Elsewhere in the palace someone else was not enjoying dinner. In fact Jafar had just thrown a whole melon at Iago when Iago had suggested. "Well, things could've gone worse."

Jafar shouted in rage. "The only thing that's worse is I still haven't been able to get into the Cave of Wonders to get that cursed lamp. Don't you dare prattle to me with your inanities, Iago."

"My what?" Iago scrapped off the pieces of melon. "Be careful, Jafar. Friendship stretches only so far and you really pushed it there tonight. Murder, Jafar? I never signed on for that."

"Shut up you, red-feathered fool. I should've left you in that cage in the bazaar."

"So, I lost a big bet in a high-stakes poker game. Sue me. I had four aces; how was I to know the other guy had five." He cocked his head at Jafar. "You know you humans aren't so clean around here either when it comes to selling each other for debts."

Jafar glared at him. "The only difference is you can be plucked and served up roasted for dinner. So watch yourself, Iago, or you may find yourself the main course."

Iago shivered and wisely said nothing. Jafar really worried him. His attempted murder of Razoul and his plans to kill the Princess indicated he'd crossed some moral line and it would be a good time for this bird to seriously start looking for the exits.

He flapped over to a pile of books on the Cave of Wonders and decided to change the subject. He cocked his head at the books. "So what went wrong this time with the Cave of Wonders?" He'd been with Jafar the first time they'd tried to get in and the second attempt also but now after several failures he felt they needed another approach.

Jafar sighed. "The person I took was not worthy enough. The politician's oaths that he cared about the voters more than himself were not of whole cloth. Needless to say he was not what the Cave called the 'diamond in the rough."

"And what does that mean?" Iago paused and considered. "Let's review what we do know. Diamonds never look like much in their rough state. In fact they look like sanded glass. It's only after they're cut and polished do we know their real worth."

Jafar glared at him. "I know that, you stupid bird. That's so obvious. We both figured that out the first time. The question is what does the Guardian of the Cave consider worthy? What's valuable to it may not be valuable to us."

Iago tossed some grapes in the air, caught and swallowed them. "Then the answer is you need to do some more research. I mean we found out how to locate the Cave and how to open it from these books that I acquired and we found out that the lamp is still in there. They should tell you why the Cave was created and what its purpose is if you study them."

Jafar turned away in disgust. "You do it. I'm going to bed."

"Jafar. It's after two in the morning and I need my beauty sleep." Iago protested from the pile of books.

Jafar turned his head and his eyes turned red as he glared at him. "Just like those idiot astronomer magicians viewing the lovely stars in their lame excuse for an observatory. You want your beauty sleep." He mocked. "Me? I have a sudden craving for roasted fowl. Do you get my meaning, foul one?"

"Okay. Okay. If you're going to be that way about it." Iago griped. He waited until the door closed and began to curse softly. "Who comes up with all the great ideas? Me. Who has to carry them out? Me. Why do I even put up with this guy?"

He stopped and sniffed. "Roast chicken?" He looked around. "Jafar?" There was no answer but the smell grew stronger. "Okay, okay, I'll do it." The scent faded. Iago waited until he was sure Jafar was gone and growled softly. "I've got to start looking for the exits. This guy's a psychopath." He opened the book on the top of the pile and began to read.