by J. R. Rain
I smiled. “Where else would merchants be? We’ll have to hurry to reach him before your ex husband’s men do.”
She nodded. “That should be soon. They’ll be asking my son what he wants for his special meal, so they can fetch it by evening. My wretch of a husband, Amir Ibrahim, is very efficient.”
We closed dirty hoods about our faces and moved out. There was no sense in either of us risking recognition. The soldiers were still checking out rooms. “Soon they’ll realize that we have slipped the noose,” I murmured. “We must lose ourselves in the throng.”
We did. It was a nice day, and the streets were crowded with shoppers. For once I appreciated the hustle and pushing. Even if the soldiers caught on to our identity, they would have a hard time getting through the throng rapidly to reach us.
It was also oddly private, because no one was paying attention to anyone else; each person was intent on making his own purchases before the choicest items were sold elsewhere. “How do you know we can trust this cheese merchant of yours?” Jewel asked as we pushed along toward the bazaar.
“It’s a fair story.”
“It’s important!” she retorted.
So I told the story. “When I was king I was on a pleasure hunting excursion when we spied a mounted robber band. They knew better than to try to molest us, so behaved politely and we ignored them. There are so many rogues out there that we don’t bother with them unless they become obnoxious.”
“And the common man must look out for himself,” she said dryly.
I glanced at her. “What’s your point?”
She grimaced. “Go on with your story.”
“Then we came across a man on the ground. He had evidently been beaten and robbed of his horse. It happened that my son was along, as I was showing him the way of a royal hunt. He jumped off his horse and ran to succor the beaten man. That was his mother’s influence, making him feel for anyone’s hurts, a nuisance, but once he acted I had to support him so that it would seem that he had acted at my behest. I questioned the man. He turned out to be a merchant returning from the eastern mountain region with rare yak cheese and oriental spices. He had just been waylaid, his goods and horses stolen, and the bandits had abducted his wife and daughter. He begged me to at least save his family.
“‘Of course we will,’ my son said. Thus I was committed. I sent men after the bandits. We slew the robbers, rescued the woman and daughter, and recovered the horses and merchandise. We returned all of this to him, at my son’s insistence. I sent him on his way to town with a special guard so that no other ruffians would molest them. That pleased my son, which was the only reason I did it. We continued with the hunt. But before he left, the merchant swore an oath of gratitude. ‘If ever I can repay you in kind, Sire, let me know.’ I shrugged it off, but thereafter did business with him, and his gratitude remained.”
“You saved his wife and child,” Jewel said.
“And later lost my own, ironically. But that is the nature of fate.”
She nodded. “I believe he can be trusted to help you. I understand the way he feels.”
We were making progress. “The bazaar is up ahead,” I said. Then: “When we emulated sex, I began to, to—”
“No mystery there,” she said. “It’s not incapacity of sex that balks you, but the loss of love. When you recover love, you will recover sex.”
“I want to recover it with you. You are more woman than any I have encountered since I lost my wife.”
“But as I told you, I am not interested in remarrying. I love only my son.”
I saw a potentially useful parallel. “And if your son should come to like me, what then?”
She nodded again. “When your son acted, you had to support him. It would be the same with me.”
“And if he wanted you to marry me?”
“You cunning schemer! I could not say no to him. But he’s an independent cuss, like his father. I doubt he’ll have much use for you.” She paused. “But I will restore your virility if you save him. That’s all I will promise.”
Nevertheless, she had given me the key to her heart. It was her son. The kid might be a brat, but I could court him for the sake of his mother.
Now at last we reached the bazaar. I pointed out the yak cheese merchant, there with his daughter, now a comely girl. “You be a customer while I speak with him privately,” I murmured.
“Done.”
The booth was bedecked with cheeses and spices. The merchant’s girl smiled prettily at Jewel, who smiled back. Meanwhile I nudged close to the merchant. “I have a favor to reclaim,” I said.
“Who are you?” he asked sharply.
“Aladdin, incognito,” I said, opening my hood to show my face. “Do not react,” I added quickly. “I must remain anonymous.”
“I hear and obey, my liege,” he said recognizing me. “What favor?”
“I am taken with the woman there,” I said, flicking my eyes toward Jewel. “Perhaps she will be my new queen. But I must rescue her son from bandits before they sacrifice him to their foul god tonight. For his last meal he will demand yak cheese and chocolate sauce.”
“They will come here,” the merchant said, catching on. “Only three local merchants carry yak cheese, and the other two are sold out. But chocolate—that is beyond my means. Only the djinni can obtain it.”
“The djinni will,” I said. “They will bring it here. You must promise to deliver it by evening. You will send your eunuch with it just before the deadline.”
“I have no—” He broke off. “Do you mean—?”
“Yes. I will be the eunuch. Do you have a place for me to stay while we wait?”
“I have a shed behind my stall. From there you can overhear what transpires here. It isn’t much, but—”
“It will do. Just tell the messengers when they come, and do not give us away. Our lives would be forfeit.”
“I understand, Sire. It will be done.”
“My gratitude,” I said.
“None required, Sire. There is nothing more precious than a child.” The merchant signaled his daughter, who broke off and came to him. “These anonymous people will hide in our back shed. Make sure no one knows they are there.”
“Yes, father.” She turned to me. “If you will come with me, sir.”
Jewel and I followed the girl down the crowded street. She led us around the block, then in between buildings, until we came back to the bazaar from behind. No one else could have known where we were going. She indicated a humble shed where unsold goods were stacked. “Here.”
We could hear the sounds of the bazaar, but nothing was visible beyond the wall of stalls and goods. There was an aisle to the front, but the merchant had not had us use it lest we be seen.
We entered the shed, and the girl went back the way we had come. “She’s a marvel of discretion,” Jewel remarked. “I’m glad you saved her.”
“She doesn’t even remember me.”
“Oh, but she does. I saw her eyes glow when she recognized you. She doesn’t know why you are here, but she’s honored to assist you. She’d jump into bed with you if you wished it.”
“She’s only ten years old!”
“And your point is?”
I was of course being foolish. Some royals liked children, and the children were thrilled to serve, apart from the rich rewards their families got from such quiet trysts. It paid to please royalty, whatever the manner. But that was not my way.
We lay in the shed. It was hot, but not unbearably. “Now the chocolate,” Jewel murmured.
Oh, yes. “But if I rub the lamp here, they’ll find us.”
“True. So I will remain here and listen, while you get out a fair distance, talk with the lamp, and return.”
That made sense. I left her in the shed and made my way out to the far street, which fortunately was not crowded. I walked swiftly to another street where there were horses and wagons waiting. Then I rubbed the lamp. “Do not show yourself,” I said as I did.
“I am here,” Lamprey said.
“Fetch a small jug of chocolate sauce and take it to the merchant’s stall we just visited. Do not give any evidence of your nature, so that those who are tracking the invocation of the lamp are not alerted. Can you do that?” I figured a jug was not a complicated transport, so his powers would not be strained. Supernatural creatures abounded, so the soldiers would not be going after incidental ones, merely the ones I summoned.
“On my way,” the djinn said.
I returned to the shed, lingering just long enough to see the soldiers racing toward the spot where I had used the lamp. That gave me an idea how long it took to zero in on my magic. They were uncomfortably prompt.
I faded out of sight. I heard the horses neighing as soldiers charged among them. Soon there would be chaos as the soldiers searched for what was not there, and realized that their quarry had slipped the noose again and might even be deliberately teasing them. They might take it out on the horses, which would incite a near riot as furious wagoners retaliated. Still, it would be best if the chocolate were delivered promptly so we could get out of here.
“It has been delivered,” Jewel said.
“Already?” But of course time was as nothing to the djinn.
“Then my plan to rescue your son is on track,” I said, relieved.
We lay together, waiting for the next stage. “About your manhood,” Jewel said. “It may take time to restore it completely, but let’s see if we can advance it a stage.”
“I don’t know. That emulation we did may have been a fluke.”
“I think not. You are healing, my lord.” She reached into my trousers. Then, holding on, she kissed me. I felt a stirring such as I had not had in a long time. She knew what she was doing.
Now there were voices from the stall. “Yak cheese I have, honored sir. But chocolate? That would take me a week to obtain.”
“You will have it by midnight tonight, or your head will be ground up to take its place.”
“But sir! It’s impossible!”
“You will make it possible.”
“And how am I to pay my supplier for it? Genuine chocolate is fabulously expensive.”
“Will this help?” It had to be a huge amount of gold.
“I will have my eunuch deliver it tonight,” the merchant promised.
“Some other time,” Jewel said with seeming regret, putting my member away. “We have my son to rescue.”
Indeed we did. I almost wished it had taken the enemy longer to come to the merchant. Because I knew that rescuing the boy was unlikely to be as straightforward as I had presented it.
Chapter Twenty-one
As pleasurable as it was lying with Jewel in that hidden shed, there was little time to waste. After all, I had yak milk and chocolate to deliver. And a son to save.
The guards had further instructed the merchant to have his eunuch deliver the goods to the Temple of the Moon, a stone structure found at the bottom of a deep valley and carved directly into a cliff face. It was a structure that was known to me, and not one I was pleased to hear included. After all, Death is said to abide in that temple, one of his many earthly homes. The valley itself is found just outside of the city, perhaps less than a day’s ride by horse. Plenty of time to deliver the goods by midnight.
With the sun beginning its descent into the western sky, Jewel and I sat in the shade of an outdoor cafe with Sa’ood. Across the way, his daughter tended to their stall—and even from here I could hear the child expertly haggle with their many customers, all of whom were far older than she. The young girl drove a hard bargain. Obviously, she been taught by the best, Sa’ood himself.
“I am very proud of her,” said the merchant, sipping his hot tea and watching his daughter. “And she would not be here, if not for you, my liege.”
The truth was, of course, it had been my son’s bleeding heart who had led me to save Sa’ood and his family. Admittedly, I had been selfish in my youth, especially when I had found the lamp; indeed, it is easy to be self-serving when the world is at your fingertips. But witnessing my son’s compassion on a nearly daily basis had made me a better man.
Sa’ood turned his attention back to me. “You are aware that this temple is the legendary home of Death.”
I nodded, drinking my own bitter coffee. I kept a look-out for more soldiers, but it had been some time since I last rubbed the lamp. “One of his many homes,” I said. “Perhaps he is summering elsewhere.”
Sa’ood frowned at my flippancy. “There is another legend concerning the stone temple.”
“How many legends are there?” snorted Jewel.
“Samarkand is full of legends, my dear, some more pervasive than others. This next one is more of a prophecy, but it is one that is well known among Samarkanders.”
I nodded, suspecting what he had to say. “Not just in Samarkand,” I said. “But beyond. A great magician would emerge from the Temple of the Moon on the night of two moons.”
“A night of two moons?” said Jewel, frowning. “I do not understand.”
But I thought I understood, and did my best to explain. The Islamic calendar consisted of twelve full lunar cycles. In addition to those twelve cycles, each solar calendar year contained roughly eleven days more than the lunar year of twelve lunations. The extra days accumulate, and when they add up to roughly thirty days, which is about every three years, the Islamic calendar accounts for those days with “leap months”. It is in such months that an extra full moon occurs, once every three years.
“And we are in such a month,” I said. “With an extra full moon.”
“A month with two full moons,” said Jewel.
I nodded. “And tonight is the second full moon.”
“A night of two moons.”
I nodded again. “It appears tonight is of significance, perhaps in more ways than one.”
“So who is this magician?” asked Jewel.
“My guess would be Zeyn,” I said. “He’s certainly the greatest magician, or sorcerer, in Djinnland.”
“So we have even more reason to stop him,” said Jewel, “although saving my son would certainly be enough for me.”
The sun had dipped a little more, angling straight into our faces. The city of Samarkand appeared deceptively serene. Dark magic abounded, and a curse lay over the land, of that I was sure.
“So what is the plan?” asked Jewel.
“I will arrive on horseback with the requested items.”
“And where will I be?” asked Jewel.
“You will be here, with Sa’ood and his daughter, selling cheese. Perhaps you can pick up a new trade.”
Sa’ood chuckled, but Jewel threw me a furious look. “If you think for one minute that I will wait here and do nothing—”
“Oh, but you won’t be doing nothing,” I said easily. “You will be helping my good man sell his fine cheeses.”
“Aladdin—”
“Not so loud, my dear. I’m incognito, remember?”
“But perhaps I can travel with you, in Lamprey’s lamp, and once we arrive, you can summon me—”
I shook my head. “Even to get you in the lamp we would alert the guards, and to summon you again would alert them further.”
“Then what will you do once you arrive? You are but one man. Surely my ex-husband will have many soldiers with him, in addition to Zeyn’s magic.”
I sipped my bitter coffee and sat back, one arm draped over the back of the wooden chair. “Oh, I am certain I will think of something, my dear.”
She bit her tongue. For once, Jewel was without opinion or leverage. We finished our drinks in silence and then we loaded up my pack horse. With Sa’ood’s guidance, I had a firm understanding of the necessary route I would take to the valley temple, and as I stepped up into the saddle and swung my leg around, Jewel came to my side. There were tears in her eyes.
“Be careful, my lord,” she said.
“Oh, I plan on being careful, especially since I pl
an to return with your son and marry you.”
She gave me a sad smile. “I care only about my son and his safety, my lord.”
“I, too, care only about your son and his safety, my queen,” I said, and I lifted her face toward me gently and we kissed for a long, long time.
Chapter Twenty-two
Sa’ood’s daughter finished with her sale and turned to him. “This plan won’t work, father.”
Because the girl’s doubts echoed mine, I reluctantly separated myself from Jewel. What did the girl know?
“This is not your concern, Myrrh,” he snapped. I was interested to note that he had evidently named her after one of the precious condiments he carried along with his exotic cheeses and spices. Myrrh had a bitter scent, but was used in perfume, and was quite rare and valuable. It was surely a fitting name.
“Oh, but it is, father. They are lurking to capture, bind, and torture our liege, to make him do their bidding. He must not ride into their trap.”
Sa’ood focused on her. “I did not tell you his identity.”
“I knew it before he came to us, father.”
Sa’ood turned to me. “I must apologize for my daughter. She has second sight, sometimes.”
“Second sight?” I asked.
“She can see into the future. When she and my wife were abducted, she told her mother not to worry, because we would be rescued soon, at the behest of the king’s son. But it’s not reliable.”
“But that’s exactly what happened,” I said.
“Yes. But she also said she was going to marry the king’s son, who would be a great magician. Then—” He shrugged, not wanting to refer directly to the fate of my wife and son.
How well I understood. My son was dead.
“They tried to use the king’s son to gain power over the king,” Myrrh said. “But they botched it, and killed him and his mother instead.”
“That was part of the conspiracy?” I asked, appalled.
“Now they are trying again, more carefully,” Myrrh said. “You must not let them prevail, my liege.”