Iago was going crazy trying to convince anyone to help him. He'd had the doors of the palace slammed in his face but that was understandable with the uproar going on in there after Jafar's visit. He gathered from what they were saying as he flew above the walls that Jasmine and Razoul had been snatched already. He had started to fly to Sarah's home but then he realized that they would be little help. He needed somebody who could do magic or at least defend against it.
Then he remembered Jafar's comments about the astronomers in the tower as being second rate magicians and worthless to boot. Well, any port in a storm. He tried to land on top of their tower but hit an invisible barrier.
"What in blazes?" He muttered and flew down to the lower entrance.
There the apprentice greeted him with his hand out. "No admission without paying."
Iago had had enough. "Here's my coin, kid." and he bit him so hard on his outreaching hand that the man screamed and fell on his backside. "I hate people who're even greedier than I am." Iago growled as he flew up the stairs.
Once at the top he banged repeatedly on the door with his beak until the door cracked open. "What do you want?" A surly voice asked.
"To save the Princess!" He yelled. "She's been kidnapped by Jafar."
A hand descended on Raz the assistant Astronomer Royal's shoulder and pulled him out of the way and then threw the door back. "What's this about the Princess?" Growled General Ayverli.
A half hour later a squad of forty soldiers, the General, and the four astronomers were following Iago and riding towards the location of the Cave of Wonders.
Outside the Cave of Wonders Aunty dropped down besides Jafar, letting Razoul fall on his face in the sand. "What's the plan?" She growled. "You can't just tell her to get the lamp. Then she'll use it on us."
Jafar smiled evilly. "That's the beauty of bringing someone along she cares about, you can make them so cooperative. Give me some of your magic to mingle with mine so my spell will work on him." She nodded and complied.
He kicked a foot into Razoul's side and rolled the big man over on his back. He then leaned down and gestured. A silver dagger appeared over Razoul's heart and hung there quivering. He gestured again and Razoul was awake but unable to move. Jafar smiled. "With Aunty's power combined with mine you're no longer immune. Isn't it grand?" Razoul spit at him.
Jafar kicked Razoul in the side again and then turned and waved his hand bringing Jasmine to her feet. With another wave he brought her back to consciousness where she glared at him. "I should've killed you that night on the balcony." She snarled.
"I love you too, Princess." He replied. He pointed down at Razoul with the dagger hovering over his chest. "I've arranged a little fun thing for your friend here. If you don't do exactly what we say or anything happens to us, then this dagger plunges into his heart and, poof, no more friend."
"Razoul, no." She whispered.
Razoul looked into her eyes and declared. "Don't do it, Princess. I'd rather be dead."
Jafar kicked him in the side, eliciting another grunt of pain and a savage look. "That can be arranged, fool."
"No." Jasmine gasped and then anger flared in her eyes. "What do you want with us, you miserable excuse for a human being?"
Aunty laughed. "She certainly has you pegged."
Jafar glared at the old woman before turning back to the princess. "My new friend here is going to open the Cave of Wonders. The Guardian will ask you questions. When it asks if you're the diamond in the rough, tell it yes because you've been revealed to be more than some airhead as I've had the grief to learn." He grinned evily. "It'll then let you in the Cave of Wonders. According to the legend it'll allow you to bring a companion with you. In this case it'll be this sweet, dear, old bat who'll make sure you follow our instructions exactly."
"Old bat, am I?" Aunty growled.
He ignored her. "When you're inside you must bring out the lamp without doing any more than holding it. Any other action will ensure your friend here will be personally acquainted with all seven inches of dagger. Do we understand each other?"
She nodded and growled. "And remember this, Jafar and Aunty, if you harm him then the way I'll kill you will be painful beyond your imagining."
"I am so scared." Jafar said with a fake shiver while Aunty just laughed.
"You should be." She said coldly. "As you said. I'm not a sheltered little Princess anymore." She looked down at Razoul. "Be strong, my friend and know this. I do love you."
"How touching." Jafar said. He turned to Aunty. "Open the Cave of Wonders!"
Aunty put the two pieces of scarab together and they leaped like a living butterfly into the air and sped over to strike the surface of a dune in front of them. Jasmine let out a little gasp as the Cave of Wonders rose out of the sands in all its glory.
"Who disturbs my slumbers?" The Guardian intoned.
Jafar waved Jasmine forward. "Remember that the dagger is poised over the heart of your little friend here."
Jasmine gave him a hate-filled glare and strode forward to face the Guardian. "It's I, Jasmine, a princess of Agrabah."
The Guardian started back. "It's been ages since a princess has trod here." It recovered quickly. "Know this. Only the diamond in the rough may enter here and take out the lamp. Are you the diamond?"
"Yes." Jasmine said. She looked back at Razoul and saw encouragement and love and suddenly knew the complete answer. "And not because I'm a princess, but because I was once a spoiled brat which hid all my good qualities. Now I've come to realize that everyone, commoners and royalty alike has qualities that are good when they are brought forth and polished. I have come to realize that love does not respect station in life and shines for all and I plan to rule accordingly." She looked directly at Razoul as she finished and got an approving nod.
The Guardian said solemnly. "You are indeed the diamond in the rough. You and one companion may enter." Then it said angrily. "But not that dog Jafar." Jafar glared at it but said nothing. "Be warned. Touch nothing but the lamp." It admonished in its solemn voice.
Jafar growled at Jasmine. "Remember Princess, only carry the lamp and do not let Aunty have it or your lover dies."
Aunty grinned. "I love you too, Jafar." To Jasmine she commanded. "Let's go, girl."
"You know." Jasmine said to her. "He'll betray you in a second."
"Not if I get him first." Aunty shoved her. "Let's get this over with."
Jasmine was stunned by all the gold coins and jewels that were everywhere, spilling out of vases and treasure chests. Diamonds, rubies and emeralds covered the ground. "Where did all this come from?" She asked Aunty.
Aunty who was staring with drool coming out of her mouth wiped it off and said. "Izra the Mad. He had some idea about creating a golden age. He ended up cooking his own goose."
They went on a couple hundred feet and then a stone door rose out of the ground and swung open. "Down here?" Jasmine asked.
"I guess so." Aunty gestured her on. "I think it'll show us exactly where it is. As I said. Izra the Idiot." The two passed through the door.
A couple of minutes later two shadowy figures stepped out and stared after the two. "Well, this is different." The small dumpy one declared.
The beautiful, dark-skinned blond said. "I guess the Guardian has finally found a Diamond in the Rough."
"Do you think it'd let us leave then?" He asked hopefully.
She shrugged. "Maybe. But something's not right. Did you see how angry and upset the young woman was? It was like she was being threatened. I'm curious. Let's follow them." Abis Mal nodded and they slipped down the passage way.
Jasmine found herself almost overcome with awe. Each room was more spectacular than the one before with higher and ever higher piles of coins and jewels and then finally something different. They entered a room through two large doors and found it was filled with rolled up carpets.
"Carpets?" Jasmine asked. "Why carpets?"
"Haven't you ever heard of flying carpets?" Aunty sniffed. "Forget them. The lamp is what is important."
There was a musical sound and a small carpet with an intricate design sprang up in front of them and began vibrating happily. Jasmine smiled at it. "You're cute."
"It's a pest." Aunty snapped. She drew back her hand and hurled a ball of flaming magic which blew it into a pile of carpets. "And stay there." She growled.
Jasmine held a hand out to it. "I'm sorry, boy." The carpet went ding sadly.
Aunty grabbed her shoulder. "Come on, you're wasting my time." She then dragged Jasmine out of the room.
The small carpet lifted itself up off the pile of rugs and shook a rolled up tassel in Aunty's direction. Its musical sounds indicated that it was not pleased. It flopped down, got to its tassels and stood there staring after them with its tassels folded where its hips should've been. It shook its tassels and started after them with determination in its stride.
"Hello, carpet." Jean said from behind it. "It's been what? Three thousand years since we last met?"
The carpet whirled and then leaped into her arms where it began wiggling and ritching around, making musical noises. "I'm glad to see you too." She said as she kissed it on its top hem. The carpet blushed.
"A carpet?" Abis Mal reached out a hand and rubbed its hem. It purred like a happy cat. "I like it. It's nice." The carpet leaped out of her arms and wrapped itself around him, purring wildly. "Whoa, easy boy."
"It likes you too." She said with a grin. "Hey, carpet, we're following those two. Do you want to give us a ride?"
The carpet made a musical salute with one tassel, unpeeled itself from Abis Mal, leaped into the air, flew around the room and then dove under them to lift them into the air in pursuit of Jasmine and Aunty.
"Whoa!" Abis Mal shouted. "This is fun." The carpet made musical noises of appreciation and sped up.
At the same time General Ayverli looked over at the four astronomers while his forty soldiers took up positions surrounding the entrance to the Cave of Wonders. "How much magic can you four do? Can you take out Jafar?"
The Astronomer Royal shook his head. "Even all of us together couldn't do more than disconcert him and that's if we surprised him." He pointed to where Jafar stood over Razoul. "He'd kill Razoul before we could do even that."
Raz leaned over to the head astronomer and whispered. "Maybe we're approaching this wrong. We all know several spells for cleaning the tower and maintaining and using the viewing spell. What if we used them on Jafar and that spell he's doing down there?"
The Astronomer Royal grinned. "That might work if we all did it together. It might even disrupt that spell he has on the guardsman. However, we need a good spy to get us some information as to what's going on and what that spell of his can do. It would have to be someone Jafar knows and might even trust." They all turned to look at Iago.
"Oh, brother, here we go again." Iago complained.
The doors that now opened before them led Jasmine and Aunty further and further down into the lower levels. One room they entered was filled with magic mirrors. While Aunty took a pause to catch her breath and drink from a small flask she carried with her, Jasmine took a moment to look at the mirrors. Some were dark and unresponsive but others flickered with small lights deep inside them.
One of the latter formed letters that read. "ASK, WHO's THE FAIREST IN THE LAND?"
"Who is the fairest?" Jasmine asked, repeating what it had said but not really asking.
A face that was ghostly white formed and said. "PRINCESS JASMINE, YOU ARE FAIR AND BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD BUT THE ONE FAIRER THAN YOU IS SNOW WHITE."
Aunty who had finished her drink came over and stared at it. "Who's Snow White?"
"WRONG QUESTION. ASK WHO'S THE FAIREST." The mirror replied.
"All right, you hunk of silvered glass, who is the fairest besides Snow White?" Aunty snapped.
"WELL, IT ISN'T YOU, YOU OLD HAG. YOU'D WIN ANY UGLY CONTEST HANDS DOWN."
"Why you." Aunty's fireball smashed the mirror into hundreds of shards as Jasmine ducked. Aunty blew smoke off the tip of her finger. "I hate uppity spirits."
"Now you've done it." Chortled the hundreds of fragments in voices like mice. "That's seven thousand years bad luck."
Aunty shrugged. "That'd be an improvement over my usual luck." She grabbed Jasmine by the arm. "Come on, the lamp's waiting."
After they left the room the fragments whirled up and spiraled back into their frame, reforming the mirror. A white mask appeared and shook its head. "I GET ALL THE WEIRDOS. FIRST THE EVIL QUEEN AND NOW HER UGLY COUSIN."
A few minutes later the carpet with its two companions hovered in the center of the room. The carpet dinged and held up a tassel.
"You're right, carpet. We're getting too close." Jean replied. "Let's wait a minute."
Abis Mal asked. "I was wondering about our friend here. Who is he?"
The carpet dinged and dinged repeatedly and then fell silent. Jean said. "The closest I can interpret it is that he was an air spirit, another type of dijin and Izra the Mad transformed him. But he likes what he's become. He wouldn't change for any reason but he'd still really like to get out of here."
"Well, if we find a way out then you can come with us, fellow." Abis Mal replied, patting the carpet on its hem. It dinged happily. "Do you have a name you'd rather we call you instead of just carpet?"
The carpet just shrugged and shook itself. "I guess carpet is just fine with you." Abis Mal stated as he patted it again. The carpet dinged happily.
"ASK WHO'S THE FAIREST IN THE LAND."
They all turned and stared at the mirror. The carpet dinged and jerked.
A white mask with black holes for eyes, nose and mouth appeared. The face in the magic mirror replied. "YOU'RE RIGHT, CARPET." Its eyes turned on them. "JEAN IS THE FAIREST AND AUNTY AGATHA IS THE UGLIEST."
Jean blushed. "No, I'm not the fairest."
"YES, YOU ARE. BESIDES IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO. GIVE THAT OLD BAT A KICK IN THE SHINS FOR ME." The face faded away.
Jasmine and Aunty found that the final approach to the lamp was a long spiral staircase that led to a stone landing fronting a lava lake that rolled and simmered. A line of stepping stones led out to a pedestal on which the lamp stood. A spot light shone on the lamp. Jasmine stood there staring at the lamp, wondering if the steps were safe.
Aunty cuffed her on the shoulder. "Go on, girl. Go and get the lamp."
Jasmine snarled. "I meant what I said. If you harm Razoul in any way, I'll kill you."
"And if you try and harm me, then Jafar and the spell will finish him." Aunty snapped back. "Now, get out there."
Jean, Abis Mal and the carpet were all watching around a turn of the stairs. "So now we know the hold the old bat has over her." Abis Mal declared. "It's that villain Jafar who tricked me in here. I'd like to kick him where it would do some good." The carpet shook its tassels angrily in agreement.
Jean put her hand to her forehead and wrinkled her brow as she concentrated. Her two companions just watched her silently. "All right." She declared. "I can see the spell line running from that old witch back to a man lying on the ground with a dagger poised to plunge into his heart." She squinted her eyes and then shook her head. "That's a nasty spell. If the old bat is harmed or she gives it a command, then it activates."
"Can you remove it?" Abis Mal asked.
Jean shook her head. She concentrated again and suddenly she smiled. "But it does have a backdoor. I can step in and substitute. Idiot magicians. They're lousy programmers."
She looked at Abis Mal. "Understand that the spell will still be active but by taking the old bat's place we can get this woman some freedom but I will now be the one connected to the spell."
"How long will that take?" He asked.
"Not long. If you two can distract her, then it'll be easier."
Abis Mal looked over at the carpet. "I'm shorter, I'll hit her low and you hit her in her ugly puss." The carpet waved a tassel in the affirmative.
Jean put a hand on his shoulder. "Almost ready and when I lift my hand you go." He nodded and tensed along with the carpet. "Now!" She shouted as her hand came up.
Aunty whirled to see a short, stout man in a Bedouin outfit rushing at her and a very angry carpet diving at her. She gaped and then fired a spell that burnt a hole in the stairs under Abis Mal's feet. Then she jerked upright as someone stepped into the spell link.
"Surprise, surprise." Jean whispered in Aunty's mind as she seized control. At the same time a still smoking Abis Mal and a mad carpet crashed into her together. Aunty was bowled over and crashed to the ground where she lay with a glazed look.
Jean came unsteadily down the steps. "Oh what a nasty mind you have, my dear." She whispered. She looked over at a very frightened Jasmine. "It's all right. Your man is safe for the moment. I've taken control of her." To Abis Mal she asked. "Are you all right?"
Abis Mal was beating sparks out in his robe. "I like baked rolls, I didn't say I wanted to be one." She gestured and the fires went out. "Thanks, love." He said.
She smiled. "That's the first time you've called me that."
He inspected his robes and then smiled back at her. "I intend for it not to be the last time, love." The carpet saluted her.
"Who are you people?" Jasmine asked. "The rug I met recently but I don't know you two."
Abis Mal made a stubby little bow. "I'm Abis Mal, a leader of a band of surly desert skunks." He smiled weakly. "I should say former leader. After Jafar put me in here and I met Jean, I've given up all thoughts of robbing anybody. This by the way is my girlfriend Jean, a former dijin whom I freed from her ring." Jean nodded at Jasmine while wiping sweat off her brow. Abis Mal smiled. "And you are?"
The Princess smiled back. "I'm Princess Jasmine of Agrabah and I'm glad to meet all of you." She ignored their gasps and looked at Jean. "What did you mean that you've taken control of this, this..?" She pointed at Aunty as words failed her as her anger at the old woman threatened to overwhelm her.
"Just what I said, Princess." Jean replied. She was trembling and Abis Mal came over and offered his arm for support which she gratefully accepted. "I've taken control of her mind magically and I'm tying the spell on you and your man to me and breaking it free of her. The spell is not over, but now you can act more freely."
"Can't you get rid of the spell?" Jasmine asked.
"No. Sorry. I lost too much power when I was freed from the ring and I probably didn't have it even when I was a genie. I was a very low level genie. This is such a high order spell that I'm not sure even the genie in the lamp out there on the pedestal can unravel it without setting it off."
Abis Mal patted her hand. "No one could've done better." She briefly hugged him.
Jasmine frowned. "So, the lamp contains a genie. The three wish kind?"
Jean nodded and the carpet dinged. Jasmine turned to face the lamp on its pedestal. "And if I retrieve it, then I can get his help?"
"Yes." Jean replied. "But be warned. He's a little peculiar."
"Peculiar I can live with." Jasmine declared.
She hopped down off the pier onto one of the stepping stones. She skipped from one to the other until she reached the pedestal. She took the lamp and stuck it inside her blouse and then started back across the stones.
Abruptly the stones started shaking. Two of them ahead of her vanished into the lava. Before she could say anything the carpet had scooped her up, whisked her off the stones, and back to the pier. All the stones vanished and the pedestal sank into the lava. A deep bass rumbling began as rocks fell into the lava.
"Guardian, what do you think you're doing?" Jean yelled.
"That wasn't nice." Abis Mal declared.
The rumble of the Guardian came in reply. "Part of the test for the diamond in the rough was that they had to make friends on the way who would help her escape. Since none of you would activate the test by touching things you shouldn't then I had to begin the final test myself. Good luck." Stones and rocks began falling from the ceiling.
"I know he's crazy now." Abis Mal declared.
"Get Aunty on carpet and then we all have to get on." Jean commanded. She looked up as a huge rock fell into the lava. "This is worse than any time I spent with Caesar."
Abis Mal shoved the old woman on board and then hopped up with Jasmine. Jean settled behind the two as they sped back up towards the surface. "Why didn't we just leave her?" He asked Jean.
Jean grimaced. "Her death would've activated the spell for sure. Come on, carpet give it all you've got." The carpet dinged and they sped up the channels, pursued by a golden flood of lava.
They twisted and turned and Abis Mal thought he'd surely throw up. Then they were corkscrewing through a tunnel with the roaring of the Guardian filling their ears and he did throw up. "Sorry." He said weakly to Jasmine and the carpet.
Jasmine was too busy doing the same to answer. The carpet dinged several times.
"He says it'll wash off." Jean interpreted for him.
They shot past the mirrors and it looked for a moment like one waved goodbye to them with a white-gloved hand before the golden flood swept it away. Then they were into the carpet room and through the two doors. Immediately several carpets sprang to their tassels and slammed the doors shut. There was a resounding crash as the flood collided with the doors and then silence.
It took them several moments to realize it was over and they could stop. The resounding voice of the Guardian said plaintively. "I wasn't done."
The carpet gently deposited its human cargo and then sprang erect. It shook its tassels angrily and trumpeted out a reply. There was silence and the carpet turned and kicked dust behind itself.
Jean wiped dirt away from her eyes and interpreted. "He says that you're done as far as he and his carpet friends are concerned. They decided they weren't going to be burned up just for your stupid test. Besides she passed it, so shut up."
The answer from the Guardian was offended silence.
There were several muted dings behind them. They turned to see ten more carpets, each with different combinations of colors who were jumping up and down. One about two feet long ran over and cuddled up to Abis Mal who grinned as he patted it and it purred. "I think we found some new friends." It licked his face.