Three Wishes: Cairo (18 page)

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?” he mentally screamed.

He was thrilled to see her rub her eyes and he heard her flickering thought about being so tired and having some ringing in her ears.

Victory!

“I'm not dead just yet,” he thought. “I can communicate and I can see who I'm communicating with. Now it's just a matter of refining these new elements.” But he immediately felt more exhausted then he had ever felt before. These were new muscles that would need to be trained and exercised.

The importance of leading and ruling disappeared in an instant. Alchemy would need his entire new arsenal of talents to achieve basic survival. For the next few years, he haunted the palace and tried, at various times to communicate with those who inhabited it. He no longer was able to find any of the three who had somehow sentenced him to this life without life. No matter. He would find a way. Over time, he was able to make his voice heard almost instantly when he discovered that he could incorporate his magic into his communications. He determined that with enough practice, he might be able to 'push' his target and for an instant, control another person’s mind.

He worked feverishly until he finally 'pushed' one of the servants into scratching his nose. He celebrated like he had been crowned king of the world with that small victory. But he didn't dwell on it for long. He was building a new skill set he never even knew he had and seeing potential for a plan that included these new talents.

Alchemy was not one to surrender. Life had dealt him this unfortunate hand, but he would not be kept down. The Plan was going to be renovated dramatically, but it was still in play. On a positive side, he was now immortal and without the cumbrances that a physical body demanded. His end game didn't change one bit. He had to be able to communicate without draining his entire mental reserve and at the same time, he had to be able to inhabit a subject in order to have a physical body to do his mind's bidding.

His return from nothingness finally peaked when he entered an unsuspecting guard who mistakenly invited him into his mind and
decided
it was time to step off of the palace wall and plummet to his death. For that brief fall and climax, he again felt wind in his lungs and truly alive for the first time in years. He later cursed his decision as he felt the power of control on the helpless guard. Rather than proving he could override a human mind and reprogram it with thoughts of his own, he would have been wiser to prove he could inhabit a mortal body and use it to obtain his goals. But nonetheless, he knew it was time to start his journey back to relevance.

---------------

To this day, Alchemy had no idea how his curse had been concocted by three mere mortals, but they had somehow stumbled upon a method to erase him from his old life. He also realized that he still survived because the three of them lacked the conviction necessary to actually kill an unsuspecting target no matter how much they hated him. It also wasn't lost on him that he had actually done the exact same thing to his former king. But Alchemy also knew that he would have no hesitation moving forward and doing what was necessary to regain his footing in the physical world. It was the difference between the king of the beasts and the other animals in the kingdom.

This had been a long road back, but he had always fantasized about a trip to Egypt and the unification of two proud cultures. He also hoped that he might be able to find Ameerah still alive in Egypt. He had a new bag of tricks and was eager to test his skills outside his former home. He decided that he would leave Transjordan and head to Egypt. He would need a vessel and by sheer dumb luck had stumbled onto the pitiful Katar as he made his way east.

Alchemy smiled as he looked at his new reflection in the mirror. Control over this mortal had been almost too easy. This needy, weak creature had opened the door and invited him in. The fight for control of his body was almost laughable. Katar reinforced everything that Alchemy thought about humans. Here was a mortal who suffered from his own inaction and the ability to do what was necessary to achieve his goals. This poor creature had languished in a pool of indecision with every dream just a hair's width away. Yet now he was relegated to the rear echelon of his own mind; struggling to experience the sensation of his own lungs ever again filling with air. Katar was an afterthought and would likely never run through Alchemy's mind again.

But Ameerah.

Even now, thoughts of her were spat out like so much spoiled food. He told himself that evolved beings didn't seek revenge, but his thoughts focused on little else. In the dark and damp recesses of his mind, he fantasized about her comeuppance. Her face was the face he saw through the years of suffering and the reshaping of his powers. It had been a very long time since their last confrontation. He would concede that she’d won that battle. But she would be much older now. Even in this frail and weakened state, he'd still enjoy the pleasure of killing her with the bare hands of whatever mortal he possessed. A cold shiver of anticipation ran down his new spine as he became almost giddy with the thought of her painful death. He had already planned this down to the last exquisite detail.

He would convince someone close to her to invite him in. He would see that trust in her eyes and then, when she least suspected it, he would choke the life out of her. That look of shock and betrayal would be ample payment for the inconvenience she’d caused him. But the bonus would be that final realization that it was
he
who was the one doling out the punishment. He would see that look of acknowledgement in her eyes as they hazed over, locked into their final position and stared into eternity. The Plan had morphed to accommodate some well-deserved payback.

He couldn't help but smile at the fantasy this sweet revenge would bring. But he would have to be careful and live in the background. Ameerah had some sort of power to see through him and even the aged woman he pictured could still prove to be a worthy adversary. But Alchemy would have his revenge. He'd be present when Ameerah took her shuttering last breath.

The Plan was back on course.

As the Sultan walked through his beautiful indoor garden, he could not help but reflect on the glorious victory he had achieved. For the first time in his life he could see Enna, not as the emotional and excitable girl she had been, but as the sophisticated woman she was becoming. Some had questioned his motivation when she had been exposed to the male-dominated schools and the expensive tutors. They had trumpeted their opinions as to where women belonged in the world. But his wife had always pushed for this. It seemed that Dina had always envisioned more for her daughter and, when he witnessed his Enna’s comfortable banter with the King of Nubias; he realized that as always, Dina was right.

Enna was polite, witty and yet all parties seated at the table were well aware of her goals at the start of the meeting. She didn't flitter around the edges of their most delicate negotiations, as many politicians he had seen. Rather, she was forthright, honest and spoke exactly what came to her mind. At first he worried because it had been so long since he'd been part of a negotiation where this much honesty was brought forward. But before he could pause the dialog and take a short respite to tone down her enthusiasm, he noticed that heads around the table were nodding with approval at this refreshing approach.

In the end, she gave in on several points (that truthfully, she didn't care about to begin with), but won every important battle that she engaged in. Most importantly, all parties walked away from the table feeling satiated with good will and everyone felt that they'd won. Enna could not have handled the situation with more grace or elegance. By the end of negotiations, even the King of Nubias didn't think his first born son was good enough for Enna.

The Sultan smiled. He would be the first leader in this territory to declare a woman to be his successor. He no longer felt that his daughter should be measured by a husband. If she married, that would be wonderful, but his daughter would rule. She was born for it; the equal of any man, and he had no doubt in his mind that he was doing the right thing. He was positive that there would be dissenting view points, but he was quite sure that his daughter could handle any challenges and he would help her through the eventual transition. And with this one important decision, he felt that he was finally starting the process of healing. His heart still ached for his beloved Dina, but now, it was because of how proud she would have been in the growth of her daughter.

He still remembered the day Enna was born. His initial reaction to being told that his first child was a daughter had been one of visible disappointment. Each leader wanted a first born male heir to pass their legacy onto. Daughters were, of course, important because they made grandchildren and were nurturers and caregivers. But the birth of a son would complete a circle of life that dated back to the dawn of man. His depression grew when he was informed that his wife had experienced some complications during the process and it was feared that she might not survive the ordeal. He remembered sulking like a schoolboy and wondering how he could have such misfortune. He had even refused to meet his new child by saying, "Not until we are together as a family.”

Buried deep inside was regret that they had even chosen to conceive. After all, this was only a daughter and now, his lifelong love lay unconscious before him. He knew this wasn't his daughter's fault, but he was the king and irrationality was his right. The only time he left Dina was when the nursery staff brought his daughter in to feed. He felt strongly that he would wait until Dina viewed their daughter with him. And if she died; well, that was a discussion for a later date.

For three days he waited at Dina's bedside praying to the gods that she be granted more time. Finally on the fourth day, he noticed that the color had returned to her cheeks as she slept, and that her breathing seemed less labored.

When her eyes finally opened, the Sultan's mood brightened. His prayers had been answered and he would again have his true love at his side. Tears were still streaming down his face when their child was finally brought in. His relief was mixed with a measure of guilt for the negative thoughts he had wasted on regret surrounding Enna. He instantly fell in love with this bubbling little squirming collection of arms and legs. Since their first meeting, he had loved her without reservation. They had suffered the same strains as any normal relationship, but the pride he felt now was certainly a bonus he had never expected. This young woman had proven to be better than any number of sons he could have had. How could any daughter made from the miracle that was his now departed wife been any less than perfect? He could not have felt more secure with his decision: Enna would be the next Sultan.

---------------

How he loved these gardens. They would be his oasis in retirement. He would live out his days cultivating the soil, growing interesting new strains of vegetables, flowers and anything else that struck his fancy. He was completely lost in thought when Katar entered the room. Even the low-level and tranquil voice of his second in command startled the Sultan who jumped back to reality from a million light-years away.

“You look as if you're in another world,” Katar said quietly.

“Oh, Katar, praise the gods, you frightened me.”

“Of course, I apologize,” Katar smiled.

For just a second, the Sultan made eye contact with his trusted friend and saw what looked like panic behind his eyes. But then as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

“Are you feeling alright Katar?” said the Sultan on reflex. He had asked the question without even thinking. He didn't even really know why. But that strange
flicker
had caused a brief measure of unease and his voice filled the void.

“I'm quite fine, my Sultan,” said Katar. “In fact, I have good news about some of the vegetable plants we've been experimenting with in the inner garden.” His hand waived in the general direction he was discussing.

“Excellent,” said the Sultan as the two walked toward the massive indoor vegetable section of the garden they had both had a hand in creating. They passed by the large trees that bordered the garden and provided important shade for the smaller, more delicate plants. When he spoke, it was with genuine affection.

“This is where it all began,” said the Sultan as his eyes fogged a bit. “You know, Dina loved this place more than any room in the palace.”

“Of course she did,” smiled Katar. Alchemy still had access to the memories and emotions in Katar’s mind. He could feel the love of the Sultan's wife, and of the gardens.

“The oddest part of it all was that Dina could not grow a plant to save her life. She tried vegetables, flowers, even trees, yet she always killed whatever she was trying to grow. Sometimes she used too much water, other times, too much animal dung. When we finally built this full garden; much of it a credit to you, Katar, she instantly fell in love with it.”

Alchemy chose his words carefully. Though he had Katar’s memory, he had found out at the wedding that knowing something was not the same as
living
something. He had to be selective about discussing life events that he could see but had never felt. Quite frankly, the Sultan was discussing someone Alchemy had never even met. But he nodded with great sentiment in order to placate Katar's friend. He did point to a row of blue hooded flowers just beside the ornate and plentiful vegetables that had overrun a wooden structure trying without much success to hold them off the ground.

As the Sultan followed the pointing finger, his eyes lit with great anticipation. “Well, I'll be damned. What am I even looking at? I'd swear those lovelies were not even present here last week.”

“They are coming in quite nicely. I hear that they are as tasty as they are hardy. You pull the flowers and eat the roots. It's a musky taste, but can be a new staple in our kitchens that can be dried and stored for the times when food is scarce.”

With that, Katar pulled the plant and began shucking the flowers and leafy areas off of it. The two men sat together and continued their conversation. The Sultan had some ideas to discuss.

“My friend, we created this oasis from nothing and we now have one of the most beautiful gardens on the continent. Many said we couldn't grow this conservatory in the desert, yet you and I have made this a quite beautiful reality.”

Katar stopped his movements to nod in agreement. “This is quite an achievement.”

“We've done great things together,” the Sultan continued. “And now we have another chance to build something new in the desert by inserting Enna as the rightful ruler of the kingdom.”

Katar nodded as he handed the fresh root to the Sultan. “Here, try this. It's called a Saturn plant. It is a miracle plant that can be harvested and stored easily.”

The Sultan took the plant and bit off a small portion, but continued discussing his point. “As I needed you, so too will Enna. I know that you’ve had your differences in the past, but it would make me feel better if I knew I could count on you to provide her with guidance as she grows into the job. You have a way of relating to common people that I've never had.” He winced, “this plant is very bitter.”

Katar smiled. “Of course, my Sultan, I will be happy to treat your daughter with all of the respect she deserves. The bitterness disappears during the drying process.”

The Sultan was now visibly sweating and sat on a reflection bench they'd installed in the middle of the garden. “I'm not sure this is ready for harvest as of yet. It is not agreeing with my stomach”.

“Give it time,” said Katar. “The Monkshood must have a few moments to spread throughout your body, but I assure you that soon, you will taste nothing.”

The Sultan rose shakily and quickly. “Monkshood? But that's a…” he had to stop talking to try and swallow the saliva that was suddenly being produced in massive quantities.

Katar put his hand on the Sultan’s shoulder gently forcing him back to his seat. “A poison? Yes it is; and a quite toxic and fast-acting one at that.”

The Sultan was already having trouble breathing and was noticing an overall numbness in his arms and legs. “What have you done, my friend?”

“Well, the good news is your friend didn’t betray you.  Unfortunately, I've stolen his form and I have,” said Alchemy. “The Monkshood will do its job quickly and quietly. You'll simply go to sleep. If it matters, for your remaining moments, you'll feel no pain.”

The Sultan lay dying on the bench. He fought to stand, but could not as his limbs were simply too weak to support him. He was staring at the person before him and could not seem to wrap his failing mind around the situation. His whole system was barely functioning with the sparse oxygen his slowing heart and lungs were now producing.

“Lie down now and go to sleep,” said Katar as he gently helped the Sultan, much as a parent would help a child into bed. “Enna will not become the Sultan, but as long as she doesn't cross me, she will have a chance to make history.”

The Sultan's eyes widened, but he was powerless to resist. As the lights went out, his thoughts were of Dina and a bubbling baby girl. He felt nothing but love and comfort as he closed his eyes.

Alchemy was just about finished with his business here. He made sure to leave the Monkshood visible so that the Sultan’s death would be easy to ascertain. Alchemy had no intention of working with the Sultan’s daughter in any capacity but one. He’d had quite enough experience dealing with strong women and really had no desire to cozy up to the young Enna. But he did want to try an experiment and she would be a wonderful test subject. Alchemy then left quickly through a side exit to continue with the next phase of The Plan.