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The door was open, and Aladdin peered in.
"You are very lucky you went in when you did, Baron Rostov, I see a trap three steps down. The sunlight must have disarmed it."
Aladdin started in.
I had a sudden thought, and yelled, "WAIT!" but I was a moment too late.
"It is likely the first trap would be designed to catch nosey thieves." I sighed. Aladdin was skewered in the side with some kind of meter-long needle. It's twin was sticking out the other side of the wall, so it didn't matter which side of the corridor the thief snuck down. There was hideous pain in his face. "... Likely to be poisoned, too." I continued.
After a second the needles retracted. I used a telekinesis spell to float Aladdin out and lay him on the ground outside the door. He was gasping for air, and his face was already a deathly white, he would be dead in a minute.
... Ali Babba knew his priestly stuff. I was impressed! As Aladdin was settling down, Ali Babba was listening to his chest. As soon as he heard what he wanted to hear, he kneeled over him and chanted a priestly spell that was totally alien to me. Within five minutes, Aladdin was totally recovered, except for some heavy breathing as he swallowed down on this near death experience.
"You owe me, boy." said Ali Babba.
"I OWE YOU NOTHING!" Aladdin snapped back, through his gasping, "I wouldn't BE here if you hadn't sent that lackey genie of yours to get me."
"URRRR!" Ali Babba was about to give Aladdin the back of his hand when he thought better of it, he lowered his hand and in a calm voice said, "Perhaps you are right. Go get some lunch." Aladdin hurried to the table and wolfed down food.
"I hate it when other people are right." said Ali Babba, "But if I don't admit it, I'm my own worst enemy."
While Aladdin was eating, Ali Babba did a priestly detect traps, and he disarmed the trap that caught Aladdin. When Aladdin was finishing his second helpings, Ali Babba yelled at him, "Back to work. I don't want you getting drowsy on a full stomach." Aladdin came back, licking his fingers.
Moving into the worship chamber -- that's what the room with the gold statue turned out to be -- was slow work. There were two more traps, and many more potential places for them.
"This room is clean, not dust-filled." I commented as we got to see the chamber clearly.
We were about to get to the gold statue itself when there was a shout from the top of the stairs. One of Ali Babba's men said, "Captain, there's trouble brewing out here. You'd better come."
Ali Babba scowled, "If it's not one thing, it's another. OK, out we go... all of us." he was watching Aladdin, who lead us out.
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