home . Chapter . one . two . three . four . five . six . seven . eight . nine . ten . eleven
Aladdin was not happy this afternoon. It was really hot, and summer sun was still hours from setting. On a normal day he would be resting in the shade of Aunt Hassien's courtyard, perhaps eating some dates, perhaps planning the evening's events with Kallim and Mussif, his two best friends. But today he was out in the heat, wandering the village, searching for Almudin, his young brother. Almudin had been chased home by bullies last week. Now their mother worried when he was not home by siesta -- the afternoon nap.
Aladdin protested, "He's all right, Mom, he's just making friends."
But his mother commanded, "If he's making friends, you find out who those friends are and where he is... right now!" and she shooed him out into the heat of the day.
In truth, Aladdin had no idea where Almudin was. In their own home, in their own village, it was no big deal to find a kid brother -- you simply asked anyone. Here, things were different. Most of the people were strangers. They didn't know Aladdin, they didn't know Almudin. How does one ask strangers about family? It took courage to talk with all of these strangers, but Aladdin started asking.
He was relived, most of the adult strangers listened politely and one or two remembered seeing Almudin heading for the main plaza. "Uh-Oh!", thought Aladdin, "Tonight is the night before the new moon. The plaza is going to be full of people!" He was right. When he got to the plaza it was full of camels, horses, wagons and even more strangers, all getting ready for the New Moon Bazaar which would begin tomorrow at dawn. Finding Almudin in all this confusion would take forever!
Aladdin was now sure Almudin was not wandering somewhere in pain or trouble in the heat of the day, so Aladdin did the sensible thing and rested under an unhitched wagon that offered some shade.
As he rested he found he was near two village old men who were sitting in a doorway watching the activities on the plaza. Normally Aladdin paid little attention to old men such as these. In his own village such men spend most of their time talking about what they did when they were young, and they like to call on nearby youngsters to run silly errands.
These two were no different, except this was a new village, so he hadn't heard their stories before. His ears perked up as one curious story started. It started when a little boy ran up to the old men and said, "Elder, Elder I saw the door." The men immediately stopped talking about what they had done as youngsters, and talked respectfully to the young child.
"Very good, little bright eyes." one of the old men said, "Was Miralba there watching it?"
"No, he's where it was. It's moved again."
"Just in time for the bazaar, it makes sense." the two old men nodded knowingly to each other, then one shouted into the room behind him, "Maria, do we have a Spinerov candy for young bright eyes here?"
"Spinerov Candy!" thought Aladdin, "Fat chance! There hasn't been any Spinerov Candy since the Iron Men marched on Induslani." Aladdin was sure of this because he loved Spinerov Candy, and he had been really wanting some for over a week.
"No." a woman said from inside, "There is still none to be had, anywhere."
In his mind Aladdin nodded and taunted, "I told you so, you old man. If there was Spinerov Candy in this town, I would have it!"
"Ah, but this young lad has found the door."
Moments later an old woman came out with two pieces. Aladdin's jaw dropped.
The old man handed one piece to the young boy, "So, young one. Go find Miralba and show him where the door is now. Run along now, hurry!" The boy ran off; it was clear that the sooner he found Miralba, the sooner he'd get that second piece. The old men watched in silence to make sure the child was headed off on his mission and not thinking about something else, then they went back to talking. As they did, Aladdin slipped away, and with great effort caught up with the child at the far end of the plaza.
"Hey, what's this door you're talking about." said Aladdin half out of breath.
The child was nervous. He was a six year old, and ten year olds can be bullies.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know what's so special about this door?" Aladdin said.
"You're one of the strangers, aren't you?" the six year old said.
Aladdin was real tired of hearing people say this to him, but he was patient, "Yeah, I'm Aladdin from Induslan."
"I've seen you in school. I guess you're OK. Anyway, we have this magic door."
"Magic door? How do you know it's magic?"
"Because only kids can see it. That's why I told the elders. We Sambi kids all learn that if we see the magic door, we need to tell the elders so they can guard it."
"Why to they have to guard it?
"Because it's bad magic. It eats kids. It looks real neat, but no kid who's gone in has ever come out again."
"Sounds neat, can I see it?"
The six year old looked him up and down. "... I don't know." he said, "You look pretty grown up to me."
"I'll be a warrior next year."
"Then you're probably too old."
Too old? This sounded so strange to Aladdin! When had he ever been too old for anything neat? "Well, at least let me try." he said.
"I've got to tell Miralba."
"Tell you what: you take me by the door right now so I can see if I can see it, and I'll give you a piggy back ride to Miralba."
It took some more convincing, but the boy lead Aladdin to a small courtyard near the plaza. These days the buildings around this courtyard were used for storage of old tack and hay. It was the sort of place that kids love to wander, and adults come to only when there is need.
"There it is." said the boy, pointing at a wall near one of the corners.
"Where?" Aladdin was looking hard, but seeing only a wall covered with pegs holding odd leftover straps.
"See. You're too old." said the six year old matter-of-factly, "Now give me a piggy back ride to Miralba."
"You're not kidding me, are you?" said Aladdin. He looked again. There was nothing, but when he looked away, it was..., it was... still nothing, but maybe something...
"No! I told you, you're too old. Now don't weasel out. Give me my ride!"
Aladdin shrugged, and got the six year old on his back. Just then Almudin came into the courtyard from the other side. He looked at the wall, and gasped with delight.
"He sees it." said the boy.
Almudin rushed for the wall.
"Why's he doing that?" asked the boy.
"Oh My Gosh! HE'S GOING IN!" said Aladdin. He dumped the six year old and ran for Almudin shouting, but Almudin was only paying attention to whatever it was he saw, and he continued running.
Aladdin was faster and he reached the wall a half step before Almudin, but Almudin knew where he was going and Aladdin didn't. He ducked by him, and disappeared!
The six year old came running up, "Oh neat!"
"What's neat?... that my brother has been eaten by a magic door!" Aladdin was about to slap the boy, when he noticed the odd look in his eyes. This boy was envious.
"You want to go, too?"
"I can't. It's not allowed."
"I'll go with you. It's OK for me to go. No one has told me I can't go."
"They haven't?" the six year old considered this carefully. This close to the door, the spell was strong, and Aladdin's logic seemed irrefutable. "OK, lets go!" The six year old lunged for the wall. Aladdin grabbed him, barely. "Whoa, remember I can't see this door, you're going to have to guide me. In fact, now I'll give you that piggy back ride I owe you."
Somehow, Aladdin got the boy on his back. It wasn't easy, the spell was strong and the six-year old was all squirms and bounces now, anticipating this adventure. The six year old pointed at the wall. "There." Aladdin held his breath, closed his eyes and walked slowly into the white adobe wall....
There was pressure. Aladdin almost lost hope. His finger tips and forehead were pushing against an adobe wall... but the wall had just the slightest give to it. Aladdin kept up the pressure and found he was moving forward. He didn't look. It was as if he was walking through an invisible wound in the wall that was nearly healed over, and soon it would be as solid as the rest. The pressure ended, he opened his eyes....
Inside was a miracle. It was the most fantastic scene Aladdin had ever seen. Before him was an archway of pure delight. The colors assaulted him, there was motion, and what might be loud music from strange instruments was coming from the other side. There was the sweet scent of candy wafting out.
"Lets go, lets go, lets go, LETS GO!" The boy on his back was excited. He was bouncing on his back, and kicking Aladdin's sides like Aladdin was a horse.
But Aladdin kept his senses. For the two young boys, this scene was reality, Aladdin guessed, but for him there was a veil and he could sense it was show. A great show, but a show none-the-less. While the boy simply looked straight ahead down the entrance, Aladdin looked around, and saw a side door. That door whispered to him, "I'm for parents." Aladdin went that way, and the boy howled in dismay.
Once through the door, the magic changed. The temptation spell wore off in seconds, and the six year old became manageable, he was curious instead of insatiable. There was a catwalk for them to walk along, and, up ahead, in the main chamber, Aladdin could see Almudin.
Almudin was sitting in the center of a mountain of strange, wonderful, candy.
"Almudin!" shouted Aladdin. The boy cringed and looked back. He had sticks of candy in each hand, and a mouth full.
"You don't have to shout." he mumbled.
"You can hear me?" said Aladdin.
"Just fine." Almudin looked quite contented, but he didn't look at Aladdin.
"Can you see me?"
"No."
Aladdin heard the whispering voice again, "Ready parents? The adventure is about to begin."
Fear thrilled through Aladdin's nerves. His voice was shaky when he said, "Almudin, something scary's about to happen. Get ready!"
Almudin sensed his fear, and heard a deep rumble coming through the candy pile. The pile was shifting and candy was sliding down all the sides.
"To protect himself from Draco's fire, young Almudin may need the magic shield on his right." said the whisper. Aladdin saw a shield half buried with candy at the base of the pile. It was flashing.
"To your right, by the giant striped stick, a shield. Get it!"
Almudin looked, and started scrambling down the pile, as he did the rumbling turned to thunder, and the green scaly head of a huge dragon lifted out of the candy pile.
"WHO'S BEEN EATING MY CANDY?" rumbled the dragon. He looked around slowly. By now Almudin had the shield and was holding it up. The dragon slowly took in a deep breath, then breathed fire in Almudin's direction. The breath went on 30 seconds, and the mountain of candy was consumed. At first Almudin screamed in terror, but he was safe behind the magic shield.
"To defeat the dragon, Almudin may need the sword." the voice whispered, and behind the dragon, perhaps originally buried by the candy mountain, a sword flashed.
"Almudin, behind the dragon is a magic sword. Can you get to it?"
Almudin was clearly scared, but he had his wits. The dragon started snapping his jaws. Almudin looked around and behind him saw columns with narrow spaces between them. He ran for the columns and the dragon lunged for him -- ready to swallow him whole. Almudin ran between one set of columns, and the dragon's head followed, but it was too big, and his nose got stuck. Almudin raced out between another set and headed for the sword.
"Watch out for the tail." warned Aladdin. He could see the dragon's tail winding around sinuously, sweeping the floor in hopes of wrapping around a limb or torso.
The columns circled the room, Almudin changed course and finished his way to the sword by walking behind the columns. The dragon's tail thrashed, but with his nose stuck, it was blind thrashing.
Almudin grasped the sword, there was thunder, and a flash, and the dragon's nose popped free. He turned to face Almudin.
"So, you would use the magic sword to piece my heart would you, young hero? First, you'll have to get to me." The dragon inhaled again, and as he did Almudin rushed forward and drove the sword deep into the dragon's chest.
The dragon screamed and writhed. He twisted and turned and finally lay still. It was a spectacular death sequence, but in all that twisting and turning he never once brushed Almudin.
Aladdin was thinking to himself, "Weapons better than those of the iron men." Almudin held his sword and shield high and in his boy voice yelled, "Allah Akbar!" As he did so, the sword and shield vanished, so did the dragon. Almudin looked disappointed, so did Aladdin.
The voice whispered, "Congratulations to young Almudin. His reward." Where the dragon had been there was now a brass lamp hanging in mid air. "Thank you for coming to Adventureland."
"Almudin, take the lamp, quickly." Almudin looked confused for a moment, then saw it and grabbed it. As he did, the entire scene faded... and the three of them were back in the courtyard.
Aladdin put the six year old down. "Now go get Miralba, and don't say a word to anyone about being inside, right? Remember, the elders will beat you if they find out. We won't tell, if you won't."
"Right." said the six year old in a sort of dazed way, and he ran off.
Aladdin, looking relieved, turned to Almudin, "Your mother is worried. Run home, right now!" He took the lamp from Almudin and shooed him on. Almudin ran off in the direction of Aunt Hassien's house, and Aladdin was alone in the courtyard with the prize, whatever it was.
"A lamp, what an odd prize for a young boy." muttered Aladdin. He opened the small lid on top and looked inside, there was nothing. He slid his hands around the outside seeking some sort of hidden catch... the genie of the lamp came out. He was big, he was blue, he stood eight feet tall and stared down at Aladdin.
"Congratulations, Almudin.... Say, you aren't Almudin!" said the genie.
"I'm Aladdin, his older brother."
The genie scowled at him. He pointed a massive finger at Aladdin, "Why have you got the lamp?"
Aladdin thought quickly, lying to an eight foot tall blue monster would not do. Saying he took the lamp from Almudin probably wouldn't do, either. "He had to go home. Mom was ready to skin his hide."
"No foul play? OK." the genie brightened, "You get the wishes then."
"The wishes?"
"Of course...." the genie looked around him, noticing his surroundings for the first time, "What place is this? This is rustic-looking like I've never seen. What time is this? Let me check my watch." a watch with strange markings on it appeared from nowhere, then disappeared, "My goodness, it's been ten thousand years since the last winner!"
He looked down at Aladdin. He looked just like one Aladdin's aunts would who hadn't seen him in a while, "Ten thousand years!"
Aladdin looked puzzled, "Ten thousand years, so what? Do I really get wishes?"
"Of course," said the genie absent-mindedly, "Ten thousand years means a lot of changes. You, for instance, you're... diminished." the genie shrunk so he was slightly smaller than Aladdin, "You're also pretty out of it. You don't know what I do, do you." the genie smiled like a cat with a canary in his mouth.
"I'm out of it? No way! You're pretty out of it." said Aladdin, "You don't have a clue what's happening around here, do you?"
The genie looked surprised, "You're right. Actually, we're both right. So... you tell me first: what's going on here?"
Aladdin looked around, it would not be long before Miralba and the boy showed up, "I will, but not here and not now. Jump back in your lamp. I will call you out later." The genie did as commanded, and as Aladdin was walking out of the courtyard, Miralba came walking in with the young boy.
"There." said the young boy, pointing at the wall. Miralba looked briefly at Aladdin, but lost interest in him when he decided he was too old to see this "door" he was guarding. He put his chair in front of where the boy said the door was, leaned back, and continued his afternoon siesta. The boy followed Aladdin out -- clearly Aladdin was going to be a lot more interesting to hang around with than Miralba.
"What did you find?" he asked when they were out of earshot of Miralba.
"Nothing." lied Aladdin.
"Nothing? No... not nothing... You're lying, and if you don't tell me what you found, I'll go back and tell Miralba that you and I were inside!"
It was primordial blackmail of the sort young kids have used on older kids ever since both have known how to talk. Aladdin raised his fist for a moment. He could either beat him until he promised not to tell, or yield.
"OK, I don't know what I found. I'm going to find out more. Meet me behind the stable at the South Well after sunset and we will find out.
home . Chapter . one . two . three . four . five . six . seven . eight . nine . ten . eleven