I must do something. I must let Aladdin know that Rasoul has been helping Saluk. thought Cassim. But there was nothing he could do for now. He looked around at the old hideout of the Forty Thieves. Of course, nothing had changed. He remembered when he had first entered. He had been looking for the Hand of Midas then. He had spent almost all his life trying to find that ultimate treasure without realizing that he already had his treasure, that was how he had become King of Thieves. He had come across an old scripture, and entered the hideout. It looked exactly as it did today. Then, of course, it had been quite empty, as the thieves weren't there. The other thieves had no idea of the room, and the golden ship that lay just beyond the hideout in the sea. He had followed the water, and come across that same room. However, even thought the Hand of Midas had not been there, he had then been sure of its existence, and was more determined than ever to find it. That was when he had heard the thieves come back. Emerging, he had seen the Forty Thieves. It had been Saluk the one who had noticed the intruder first. Although wanting to challenge him himself, the old King had insisted on the challenge. Once defeating the old King of Thieves, he had had not choice but to become King of Thieves himself. He had simply not valued his family enough. And now...what if Saluk decided to do something to them later? After all, maybe killing him wouldn't suffice. If only he could escape, and perhaps warn them that Rasoul, the head guard was helping Saluk.
Iago flew and hugged Abu.
"How I missed you, Monkey!"he cried, hugging him. "It was horrible! I was beat, and yelled at, and every effort to try to save the kids, almost got me killed! But I'm so glad to see you guys again! And the Genie, and the Rug!"
Abu made faces while trying to escape Iago's grasp.
"What a wonderful reunion!"exclaimed Genie, clicking madly at Iago and Abu. "Friends forever!"
Abu pushed Iago away, and left.
"Just give him time."said Genie.
Iago flew to Aladdin.
"We're back, Kid. So, when's your dad gonna come back? Sure did make it in time, luckily. We would've been dead in a few more minutes!"Iago covered his face at the memory.
Fahriha nodded.
"It was scary."she said.
"Yeah."said Rakim.
"And we never found Iago's treasure."said Ilyas.
"What treasure!"asked Aladdin.
Iago sighed.
"The kids have been through a very traumatic processes, Kid. Don't even remember. I'd rather forget myself!"
"But we were looking for Iago's treasure!"insisted Ilyas. "Then they took us, and it was a dark and scary place."he said.
"Iago! You were taking the kids on midnight adventures!"exclaimed Aladdin.
Iago turned around.
"I was just getting them a glass of water."
"Water? Why couldn't one of the pages do it?"
"Too lazy."said Iago.
"Who was too lazy! Whoever it was, is gonna have to explain himself! If he had just done his duty, this wouldn't have happened!"
"Uh, Aladdin, shouldn't we just be glad that they're back?"said Jasmine.
"My thoughts exactly."said Iago.
Saluk watched as the guard took the kids. At least they had done what he had wanted them to do. Get that Cassim here. He had always known that he was nothing more than a weakling, with his stupid dream of finding the Hand of Midas. If only he had been been smart enough to take care of him himself when he had noticed him that first time, instead of alerting all the other thieves. Of course things would have gone perfectly, had it not been for the idiot who was the old King of Thieves. Things had almost been so close for him to take over. Only he had insisted on taking on the challenge himself. If he had just let Saluk do it, Cassim would've died in a second, but no, the old King just had to take on the challenge himself. Saluk remembered. Things would've gone perfectly, had it not been for the King's mistake. Instead of killing him, just before raising his sword and slicing him in half when he had him cornered, and the other thieves were watching, the King had stopped, and demanded that Cassim told him how he had managed to find the hideout.
"How did you find us! No one knows of the Forty Thieves' hideout! You will tell me how you learned our secret, or you will die!"he had exclaimed.
Of course, he would have died, anyway. And suddenly, as though taking advantage of the fact that the King was suddenly off his guard, Cassim had taken his sword and stabbed the old King in the chest. All the thieves were shocked as they watched. No one could've killed the King. Saluk had stepped up, and demanded that Cassim should die for a crime against their leader, and that he, of course, was the logical successor. He had then thought that this was the perfect way to have gotten rid of the old fool. He took out his weapon, and turned to Cassim when the other thieves stopped him.
"He has killed the King of Thieves!"exclaimed Saluk.
"It was the challenge."the other thief said. "No one had ever even come so close to killing the King of Thieves. He has found our hideout, and now the King has challenged him, and he has defeated him. He should now become King of Thieves."
The other thieves agreed and insisted that that was part of the code of the Forty Thieves. Then, the whole thing began to fall apart. Saluk always knew that Cassim should not be King of Thieves, he was too soft and weak. The Forty Thieves were meant to be feared in the Seven Deserts, now they were nothing more than a bunch of treasure hunters seeking something that didn't even exist. Saluk had tried to talk to some sense into them sometimes, that the Forty Thieves should be filling the lair with real treasure, instead of going on those wild goose chases. He knew, after all, that Cassim didn't care about the group's reputation. The Forty Thieves now went only after any clues that might lead Cassim to the Hand of Midas. Other than that, Saluk watched as the loot in the lair became less and less, most of it probably going, of course, to the King, who undoubtedly, Saluk knew, would give it to any woman he would see, as he always suspected when he left the lair. The King leaving the lair, was not strange. The only thing he cared about was to see women and to find the Hand of Midas.