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[quote="Syera"]CHAPTER 3
Searching for Answers

"So, does this mean the baby will have... magical powers?"

Jasmine had taken the news pretty well.  Actually, extremely well.  She'd seemed almost relieved when Aladdin had explained to her what Genie had said was going on.  Now she was full of questions.

Genie snorted while making a [i]pfft[/i] noise.  "I'd say that's pretty likely."

"And am I going to keep seeing things while I'm carrying the baby?"

"Eh, probably," Genie answered.

"She should be able to control it, right?" Aladdin asked.

Genie shrugged.  "With practice, yeah, probably.  Maybe.  The truth is, genie/human hybrids aren't exactly numerous.  All in all, off the top of my head I can think of... none.  So, to be perfectly honest with you, even [i]I[/i] don't really know what to expect."

Jasmine sighed.

"But there have been genie/human children before, right?" Aladdin asked.

"Oh, I'm sure there've been some somewhere.  I mean, you know the old story where genie and master fall in love... kinda like nurses and patients... yeah."

"What about recorded cases?" Jasmine asked.

"You know as much as I do."

"If I may make a dumb suggestion, why don't we see what's in the library?" Aladdin inquired.

Countless hours were spent in the library, sorting through book after book.  Although many of them contained interesting material, none contained what they were looking for.  Aladdin began to feel that it really [i]was[/i] a dumb idea.  As the sun sank toward the rest, he felt that it was time to call it a night, and said so.

"Yeah, good idea," Jasmine agreed.  She proceeded to roll up a scroll she'd just been reading.  "Here, catch," she announced, tossing it to Aladdin.

He instinctively reached for the scroll, but missed just slightly.  It sailed past his fingers and landed beneath a writing desk.

"You know, I just should make you go get it, but since I'm feeling gentlemanly tonight..." Aladdin muttered, bending down to retreive it.

"Sorry," Jasmine apologized.

Before he finally found the scroll, he found several pieces of scrap parchment, a few old pens, and a very empty inkhorn.  He tossed these out as he found them.  Finally, he found what he was looking for and proceeded to put it back.

Jasmine, meanwhile, had picked up one of the parchments he'd tossed out.  "Aladdin, listen to this," she began.

"What is it?"

[i]"From Bourkan, son of Yazid, Grand Vizier to the Sultan Faraj et cetera et cetera,"[/i] Jasmine began, "[i]to Sheik Asad, son of Yabis et cetera... [/i]this was written a long time ago. [i] I found your exhaustive and detailed research regarding genies and other magical, mysterious, and unusual creatures extremely interesting and informative.  It would be my deepest pleasure that we could meet to discuss such subjects further, for I have also been conducting a study of and gathering information upon the same subject."[/i]

"So, who was Vizier Bourkan?" Aladdin questioned.

"He was Grand Vizier during my great-grandfather's time," Jasmine answered.

Aladdin whistled.  "So, what was he doing looking for genies?"

"I don't know.  But it doesn't seem that anything came of it."

"Unless old Jafar used his research.  So, where did this Sheik Asad guy live?"

"Sheik Asad el Yazid was a nobleman under alliegance to Agrabah, if I remember my history right.  He lived up north.  We'd have to check some maps to make sure, though."

Every thought of calling it a night had suddenly vanished.  Aladdin scrambed to where the maps were kept and pulled out the newest map he could find of Agrabah and the surrounding lands.  He found one, slid off the ribbons holding it shut, and spread it out on the table.  The vanishing light made it impossible to read, however.  "Um, Genie?" he prompted, "it's kinda dark in here."

Lights appeared, and he could make out the details.  Jasmine suddenly leaned over the map, shoving him aside slightly.  She gazed at it for a few moments, then pointed to a mountainous spot.  "There," she said.  "The town of El Radi."

"So, who's in charge of El Radi now?"

"Umm... let me think... the last I heard, it was Sheik Alim, though his son or even his grandson could have succeeded him by now."

"They still recognize Agrabanian overlordship, right?" Aladdin asked, mildly surprised to hear such an educated-sounding question coming from his mouth.

Jasmine nodded.  "Well, they pay their annual tribute."

"Great.  So, all we need is a good excuse to visit, and we're all set."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow.

Aladdin glanced at Genie.  "Well, we can't tell them the real reason why we're going... I mean, think about it!"

The next day after breakfast, Aladdin proposed his idea of visiting El Radi to the Sultan.

"Why the interest in El Radi so suddenly?" the Sultan inquired.

"Well..." Aladdin fumbled, scratching his head in an effort to dislodge an idea, "I figured that I might need to get to know Agrabah's allies.  I mean, it's a good idea, isn't it?"

"Well, of course it's a good idea."  The Sultan paused for a few moments.  "Very well, you shall visit as my ambassador."

Aladdin's arm dropped, along with his jaw.  "Really?"

"Really.  And you shall take notes of how everything is being managed over there.  To be honest with you, this type of thing has been needing done for a long time, but I haven't gotten around to hiring any worthy viziers."  He paused again.  "And if you're going over there, you're going to need the title to back it up.  Therefore, I pronounce you Royal Vizier."

"But-" Aladdin sputtered.

"There's no getting away from responsibility this time.  I know I was lenient with you before, but now that you're officially married to Jasmine and thus into the royal family, it's time you start taking on some royal duties."

"But..." Aladdin repeated, an octave higher this time.

The Sultan gave him a very stern look.

"But I didn't say I wouldn't do it," the now-vizier added hastily.

"Good!  It's settled, then!  You'll leave at once!"

Grumbling to himself, Aladdin walked into his room and changed into his travelling clothes.

Behind him, Jasmine snickered.

"What's so funny?"

"Aladdin, being a vizier isn't going to kill you," she said.

He sighed.  "I know.  It's just that... well, the Sultan's probably right.  I mean, I did marry the princess, so it's only fair that I act like a prince... right?"

Jasmine didn't answer.

"I didn't mean those guys who courted you, you know," he added hastily.

She smiled.  "I know.  And... and I'm proud of you."  She began reaching into her own wardrobe and pulled out a few outfits.

"You don't have to go.  Are you sure you want to go?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged.  "Well, I figure I'm going to be miserable wherever I am, so does it matter where I'm miserable?"

"I guess not."

"Besides," she said, "somebody's got to be checking out the library while you're making notes in town."

Aladdin shrugged.  "Yeah, that's true."

"Hello, I am Genie and I will be your tour-guide.  Welcome to El Radi, a small, quaint, out-of-the way farming community with a population of approximately seven hundred and thirty-three.  Popular tourist attractions include Ahabijeet's Old Thyme Djinn and Spirits, Irfan's Viewpoint, and the local eatery, Loopy Lutfi's."

"Right now, I think we'll just go to the sheik's place," Aladdin said.  Looking downward from his vantage point on Carpet, he didn't spot anything that struck him as being palatial-size.  Well, given that this was, after all, a farming community, whoever was in charge probably wouldn't live in a palace.  "Do you know where he lives, Jasmine?"

The princess shrugged.  "Taking a guess, I'd say... there."  She pointed to the largest domicile in the town.

Aladdin nodded.  "Let's go down, Carpet."

The carpet dove sharply downwards, making a neat stop outside the front gate.  Taking note of his surroundings, Aladdin saw that only one guard was posted.

Upon seeing the carpet's descent, the lone guard snapped to attention, drew his scimitar, and advanced toward Aladdin.  "Who might you be?" he demanded, waving his blade threateningly.

"I'm Aladdin."

The guard didn't budge.

"Aladdin, Royal Vizier of Agrabah," he clarified.

The guard backed down a couple of inches.  "Oh," he said.  "I thought Agrabah's vizier was older."

"Ah, he was."

"But his employment was... terminated," Genie, who had taken the guise of an ordinary traveler, supplied.

"Oh, I see.  Well, where's your letter?"

"I'm not delivering a letter; I'm here to see the sheik in per-"

"I mean the letter that proves you're a vizier, numbskull."

With an embarassed grin, Aladdin pulled the letter from his clothing and handed it to the guard.

The guard unrolled it, and spent the next five minutes staring at the parchement and mumbling incoherently.  "All right," he said at last, handing the letter back to Aladdin, "go on in."

"Don't we get an escort?"

The guard took a deep breath.  "Well, under normal and more royal circumstances, yeah.  But we're kinda short-staffed right now, and somebody's gotta stay here and guard the gate, see?"

"Why are you short-staffed?"

"All the guards've been placed on patrol to keep the storehouses safe from the raiders who've been giving us trouble."

"Raiders?"

"Yeah," the guard said, turning to open the gate.  "Desert raiders who come 'n steal our crops every now and then.  You can talk to the sheik about it - he knows more than I do."  The gate now unlocked, he pushed it open.  "There ya go."

Aladdin bid him thanks and walked through the gate.  It led into a courtyard, where a few large trees provided shade.  Beyond the courtard was a very large house.  Although it wasn't huge, it was still well-built and well-kept

As he approached the door, it suddenly opened and a large, black dog barreled out and straight into his chest, knocking him to the ground.

"Arfan, get offa him!" a little boy's voice shouted.  "I'm sorry, sir.  Please forgive my dog, sir.  He doesn't know better."

As soon as he got out from under the dog, Aladdin spotted the boy.  He was a wiry thing of about six years old, with large eyes and a mop of black hair on his head.  "Ah, it's okay," he grunted, dusting himself off.  "I've been through worse.  Hey, I'm here to see the sheik - can you tell me where he is?"

"The sheik - my grandpa - isn't here now," the boy said.

"Well, then who should I talk to?"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment.  "My dad," he said, walking back into the house.  "Who should I tell him is calling?"

"Aladdin, Vizier of Agrabah," Aladdin responded, following the boy inside.  That title was going to take some getting used to.

"Okay."

The boy led them into a sitting room.  "I'll go get my dad," he announced, and darted off into another room.

Aladdin heard a flumpf beside him.  He turned his head to see Jasmine sitting in a comfortable sofa with a faraway look in her face.  "Well," he said, sitting down beside her, "what're you thinking?"

"He's so cute."

Several minutes later, the boy returned with a man in his mid- to late-twenties behind him.  "We haven't heard from Agrabah in awhile," the man remarked.  "I'm Prince Farid.  Welcome to El Radi."

"Now this guy's a... geek," Genie whispered into Aladdin's ear.

Aladdin wasn't sure what "geek" meant, but it somehow seemed to apply to the man.  He was tall and gangly, with a complexion that wasn't exactly smooth.  On top of that, his dark hair seemed to stick out in all the wrong directions.

"I'm sorry my father isn't here to greet you, but... well, we've been a little tied up.  What brings you to El Radi?"

Aladdin stood up.  "The Sultan wanted a report on the latest activities in the town," he answered.

"Well, you should find everything in order," Farid said.  "Mostly everything," he added with a frown.  "But please, follow me.  You're just in time for lunch, and you must have had a tiring journey."  The prince looked at the three with an appraising eye.  Suddenly, his expression turned to one of mild surprise.  "Princess Jasmine?"

"That's right," the princess answered.

"So you finally found a husbund.  What do you know.  Well, come along - lunch is waiting."  Farid began walking down a hallway, and the three quickly followed.

"So, Prince Farid is..." Aladdin whispered to Jasmine.

"Old suitor," she whispered back.  "Good with mathematics, but he's a terrible poet."

Coming Next - Chapter 4 - El Radi

C&C appriciated and wanted.  Come on, people... I won't bite.  Really.[/quote]

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