Chapter Three

Predatory Justice

Time seemed to stand still, with no sound, other than the old man's whispered prayers. After what seemed to be an eternity, the aged fellow cracked open an eyelid.

He was amazed to see that the huge purple creature's attention was diverted. He glanced over and saw what had distracted him. A large, bright scrap of cloth that has been used to wrap the present that he wanted to give to his wife in Agrabah was now blowing aimlessly across the ground in the breeze. At the sight of it, he was instantly reminded of all that had been taken from him earlier that day. Overcome by his loss, he began to weep in self-pity.

He was barely aware of the presence of the colossal serpent, as it turned its attention back to him. Until he heard a single sound.

"Ahem."

The sound of a voice deeper than any baritone singer he had ever heard softly called for his attention. Tears streaming down his face, he lifted his eyes, to face whatever fate was in store for him. Much to his surprise, this incredible creature did indeed possess the power of communication.

"The chilly breeze. That scrap of colorful cloth." The winged serpent slowly brought forth its right wing, the feathers on the end balling up to resemble a hand with a pointing index finger. "That small doll which you clutch to so tightly."

The avian-reptile crossbreed paused slightly, as if to gather its thoughts. Then it continued.

"These signs all point toward the same thing." It slowly leaned its snakelike body forward, until it was gazing at the shivering human eye to eye. It then asked its question.

"Is this the time of the holiday of the winter season?" Its low rumbling voice asked in a manner that did not sound threatening, just gently inquisitive.

Unable to find his own voice, the old man just nodded numbly. Then he thought that this super-sized snake might become upset if he didn't respond. He cleared his throat quietly and answered. "Yes, sir. Yes, it is. Well…Actually, it is the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice. It marks the end of the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It moves around the calendar from year to year. This year it happens to fall around the same time as the Winter Solstice." He tried to sound confident, but his wavering voice refused to cooperate.

He was then stunned by the mystical serpent's reaction. He saw it rise up slowly and extend its right wing, forming the feathers to imitate a huge outstretched human hand. Its voice, though still phenomenally deep, sounded actually jovial.

"Then, amigo, in the spirit of the season, allow me to give you my assistance. I am Malcho the Great, King of the Rainforest and visitor to the desert. And you are?"

Looking up to the incredible creature in awe, the human instinctively raised his arm to shake hands, as it were. "Achmed. I am a citizen of Agrabah."

Malcho smiled as best as a creature that looks like a giant snake could as he pulled the human easily to his feet. Using his wings to brush off the dirt and dust from Achmed, Malcho asked a few subtle questions.

"So, Achmed is it? How did you become injured, if I might ask?" asked Malcho, feigning concern.

"I was on my way home from another city when I was set upon by robbers, who stole all of my holiday gifts that I was bringing home for my family." Achmed moaned in sorrow.

"Bandidos?!?" asked Malcho. Now his interest was genuine. As Achmed recounted what he remembered, Malcho set about to trying to pick up the scent of the ruffians.

"How long ago were you attacked, Achmed?" Malcho didn't even get up from the ground that he was furiously sniffing when he asked.

Not quite sure of what was happening, Achmed answered. "About an hour or so. Why, Malcho?"

Malcho let a sly smile spread across his face. "Because their scent is still fresh. They shall be very easy to find." Malcho looked back and saw the injured human hobbling forward. "You are going to come with me, amigo, to reclaim what is rightfully yours." Noting the leg, and figuring that this particular human would never be any threat, Malcho made a judgment call. "Hop aboard my back, Achmed, right before my wings, and hold on tight."

Achmed stood there a moment, amazed that a huge predator was offering to help him retrieve the meager goods that were stolen from him. At Malcho's insistence, he climbed on his back, grateful for Malcho for providing an assisting push with his wing.

Once he was securely seated, Malcho slithered forward with increasing speed. Getting into a straightway, he called over his shoulder. "Hang on, amigo!" With those words, he flapped his majestic wings and they soared skyward.

Following the freshly scented trail, Malcho had no trouble finding the cave hideout of the thieves. He circled at a low altitude, noting the location of the guard, before coming to rest in a patch of dense foliage. He told Achmed to slide off and stay put.

Achmed wanted to assist, but was blocked by a mighty wing.

"No, Achmed. You must stay put. I work best when I am alone. Besides, if anything were to happen to you, then I would have no idea of where in Agrabah to return your body to have your family informed of your fate. So, stay here and stay down until I call for you. Got it, amigo?"

Achmed reluctantly hunkered down in the dense brush, while Malcho slithered out of sight. Scooting around, Achmed found a comfortable, but well-concealed vantage point, which gave him a clear view of the opening of the cave. The guard stood there, sword in his scabbard, not looking particularly alert.

It cost him dearly.

Faster then the blink of an eye, Malcho lunged forward and whip-cracked his feathered tail in the face of the guard. The limp body flew over fifty feet away and landed in an unmoving heap.

Shouts and sounds of alarm came from inside the cave. They turned to bloodcurdling screams of terror as Malcho swiftly slithered inside the cave opening. The sounds that came from within that cave grew to such an awful state that Achmed had to press his hands over his ears to try and block them out.

Achmed lost track of time, but snapped out of it when he felt a tap upon his shoulder. Startled, he jumped and spun around, to find the form of Malcho before him.

Forming his left wing into the shape of a fist with thumb extended backward, Malcho pointed over his shoulder. "Would you like to go in there and pick out the items that are yours, por favor?"

"It is safe to go in, now?" he asked. Malcho nodded. As Achmed got to his feet with Malcho giving a powerful assist, he looked up into his benefactor's face. "May I ask why you have chosen to help me with these robbers, Malcho?"

Malcho opened his mouth, but no sound came forth. He closed his jaws and looked as if he were searching for the right words to use. Finally averting his eyes slightly and gazing into the distance, he replied softly.

"I, too, have suffered the pain and humiliation of losing something I treasured to a thief." Malcho shook his head slightly, pointed back over his shoulder to the cave entrance and slithered away silently, lost in his private thoughts.

As Achmed hobbled toward the cave opening, he looked around. The guard's body was nowhere to be seen. He glanced back at Malcho. 'By Allah, did he become fatter since he went in that cave?' he thought.

Hobbling inside the cave entrance, he heard a drawn out belch behind him. He then heard the deep voice of Malcho muttering. "Just as rancid as those repulsive buzzards." Achmed shuddered in disgust and went inside. As he feared, once he made inside, not a single body was to be seen.

There were various piles of treasure strewn about, but what caught Achmed's attention was what he had wanted. In a far corner, the presents that he had brought for his family lay in a heap. He sat down next to them, holding them up to the torchlight. There was the dress for his wife, covered with dust, but otherwise intact. There was the set of painted blocks for his son, scattered about carelessly. There was the fruits that had been rummaged through, but not eaten. It was all here. He gingerly placed them all in a nearby sack, and headed to the cave entrance. He stood there for a moment, then looked back. The glitter of the coins and jewels beckoned him, but he sighed sadly. 'Better to be honest and poor, than to be a common thief, like they were,' he thought to himself. He heaved his present-filled sack and walked out of the cave.

As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the sunlight, he saw Malcho resting in a sun-drenched patch of stone. As he approached, he thought, 'Yes, Malcho has definitely gotten fatter since before.'

Malcho heard Achmed approaching. "Ah, there you are, Achmed. Have you retrieved all of the gifts that you had bought for your family? As Achmed answered, Malcho took an experimental sniff. Peering down at the sack, then back up, Malcho asked an unexpected question. "May I see those gifts, por favor?" When Achmed gave him a look of incomprehension, Malcho added. "Please?" He forced a pleasant smile to his face when he made that last request.

Not quite understanding why this unique creature would have any interest in the things he wanted to give to his family, Achmed opened up his sack with a shrug. He saw Malcho's head loom before him, inhaling deeply, forked tongue flicking lightly over the gifts within. Then the giant mop-haired serpent's head drew back slowly, a look of disbelief in Malcho's eyes.

"You have surprised me, amigo. There were jewels and other glittering shiny items in there that humans usually find of great value. May I ask why you didn't touch any of those?"

Without a seconds pause, Achmed answered. "They were not mine."

Malcho the Great had seen the darker side of life, and had lived it for many years. The laws of the Rainforest dictated that only the strong survive, and that to the victor, go the property of the vanquished. He has seen that behavior displayed by countless members of every species, humans in particular who hunted animals in his domain. Yet here in front of him was a human who refused to do what seemed to be natural for all creatures to do. And his answer made it all seem so simple.

Then Malcho did something that he hadn't done for a very long time. He smiled. Not a smile of malice, nor a crafty smile. This was a smile of unanticipated and barely restrained pride.

Drawing himself up to his full height, he made an offer to Achmed. After a little wheedling, he persuaded the old human to take what was in the cave back to Agrabah. "These items do no good to anyone here, Achmed. Take them back home. If you cannot use them, then give them as gifts. Or present them to your sultan. Or offer them to the leaders of your spiritual faith. But whatever you do, please, take them." As a parting thought, he added. "Consider them a gift. From Malcho the Great, to you."

Taken aback my Malcho's argument, Achmed stammered. "But I have nothing to give to you, Malcho. After all, you did all the work here."

A hearty laugh came from the massive scaly feathered snake. "You have given me more than you know, amigo. You have given me a new perspective on humans. And if you feel that you must give me more, then you can pass on some information to me as I fly you back to Agrabah. Deal?" He again held out his right wing to shake hands.

Achmed's eyes lit up upon hearing the offer from Malcho. Grasping the gigantic wing, he shook it vigorously. "Deal."

Roughly ten minutes later, Achmed dragged out three more sacks containing the bulk of the loot in the bandit's lair. Following Malcho's instructions, they were securely tied together and draped over the serpent's body like a perfectly balanced harness. Climbing aboard, Achmed gave Malcho the okay sign. Malcho nodded, took a deep breath, and slithered forward, gaining momentum quickly. After instructing his passenger to hang on tightly, Malcho spread his impressive wings and they climbed rather unsteadily into the sky. It took Malcho a few tense moments to compensate for the extra weight and drag of his cargo and passenger, but once that was done, they sailed smoothly toward the jewel of the Seven Deserts: Agrabah.