by Zuheb Alep
It was a good excuse to get away. Benjamin was glad; he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Saving Prince Adam was a good thing, but today was the prince’s day, not his. He hurried off with his friends, leaving the royals and the others to their merry business. Concerned about Mama, who was gossiping happily, Benjamin looked back once and hoped that the subject of their conversation had changed. Kaileena pulled him on. “Don’t delay,” she said.
Benjamin pushed his way through the bustling crowd, being careful not to trip anyone; it was harder to move here than in the thronged bazaars. Guests as tall as trees stood laughing with drinks in their hands, getting into the party mood.
Benjamin shoved and pushed, apologising all the time, then he lost sight of Kaileena and his other friends. The more he pushed, the more his frustration grew. Suddenly a black boot blocked his path and he tripped.
Bruising his knees and elbows in the fall, Benjamin grumbled as he scrambled up with the present clutched in his hands. He brushed away the dust from his dress robe, then froze.
It was them again. The dark cloaked man, the ghost and, incredibly, the lion that he had killed – all here.
The crowd didn’t back away or scream. They went about their business, laughing and talkative as ever. The strange trio stood in their midst, apparently invisible. Nobody could see them except Benjamin. He said nothing and neither did they. Inspecting the lion’s neck, he found no wound. Benjamin frowned deeply.
“Who are you?” he barked.
There was no response.
“If you have nothing to say, then I have. Leave Prince Adam alone! I won’t let you assassinate him.”
There was no response.
The silence seemed to go on forever, but finally the ghost spoke. “Do you feel him?” he asked.
Then the man in the dark cloak said, “Do you remember him?”
The lion added, “Do you miss him?” It could speak!
Him? Who? Before Benjamin could ask, a voice distracted him. It was Kaileena, running back towards him through the crowd. Benjamin turned to look at her, then back at the mysterious trio. They had vanished. Where they had stood was now an empty space, as if they had never been there at all.
“Benjamin, what are you doing? Hurry up!” Kaileena seized the cuff of his dress-robe, pulling him along.
Benjamin dragged his feet.
“Is everything all right?”
Benjamin stammered. “Well … it’s nothing, really.” How could he tell her?
Kaileena eyed him suspiciously. “You saw them again, didn’t you?”
Benjamin didn’t reply at first. After a long paused, he sighed. “Yes,” he muttered. “But they’ve gone, and they said something weird.”
“Did you speak to them?”
“They spoke to me. They asked if I remember – ”
Benjamin was unable to finish his sentence. Kaileena gripped his arm again. “What about Prince Adam?” she asked in alarm. Benjamin realised she was right; the prince might be in danger again.
Benjamin lurched forward, brushing aside anyone in his way. If he had spilt their drinks, that was a pity but it couldn’t be helped. Not again! he thought. This was like a never-ending nightmare. Only he could protect the prince, since no one else could see the mysterious trio.
They arrived at the northern end of the hall and halted breathlessly. Prince Adam was sitting on a high golden chair, wearing black like his siblings, the cloth embroidered with golden flowers up to the collar. He was safe, though clearly bored with greeting one guest after another. Surrounding him were hundreds of presents in various coloured wrappings, and behind him stood his new bodyguards.
One by one, Benjamin watched his friends offer their gifts. After Kaileena had wished the prince a happy birthday she hurried over to stand behind Abel, leaving Benjamin as the last in line. The prince looked at him without recognition, although he smiled in greeting.
Benjamin handed him the present, then took another bound parcel from his capacious pocket.
“Here, this is yours,” he said. “I was prevented from giving it back to you at the time.”
Prince Adam furrowed his eyebrows in puzzlement. He propped himself upwards, took the parcel and unwrapped the cloth. At first, he thought the knife was a joke in bad taste, stained with dried blood as it was. It took a moment for him to realise what it meant, and then he gasped. He looked Benjamin up and down.
“You!” he exclaimed. “You’re the boy who saved me!”
Benjamin returned his smile.
“I must speak with you!” Prince Adam put the knife aside and turned to one of his bodyguards with an order. “Send your men to surround the perimeter of the hall. You two, look after those presents. If anyone comes by with some more, just ask them to put them on that pile over there.”
The bodyguards bowed in response.
When they were gone, Prince Adam crooked a finger at Benjamin. “Follow me, please.”
The walk was long and scary. Benjamin followed Prince Adam though the back, leaving behind the well-lit hall to pass through a dark corridor where little fires were lit upon the carved brackets to cast some light. It was just the two of them, no one else. Kaileena had been left behind, and Benjamin saw her mouth open before she clapped it shut with her hands.
“This way.” Prince Adam crooked his finger once more, leading Benjamin up the approaching, steep stairs with his back straight. His tone was commanding but also kind. Benjamin lost track of how far they climbed. He was nervous – what would Mama think of his disappearance? He wished he could think of something to say, anything, to get Prince Adam’s attention. There was no explanation of where they were going or why.
Finally they halted at a large door which loomed over them. Benjamin could not see well in the dark but light shone through the crack of the door, which Prince Adam pushed open. It was another hall, much smaller, resembling a conference room and smelling of mothballs. Benjamin hesitantly stepped inside, turning to face Prince Adam who had shut the door.
“I wish to speak to you in private, so that our guests cannot hear our conversation.” Prince Adam was very different from the other boys Benjamin knew, with very good manners. “How did you save me?”
Benjamin fidgeted with his collar. “What do you mean, ‘how’?” he asked.
“The lion! No one saw it coming except you.”
That was true, yet the answer to the mystery was a mystery in itself. Benjamin began to recount the tale, speaking for almost ten minutes. When he had finished, Prince Adam nodded.
“Didn’t you realise that the lion never roared or tried to bite us when we were on the ground?” he said.
Benjamin threw back his head in an attempt to remember. Was Prince Adam right?
“It didn’t look enraged,” he continued, “but as calm as the clear sky. I think it was trying to talk to me – or maybe show me something.”
Benjamin shook his head. Prince Adam was on the same side as Abel, Anouk and Jama. He felt offended. “No, I don’t think so,” he disagreed. “I think someone was trying to …” Benjamin couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“Assassinate me?” Prince Adam shook his head. “If you believe so, then I thank you greatly for your deed, my friend. How may I repay you?”
“Repay me?”
“Yes, for your brave act today.”
“I – I don’t want anything,” Benjamin stammered.
Prince Adam slumped his shoulders at these words. “There must be something,” he persisted.
Benjamin shook his head.
Prince Adam raised a hand. “Then I have a proposition,” he said. “I invite you and your friends for tea here at the palace at noon tomorrow. It is a great honour to dine with the royal family.”
Benjamin couldn’t refuse the prince. “That would be great, Your Highness,” he responde
d.
“Please call me Adam.”
They walked back to the hall, chatting, then Prince Adam went his separate way, leaving Benjamin to his thoughts. There was a lot to think about: the dark cloaked man, the ghost and the lion were troubling him. Why were they here again? Were they chasing Prince Adam or were they after Benjamin himself? And who had they been referring to when they’d said: Do you feel him? Do you remember him? Do you miss him?
Chapter 3
Fleeting Memories
Benjamin woke early the next morning remembering the previous day. It had been a good party, especially later when they had played with Prince Adam for hours. Yet the peculiar trio still troubled him. Benjamin was unsure of their intentions and hoped that they would keep their distance in future.
Sneaking out of his bedroom, Benjamin tiptoed up the stairs to the roof to watch the sun rising in the east. He thought about having tea with Prince Adam later that day. Kaileena had already confirmed her attendance but the others might or might not come. Benjamin felt nervous and the wintry chill creeping up his spine made him shiver with anxiety. Time passed faster than he had expected as he thought about his unexpected friendship with a prince, a very rare occurrence.
“Benjamin, breakfast is ready!” called his mother.
Realising that he was hungry, Benjamin jogged down to find all his family at the dining table, eating bread with onion omelette. He joined them, taking the empty chair next to his Papa.
“Are you excited about today?” Papa was gripping his shoulders, possibly as encouragement, but Mama snapped at him.
“Leave him be,” she said. “He doesn’t want to be pressurised. He’s got a big day ahead with the prince!”
Benjamin had told them of the invitation on the way home from the palace the previous night. Mama had been very excited and was making a great fuss about it. She couldn’t decide what he should wear or how to teach him better manners in such a short time.
Now he listened intently, nodding at her words of advice as he ate. Then he dashed up the stairs to freshen up.
“Clean well and good!” his mother said. “And don’t forget to comb your hair – the proper way if you don’t want me to do it for you!”
Benjamin hopped into the bathtub and he scrubbed and scrubbed, removing invisible dirt, just to please his mother. When Benjamin got out of the bathtub his skin was red all over, and then he pulled his hair with the comb, trying to straighten it. It was too wavy.
“Oh, look at the state of your hair!” his mother complained as she entered with the clothing.
“Don’t want to look at it,” Benjamin grumbled, frowning in embarrassment.
Benjamin was given a pair of ironed trousers, sleek and smooth to the feel, and a scarlet shirt with black stripes. Mama left him in his room to put them on, telling him she’d inspect him afterwards.
Under his bed, Benjamin spotted a white box. He seized it while Mama went off to fetch some perfume. Recently Papa had driven himself and his friends to the bazaar to purchase the finest kite they’d ever seen; a blue one with black stripes and a scarlet tail. There it was, glowing like a splendid bird.
In the summer, the kite-fighting tournament had taken place at the stadium near the royal palace. Choosing the bespectacled Jama as his partner, Benjamin had been blessed; they had met with success in the first two games, reaching the finals which they had also won. Not only did Benjamin and Jama receive a large golden trophy each, but also a large cheque for twenty thousand Aradian dollars to share. Papa had kept Benjamin’s half of the winnings in his bank account until the time was right.
“Concentrate on your meeting with the prince!” Benjamin told himself as he replaced the white box under his bed. Mama hurriedly entered, holding a blue bottle, and fussed around with his clothes. Squeezing out a few puffs, Mama almost cried with satisfaction.
She showed him how handsome he looked in the mirror on the wall. Benjamin stared at himself, feeling an urge to mess up his hair. He looked ghastly, he thought, like a sweet boy who’d never got into mischief. Returning to the living room, he balanced himself on the edge of the sofa. All he had to do now was wait for noon.
Papa was watching the news, as was the whole family, their faces filled with concern. His elder brothers, Sebastian, Edgar and Herman had their heads buried in their hands, brooding silently. Jordanna was almost tearful and Nadine looked frightened.
“They wear white clothing and their faces are powder white,” she said, “as if they come from a really cold place. I saw them, Papa, this morning when they kidnapped – I just ran.”
Papa touched her hand.
Nadine gulped. “They have a small symbol of a bluebird on the left side of their shirts, a logo or something, and below that the initials: O.O.H. And they drive a sky-blue van; I think it’s where they put the children.”
Kevin and Alby, the youngest, were playing in the garden, taking no notice of what was happening.
“How terrible this is,” muttered Papa.
Benjamin frowned, confused at Nadine’s behaviour. He peered over to look at the news headline and gasped. Five hundred and seventy-three children were missing since the previous night.
*
The box of baklava was the sweetest thing Benjamin had ever seen. He wanted to have one, just to taste the honey and let it run around his mouth, but Mama warned him: one bite and he would be given a slap. It was for the prince. When invited to someone’s house for dinner or tea, a gift must always be brought. The sight of crispy pistachios above layers of sweet crusts almost made Benjamin forget all the negative thoughts he’d been having, but he couldn’t forget what troubled him most: the missing children.
Five hundred and seventy-three had disappeared since the previous night. It was difficult to comprehend such a tragedy. Benjamin considered himself to be very lucky.
“You’re coming home at five, do you hear? Sebastian will pick you up.” Mama was still fretting over the fact that she had forgotten to bring a tie for Benjamin. Thankfully, it was too late. Papa was going to drop him off first before driving his wife to the market. The city was tremendously large but Benjamin knew all the areas like the bedrooms in his own home; the wide and narrow roads were cramped with people bustling about during the day, but now it was quiet.
Most of the houses he saw remained engraved in his mind, standing tall with light-coloured concrete and flat roofs, with colourful sheets in between to shade people from the sun during the summer. To walk through Springhaven was like being inside a huge maze and many people got lost, but not Benjamin; he knew the best places to hide during a game of cops and robbers, and he knew where to eat fresh food that was cheap. He even knew where to relieve himself if necessary without being caught.
Since he’d turned five, every day he and Kaileena explored the city from different angles, visiting places maybe once or twice a year just to remember where they were. Ahead of them was a steep, ascending road with a large gap between two tall houses at the top, revealing a breath-taking view of the large wall surrounding the city with ten gates in each direction. Benjamin had been out of the city only a few times to visit relatives in other places, but he would prefer to spend his life only in this place. It was his home, his own world.
Looking out of the window to watch the roads pass in a blur, Benjamin noticed that the place was empty, almost like an abandoned city. He had never seen it like that, not in all his twelve years. It was Monday, a day on which he was excused from school, yet it should be filled with people. They passed the biggest bazaar, the Divine Bazaar, but it lay abandoned like a windless desert. Benjamin frowned and turned his head, hoping to catch more people but only a few appeared, all adults. It seemed as if he was the only child on the streets, and he hoped that wasn’t true.
As soon as the first palace tower came in sight, Papa halted by the kerb to let him out.
“Five, remember, and you wa
it right here for Sebastian,” he said.
Benjamin rolled his eyes. He didn’t like having to be reminded but knew they wouldn’t leave until he was safely through the gate. Benjamin strolled forward with the box of baklava in his hands.
The royal palace gleamed more brightly than it had done the night before, now that the sun was up; the golden turrets and domes shone vibrantly. Benjamin was unable to touch the bars of the black gate to push it open; a couple of tall guards in scarlet tunics crossed their lances together and barred his access.
“What is your name and your business here?” asked one.
“I’m here to see Prince Adam by appointment,” replied Benjamin, giving his name. “He invited me to come.” The guards nodded at each other, approving his presence.
“That’s fine,” said a guard. “He’s expecting you. I’ll let him know that you have arrived, and then you may enter.”
While the guard walked off to make his call, Benjamin waited, fidgeting. He noticed the other guard eying the box of baklava. It looked as if he wanted some too. Benjamin shifted uncomfortably, withdrawing eye contact until the other guard returned.
“Please enter.”
Benjamin took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Mama and Papa drove off, disappearing around the corner.
“Five – and you wait right here for Sebastian,” they called again.
With a smile, Benjamin walked further along the marble path which split the front lawn. There was an ivory fountain on each side, both bearing statues of forest animals, and a couple of gazebos enclosed by twining vines with clipped hedges of blue roses that flourished only in the winter. Benjamin had never imagined he’d be here again, especially on a normal day like this. He was just an ordinary boy, not one of the important politicians or celebrities. He took time to savour the beauty that surrounded him, in case he never returned.
Then he heard the silver doors of the grand entrance creak open. Prince Adam was standing at the threshold with a widening grin, dressed in royal garments of green and yellow.