A Whole New World (Disney Twisted Tales) - Liz Braswell Page 0,75
to know how it all turns out. I want to win. When we rescue Maruf and get the lamp and the book, everything begins.”
“Yes,” Aladdin said cautiously. One of her words had jumped out at him. “But we’re burning the book, right?”
Jasmine stopped her pacing and stared at him. “No, Aladdin. We talked about this. It’s a valuable resource. We can use it to defeat Jafar.”
“I do not need an evil book to defeat an evil sorcerer. That even sounds like a bad idea.”
“You sound like one of the suspicious, anti-magic old folk,” Jasmine pointed out. “Like everything that comes out of magic is bad.”
“Can we talk about the genie for a moment?” Aladdin asked hotly. “He doesn’t seem evil at all. But the moment he appears in our world, his powers are used to do terrible things. He’s not bad and his magic isn’t bad—but other people are.”
“I’m not Jafar!”
“No, but you’re human, Jasmine. What if someone managed to convince you that the people really would be safer and healthier if we kept the Peacekeeping Patrols going? What if a grieving mother begged you to bring her dead child back, even as a ghoul? Wouldn’t you do it?”
They were very close, looking into each other’s eyes. Jasmine had her hands on her hips. Aladdin had his hands clenched into knots.
Morgiana appeared below them. Her footsteps were, of course, silent. She saw the two, heard the silence, and coughed nervously.
“Uh, I hate to interrupt you two…lovebirds? But it’s time.”
“We’ll be right down,” Jasmine said without taking her eyes off Aladdin. He didn’t turn, either.
“Okay…but hurry. By the stars it looks like it’s already past the third watch.” Morgiana tiptoed back the way she came as quickly as she could.
Aladdin shook his arms out and took a deep breath. “You know what? We can talk about this after we’ve rescued Maruf, Ahmed, and Shirin, and stolen the lamp, and grabbed the book, and defeated Jafar—and gotten back out alive.”
“Excellent point,” Jasmine said. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. “Let’s not leave arguing.”
“I’d rather not leave at all,” he said, pulling her close one last time.
ONCE AGAIN Aladdin found himself sitting on a rooftop. This time it was a leather tannery to the north of the palace. He wondered vaguely if this would be his last time sitting on a rooftop.
Around him was the usual detritus one found on the roofs of Agrabah: mats for drying fruit, lines for hanging clothes and rugs, a small chicken pen, the boards and ladders that had nowhere else to be stored. Also a goat, which stood there chewing and paying absolutely no attention to the strange humans who had invaded its penthouse.
With Aladdin were Morgiana and Duban, the two “handpicked thieves,” and Pareesa, whose specialty turned out to be arson. Jasmine was directing the siege of Agrabah with Sohrab back at the bread warehouse. She would order the signal for when they should set out. So now the four were just sitting under still skies, above the fear-darkened city, waiting.
Finally, after a quick look to make sure that Pareesa was trying to distract Duban with a pair of knucklebones and a game of nine squares, Morgiana broke the silence.
“You guys fighting?”
Aladdin took a deep breath. It was funny that he had come to this point with Morgiana; first they were close, and then he wrote her off…and now…and now? It was easy to talk to her. Almost like an old friend.
“We have very different ideas on what to do with the book Al Azif when we grab it.”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’d use it to wish for a giant mansion and hundreds of servants.” Morgiana sighed, swinging her legs like a young girl.
Aladdin shot her a look.
“Kidding! Sort of. My dreams of riches have been ruined by that lunatic Jafar. I don’t know what I’d do with it. Maybe bury it in the desert.”
Once again Aladdin thought back to the Cave of Wonders, the buried treasure, the buried lamp. History repeating itself…
“It’s not like the lamp or the genie, Morgiana. It doesn’t grant wishes. It’s an ancient, dark tome of evil knowledge that raises the dead and kills people and breaks all the known laws of magic. It needs to be burned.” He sighed, kicking his feet over the side of the building. “She thinks it could somehow be used for good.”
Morgiana frowned, thinking. “That’s tough. But if I were you, I’d give in to her.”