A Whole New World (Disney Twisted Tales) - Liz Braswell Page 0,18

guess. The old man obviously thought we could carry it out easily. I see cups and pitchers and plates and vases and other house-y stuff, but no lamps yet.…”

The monkey chittered again. He sounded nervous this time and kept glancing behind them.

“Sorry, I’m looking as fast as I can,” Aladdin said, continuing their imaginary conversation. “It’s not like I can touch anything to move it aside.…”

Abu screamed and clawed Aladdin’s neck.

“What is it?” Aladdin demanded, turning around to see what was bothering his friend. There was nothing behind them, just the path they were on. And also a carpet that looked suspiciously like the one near the entrance, by the chest Abu had almost touched. It even had the same golden tassels, one on each corner.

“Huh,” Aladdin said. He turned and began walking again.

Abu was silent for a good ten seconds before beginning to screech in fear.

Aladdin whipped around.

Again, nothing.

Except for the carpet.

Which was right behind them.

Again.

Aladdin frowned, looking at the thing.

As he watched, the carpet rose hesitantly off the ground. Like a fish, or something used to swimming in the air.

Aladdin’s eyes widened in wonder.

“A magic carpet!” he said with a whistle. “Mom used to tell me bedtime stories about djinn and their magical treasures.”

He put a hand out to it, delicately, slowly.

The carpet responded, sliding forward as if propelled by an invisible breeze. Its rear flapped gently like a flag. Aladdin found himself scratching and ruffling its nap as he would a cat’s fur.

“Good…carpet. There’s a boy. Good boy. Hey…may we get on you?” he asked politely, getting an idea. It would be much faster to scour the cave from above, gliding among the dangerous piles of gold without needing to go near them.

The carpet sensed what he wanted and lowered a little, like a trained elephant going down on one knee to enable a rider to easily jump up.

Aladdin grinned.

He stepped on carefully. It was a strange feeling; the rug both gave and held under his feet, like he was walking on a pile of flax waiting to dry. He crossed his legs and settled in, putting Abu in his lap. The monkey was not entirely happy about this turn of events, but since Aladdin didn’t seem scared, he remained relatively calm.

Whether or not he won the princess, this was the best adventure of his entire life.

“We’re trying to find a lamp,” Aladdin said. He felt a bit like an idiot talking to a rug. But then again, the rug was flying. Who knew what it could understand or do? “A…special lamp?”

The rug rippled for a moment, as if thinking. Then, without a sound, it began to drift higher and higher into the air, picking up speed. Soon they were dipping and gliding around the mountains of treasure as easily as an eagle through the clouds. Abu gripped Aladdin’s arms until his tiny claws drew blood, but the boy just laughed.

Following a series of tunnels and passageways he would never be able to remember full of treasure he would never forget, they eventually came to a cave even larger than the first one. Aladdin couldn’t see the far walls; it all drifted into darkness. The bottom was filled with a lake of perfectly still, pellucid water. Rising out of the middle was an island made up of boulders that looked like mushrooms, one on top of another, with steps carved out of their middle. At the very top, a single shaft of light from somewhere high, beyond sight, illuminated a small bronze object.

The lamp.

The carpet didn’t fly to it, however; it gently set itself down on a rocky outcropping on the near wall. A narrow causeway led from there to the mound. An ancient, idolatrous golden shrine guarded the way; some unknowable god who looked like an ape with too many teeth. It held aloft a ruby the size of an orange—as if it was a lamp lighting his way.

“All right, here we go,” Aladdin said, adjusting his vest and trying to put the image of the angry god out of his mind. Something about the place, whether it was the size, the silence, or something else, kept him from just running across the causeway. Something demanded silence and respect. He found himself walking quickly but carefully, as if he was in a procession he couldn’t quite see.

He slowly and solemnly climbed up the stone steps on the island. When he finally made it to the top, Aladdin picked up the lamp carefully with both hands…but it