Chapter 12: Risk and Reward

Jasmine watched as Abu got Aladdin's attention. The monkey tapped the boy's cheek and repeated, "Aladdin. We're here."

Aladdin shook his head like he had been having a bad dream.

"Are you alright?" Jasmine asked.

Aladdin nodded, but Jasmine was not convinced. He looked like he had swallowed hard liquor by mistake.

"Aladdin," she prompted.

Abu shushed her and hissed, "Listen."

They were on the roof nearby Syreeta's tents. From here, they could hear voices coming from the smaller tent.

"Miss Syreeta, I'm so sorry but I'm confused," a gruff male voice said. "Didna say that we might have the princess's tiger? Don't that mean that it'll be hard to sell?"

"There, there, my pet," responded a honeyed voice. "No need to fret yourself. Sweet Abdullah is fetching Jamal, such a dear. After a slice or two, he'll make us a lovely and highly-profitable tiger skin."

Jasmine looked over at Aladdin in horror.

Skin Rajah!?

"Knowing Jamal, he'll be here within the hour to do the deed. We just have to keep it until then, so no more thinking. Just do your job and guard the tent. There's a good guardsman," the sadistic merchant lady cooed.

They were going to skin Rajah in less than an hour. Allah above, they couldn't do that! Rajah was her best friend. She pushed away images of her tiger as a lifeless rug.

It was unthinkable. They just couldn't. They wouldn't.

The princess set her jaw. They couldn't do that to Rajah because she was not going to let them.

"Abbi?" Aladdin whispered, cautiously. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He had pulled them away from the edge and hopefully out of hearing distance of the heartless murderers.

The princess faced Aladdin fully. It was time for part two of the negotiation. She had one last card to play. Jasmine had wanted to save it before but now, it was time to go all in. The princess began her argument by saying, "I saved your life yesterday."

"And I saved yours," Aladdin hissed back. He thought he was ready for this. His next words proved he was not. He said, "You were going to die or get raped if you'd stayed out all night, so don't be acting like I didn't earn that headband of yours. I totally did."

"Yeah!" Abu added.

"You are right," Jasmine agreed. "You did save my life."

"Oh no!" Aladdin began and then he paused. "Wait, did you just say I was right?"

"I did," Jasmine certified. "and," she started to untie her headpiece ribbon. "I am about to give you your reward for showing me where Syreeta is."

Aladdin and Abu exchanged a look. They were obviously confused.

Jasmine hid a grim smile. Even now, she took satisfaction in crafting a good deal, possibly the most important deal she would ever make.

"So that's that," Aladdin said, still speaking softly. "We're gonna find a guard and hope that he'll believe you and check out Syreeta before the butcher comes here?" The skepticism in Aladdin's voice confirmed Jasmine's initial conclusion:

The guards would not be fast enough.

The princess held out her headpiece to the street rat.

Abu reached for it, but Aladdin smacked away the monkey's hand.

"You said no tricks," Aladdin said, glaring at her, "but this smells of a trick. You aren't really giving that to me. What's the catch?"

Jasmine kept her face neutral. "No trick. No catch. My headpiece is yours."

"I was raised on the streets, Abbi. I'm not an idiot," he said, still suspicious. "So, I'll ask you again, what game are you trying to play?"

Life and death.

Princess Jasmine looked Aladdin right in the eye for optimal effect and stated the rest of her case, "Aladdin, I had to save your life yesterday because you have two people in this city trying to kill you. Last night, they almost did. It is only a matter of time before they succeed. Unless…"

"Unless?" Aladdin repeated. He was staring at her, her headpiece forgotten. Even Abu was splitting his attention between the gem and her face.

"Unless they are dealt with," she said decisively, "sent out of the country, put in prison, or…" the princess let the rest of the sentence hang in the air heavy with meaning like the political woman she was.

"That's not possible," Aladdin said almost immediately, trying to dismiss her words. He looked back down at the headpiece as if willing himself to care about it.

Jasmine pushed the headpiece into his hands and held it there as she whispered her closing argument, "Help me and I promise, along with getting you and Abu more gems like this, I'll make Babkak and Omar disappear."