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Suddenly there’s a commotion at the ostrich pen. A squawking stampede of the gangly birds charges onto the track. The crowd boos and shouts. “You did this!” someone yells. “You tried to fix the race!” another person shouts. People start throwing punches, and Amar’s guards rush onto the track to try and catch the rampaging birds.
You notice Tamina by the ostrich pen and smile despite yourself. This was her doing!
Seso and Amar are completely distracted by the chaos. You free yourself and rush to the racetrack, determined to retrieve the Dagger. You leap over the railing, but your foot catches and you tumble to the ground.
You scramble back up, dodging the rampaging ostriches and people trying to catch them. The man bringing the Dagger to be melted struggles to get through the crowd. He holds the Dagger in front of him, using it to protect himself from the fighting.
You grab the man’s hand and twist the Dagger from it. With a powerful punch, you knock him out.
“Get to the tunnel!” Tamina shouts.
You race to the tunnel and she meets you there. Together, you charge down the narrow passageway. You can hear Amar and his men in pursuit. But soon the sound of their footsteps recedes, and you and the princess are safely away.
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Attendants pull at the robe, but they cannot help. It’s been coated with something that melds to the king’s flesh. He screams in agony.
Your brother Garsiv shoves past you and rips at the robe. “Aaah!” he shouts. “My fingers!”
“God help us!” Nizam cries. “The robe is poisoned!”
All eyes suddenly fix on you. “The robe Dastan gave him!” Garsiv cries.
You stand frozen, horrified. “Dastan, why?” your father chokes out in a dying breath.
“No!” you cry. You drop down beside him.
“Seize him!” Garsiv shouts. “Seize the murderer!”
“Run, my prince,” Bis shouts. “Go!” He pulls you to your feet and shoves you toward the door. Then he lets out a strangled cry.
You turn and see a spear run right through him!
That snaps you out of your shocked state. You draw the Dagger from your belt and stab the guard who killed Bis. He goes down. Another guard heads for you, but he topples over. Tamina has hit him over the head with a vase! You pull her out of the way of a whirling sword and race out onto a balcony. You leap over the side, taking her with you.
Splash! You land in a fountain in the courtyard below.
“I can get us out of here,” Tamina says.
You stare at her, wondering why she’d help you.
If you head out on your own, TURN TO PAGE 127.
Go with her ON PAGE 13.
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You’re just going to have to trust her. “We need a horse,” you say.
The princess leads you to the stables, where you mount the great war stallion, Aksh. Tamina climbs up behind you, and soon you are furiously riding away from the city.
It is deep into the night when you finally stop running. You dismount and sit on the bank of a river, staring into it, while Aksh grazes nearby.
You put your hand in the water, then lift it, watching the water fall in glimmering drops. “This stream is a tributary of the river that runs through Nasaf. The water they’ll use to wash my father’s body.”
“You mourn the father you murdered?” Tamina asks.
Your head whips around. “I did not murder my father.”
Tamina looks deeply into your eyes. “You were ready to risk everything for me.”
“I swore to my brother I’d take your life, rather than let any other have you,” you tell her.
She leans toward you, her lips almost touching yours. “A dilemma,” she says softly.
She moves in, almost as if she’s about to kiss you—when suddenly she reaches for the Dagger. You manage to slap her hand away, but she grabs your long sword from Aksh’s saddle. She swings it wildly. You leap out of the way—barely.
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“I’m very grateful that you did,” you tell Yusef. “But how did you find me?”
“I’ve followed news of you since that day twelve years ago,” Yusef says. “And when I came of age, I joined the army. I was part of your battalion for a while.” He takes the flickering torch from the wall sconce lighting the area around you.
“What is this place?” you ask, astonished. “How did you know where the trapdoor was?”
“I have family here in Alamut,” Yusef explains. “They taught me about this tunnel. Sandstorms frequently hit, and there are several secret entrances into the city, just in case.”
“Ah.” You nod. You’re glad to be safe from the sandstorm. But if Yusef has family in the city that your family has under siege . . .
This could actually be a trap. But he seems genuinely glad to be reunited with you. And he might know where the Alamutians are making and storing their weapons.
If you decide to get away from Yusef and rejoin the battle, TURN TO PAGE 45
If you ask him about weapons, TURN TO PAGE 33.
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Tamina keeps swinging the sword. You whistle sharply and Aksh turns, slamming her into you. She yanks the Dagger from your belt. You flip her onto her back, sending the Dagger skittering.
Tamina scrambles toward it, but you get there first and snatch it up.
Click! You hit the jewel on the Dagger’s glass handle when you grip it. A trickle of sand spills into the air.
The universe warps around you. Time seems to stop. Then it starts to go backward! You watch in awe as images flow past you— reversing themselves.
Your fight with Tamina plays out in front of you, going all the way back to the moment when you thought she was going to kiss you.
You release the jewel and sand stops pouring from the handle. Time moves forward again.
“I have a better solution,” Tamina says, just as she did before. She reaches for the Dagger, but this time you grab her arms and hold her tightly.
“Go for that sword again,” you hiss, “and I swear I’ll break your arm.”
“Again?” she repeats. Her eyes widen when she sees the Dagger. “You’ve used up all the sand!”
You glance at the Dagger. The glass handle is empty. You press the button but this time nothing happens. “What is this?” you demand, staring at the Dagger.
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You slip the Dagger into your belt. “We wouldn’t go to war over one little knife,” you scoff. “But if it’s this important, I’m sure my uncle Nizam will want to see it.”
Princess Tamina scrambles to her feet and throws herself at you, trying to get the Dagger back. “You can’t!” she screams. “You don’t know the harm you will do!”
You push the princess away hard, and she stumbles backward. You race to your horse and mount, quickly galloping out of the town. Even if she follows, you’ll have a head start.
You take the treacherous twists and turns at breakneck speed. You’re pretty sure the princess is following you, and you worry that she may have brought reinforcements. Just in case, you pull out the Dagger to have it at the ready should you need to fight.
You take another turn, but your horse stops suddenly, snapping your head back. The Dagger goes flying over the side of a cliff.
You pat the horse’s neck. “Good work,” you say. You may have lost the Dagger, but the horse’s quick reflexes saved your life.
You peer over the edge. There’s no way you’ll find that dagger now.
That’s all right, you think, it probably wasn’t very important anyway. The world will go on as it always has. Why wouldn’t it?
THE END
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“You’ve got to be joking,” Tamina says when you tell her your plan. “No one goes near that wasteland. It’s filled wi
th murdering cutthroats.”
“So they say,” you reply. You nudge your horse forward, and it brushes past Tamina.
“You’re going to leave me here? In the middle of nowhere?” she demands.
You ignore her and just keep riding.
“Noble Dastan,” she calls, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Abandoning a helpless woman in the wilderness? What does your precious honor say about that?”
You stop and take a deep breath. “Give me the strength not to kill her,” you mutter as you wait for her to climb up behind you.
You ride for hours and finally stop. You get down off the horse and scoop up a handful of sand. You refill the handle of the Dagger.
Tamina dismounts and watches you, amused. “Without the right sand, it’s just another knife. Not even very sharp.”
You press the jewel—nothing happens.
“This sand,” you say. “Do you have more of it?”
“Of course not,” Tamina says.
You study her, trying to figure out if she’s telling the truth. “How can I get some?”
Tamina smirks. “By standing on your head and holding your breath.”
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“Someday I will be king, Dastan,” Tus continues calmly. “When I am, I will need to know you will obey my rule.” He studies you a moment. “Can I count on you to do this for me?”
As much as you hate the idea, you nod in agreement.
He leaves, and a short while later you arrive at the princess’s chambers.
“I’m to present you to the king, Your Highness,” you explain. She scowls and strides out the door. You have to jog a bit to keep up. Her eyes go to the Dagger in your belt, then back ahead.
“So I’m escorted by Prince Dastan, the Lion of Persia,” she says haughtily. “Must feel wonderful winning such acclaim for destroying a peaceful city. Then again, you are a prince of Persia. Senseless and brutal.”
You are surprised by her outburst but keep your cool. “A pleasure to meet you, too, Princess. And allow me to offer that if punishing enemies of my king is a crime, it’s one I’ll gladly repeat.”
Tamina snorts. “He’s thickheaded as well.”
You’ve had enough. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you know me.”
She gives you a snide sideways glance. “Oh? And what more is there?”
A guard stands at the entryway. “Wait here with Her Highness,” you instruct him. You turn to face her square on and add, “If you can manage it, I suggest a hint of humility when you’re presented to the king. For your own good.”
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You left the oasis quickly, and now you’ve been riding at a punishing pace for miles.
“It’s safe to stop,” Sheikh Amar calls.
You slow down to allow the others to catch up with you. “They won’t stop,” you say. “They track and kill. That’s what they do.”
“What who does?” Amar demands.
“Those vipers were controlled,” you explain as the horses all slow to a walk, “by a dark secret of the empire. Hassansins.”
The others stare at you.
“For years, they were the covert killing force of Persian kings,” you continue. “But my father ordered them disbanded. Nizam must have disobeyed my father’s order and secretly kept the Hassansins intact. We can’t stop,” you finish urgently.
“Perhaps you can’t, but we can.” Shiekh Amar signals his men to turn around.
“We could use your help getting to the temple,” you say. He knows of the quest you and Tamina are on.
Amar laughs. “Not only do you draw trouble like flies to a rotten mango, you’re also insane.” He starts to turn his horse.
“There’s gold at the temple,” Tamina blurts out.
Amar stops and looks at her. You can tell he’s tempted.
“More than ten horses can carry,” she adds. “It’ll be yours after you help us. Tax free.”
Amar never passes up a deal. He and his men are back on board.
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You need to get back to the princess. You say a silent good-bye to your brother, sad that it took such evil to make you both realize the bonds of brotherhood. Slowly, you get back up.
But when you turn, you see Princess Tamina coming toward you. She looks dazed and distraught.
“I’m sorry,” she says.
You can’t imagine what she would be sorry for. Then it dawns on you. “The Dagger?” you ask.
“It’s gone.”
She stares down at the ground. “‘Protect the Dagger. No matter the consequences.’ That was my sacred calling. That was to be my destiny.”
She seems so defeated, helpless. This is not the Tamina you have come to know. With the Dagger gone, what is there to do now? You realize with a jolt that the Hassansins’ mission was to retrieve the Dagger and return it to Nizam no matter what the cost.
Maybe you should return to Nasaf. Nizam could easily have gone there to install himself as king, and you can’t let that happen.
If that’s the path you choose, TURN TO PAGE 85.
But what if Nizam has gone to Alamut to pierce the Sand-glass of Time? Then you should go there. If that is your plan, TURN TO PAGE 26.
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You wish you could keep the Dagger; there’s something special about it. But it is less a question and more a demand. You have no choice. Pulling the Dagger from your belt, you hand it to Tus. He holds it up, turning it in the flickering torchlight.
Nizam suddenly appears. “He delivered you the city and its princess,” your uncle says to Tus. “I think that’s homage enough.”
Tus looks at the Dagger, then at you. He gives the Dagger back. “I suppose it is,” he says with a shrug.
You shoot your uncle Nizam a grateful look. He smiles back.
“I have wonderful news for you,” Nizam says. “Your father has interrupted his prayers at the eastern palace to join us. He’ll be here before tomorrow’s sun sets.”
You hope your father isn’t angry that Tus and Garsiv disobeyed him and laid siege to the city. You can tell from Tus’s expression that he’s worried about the same thing.
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You have to get Tus to believe you. “I’ve seen its power with my own eyes,” you tell him. “If we don’t stop him our world could end.”
He studies your face, considering, struggling to determine the truth. Finally his expression changes and you can see it— Tus believes you! At that very moment, Nizam strides into the chamber. “I see Dastan has returned.”
He notices the Dagger and a glimmer appears in his eye. Moving quickly, he slashes your brother with a sword.
“Tus!” you cry.
Now Nizam comes after you. You spin, but not quickly enough. He slashes your arm and you drop the Dagger. A gigantic Hassansin picks it up and hands the Dagger to Nizam.
“Oh, Dastan,” Nizam sneers. “Always charging in, so desperate to prove you’re more than something the king scraped off the street.” He strides out of the room.
You lunge for him but are stopped with a swift blow from the Hassansin.
“No!” Tamina screams from the balcony.
The Hassansin whirls around to face her. This gives you your chance. You pull Tus’s prayer beads from his hands. You leap up behind the Hassansin and wrap them around his throat. You tug with all your might—until the Hassansin drops to the floor.
“Let’s go!” you shout to Tamina. “Nizam’s on his way to the Sandglass. I’m sure of it!”
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“Uncle, I swear, I didn’t murder King Sharaman,” you declare once again.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” Nizam says, still studying the Dagger. He turns and smiles. “But none of that matters now.”
“What do you mean?
” you ask.
“You’ll never know,” he declares.
“No!” Tamina shrieks. “Don’t do it!”
Nizam lunges forward, catching you off guard. . . .
You blink. Your head feels funny. Then you feel a pain and look down. Your uncle’s sword has stabbed you. This is . . .
THE END.
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You have to move quickly. Who knows what Nizam is going to do? He could use the Dagger and change the past at any moment. He could also install himself as king before you can make things right.
The moonless night is dark, but you don’t care. You’d know the route to the royal compartments with your eyes closed. The inky darkness is a relief to you—it provides the cover you need to make your way through the silent sleeping streets safely.
You hear footsteps and press yourself against a wall. It is only the night sentries making their rounds. They pass without noticing you, and you quickly make your way to a secret entryway—a door you and your brothers used when you wanted to shirk your duties or just get away from the pressures of royal life.
You find the stone that opens the hidden doorway and press it. With a tiny creak, the door pops open an inch. You tug it open all the way and slip inside.
And come face-to-face with three armed guards. All with swords pointed right at you.
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You rush out outside the room, looking for Tamina. Without that dagger, there’s no way your uncle will believe you.
You spot her rounding a corner. Leaping off a balcony, you take off running.
You quickly catch up with her as she’s about to slip into a hidden door that leads into a darkened passageway. You shove your foot into the opening as the door closes. “Not so fast, Princess,” you say. “Give it back.”
“Never!” Tamina declares. She tries to slam the door shut, but you’re too strong.
To Right a Wrong Page 2
