Iago lay back in his bed pondering everything that he and Jasmine had shared in their exchange. He knew he was lucky to be among people who truly felt compassion for him. At the very least, it was a lot better than being all alone in a big, dangerous world.
Okay, it was true that a lot of this constant jabber about friendship and love got kind of mushy and syrupy at times. Iago had always possessed an instinctive aversion to that sort of thing. And yet…the more he had experienced genuine friendship over time, the more he had come to realize that it was more than just mushy sentimentalism. Much more. To be a part of a group of people who cared deeply for one another–including him!–was like nothing he had experienced before. When he took the time to appreciate what he had, it felt so good. Aladdin and Jasmine had turned out to be two of the bravest, smartest, most fundamentally decent people he had ever encountered, and just being counted in their company was a pretty high honor. Moreover, their heroism and their basic morality had inspired him to become better than he was. Iago knew that he wasn’t the classic hero that Aladdin was, but he didn’t mind trying to be more heroic now and then whenever he could work up the nerve to do so.
Even though Iago liked to think of himself as fiercely independent, and even though he often behaved as if he put himself and his interests above everything else, he couldn’t deny that he had formed a powerful bond with Aladdin and his little group. This was especially true with regard to Jasmine, because Iago had worked closely with her on many occasions ever since Aladdin had first brought him into the fold. She had proven to be an even greater friend than Iago had ever dared to hope for….certainly a much better comrade than Jafar had ever been. "And to think I was supposed to hate Jasmine back then!" he thought. "What the heck was I thinking?!"
At any rate, he had participated in enough adventures and enough missions to save Agrabah to build a deep reservoir of trust and good-fellowship with his friends. The entire gang of adventurers–Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Carpet, Abu and Iago–had faced so many dangers and so many evil villains together that they could virtually predict each other’s moves in battle. It definitely helped to boost everyone’s camaraderie when they were taking down jerks like Mozenrath and Mechanicles.
For Iago, it was all a welcome change from his former life, a life he remembered all too well…
* * * *
All those years ago, Iago had found himself locked up in a birdcage at a bazaar where rich landowners were selling their wares. He had been raised in a family of parrots, first in the rainforest and later at a wealthy plantation owner’s estate, but now he was being put up for sale like all the other parrots that had been raised at the plantation. His owners had observed that Iago had been born with the near-miraculous ability to speak just like a human and to perfectly mimic other people’s voices and speech patterns. Thus, he became a most prized asset on the market, and the merchants were hoping to bargain him away for the greatest price possible.
Iago had to do whatever the merchants demanded of him or else risk being poked with a stick or being deprived of dinner. He had to smile and talk for the onlookers whenever he was told. Even though he could speak like a human, the merchants still made Iago frequently perform standard “parrot talk” on the grounds that the crowds found it “cute.”
“Perk up, you lazy bird!” one of them would bark. “Talk for the nice people. Say ‘Polly want a cracker!’ You’d better cooperate if you want to see your next meal.”
Another vendor would say, “I’ll show you how to make a dumb animal cooperate.” Then he would proceed to jam a stick into Iago’s cage, painfully poking the parrot’s body with sharp jabs.
On and on this routine went, and Iago hated it more each day. One part of the routine he especially hated was being force-fed crackers by the people whenever he opened his mouth to speak. Iago despised those dry, revolting crackers the merchants kept on hand for any onlookers who wanted to pay a few pennies just to feed the “pretty Polly.” It did not matter to the merchants at all that Iago found these particular snack treats sickening.
One day, as Iago was once again sitting in his cage at the bazaar, he caught sight of a distinguished-looking man roaming the market area. He was a tall man clothed in long, black silk robes, with an elaborate mitre-like turban sitting upon his head. The figure’s elegant robes were further augmented by a prodigious flowing black cape with a crimson lining. A distinctive mustache and goatee punctuated his somewhat sharp-featured face. The man held a staff in his hand, and Iago saw that the staff had been carved to resemble a cobra’s head. He also noticed that in addition to the snake imagery of the staff, the man himself seemed to project a serpent-like aura, moving about with a writhing grace suggesting a snake’s slither and glancing around with a pair of shifty, steely eyes reminiscent of a predator on the hunt.
Iago figured that anyone who wore such richly adorned garments must be a high-ranking government official. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw that several merchants in the bazaar seemed to recognize the man, imploring him to consider their wares. The darkly endowed man, however, disdainfully brushed aside these people as he sauntered through the streets. He was drawing closer to the vendor stand in which Iago’s birdcage was situated.
“Ah, Grand Vizier!” one of Iago’s owners said when the figure at last approached the stand. “What an honor it is to be graced by your presence this day, Your Eminence! Pray, what might we be able to do for you?”
“I am simply taking a little stroll on this fine day to observe what might be found in the bazaar,” the man replied. “I would certainly hope that you might have something worthwhile to see, because frankly, I find most of these displays distinctly unimpressive.”
The ingratiating merchants led the dark-clothed figure through their various wares until they came to Iago’s birdcage. “This parrot is called Iago, Your Eminence, and he has a special talent,” one vendor said. “He can speak like any human and can perfectly imitate anyone’s voice.”
“Indeed?” wondered the black-garbed man. “I should like a firsthand examination.”
The merchants compelled Iago to demonstrate his speaking skills, and after Iago was finished performing, he saw that the stranger still seemed interested. Iago felt relieved that the stranger had not tried to feed him any of those disgusting crackers. Then he heard the man announce to the owners, “I normally have no use for stupid animals, but I may find some use for this one. I’m prepared to pay handsomely for the bird.”
The bargain was struck, and Iago found himself finally freed of his unenviable life as a parrot on sale. He certainly hoped that he would be heading for something better. The tall man who had bought Iago took his cage in one hand and spoke directly to him.
“Greetings, Iago,” he said. “I am Jafar, Grand Vizier to the Sultan of Agrabah, and now your new master as well. I have a feeling that we shall get along quite well.”
“I sure hope so,” Iago said. “I’ve gotta tell ya, those jerks you bought me from were the pits! I had the crummiest life kissing up to them. In fact, now that I’m outta their hands, I’d love to pay ‘em back for all the things they did to me! Just lemme at ‘em and I’ll give ‘em such a beating they won’t be able to eat solid food for a year and--!”
“Now, now, no need for that,” Jafar admonished. “You no longer need to trouble yourself with your previous owners. A new life now beckons you. And besides, I think I can channel that bumptious rage of yours in a more useful direction.”
Iago had no idea what Jafar had in mind, but he had other things on his mind at the moment. He had just been bought by the Royal Vizier of Agrabah! That meant he was going to be living at the palace! Iago could hardly believe his good luck. Not only was he free of his original owners, but he would also be living in the kingdom’s ultimate lap of luxury! As Jafar strolled down the street carrying Iago in the cage, the parrot grew excited.
“Hey Jafar,” he drawled. “Now that we’re going to be roommates at the palace and all, how about you get me a few things? I’d like a king-sized bed with silk draperies, a plush pillow, a private bath, a fruit bowl, a table for my stuff, a chest of gold coins, a shiny ruby, another chest of gold coins, a…”
Iago’s dialogue was suddenly cut short by Jafar’s hand reaching into the birdcage and grabbing him by the throat. As Iago writhed in pain in the man’s fierce grip, he observed that Jafar’s expression, which a moment ago had appeared courteous and solicitous, had now changed to a fearsome snarl that distorted his features with an ugly wrathfulness.
“Listen to me, you idiotic creature,” Jafar hissed. “Don’t you ever bring requests to me again. I am your master, and I will decide what you need. Is that clear?”
Iago gasped as Jafar’s long fingers constricted around his neck more tightly. “Yes sir, we’re clear,” he managed to choke out. Jafar released him and continued walking.
* * * *
Jafar eventually brought Iago to the palace grounds and carried him through the entrance. Iago was mesmerized by the exquisitely gorgeous architecture and gardens the great pavilion exhibited. Jafar then took him inside the palace and up to the grand vizier’s chamber, which was decorated with elegant red-and-black marble. Then Iago beheld another surprise: Jafar revealed a sliding wall in the chamber concealing a spiral staircase leading into a series of dark corridors hidden within the palace’s infrastructure. Jafar carried Iago up the stairwell, through the corridors, and into a secret room hidden within the walls of one of the palace towers.
The interior of the room was eerily dark, with only mild light shining from a few lamps placed here and there. The room was filled with assorted objects such as globes, maps, vials, decanters, bottles, hour glasses and astrological charts. Off to one side, there were stone shelves containing numerous books, scrolls, potteries and glass containers. Iago looked around the room with a mixture of amazement and wariness.
“Hey Jafar, this place kinda creeps me out,” he finally commented. “Whoever designed this room must have been reading a ghost story or something during his lunch break!”
“I designed this hidden laboratory to give myself a place to explore unknown magic and mysterious phenomena,” Jafar told him. “The laboratory is carefully concealed to ensure that none may learn the many magical secrets I have discovered.” He then glared at Iago with dangerous-looking eyes. “And no one will reveal what they have seen here, will they?” he said.
Iago was starting to sweat profusely. “No, no, of course not,” he said hastily. “I know a guy’s gotta have his zone of privacy. Doesn’t everybody?”
Jafar eyed Iago suspiciously for a moment, but then continued. “The magical secrets of this world hold the key to unmatched power, and power is what I am after. I intend to unlock as many wonders of the cosmos as possible until I possess the means to seize control of this kingdom.”
Iago’s eyes grew wide, and the feathers on his head stood on end. “You’re–you’re planning to take over Agrabah?” he stammered.
“Naturally,” Jafar replied. “The sultan who rules this realm is an evil man who has forfeited his right to govern. He is a cruel tyrant, as well as an incompetent ruler. He must be deposed if Agrabah is ever to have any hope of a better future.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” Iago asked.
“Because even though you are obviously a weak, worthless animal, you may yet prove to be of some minimal benefit to me,” Jafar said. “It’s always good to have a servant who can carry out little chores that may be necessary to achieve my goals.”
“Now wait a minute, Jafar,” Iago said with more vehemence than before. “If you’re looking to hurt people, you’ve got the wrong guy. I never signed on for that. And I definitely didn’t sign on to be your lackey. I thought I was gonna be a roommate!”
“Then you were a fool,” Jafar shot back. “You’re in my world now, and in my world, following my plans is all that matters. Don’t you understand, Iago? I intend to liberate this great kingdom from a bad ruler and place the reins of power in more capable hands–namely mine. And if you cooperate, I promise that you will have a privileged place in the new order. You will have everything you could desire, and no one will abuse you again–provided, of course, you do as I say.”
“Well, uh, maybe…” Iago was unsure of how to respond to all of this. Could he really have everything he wanted? What was he getting into?
“I shall share with you the vast secrets of the mystical world which I have gleaned through my painstaking research,” Jafar continued. “You and I will become a worthy duo to inherit the throne and make Agrabah great again.”
Jafar paused for a moment and then spoke again. “However, before we can begin those enjoyable undertakings, we must first attend to some important business.”
Iago watched with interest as Jafar picked up a glass globe from the table. The globe began to glow with blue light, and as it glowed, Iago suddenly felt himself gripped by an unseen force. A beam of energy emanating from the globe abruptly lifted the parrot into the air and pinned him to the wall. No matter how much he struggled, Iago could not free himself of the force enveloping him; instead, he felt the energy beam squeezing him tighter and tighter.
“Get me out of here!” Iago squawked. “Help!” As the beam constricted around him, Iago thought, "It’s crushing me! I can’t hold out much longer!" Then the force holding Iago suddenly dissipated, and he fell to the floor and found himself sitting dazed against the wall.
When Iago had stopped gasping for breath, he turned to Jafar and yelled, “What the heck was that?! I almost got crushed like a tin can! What did you just do?!”
Iago then cringed when he observed a mad gleam in Jafar’s shifty eyes and saw a sickening smile crawl over his distorted face. “It’s quite simple, my dear parrot,” Jafar replied. “You are about to undergo the process of being housebroken. I would hardly be a proper pet owner if I failed to administer obedience training. Obedience is very important in my world.”
Jafar placed the glowing blue globe back on the table and said, “That beam of energy which pinned you to the wall was but a small sample of the consequences of disappointing your master.” He then picked up a glass vial, which abruptly began to erupt with super-hot red sparks. “Let us explore more samples, shall we?” he said as he advanced menacingly on Iago and pointed the burning sparks directly toward the parrot’s body.
Iago could only gaze upward in terror as Jafar moved upon him with the crackling red sparks. As his eyes widened in fear and disbelief, his horror only grew when he realized that, locked inside these cursed catacombs, no one would be able to hear him scream.
* * * *
As time passed, Iago gradually grew accustomed to life with Jafar and did his best to avoid giving Jafar reasons to think that more “housebreaking” was needed. Although Iago was not happy about Jafar’s continuing plans to take over Agrabah, he decided that there was not much he could do about it. After all, if he left Jafar, where would he go? Who would take him in and shield him from the dangers of the outside world? As bad as Jafar could be, he had at least kept Iago safe from such dangers outside the secure walls of the palace.
Before long, Iago was able to meet the Sultan of Agrabah and his daughter, Princess Jasmine. It was already decided that Iago would not reveal that he could speak like a human, so he simply behaved like a common pet parrot in the presence of people other than Jafar. Iago was surprised to find that the Sultan and his daughter seemed to be perfectly kind and sweet people, not at all like the cruel, grasping tyrants of Jafar’s description. Iago found them both to be sincere and sympathetic. The only thing that annoyed Iago was the fact that the Sultan insisted on feeding him lousy crackers all the time, bringing back unpleasant memories of his days at the bazaar.
After one such encounter with the Sultan, Jafar and Iago returned to the privacy of Jafar’s chamber. As soon as they were inside, Iago angrily spat out the cracker crumbs that were lodged in his mouth.
“Yeech!” he shouted. “I hate those things! I wish the Sultan would quit feeding me those revolting crackers all the time!”
“Didn’t I warn you that he was a terrible person?” Jafar asked. “He’s no better than your previous owners. It is just one more reason that we must find a way to overthrow him and seize power for ourselves.”
Iago paused. “Uh, Jafar….look, I’m not happy about being fed these rotten crackers, but I don’t want to hurt anyone either. Can’t we just tell the Sultan that I don’t care for crackers?”
“Don’t be such a fool,” Jafar snapped. “I know that you are a stupid creature, Iago, but surely even you can see what’s right in front of your face! The Sultan and his daughter hate you. They think you are beneath them, and that is why they feed you substandard food. Trying to persuade them to do otherwise would be futile.”
“I can’t believe they would hate me that much,” Iago protested. “The princess just seems like a really nice person. And she’s…kind of pretty, too.”
“That is irrelevant,” said Jafar. “You do not know them the way I do, and you lack the intelligence to see them as the wretches they are. They have been keeping me down for years, forcing me to grovel before them when it should have been me compelling others to grovel! I deserve more than what I have. I deserve everything. I have worked too hard not to be in command of everything.”
“Still dreaming of the day when you’ll be lounging on that throne?” Iago ventured.
Jafar nodded. “When I was young, my parents accused me of being a nasty, badly behaved child, and so they sent me away to boarding school. There I studied hard and learned all I could to become something better than I was. I was determined to use all my knowledge and skills to ascend to the grandest heights of power. And I have partially succeeded…but it isn’t nearly enough. I deserve to be in full control over everything there is to see!”
“Are you sure you’re not going overboard with this ambition thing?” Iago inquired.
“No!” Jafar insisted. “And if you are smart in any way, you will assist me in my plans. The Sultan and his daughter want to oppress people like us, and they certainly have no use for a worthless bird like you. Only I see your true potential, Iago. And that is why we will succeed someday.”
Iago couldn’t deny that the continued force-feeding of crackers soured him at times and brought him bad memories of his own early oppression. At the same time, however, he had the sneaking suspicion that Jafar was somehow using some subtle magic to encourage his own anger and resentment. But that didn’t matter, Iago figured. What did matter was that he was living in a palace, benefiting from its luxury and staying protected from the perils of the outside world. Even if Jafar wasn’t easy to live with, Iago had nothing better to turn to…did he?
* * * *
"Yes. Yes, I did have something better to turn to."
Back in the present day, Iago continued to lounge in his bed recalling the myriad events of the past while also considering Jasmine’s kind words.
"There were MUCH better people to whom I could turn," he thought. "There was Aladdin. And Jasmine. And Jasmine’s dad. And all the other friends in Aladdin’s circle. All my old enemies…until I finally listened to my conscience when it kept telling me that Jafar was the real enemy…an enemy to me, and an enemy to anyone with any sense of basic decency."
Iago shuddered when he remembered how he had become so angry and so resentful toward people in general that he had eventually abandoned his conscience altogether and served Jafar’s evil without any hesitation. He had grown so evil that he no longer even cared when Jafar hurt people. It was at that time that Iago was at his lowest point.
Once Iago had reformed and joined up with the good guys (some time after escaping from Jafar’s lamp when Jafar had become a genie), he had learned how good it was to have real friends. And when Jafar himself eventually escaped the lamp and sought revenge on Aladdin, Iago had helped to destroy Jafar once and for all. The nightmare had ended for everyone.
As these various thoughts passed through Iago’s head, he gradually lulled himself to sleep. Some time later (he could not be sure exactly how long), he awakened in the dark again…and found that he was no longer in his bed. He was lying on a heap of sand!
“What the--?!” Iago squawked as he jumped up. Frantically, he looked around in every direction and saw nothing but miles of sand as far as the eye could see. He was standing in the middle of the desert! It was the dead of night, with the moonlight and the stars shining down on the sand-laden terrain beneath the dark sky.
“Oh, that’s just great!” Iago growled out loud. “I must have been sleepwalking! Or sleep-flying, maybe. And I sleepwalked myself right out of the palace and into the stinking desert!”
Iago kept looking at the barren landscape all around him. “I don’t believe this! Not only did I sleepwalk out of the palace, but I also sleepwalked out of Agrabah altogether! I can’t see the city anywhere! That’s why I’m standing here in the middle of nowhere!”
The parrot sighed. “Well, no matter. I’ll just head back to the city now. It’s right this way.”
Or was it? Iago looked and could not remember the way back to Agrabah. He had no idea where he was, and nothing looked familiar. Was Agrabah in the opposite direction? Or in a completely different direction? He had no idea. Where the heck was he?
“I’m lost!” he shrieked aloud. “I don’t know where I am! I’ve gotta get help! Help! Can anyone hear me?! Anyone?! This parrot needs help right now!”
“Hello, Iago,” said an oily, disembodied voice. “I am so pleased to see that you have finally arrived.”
The sound of that voice was like a dagger through Iago’s ear. It was a voice he had thought forever silenced, one he had hoped never to hear again. Cringing in mortal terror, he slowly turned around…and beheld the dark, ghoulish figure of Jafar.
“ARRRGH!!” he screamed as he leaped backward across the sand. “JAFAR??!!” You’re dead! I saw you kick the bucket with my own eyes!”
“Quite true, you traitorous cockroach,” hissed Jafar. “I did die, and I remain dead. But that will soon change.”
Iago was terrified not only by Jafar’s presence, but also by the knowledge that Jafar probably still possessed formidable magical abilities, even though he no longer had the godlike powers of a genie. Despite his terror, Iago was able to raise his voice. “What’s going on, Jafar? How can you be here? Where am I?”
“Allow me to explain,” Jafar replied. “We are not in the desert outside Agrabah, as you had assumed. We are inside your mind.”
Iago gasped. “My…mind? We’re inside my head?”
“That is correct,” said Jafar. “This desert scenery is merely a background image painted by your subconscious mind. You and I now stand upon the mental plane of your psychic reality. We are here in our astral forms…and more specifically, I am here in my spirit form.”
“Spirit form?” Iago suddenly understood. “I get it! You’re some kind of ghost now, aren’t you?”
“Indeed,” Jafar nodded. “You put it most perspicuously. My spirit has emerged within your mind…and I have you to thank for that. Your lingering feelings of guilt and fear were powerful enough for my spirit to detect them across the bounds of eternity. These fearful emotions allowed me to use my remaining magical power to establish a beachhead in your psyche…and to reestablish myself in astral form.”
“I knew there was something screwy going on in my head!” Iago squawked. “You’ve been causing me all the trouble I’ve been having.”
“Yes, once my magic spell brought me into your mind, I began sending you nightmares and other negative sensations to strengthen my position here,” Jafar continued. “And once my magic was strong enough, I psychically transported you here in your astral form. And now, Iago, you will finally have the ultimate chance to redeem yourself for betraying me to that wretch Aladdin. You shall bring about my resurrection.”
Iago looked startled, and then his eyes narrowed. “In your dreams, Jafar!” he said. “You’re dead, and you’re gonna stay that way! No way am I gonna help you come back to life!”
“Fool,” Jafar snarled. “Who said anything about my needing your willing cooperation? I do not require your willing assistance, Iago…only you.”
“What the heck are you talking about?”
“You have already given me what I need,” Jafar said with a sinister leer. “The process has already begun, and you cannot stop it. I have cast a magic spell that will eventually replace your mind with my own. My psyche will soon overwhelm yours, and once it does, I will be in full control of this mental plane. Then I will be ready to be reborn in the physical world as well. The spell will next overwhelm your physical body, replacing it with mine. My body will spontaneously grow out of your sleeping body in the physical world, and I shall be alive again!”
“You’re gonna make your body grow out of mine?!” Iago sputtered. “Ewww! No offense, Jafar, but that sounds pretty gross!”
“Your opinion on the matter is of no consequence at all, you insect,” Jafar snapped.
“What’s gonna happen to me when the spell is done?” Iago asked.
“You will cease to exist,” Jafar said. “There will be no more Iago, because your essence will be entirely supplanted by mine. You, in both mind and body, will be the vessel of my renewal. Once the magic spell gathers enough energy and destroys your astral form, your physical body will be destroyed next, and mine will be resurrected in its place. Then I will finally be free to annihilate Aladdin and everyone he cares for! I shall retake my rightful place as ruler of Agrabah, and perhaps then I will focus on conquering other lands as well.”
“No!” Iago screeched. “You can’t do this!”
“It is already happening, you little cretin,” Jafar sneered. “Now that you are here, my magic spell is unstoppable! It is quite fitting–you will enable me to live again, and at the same time, I will get revenge on you for helping to cause my death. Then Aladdin and his friends will be eliminated as well…and this time, no one can save them.”
Jafar then stared hard at Iago with malicious eyes and a loathsome smile. “I hope you enjoyed your day with Aladdin and his friends, Iago–because it was the last time you will ever see them! Normally, I might have been generous and permitted you a final opportunity to bid farewell to your companions, but unfortunately my current plans do not allow for such courtesies. Therefore, I do hope you savored your final moments with them.”
Then the madman stepped back. “And now, my doomed friend, I must return to the deep interior of your mind to make sure that the magical energies of my spell are building properly. Farewell, traitor…forever.”
With that, Jafar vanished, leaving Iago stranded in the barren desert of his mind’s eye.
* * * *
Iago's Triumph by Blackford