories I heard as a child. Besides, I now consider you my friend and I am as anxious to see how your story plays out as I am my own.”

“You are helping a friend, my boy. To you, it seems like a normal thing to do. I have helped you, and you now help me on the return. But you might be surprised at how few look at the world that way. Part of a high character life is that solid moral deeds are not something you think about; rather, you just do them without thought. Rescuing Darius and taking responsibility for his care shows me that you'll someday make a good father.”

Hearing his name called caused Darius to bark and sprint far ahead on the path. It was if he was showing that his energy was limitless and his speed was unmatched. Both travelers smiled as they watched him.

“Darius is my friend, but he's just a dog,” said Aladdin. “I try my best to protect him, but I'm hardly his father.”

“It's the little things that you don't even notice,” said the Genie. “For instance, you always feed him first. That's a good parental instinct that not every man would exhibit. It's not some false pretense you put on to show off for others. It's just a part of you that is automatic and reflexive and that doesn't vary no matter who is watching. If your parents could see the man you’ve become, I think they would be quite proud of you.”

The two friends walked and talked well into the afternoon. Finally the sun started to set and the warmth of the desert began to give way to the always shocking cold of the evening. They made a small campfire and settled in for the night near a water hole along the path.

Darius was quite enamored with the water. First, he sprinted past Aladdin and jumped ‘paws first’ directly into the middle of the meager water supply. After drinking his fill, much to his master’s dismay, he then decided to bathe as well by rolling on his back. Aladdin shook his head. He now had to wait quite a while for all of the sediment and other nasty things to sink back to the bottom of the water hole before drinking his own water and filling his pouch. After the water was taken care of, Aladdin fed the dog, ate some of his meager supplies, and settled in for the night. Darius's normally warm and inviting belly was damp, cool and smelled of wet dog this evening, so Aladdin used his water pouch for a makeshift pillow. It was a beautiful clear evening and soon, all three companions were staring at the stars above them as the fire spat its last few sparks and gave way to the stillness of the evening. .

“We are getting closer to Egypt, Genie,” said Aladdin. “Soon you will have the answers that have been long hidden by time.”

A loud and clear clanging rang out throughout Altanan. The alarm bell had never been rung since it was installed many years ago by the Sultan as an early warning signal. Because it had not been heard since its installation, in most cases, those who heard its warning rolled back over in their beds and returned to the warm embrace of sleep. But it continued on persistently until those individuals who were charged with protecting the kingdom shook off their disbelief and acted in accordance with their training. What could cause anyone to stir up everyone in the kingdom for no good reason?

A simple gardener was pulling the rope, ringing the bell and ruining the morning of everyone in the kingdom. The young man was starting his morning chores long before sunup when he saw what appeared to be an expensive cloak lying on the ground mostly covered by the plant life. Without a second thought, he bent to retrieve it. To be truthful, he checked to see if anyone was with him and his thoughts were just how good this would look on him if he could smuggle it out with his tools. But it was apparently snagged on something because when he tried to pick it up, it held firm to the ground. It was not until he pulled harder that he discovered that it was not an empty vessel, but rather, it was still being worn by the Sultan himself.

Shock and horror gripped the young man as he stumbled toward the warning bell. His fear was magnified when he tripped and fell over a second body that was obscured by the beautiful plant life that covered the floors of the garden. In his worst nightmares he never imagined a morning like this one. He didn't even bother to identify the second body as he now feared that his own life might be in danger.

When the guards arrived, he continued ringing the bell while trying to explain what had happened. The guards eventually helped the terrified man away from the rope and tried to calm him down. He explained his story to the captain of the guards, and the sobering reality became clear.

Once it was determined that both the Sultan and his right hand man, Katar were dead, thoughts immediately raced to Princess Enna. But when frantic soldiers stormed into the Royal Family's private residence to inform the Princess of this horrific news, they found her missing from the palace without a trace. It didn't take long before a full town-wide search was underway.

Altanan was in an uproar. Their fairytale existence had been destroyed with one horrible act. Soldiers and townsfolk alike felt violated like never before. As word spread throughout the kingdom, families huddled in their meager homes to comfort one another in their grief. After one guard mentioned that a young thief had almost been captured by Katar and had claimed a friendship with the Princess, word soon spread and Aladdin became the chief suspect. A circumstantial, yet completely logical theory soon raced from one stunned villager to another. Aladdin had come into contact with Katar during a chase through the royal forest. He had assaulted several guards using magic, and now had assassinated the Sultan and his right hand man with poison. He had then kidnapped the Princess and made his escape. It was feared that dark magic was at the heart of his plot.

Within mere hours of the discovery, a search party was formed. Aladdin would be found and punished. As the revenge-minded mixture of soldiers and commoners made their way out of town that day, they ignored the pleas of Bashir, the town baker, who told them that Aladdin simply could not have harmed anyone. Angry voices promised that Bashir's part in all of this would be re-examined once they had the thief safely in their dungeon. Bashir would be watched until answers were gathered.

There would be revenge in the days to come!