Tiger Thief (13 page)

“Not he,” said the Queen. “It.”

There was a mysterious look on her face as she opened her mouth to explain, but before she could say a single word, they heard the sound of a caw and a dark shadow flew overhead. Taking a sharp breath, she seized Sharat’s hand and pulled him under the tree.

“What is it?” asked Sharat.

“It’s Rookh!” said the Queen. “He must have heard us speaking.”

Again, they heard the sound of a caw. This time the Queen let out a cry of pain as her hands flew to her neck.

“What’s happening?” asked Sharat in alarm.

The Queen looked like she was being choked. “He’s trying to silence me!” she gasped. “He must have opened the urn.”

Sharat had almost forgotten that this was all a dream. His heart skipped a beat.

“What are we going to do?” he cried.

The Queen was struggling to breathe. She clutched his arm. “You have to get away!” she said, her voice strained. “Find the Prince of Jinnis. It’s our only hope!”

Sharat stared at her in dismay. Suddenly he didn’t want to leave the Queen and her beautiful garden. “But what about you?” he asked. “I can’t just leave you behind.”

“Don’t worry about me,” whispered the Queen. “Just remember, keep left … off the beaten track, and … and…” She began to sway.

Sharat put out a hand to steady her. “And what?” he asked.

The Queen’s face was white. “When you find the Prince ask… Ai!” she gasped. She fell to her knees.

Sharat’s heart was pounding. “Ask what?” he said urgently.

“Ask… Ai!” she gasped again as she reached up to clutch his hand.

Sharat could see that her mouth was moving. Desperately he bent his head to hear what she was trying to say. But before another word could pass her lips, she gave one final convulsion and the only sound to escape her mouth was a final “Ahhh…” as she collapsed, lifeless at his feet.

Moments later her world began to disintegrate as leaves began to wither and fall, exposing the bare skeleton of the tree above.

“Wait!” cried Sharat, seizing the Queen’s shoulders in desperation.

But it was no use. She was as still and lifeless as she’d
been when he’d first found her.

“Please … don’t go!” he whispered.

As he spoke, scorching winds blasted through the landscape, and with a rumble of thunder, a crack of lightning split the mighty tree at the centre of the clearing in two. Suddenly the whole dream was plunged into black and white. Only the fruit in Sharat’s hand stood out, shining orange in a single beam of sunlight that penetrated the black clouds above.

Spotting its prize, the monstrous crow let out a shriek of triumph. Then it dived, bringing with it the stench of decay.

“No!” gasped Sharat.

In fury, he stuffed the fruit in his mouth, almost choking on the seed as he swallowed it whole. Suddenly he was back in the urn. Then, before he had time to think, a pair of hands reached in to grab him, and he was thrown roughly to the ground.

F
eeling dazed, Sharat was hauled to his feet by two hooded creatures with glinting eyes and long, white robes. Ghuls.

They were in a tunnel lit by flares. Most of the tunnel was filled by the cart that was carrying the urn. Next to it was Doctor Rookh. With a sharp movement he slammed down the lid. Then, robes swirling, he swung around to face Sharat. His skin looked pallid by the light of the flickering flames, and his face was icy calm as he stepped forward.

“So,” he said. “What do we have here?”

For the first time Sharat felt grateful for Alcherisma’s disguise. He lowered his eyes, praying that Rookh wouldn’t guess who he was, but Rookh seized his chin.

“Look at me, girl!” he snapped as he forced Sharat’s head up.

Sharat flinched. Rookh’s pale, inhuman gaze sent shivers running up and down his spine. He felt like a mouse trapped by a snake.

Rookh’s mouth twitched. “Trying to escape, were you?” he said. “Haven’t you heard? Nobody escapes from the
Zenana
.”

Sharat bit his lip. Just then, Rookh froze as he spotted the amulet. Roughly, he seized the jewel.

“Where did you get this?” he demanded.

Sharat’s mind was racing, but he kept his eyes lowered.

“It … it was in the urn,” he whispered. “There was a
woman
.” He swallowed. “I … I found it around her neck.”

A look of disgust crossed Rookh’s face. “So,” he said. “You’re a thief as well as a runaway.” With a sharp movement he snapped the cord and dangled the amulet in front of Sharat. “Do you realise I could have you killed for taking this?”

There was a moan from the front of the cart. It was the sound of despair.

“Please don’t kill me, sir,” Sharat begged.

Rookh stuffed the jewel into the folds of his robe.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re much more useful to me alive than dead.”

He motioned to the ghuls. “Tie her up!”

Silently, the ghuls stepped forward and lifted Sharat off the ground.

His flesh shrank from their touch as they wrenched back his arms, but he didn’t lose his head. As they tied his wrists behind his back he twisted his hands and tightened his fists.

“Let me go!” he said.

His voiceless captors seemed not to hear him. Still holding his arms, they carried him past the urn. The cart was laden with treasures from the cool room. With a start he recognised Aya’s hiding place, the marble coffin, but before he could think about his friend he heard another moan. Bound together at the front of the cart were three wretched children – two boys and a girl.

The ghuls hauled Sharat on to the cart and tied him up with the others.

“Don’t make any more mistakes,” Rookh warned them.

The ghuls stared at him emotionlessly as he lifted his staff. Then, with a swirl of his robes he was gone.

At a signal from the ghuls, the cart started moving. Pulling it was a strange mechanical creature with bowed iron legs and the mournful face of a donkey. Sharat glanced at his fellow prisoners. The boys had their heads bowed listlessly and hardly noticed him, but the girl was glaring at him.

It was Nara, the sewer-girl.

Sharat looked away quickly, but it was too late. Nara had already seen him. Her face broke into a nasty smile.

“Hey! You!” she said. “Tiger boy!”

Sharat didn’t answer.

With a sneer, Nara looked him up and down. “You’re
very pretty,” she said. “Where did you get the fancy clothes? At the circus?”

Sharat kept his head bowed and his mouth shut, praying that no one had heard her.

Nara wasn’t going to be put off. She leaned in closer. “You know it’s your fault I’m down here,” she said, her voice heavy with threat. “When you got away, the ghuls came for
me
instead.”

Sharat glanced at their captors, but the ghuls were paying no attention to the conversation.

“They got me, too,” he said, keeping his voice low. “That’s why I’m here. I was trying to run away.”

“You’re lying!” said Nara. “I bet you got caught looking for that white tiger of yours.” The look she gave him was challenging and triumphant.

Sharat felt his blood run cold. He was sure Nara would find a way to use her knowledge against him. For a moment he panicked. How was he going to find Emira
now
? He glanced at the tunnel all around him.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Nara shrugged. “We’re being taken to the mines,” she said. She lowered her voice. “They say Rookh has thousands of slaves working for him down there. It’s like an underground kingdom.” Her eyes glinted.

“You sound like you’re looking forward to it,” muttered Sharat.

“Oh, I won’t be a slave for long,” Nara told him. “I know how to make myself useful. Rookh will want people like me who know how to take charge.”

Sharat shivered at the ruthless determination in her voice. His eyes darted about, looking for a way out, but it was impossible to know how far this warren of tunnels might extend. All he knew was that he had to get away.

His fingers had been fiddling with the rope behind his back ever since being tied up. Now he relaxed his arms completely, taking care not to touch any of the other prisoners. With a twist, he pulled one of his hands out of the loop. Then he freed the other hand. Despite his dire situation he smiled to himself in satisfaction. Bhim the magician had taught him that trick years ago. He’d never thought he would need it.

Don’t ever try tying up a circus brat
, he thought as he kept his hands hidden behind his back.

“If we’re going to be working in the mines I’m going to get some sleep,” he told Nara, feigning a yawn.

Nara shrugged. “Do what you like,” she said, but she kept her eyes on him, suspicious.

Sharat rested his head on his knees and tried to keep his breathing steady, but he was watching for any opportunity to escape. In front of him lay the marble sarcophagus. The sculpture on the lid stared up at him lifelessly, but there was a smaller figure hidden under the man’s cloak that Sharat hadn’t noticed before. As his eyes rested on the statue he saw a flicker of movement.

Before he could react, a little face peered out from behind the cloak.

Sharat stifled a cry. It was Aya.

Aya’s eyes widened and she pressed a finger urgently
to her lips. As she moved, colour shimmered back to her skin, fading away as she became still. Sharat blinked to indicate that he’d seen her. Then he carefully pulled out the hand furthest from Nara to show her that he was free.

Nara spun round and caught him at it.

“What are you doing?” she snapped.

Sharat had no choice. He had to get away. Now.

He flicked the rope from his wrists into Nara’s face and threw himself over to grab Aya’s hand. As he touched her she sprang fully back to life and together they jumped off the moving cart to the ground.

“Escape! Prisoner escape!” called Nara, her voice harsh.

The ghuls lifted their flares, eyes glinting beneath their hoods, but Sharat wasn’t about to let them catch him.

“Don’t look back,” he gasped at Aya. “Run!”

Then, keeping a tight grip on her hand, he took off into the darkness as fast as his feet could carry him.

S
harat and Aya flew blindly into the darkness of the tunnel ahead. Behind them a glimmer of light showed them that the ghuls were in hot pursuit.

“They’re catching up!” cried Aya as she stumbled forward.

Just then the shadow of one of the ghuls shot down the corridor towards them. Aya stifled a scream, but Sharat pulled her close with a quick movement.

“Get on my back!” he hissed.

She clung to his shoulders as he threw himself towards one of the walls, desperately feeling for cracks as he pulled himself up. He just managed to lift his knees to his chest, when their pursuers sped past.

His trembling fingers felt like they would snap, and
his arms were burning, but he hung on until the light had faded away down the tunnels. Finally he dropped to the floor and Aya tumbled off his back.

“Quickly,” he said, his voice barely audible. “We need to get away before they come back.”

“Which way?” gasped Aya.

Sharat’s head was spinning. His meeting with the Queen of the Forest was already starting to fade, just like any other dream. All he could remember was that they had to stay to the left. He took hold of Aya’s hand and felt for the wall. To his relief the passageway branched into two.

“This way,” he said, pulling her down the left-hand path.

Running through the darkness, he kept his hand on the wall as a guide. At every corner he kept expecting the ghuls to leap out and catch them, but the tunnel was empty. Soon he could feel Aya struggling to keep up, so he slowed down to a walk.

He caught his breath. “I think we’ve lost them,” he whispered.

Aya clutched his arm as she stumbled along beside him. She was breathing heavily. “I’m so glad I found you!” she said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do when they started moving the urn.”

“How did you get inside that statue?” asked Sharat.

“As soon as I jumped behind it to hide, the man on the lid came to life and pulled me in,” Aya told him.

“Another jinni!” said Sharat.

“Maybe,” said Aya, but she didn’t sound too certain.

“What about you?” she asked. “Did Rookh catch you?”

Sharat couldn’t wait to tell Aya all about the Queen of the Forest, but just as he was about to speak, he felt a gap opening up in the wall to his left. He stopped, dropping Aya’s hand.

“Just a minute!” he said. “What’s this?”

Feeling around, he felt the earth crumble under his fingers. The gap widened, but the way through was blocked by rubble. His heart leapt. “I think it’s a passageway!” he said.

Aya was already checking for herself. “That’s not a passageway,” she said. “It’s just a hole in the wall.” Impatiently, she moved away.

“Wait!” said Sharat. But before he could explain, he heard her stifle a gasp.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I can see light!” she hissed. “Look!”

Leaving the gap in the wall, Sharat hurried to catch up. As he peered up ahead, he could just make out a faint glow in the darkness.

“Maybe it’s a way out,” whispered Aya.

Sharat hesitated. He knew that to rescue Emira he had to find the Prince of Jinnis, but he could feel himself being drawn towards the light.

“Let’s have a look, then,” he said.

As they moved closer, they began to make out each other’s faces and the rough walls of the corridor. At the same time, a strange scuttling sound reached their ears.

“What’s that?” breathed Aya.

Just then they turned a corner and were blinded by a beam of sunlight that shone down from a circular hole in the roof. As their eyes came into focus, they saw that the walls were swarming with hundreds of creatures that were crawling up out of a well in the floor, all glittering in the golden light as they flew for the surface. A streak of ruby fire shot in front of their faces and there was an angry clicking sound.

Aya’s breath caught in her throat. “Lickers!” she gasped as a cluster of glowing eyes turned in their direction. “Run!”

In a panic they spun around and sprinted back the way they’d come, but the lickers were already bearing down on them.

“This way!” yelled Sharat, desperately feeling for the gap.

Flashes of red light shot straight at them as they scrabbled at the rubble blocking the way. Just in time, the earth gave way and they tumbled through the wall as the ceiling collapsed behind them.

Sharat caught his breath as he lay on his back, but they weren’t out of danger yet. Three of the missiles had made it into the crumbling passageway with them. He could see them hovering above, their eyes shining as they scanned the floor.

“Stay still!” gasped Aya, gripping the first part of Sharat she could find, which happened to be his foot.

“Wait!” breathed Sharat. “I’m going to try and
catch them.”

With tiny movements, he unravelled the chiffon scarf from around his neck and hooked his earrings to the corners. One of the missiles zoomed in and Aya dug her fingers angrily into his big toe. Sharat froze and waited until the lickers hovered above him again, three pairs of eyes watching from the darkness. He jumped to his feet.

“Over here!” he yelled.

The three dived as one, but Sharat was ready for them. He threw up the weighted scarf, tangling the insects in its flimsy cloth. Then, before they could react, he caught both ends and smashed it to the ground again and again until the whirring stopped.

“Got you!” he said.

Keeping a tight grip, he examined his catch. He had caught three mechanical beetles. Two were still and the fire in their eyes had died, but the third lay there twitching, its eyes still blazing. He snatched up a rock to finish it off.

Aya put out her hand. “Don’t!” she cried. “We can use the light to find our way.”

Sharat glanced at Aya. “Good idea!” he said.

Dropping the rock, he bound the beetle’s legs to its body. Then he lifted the bundle and the creature’s eyes burned with fury, exposing the stone walls that surrounded them.

Aya crawled over to check the way they had come in. When she turned back to Sharat her face was frightened.

“The ceiling’s collapsed,” she said.

“Good,” said Sharat. “That means no more of Rookh’s bugs can get us.”

Aya stared at him in horror. Her face was pale.

“But we’re trapped,” she said. “This isn’t even a proper passageway, it’s more like a
cave
.”

“That’s what we’re looking for,” said Sharat. “We’ve got to get off the beaten track.”

At last he told her about his meeting with the Queen of the Forest.

As he spoke, a look of triumph crossed Aya’s face.

“So we
do
have to find the Prince of Jinnis,” she said.

“Yes, you were right all along,” admitted Sharat. “He’s the only one who can help us rescue Emira.”

“Let’s call Alcherisma!” said Aya. “I bet he’ll be able to help.”

With a sinking heart, Sharat put a hand to his throat. “It’s no good,” he said. “Rookh’s got the amulet. He took it when he caught me.”

He heard Aya take a sharp breath.

“What are we going to do?” she said.

Sharat frowned as he tried to recall the Queen’s instructions. “All I know is that we have to stay to the left,” he said. “We’re looking for some kind of sanctuary.”

Aya looked thoughtful. “One of the legends about the Prince says he’s sleeping deep beneath the city,” she remembered.

“In that case we must be on the right track,” said Sharat, “but before we go any further let me take this stupid costume off. I don’t want to meet the Prince of Jinnis dressed as a
princess
.”

Aya managed a nervous giggle, and Sharat smiled
weakly back. But as he wedged the licker under a stone and stripped down to his loincloth, he still couldn’t help feeling a little nervous about meeting the Prince of Jinnis. Swallowing down his fears, he picked up the licker again. He had to be strong. After all, only the Prince could help him stand up to Rookh. And besides, the Queen had said Emira was
his
.

“Which way?” asked Aya.

“The Queen told me to use my senses,” said Sharat.

Aya had already moved away and was doing some exploring with her hands. “I think there’s a way down here,” she said, crouching to get a better look.

Quickly, Sharat hurried over. For a moment he caught a glimpse of a hole leading down into the darkness beyond. But no sooner had the light of the licker’s ruby eyes touched the rock, than the earth began to tremble. Then, before either of them could do anything, the ground jerked beneath them and they lost their footing as a crack appeared at their feet.

Aya screamed.

Next to her, Sharat felt himself tumbling out of control. He threw out his hands.

“Hold on!” he gasped as the crack widened.

But there was nothing to hold on to.

Arms flailing, Sharat fell blindly into the darkness, stones falling around him like rain. Down, down and down he spun. For a terrible moment it felt as though the fall would never end. Then, finally, he landed with a thump and everything was still.