"Well, here's something."said Mihrimah, picking up a hair. "I always knew cat hairs were good for something."she said. "I would look for my cat's hairs, see."she told them. "As cats always shed and they leave fur all over the place. Esmikhan!"she exclaimed, as she saw the cat walk in.
"Where did the cat come from?"asked Aladdin.
"I suppose she must have gotten here. She sometimes disappears and comes back, wherever, really."Mihrimah explained. "She's not just an ordinary cat. I am, after all, not just an ordinary witch. Or princess. That's what my teachers and Father always say. So, he gave me Esmikhan."
"Interesting story."said Jasmine sarcastically.
"Why, thank you."said Mihrimah. "I've never really thought about it being interesting, though. It just seemed...ordinary. Anyway, who will take the potion?"
"I guess...I thought you would."said Aladdin.
"Oh."said Mihrimah. "I guess I could."
She took the potion, and was immediately indistuingashable from one of the bandits.
"I guess it will just have to look like I'm taking you guys somewhere else."she said, taking her wand, and pointing it at the door.
The door opened, and Esmikhan walked out, and stood waiting for the rest of them.
"Let's go."
"Oh, no! It's just our luck!"she whispered. "They have to have someone here. Exactly why do we need a guard is what I'd like to know? Do you suppose they suspect?"
"I don't know."
"Stupefy!"
"You killed him!"exclaimed Jasmine.
"Quiet! Of course not. He's just stunned. He'll be up a little later."she said,taking his keys. "Now we can get out of here, with less problems. If we have the keys. We should go out this way."
When they were almost out, Esmikhan ran into the room, and began to distract anyone who might have looked in their direction. They made it out, and she went after them.
"How could the cat have caused the distraction?"
"All cats can. Especially Esmikhan with her expensive bells and everything."
"Now we have to find our way back."said Aladdin.
Mihrimah consulted her star chart.
"No we don't."she said. "See, we're closer than ever to our destination."
"What about the others."
Mihrimah thought for a second.
"Well, they'll catch up with us, won't they?"she said.
"But they don't know where we are."
"Well...I suppose we could look for them first."she said.
Yeah, right she thought to herself.
"Then we go this way."she told them, looking at her star chart.
"You're sure?"
Mihrimah sighed.
"You don't trust me."she said.
"Uh, yeah, we do."
"Good, then it's this way."
Tulip was as good as his word about not removing the Silencing Charm.
"Ah, finally."said Genie. "Finally, an entire day without listening to the parrot. It's a miracle."
Iago moved his beak but no sound came out. Abu laughed. Iago glared at him.
"Now, parrot,"Tulip said. "You better stop tapping on my shoulder, otherwise, I will have to use a full Body Binding spell on you."
Iago had been tapping on him in hope of him chaning his mind and giving his voice back. Seeing how the only thing he was going to achieve was to have another spell cast on him, he sulked instead.
"Much better."
Genie and Abu snickered.
"We've been walking for two nights straight now!"said Aladdin. "I still don't see why we can't travel during the day, and not night."
"We're in a desert. It wouldn't be wise to travel during the day."Mihrimah told him.
"I don't think it's wise to sleep during the day in a desert, either!"exclaimed Jasmine.
"Well, see, um, that way, um, you're less aware of the heat."
"And why haven't we found the others yet?"asked Jasmine.
Mihrimah consulted her star chart.
"We're almost there."she said, looking up at the sky.
"That's what you said yesterday."said Aladdin.
"Well, because we are almost there. The problem is we're going to have to wait. And pray that it's not cloudy."
"What do the clouds have to do with anything?"asked Aladdin.
"Um, that then we could get confused."
"Okay..."
"Well, the point is, hopefully we find our destination, because we have to! My very life depends on it!"she said dramatically.
