The Secret of Ka

by Christopher Pike

  He looked away, out at the calm blue of the sea, then back at his plate. "Can I finish my supper first?" he asked.

  "Sure." I returned to my seat. "You have to finish all the desserts, too."

  "All right," he muttered, returning to his steak.

  It didn't take as long as I thought it would for him to finish everything. Okay, I helped with the cheesecake and ice cream. But soon Amesh was telling me what happened to his hand, and when he was done I went out on the balcony to check on his clothes. They were virtually dry, holding on to just a few drops of moisture, which would help with the ironing. And I felt I had to iron them; I had talked him into washing them and now they were all wrinkled.

  The ironing board was not in the bathroom or living room. I searched my bedroom and found it in my closet. It was only while I was stepping back into the center of the suite that I realized something was wrong.

  I panicked. "Amesh!" I cried.

  He was beside me in a moment. "What's wrong?"

  I was close to tears. "The carpet! It's gone!"

  His dark eyes scanned the area. Then he relaxed. He pointed outside the sliding glass door that led to my private balcony. It also overlooked the sea, although it faced south rather than west. Like the main balcony, it was equipped with two lounge chairs.

  One was occupied. By the carpet.

  It seemed to be relaxing beneath the evening stars.

  We took a step closer and realized it was doing more than that.

  "Allah..."

  "God..."

  We both whispered in awe.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  THE FEW STARS in the evening sky were causing the stars in the center of the carpet to glow with a soft light. In some mysterious way, the carpet was tied to the heavens.

  Plus, the carpet had climbed off the bed, strolled onto the balcony, and made itself comfortable in a lounge chair. With each passing miracle, the case grew stronger that we had discovered something truly magical.

  When we showed the carpet to the world, we'd be famous. We'd probably be on the cover of every magazine in the world.

  Yet, the odd thing was, the more I contemplated how rich and famous the carpet could make us, the less wonderful I felt. Indeed, I started to feel sick to my stomach, and I quickly identified what the problem was. We had to keep the carpet secret. I just knew it. Call it intuition, call it paranoia, but I didn't want anyone to know about it.

  I worried about how I could make Amesh understand.

  We were still on the balcony when he turned to me. "I don't think we should try to sell this for money."

  I felt a wave of relief. "You feel the same way I do. It has to be protected." I paused. "We have to keep it totally secret. I swear I won't tell my father about it."

  "I swear I won't tell my Papi about it."

  "What about Mira?"

  "What about her?"

  "Amesh!"

  "I share everything with Mira. We're practically the same person. I'm not kidding; even if I don't tell her about it, she'll know. She can read my mind. She'll know something's up."

  "Let her know something is up. Just don't tell her it's a magic carpet."

  Amesh hesitated. "All right."

  "I'm serious. I need you to swear on Allah's name."

  He shook his head. "I told you, that's blasphemy."

  "It's blasphemy when you use Allah's name for something trivial. This may be the single most important discovery in the history of the human race. Swear to Allah that you'll keep the carpet secret. At least until we both agree it can't be kept a secret any longer."

  He paused. "All right. But you have to do the same."

  "Fine. I swear on the holy name of Allah that I'll never..."

  "Stop!"

  "What's wrong?"

  "You're not a Muslim. You can't swear to Allah."

  "Why not?"

  "He's not your God. You have to swear to Jesus."

  "But I don't go to church regularly."

  "You don't? Why not?"

  "I don't know. Why don't you pray to Allah five times a day?"

  "I do."

  "Gimme a break. I haven't seen you pray once."

  "I do it when you're not looking."

  "You mean, you were praying in the bathtub?"

  "Yes."

  "Didn't you get water up your nose when you bowed down?"

  "Don't make fun of our prayers."

  "I'm sorry. Let me start over. I swear to the Father; and to the Son, Jesus; and to the Holy Spirit, that I'll keep secret the unique and mysterious qualities of this carpet."

  "Why don't you just say you'll keep the carpet secret?"

  "I would but there's a good chance my father will see it. I'm going to tell him it's just something I bought."

  Amesh shook his head. "You're not keeping it here."

  "What are you talking about? Of course I'm keeping it here."

  "It would be safer at my house."

  "Your house? I don't want to hurt your feelings, but from what you've told me, your neighborhood's not that safe. Besides, you're gone all day at work."

  "That's why Mira..."

  "Mira's ten! She can't be trusted with a secret this big! Plus you promised not to tell her!"

  "All right, you can keep it here." Amesh lowered his head. "I swear on Allah's holy name to keep the carpet secret."

  "Thank you." I gave him a hug. I had not known him long but somehow trusted that his word was good.

  His body was pretty good, too. I let the hug linger; he did not push me away. I rested my head near his collar, on the left side, where I could hear his heart beating.

  Like mine, it was pounding.

  But it was no time to fool around. He would have been too shy, anyway. Not that I wasn't feeling shy, too. Sad to say but I was fifteen and had never been kissed.

  We turned back to the carpet. It was still acting like a mirror of the heavens. The darker the sky got, the brighter the carpet's stars became.

  "While you were in the bathtub, I read up on magic carpets," I said. "They're historically connected to genies, or what you guys call djinn. Did you know the djinn are mentioned in the Koran? It speaks of them like they're real."

  Amesh hesitated. "My Papi said something about that. Did you find out anything about how to operate the carpet?"

  "Many magic carpets are controlled by spells or incantations. If you know the secret words, and repeat them three times, then the carpet lifts into the air."

  "A lot of good that does us," he grumbled.

  "I felt the same way until I discovered another technique listed on two sites. They said magic carpets don't fly just anywhere, but follow what are called ley lines. Have you heard of them?"

  "No."

  "I hadn't either. The British are the experts on them. Ley lines deal with lines of magnetic energy that cover the earth. There are legitimate scientists who have mapped them throughout England. Stonehenge, for example, is supposed to be a focal point of dozens of ley lines. That's why it's considered a place of mystical power."

  "We're not taking the carpet to England."

  "We don't have to! I'm just saying the British studied them. There are probably as many here as there are there. We just have to find them."

  "You think the carpet will fly on such lines?"

  "It's possible. We know the carpet has twice tried to fly in this suite. But it's never really taken off. Maybe it can't without a ley line to float on."

  "Did these sites tell you how to find one?"

  "Just hold a compass in your hand, and when you cross a ley line, the needle will dance."

  "Dance?"

  "It will start spinning like crazy."

  "Why?"

  "A compass is sensitive to magnetic fields, and ley lines give off strong fields. From what I've read, the lines are all over the place. We shouldn't have to go far to find one."

  Amesh was surprised. "You want to look for one now?"

  "Why not?"

  "It's getting l
ate. Your father will be home soon. My Papi will be waiting for me. Let's look for one tomorrow, during the day."

  "You're working all day tomorrow. Even if you call in sick, it's too hot to go hiking when the sun's up. You might be used to this climate, but I'm not."

  "I can look for one while you wait here."

  "Listen. There are other reasons I want to do it tonight. The carpet came alive as soon as it got dark. The stars at the center might have been glowing before, and we just didn't notice, but I don't think so. It's possible the carpet only flies at night."

  "What's another reason?"

  "Common sense. If we do find a ley line, and we're able to use it to ride the carpet, then no one can see us. Since I got here, I've been hiking in the evening by the water." I pointed. "The beach is usually deserted, and I have the place to myself. There's lots of room. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where we find a ley line."

  "Does your dad know you hike there?"

  "Of course not."

  "You shouldn't go out after dark."

  "I know, it's an Arab country and I might be killed. What is it with you males? I feel as safe here as I do in any American city."

  Amesh hesitated. "Do you plan to ride the carpet over the water?"

  "If that's the direction the ley line goes."

  "Do you have a compass?"

  "One. But maybe we can buy another in the hotel shop. That way we can search together."

  Amesh glanced at the carpet and smiled. "What are we waiting for?"

  CHAPTER FIVE

  BEFORE WE LEFT THE ROOM, I changed into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Then I packed a bag of supplies: bottles of water, binoculars, protein bars, candy bars, a flashlight, a map of Turkey and the surrounding area, a jacket. I also left my father a note explaining that I had been invited to a slumber party by a girl named Rini.

  Rini was a real girl. I had mentioned her to my father before. In fact, he had met her; she worked at the hotel as a maid. He wouldn't worry if I was hanging out with her, even during the night. But he would still be annoyed I hadn't called and asked his permission.

  "You think we'll be gone that long?" Amesh asked as he watched me prop up my note.

  "Best to be prepared. You should call your Papi and tell him you might be staying overnight with a friend."

  He looked uncomfortable. "He wouldn't believe that."

  "Why not?"

  "I don't have many friends."

  "All you need is one. What about Spielo? Wouldn't he back you up?"

  "Spielo's still in the hospital," he said.

  "Is he okay?"

  "They say he's going to be fine."

  "Then use another friend."

  Amesh fidgeted. "Let's not worry about it."

  "All right," I agreed, going against my gut feeling.

  The sun had completely set by the time we reached the beach. The night was as black as the bottom of the carpet. Amesh carried our supplies while I held our prize. Once again, I was amazed by its weightlessness. It was as if holding it to my chest made me feel lighter.

  The night was warm and dry, but a faint breeze stirred over the water, adding a salty flavor to the air. I felt its coolness on my neck as we took out our compasses and figured out which way was north. I double-checked the accuracy of our tools by following the cup of the Big Dipper to the North Star—a trick I had learned from my dad. Both compasses were working. Now all we had to do was find a spot—no, a line—where they didn'tw ork.

  We walked near the water. I took off my shoes and let the foam wash over my bare feet. Amesh preferred to stay on the dry sand. The beach was deserted. The glow of the stars embedded in the carpet did not waver. There was no denying it—the carpet was reacting to the nighttime sky.

  "I wonder why," I muttered.

  "Sara?" he asked.

  "Why the carpet likes the stars."

  "You would have to ask the man who made it."

  "How do you know it was a man? Maybe it was a woman."

  "Maybe it was a team of men and women."

  "Ha! The boy is finally learning to be diplomatic."

  "Don't call me a boy."

  "How old are you really?" I asked.

  He did not answer and I thought he was embarrassed to admit that he had lied earlier. I couldn't see him very well in the dark. I certainly couldn't read his expression. But I saw his hand shaking.

  "Sara!" he cried. "It's spinning!"

  "The pointer?" I asked, checking my own compass, which was still pointed north.

  "Come look." He stopped and swung the compass around his body. He took a step back. "It's strongest here."

  I ran to his side. Studying his compass, I saw that he was not exaggerating—the arrow was all over the place. Then I realized mine was spinning, too.

  The carpet fluttered against my chest!

  "I think we've found one!" I exclaimed.

  "But we just started looking. How is it possible?"

  I did not answer, but since I had found the carpet—especially since it had begun to jump around the hotel room—I had wanted to take it down to the beach. To this beach in particular, almost as if I knew the spot was special.

  We wasted no time spreading the carpet on the sand. Then ... nothing happened, it just lay there. I could hear the disappointment in Amesh's voice when he said, "Maybe it needs a spell to work, after all."

  "Not so fast. We were about thirty feet apart and walking parallel with each other when your compass began to dance. But my compass didn't react until I moved to where you were standing."

  "So?"

  "What if this ley line doesn't run toward the water? For all we know it runs down the beach. It might be important to find exactly where it's headed and align the carpet in that direction."

  Amesh nodded. "Good idea. We'll scan the area."

  Leaving the carpet as a focal point, we walked up and down the beach, trying to find where our compasses spun the most. We finally decided that the ley line led farther down the beach—away from the hotel—but at a slight angle that would eventually take it out over the water.

  We hurried back to the carpet and aligned it as carefully as we could. The change was instantaneous. I felt a magnetic charge in the air.

  Yet the carpet—although it quivered on the sand—did not float into the air. Amesh and I knelt beside it, and for the first time I took out a small flashlight. In the light we saw that the central three tassels were standing straight up. The same was true of the rear of the carpet, which meant all together six tassels had come alive.

  I stared at Amesh across the carpet.

  "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked.

  He nodded. "They look like controls."

  I turned off the flashlight—I did not want to disturb the carpet's reaction to the stars—and sat on the front of the carpet that faced the water. My taking charge annoyed Amesh.

  "I think I should be the first one to fly it," he said.

  "Why?"

  "I know how to drive a car."

  "So do I." My dad had given me a few illegal lessons. "But I don't think that's going to help us fly this baby."

  "Sara, you have no right..."

  "Amesh, get on the back and relax. I know what I'm doing."

  "How can you know?" he asked, reluctantly obeying.

  "It's just a feeling I have."

  I pulled back on the front middle tassel—one of the three on my end of the carpet that were standing up—and the carpet immediately stiffened and gently bobbed off the sand. Still, it went no higher than an inch, not even when I pulled all the way back on the tassel. It was only when I pulled back on the tassel to its right that we began to gain altitude.

  "Glory be to Allah!" Amesh gasped.

  I laughed. "Amen!"

  When we were six feet above the sand, I eased the central tassel forward, but nothing happened. It made me wonder if the tassels worked together like the clutch and gears in a car.

  I experimented a minute and discove
red that the central tassel was the clutch. It caused the tassels to the right and left of it to work. The right tassel was for lifting the carpet. And the left tassel...

  I pushed the left tassel slightly forward.

  Suddenly we began to glide!

  "Whoa!" Amesh cried.

  We were flying at maybe ten miles an hour, a fast run.

  Laughing, I pushed the left tassel further, and we picked up speed.

  "This is so cool!" I screamed.

  The sensation of speed was exhilarating, of course, but even more striking was the feeling that I was one with the carpet. I was an eagle, the sides of the carpet were my wings. I felt so powerful.

  "Can we go higher?" Amesh asked.

  "Do you want to go higher?"

  He looked down. "Not if we're going over the water."

  I had my back to Amesh, and to the circle of stars as well. I asked if there was any change in the star field. "You won't believe this. I think they're moving," he said.

  "Moving? How?"

  "Around and around," he said.

  I twisted my neck to see. "Around what?"

  "I don't know. Maybe you shouldn't sit on them."

  "I'm not," I protested.

  "Your butt is."

  I shuffled forward and tightened my crossed legs. The carpet was long enough for me to easily avoid the star field.

  "Can we go faster?" Amesh asked.

  "Just a second," I replied, giving the left tassel a shove. In an instant our speed doubled. That scared us both; there's a huge difference between twenty miles an hour and forty. As the dark sand swept beneath, the wind blew in our faces and roared in our ears. I pulled back on the tassel and we quickly slowed.

  I suddenly noticed the tassels on the far right and left were standing straight up. Now five on my side appeared to be active.

  "This is fast enough!" Amesh called.

  "I hear ya!" I shouted.

  In a minute our course took us away from the sand and over the water. Fortunately, the sea was calm. The swells beneath us were less than a foot. The air was thick with moisture—a huge change from the dry desert air that gripped the city.

  "Have you tried turning right or left?" Amesh asked.

  "No. But I'm pretty sure the tassels at the edges will let us do that."