The Secret Of Ka Part 13

Keep my mouth shut; don't draw its attention. Let Amesh ge t his hand, and then hopefully the djinn would return to its bottl e and leave us alone .

A voice spoke . T he words did not emanate from the direction of the invisible ma.s.s alone . T hey came out of the walls . T hey were inside my head, too, an echo of a sound so old i t could have existed before the earth. Words both soft and oppressive, definitely sly . I t was clever; its life had been long . I t would be difficult to fool .

"What is your name?" it asked .

Amesh opened his mouth to speak . I abandoned my vow o f silence .

"N o!" I shouted. "Demand to know its name."

Amesh tried to look at me, but the thing had hi m hypnotized .

"Why?" he mumbled .

"Your name will give it power over you . T ell it to revea l its name."

Amesh swallowed, struggling. "Who are you?" he asked . N ow I felt the djinn stare at me . I t did not want to giv e out its name. Plus, it was angry that I had helped Amesh . I sensed it saw me as an enemy .

Yet a part of me felt that was not necessarily bad . T h e djinn were not there to make friends . T hey were forces of nature . T hey possessed power, and apparently they craved power .

Amesh could use it as an ally to get what he wanted. But the n he had to break the bond . I felt as if the carpet were still talking to me, telling m e these truths. But I wondered if it was not something else . M ayb e just talking to the carpet had awakened my intuition .

"Don't just ask. Order Order it to reveal its name," I told Amesh . it to reveal its name," I told Amesh .

He coughed weakly. "tell me your name," he muttered .

His voice lacked authority; another mistake, I knew . T h e djinn's gaze swung between us. Amesh had set it free. However- a nd it was like I could read a piece of its mind!-there was thi s other one who kept giving Amesh advice . I sensed its doubt . I t wanted to know my name! e ven more than Amesh's . I t wanted his name so it coul d get mine . I t was fortunate I was in the temple to guide Amesh .

At the same time, it was a pity I had not had a chance to lear n more from the carpet before I had to face a djinn . I was not sur e why it was interested in me .

"B e forceful," I urged Amesh .

"i demand that you tell me your name!" he said, finall y showing some strength . T he attention of the djinn swung bac k to Amesh .

"Darbar Aloya ta," it replied . "N ow your name."

Amesh went to reply .

"I gnore it," I said . "M ake your demand. "

"S hould I ask for my wish now?" Amesh asked me .

"First invoke its name . T hen make your wish an order."

Amesh nodded at my instruction, which had just poppe d into my head. Frankly, I felt as if my mind was not my own . I felt like the carpet was still trying to warn me about the djinn, w hile the djinn was still checking me out .

As Amesh focused on the djinn, he flashed a c.o.c.ky grin . T hat worried me. c.o.c.kiness and mastery were not identical . I n fact, they were usually opposites .

"Darbar Aloya ta," Amesh said firmly . "I demand yo u grant me great riches of jewels. A trea sure chest full of them. "

" Huh?" I gasped. He was asking for money when he shoul d have been asking for a new hand! money could always be earned; o nly magic could fix his handicap .

A red mist formed at Amesh's feet. A wind blew, takin g the mist and twisting it into a spiral that spun before him, giving off bright sparks, changing into a pillar of fire . I heard a loud popping sound, and a gold chest appeared at Amesh's feet . T he jewels inside it sparkled with exotic beauty . T he pilla r vanished .

I knew I had to get over my shock and watch closely wha t Amesh did next . T he entire night had led to this moment .

He had made his wish . I t was not the one I had hoped for bu t it was done . N ow he had to return the djinn to its cage an d walk away .

But Amesh had fallen to his knees. He was running hi s fingers through the jewels, lifting them to his lips, kissing them, s pilling them over the floor. His eyes were drunk with joy, th e smile on his mouth so wide I thought it might split. He looke d so happy-i scolded myself for being judgmental. His wish ha d not been my choice but it had been . . . H is .

All along I had been wrong. He wanted wealth more tha n anything . N ow it was his; now he could buy his Papi and mir a whatever they desired. From what I could see, the gems th e djinn had given him were priceless . I suspected the richest me n in the middle east would sign over their fortunes to possess them .

Possess . T he word haunted me for some reason .

"Do you see what I have! sa-" he shouted .

"Don't say my name!" I interrupted . "N ot in front o f the djinn!"

But the djinn had heard . I heard it whispering to itself .

Sa . . . Sa . . . Sa . . .

Amesh made a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry, I'm the on e who freed it from the bottle . I t owes me. You can't hear everything it's telling me. You can't see it, can you? it says you can't."

"no, I can't see it. But I can hear it, and I know it's tellin g you what you want to hear. For one thing, it doesn't owe yo u anything . I t already granted you a wish . R emember the laws I told you about . I f you make another wish, you will owe it."

Amesh plucked a large ruby from his chest and stared at i t hungrily .

He giggled. "What are you talking about? I'm its master . T hat's why it told me its name . I t's under my control. You saw h ow it obeyed me." I took a step toward him. Yet I was afraid to step betwee n him and the djinn . I suspected the creature would not allow that .

"Please," I said. "You promised me you'd make just on e wish. We have to put the djinn back in its bottle. We have to ge t out of here. "

" Why?" he asked, the silly grin still on his face. He was no t hearing every thing I said . T he djinn had its own dialogue goin g on inside my friend . I t did not want me messing with its plans . N o doubt its plan was old, tried and true, for whoever opene d its bottle . I t probably kept giving the person whatever the y wanted, as long as he or she kept making wishes . . . I worried Amesh would make a second wish . I was terrified he would make a third .

"A mesh, we're in danger!" I pleaded .

He laughed and stood, shoving a few prized gems in hi s pocket. He held out a huge pearl to me, which was encircle d w ith a diamond-studded gold band . I t was a pendant-the pear l dangled from the end of a gold chain. Amesh came near .

"T his one's for you . T ake it . I t's my gift to you."

He was close enough to slap . I felt I had to knock som e sense into him . M ental telepathy, the ability to dominate a person's will-these were not powers I had expected the djinn t o have . I realized I had been a fool to go along with Amesh, t o help him get even a single wish. Because all of it had just opene d a door-the djinn's front door . I pushed his hand away. unfortunately, he dropped th e pretty pearl, and it bounced over the floor. He took a step back, s tunned that I would reject him so blatantly. Yet I wanted t o shock him back to his senses .

"Keep your stupid jewel," I said .

His grin was gone, but something else had also vanished . T here was a flatness in his gaze I couldn't quite understand . I t was as if his inner light had been extinguished .

"What's wrong with my jewels?" he asked . "N ot goo d enough for the Proud Princess?" I tried to grab hold of him, to get him to focus on me .

"T hey belong to you, not me," I said in a clear voice .

"T hey're what you wished for . T hat's fine; you're rich now. Let' s leave this place with your riches . I t's time to go." I paused .

"Order the djinn back in its bottle."

He blinked at my last remark . I knew why . M y words wer e n ot jibing with the words he was hearing inside, words he believed were his own thoughts, but I could pick up enough o f them to know they were coming from the djinn. Amesh believe d he was in control, when he was really the puppet .

Make another wish. Another wish. Don't stop . M ake another wish . . . I could hear the djinn talking to him!

How quickly it was taking control!

Amesh staggered back as if drunk and pointed an unstead y finger at me .

"You don't want my jewels because you think I'm a freak. "

"T hat's not true . I think you're a great guy," I said .

"right!" he shouted. "A great guy who has only one hand!

A guy who can hardly dress himself in the morning! Yeah, yo u admire me, all right. "

"I t's true. What happened to your hand doesn't matter. Yo u are who you are." I lowered my voice, desperate to reach him . "I never told you this before but it looks like a war wound to me . I t makes you look kind of s.e.xy."

He blinked again, this time with interest . "R eally?" I nodded vigorously . "I almost told you that when we met."

But I had gone too far. Doubt crossed his face as his internal war intensified. Again, I heard what the djinn said insid e his head .

Hand. Wish for hand back. Hand will impress pretty girl .

Amesh shook his head and took another step back .

"I 'll always be ugly in your eyes," he said sadly .

I opened my arms wide . I reached for him, to hug him . I opened my heart . I did every thing I could to pull him back fro m the abyss he was racing toward .

"Don't be silly. You're the cutest guy I've ever met. "

" Sara . . . "

"I have a crush on you, Amesh," I said .

He heard me; I know he did. Because for an instant h e smiled, and it was real . I sensed he was on the verge of sharin g his feelings for me . S ure, it was a strange moment to share intimacies, but I didn't care . I just needed him to be safe . T hen I heard the djinn speak loudly in his mind. Wit h power . T he power we'd just given it when we'd both accidentall y given it our first names .

Amesh. Wish for hand back. Amesh. Get hand back for Sara .

Amesh turned away from me then and was lost .

"Darbar Aloya ta," I heard, as he began to make his second wish .

Chapter Nine.

Wh en I a woke the following morning, I ha d the sun in my eyes and a throbbing head ache. As I sat up, a bon e in my back cracked . T he morning was warm . T he air was stil l and dry, the vast basin was as silent as a tomb. For a long tim e I just sat there, staring at the pond, the temples, the oval pools, a nd our bottled water . I corrected myself: it was no longer our water; it was m m y y water . T hat jerk, Amesh, was gone; my carpet was gone; he an d his djinn had taken it and flown back to Istanbul . I was alone . water . T hat jerk, Amesh, was gone; my carpet was gone; he an d his djinn had taken it and flown back to Istanbul . I was alone .

Alone and stranded on an island swarming with invisible djin n where I might die .

I couldn't have been more furious and devastated! I wante d to kill him!

But I also couldn't help miss him . I was so worrie d about him . I let these intense and opposite emotions burn me . I ha d no choice; it was as if they had a life of their own . T o hate someone and to miss someone-all at the same time . I t was to o much for my brain to process . T he time was 10:35 a.m . I had slept seven hours .

Finally, I calmed down enough to check my supplies . T h e candy was finished . I had six protein bars left . I t was time t o ration, I decided . I 'd eat just two bars a day, max . I t was no t as if the island had demonstrated that it could support human life .

Was there any reason to explore farther? An argumen t could be made for staying where I was, conserving my strengt h and food . I f I spent my time resting, I could eat one protein ba r a day and maybe live a week. Yet it went against my nature t o just sit around and hope for the cavalry to rescue me . I f only I had the carpet . T he marble sidewalk that stretched between the temple s did not appear simply new . I t was extremely clean . I n othe r words, it looked as if someone was maintaining the site .

Amesh and I had approached the valley from the east, an d seen no one. However, north, south, west-each offered an equa l promise of running into someone . I t was sad but true-thos e w ho kept the basin tidy might be less than a mile away, but if I chose the wrong direction to hike, I could walk until I died . I slowly chewed on a protein bar, in between sips of water, w hile I contemplated my dilemma . I n the end I decided to hik e up the ridge and make a thorough scan with my binoculars before I chose a course. Who knows, I thought, I might discove r a village on the far side of the western hills. We had entere d the basin in the dark yesterday, with our eyes focused on th e pools and the temples . I t was possible I was not as alone as I feared . I t was hard to stand, harder to get my feet moving . T h e previous day had destroyed my muscles. Yet before I hiked ou t of the basin, I revisited the three temples Amesh and I had entered and made sure the rocks I had used to prop open th e doors were still in place . I ndeed, I added more rocks to eac h one . I t was always possible that I might be forced to flee to a temple for shelter-for protection not just from the elements, b ut from wild animals, or even more dangerous creatures. An d the more choices I had, the better . I ignored the cobblestone path as I exited the valley . I t wa s too rocky for my taste, too long. using my compa.s.s, I face d west and hiked straight uphill . I n my pack were my four bottle s of water . T hey were heavy but I was not worried about thei r weight . I would go through them quickly . S traight up was steep . I had to stop and rest several time s before I reached the ridge . N o "surprise town" waited for me o n t he other side of the hill. But I was careful to study the terrai n before deciding on a course. Due west did not look inviting . T here was a range of hills taller than the one I was on . I t stretched out of sight, to the north, another direction I was no t thrilled about . I ts hills looked like mountains . S outh had th e fewest obstacles, and so south it would be . M y heart was still heavy . M y emotions kept swinging- m issing Amesh, cursing Amesh. But, to be blunt, I cursed hi m far more than I missed him . I set off at a steady pace, hoping the exercise would distrac t me . T he first part of my journey took me downhill, and I wa s not walking long when I noticed a change in the terrain . M os t of it was caused by the addition of a new type of shrub that wa s dark green and had red berries on it . T he fruit was unlike anything I had seen before . I t looked like raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries al l put together . I wished I could look the fruit up in my BlackBerry, b ut it was still dead. Just my luck, I thought, the berries wer e probably poisonous .

Breakfast had been only an hour ago, and I was alread y starving . I had no choice; I had to try one. Picking out wha t looked to be a ripe specimen, I bit into it carefully . T he juice that flooded my mouth floored me . N ot onl y was it sweet, it had a taste that went straight to my brain an d rang the plea sure bell. Without thinking, I stuffed another thre e in my mouth, chewing hungrily .

"stop Sara !" I said aloud . I needed to wait an hour . I f I go t sick, i'd have no one to take care of me . I washed down the berries with water before grabbing several handfuls and stuffing them in my pack . S toring them wa s probably unnecessary. As far as I could see, my path was littere d with the bushes. But I figured it was better to be safe than sorry . T he fruit gave off a delightful aroma; it seemed to give me energy . I felt stronger than when I had left the basin .

Psychologically, the discovery gave me a boost . I wasn't going to be able to live on the fruit forever, but at least now i t would take time to starve to death-if I didn't get sick. Hopefully Amesh would be back soon . . .

"I wouldn't count on it, sister," I told myself . M y late start proved a handicap . I was not far from th e basin when my watch read two o'clock-normally the hottes t part of the day . T o lighten my load, I was purposely drinkin g lots of water . T wo bottles were already gone. Yet now I worrie d that I was making a mistake. With all the hiking I had done s o far, over both days, I had not seen so much as a trickle of liqui d outside the mysterious basin . I wondered if the strange temples and pools took water fro m the rest of the island. A perfect question to ask my carpet . M y vow to wait on the berries did not last . T aking anothe r break, I ate about a pound and enjoyed every mouthful. A par t of me didn't care . I f the berries were poisonous, at least now I would die quickly .

While I was sitting and digesting my lunch, a big shee p walked over and casually licked my berry-stained hands . T h e creature showed no fear, which told me it was familiar wit h humans. Plus its wool was not that thick . I t had been sheared i n the last month . T alk about a morale boost . I felt like dancing!

"Where did you come from? Can you take me to you r master?" I asked the sheep as I petted it . T he animal stared a t me with soulful eyes and licked my face . I laughed; I took tha t as a yes. When I stood, the sheep began to walk in a southwestern direction . N aturally, I followed. u nfortunately, my companion was in no hurry to go home . I t stopped every few minutes to eat . I t liked the berries as muc h as I did, and enjoyed the leaves that surrounded the fruit as well . N ear sunset I came upon a herd of sheep . T he herd was a fair size-i counted at least fifty beasts. A dozen goats mingle d with the crowd. On the whole they were not as friendly as th e sheep, except for one . T his girl-there was no mistaking her gender-came ove r and nuzzled me. Lowering my gaze, I saw why . I ts huge teat s were swollen with milk. A pity I was a city girl-i didn't know a thing about milking animals. But the goat refused to accep t that . I t made a loud baying noise and tried to bite me .

"Hey!" I shouted, shoving it away. " I'm not dinner." t he sun went behind the hills; the light grew dim . S till, I had yet to meet any people. Luckily, the herd finally took not e o f the time. With the goats leading, it set off due west at a bris k pace . I kept to the side of the animals and tried to avoid thei r droppings . I t was dark when I finally saw three torches burning u p ahead . T hey were attached to a well, which stood between tw o buildings. Left of the well was a large wooden barn with a triangular roof . I t looked like it had been painted brown . I ts door s were wide open, and the animals jostled happily toward them . T he design of the house was different from the barn . T h e exterior was made of stone . I t was hard to be certain in the dark, b ut it seemed to weave across the side of a hill . T he hill itsel f was rocky, too. Perhaps because I was exhausted, but it was eas y to pretend that the house had grown out of the hill. While th e barn looked like a recent addition, there was an old feeling t o the house . N o one appeared to greet me . I walked toward the fron t door. Light flickered through gla.s.s . I a.s.sumed there must b e someone inside . M y heart pounded but I felt more tired tha n scared. Besides, I had no choice but to knock and wait .

A large man answered. His face made my heart skip. Hi s expression was kind, yet it had power, strength that only cam e from having lived a hard life . I saw it in his eyes; they shone a bright blue. His skin was ruddy. He had only a few wrinkles bu t his skin seemed as coa.r.s.e as the material he wore .

His clothes were from another time and place . I wanted t o c all his garment a robe, but it was probably closer to a kilt . I t reached to his knees and was beige, held up by a woolen rope .

He had an impressive belly, and a white mustache an d beard, which he kept neatly trimmed. His age was a mystery- h e was sixty, maybe older . E verything about him was oversize . I imagined I looked like a mouse to him .

He did not act surprised to see me .

"Ha talpa sang," he said in a sweet voice . I shook my head. " I'm sorry, I know only en glish. "

" engleesh? "

" en glish." I paused and pointed to myself. "American. "

"A maren." He gestured for me to enter .