First, though, you reach into your cloak and pull an ancient amulet from around your neck. You open it to see the pinch of glowing sand inside. You smile as you lift the Dagger so you can refill it. Suddenly, Aksh neighs.

You see five cloaked riders ahead of you!

You turn Aksh around, only to discover more riders. You're surrounded. Your eyes flash with determination as you leap from the horse. You draw Dastan's sword. But one of the riders seizes you. He is a large man with a shaved head and dark skin. His eyes are cold.

You struggle as a bearded, turbaned man approaches. He eyes you up and down, then calls over his shoulder, "You're right, she's not bad. We have a deal."

You're shocked to see one of the riders pull down his hood. Dastan!

"Glad to hear it, Sheikh Amar," the prince says. Then he strides to you and takes back the Dagger.

Your heart sinks. Not only does he have the Dagger againa"he has sold you to these degenerates!

21.

Sheikh Amar circles you. "The little riot you started kept goinga"for two days!" He gestures to the ostrich. "Bathsheba here is all that's left of my gambling empire! Look at the poor thing."

You blink at the ostrich. It blinks back.

"So it occurred to me the only way to recoup my tragic losses was to track down the young lovers who cast this dark cloud upon me. Yes, sir! I need the price on your heads!"

You blush at the word lovers and glance to see Dastan's reaction. But he doesn't seem to be paying attention. He's watching swirling funnels of sand dancing atop a sand dune. Another sandstorm?

Amar also looks to see what has Dastan transfixed. "Sand dervishes, Persian," he says dismissively. "As common as camel t.u.r.ds in this desert."

"Sheikh Amar, listen to mea"" Dastan begins urgently.

Amar cuts him off. "I'd rather not." His men gag Dastan.

"n.o.ble Sheikh," you say as respectfully as you can, "we are on a sacred journey."

Amar just rolls his eyes, and then you, too, are gagged. Worse, one of his men, a tall, bald, African named Seso, takes Dastan's sworda"and your dagger.

84.

You're not sure if you can get Astrella to climb that steep pa.s.sageway, so you take the tunnel that leads deeper into the mountain. With the torchlight guiding you, she doesn't protest.

At first the tunnel is very narrow and you have to walk in front of Astrella. The walls are covered with a deep green moss, making it feel as if you're walking through a velvet corridor.

You hear the sound of water up ahead. Uh-oh. Is the rain coming in at the other end? But it doesn't sound like dripping or flooding. It reminds you of the calm lapping of gentle waves on a sh.o.r.e.

Could this path lead to an underground pool?

Your question is answered quickly. The narrow pa.s.sageway widens, and soon you discover what looks like a lush valley hidden deep inside the mountain!

Wildflowers dot the hillside, and when you peer up you realize you are looking at sky. But not a rainy, dark, dismal sky. A clear, bright blue, glorious sky.

And then, you see the people!

130.

After your hands are bound, you are led down a tunnel. You seethe beside Prince Dastan. "Such a n.o.ble prince," you hiss at Dastan. "How taken you were by my fainting act. Eagerly leaping to a.s.sist the fallen beauty."

"Who said you were a beauty?" he retorts. "There must be a reason you can't take your eyes off me," you taunt. "I don't trust you. And don't worry, you're not my type."

"Of course! I'm not some desperate slave girl. I'm actually capable of voicing my own thoughts!"

"Too many for my taste," Dastan says. Up ahead you can hear shouts and the rumble of a large crowd.

Where are they taking you? Sheikh Amar turns and grins at you. "The girl will make a nice addition," he says.

"What do you intend to do with her?" Dastan asks.

"Yes, do tell him," you sneer. "Can't you see how concerned he is?"

"Give me a moment with her," Dastan says, grabbing your arm.

Is he going to come up with a plan to get you out of here? Does he regret what he's done?

80.

You have to get that dagger back! You dash onto the racetrack, which throws the ostriches into a panic. They squawk and screech, running this way and that. Men pour onto the track, trying to regain order, while others start fighting. You struggle to get to the man with your dagger, but by the time you arrive at the spot where you last saw him, he's gone.

Your head whips back and forth as you frantically search for him.

Someone roughly grabs your arm. "You!" Sheikh Amar shouts at you. "You did this!"

As his men get the riot under control, Amar drags you off the track. He shoves you in front of a tiny old woman sitting at a table. "This one," he says to the woman. "You can have her. Cheap."

The wrinkled old creature looks you up and down. "She'll do. You're not allergic to camels, are you?"

"Ia"I don't think so," you say.

"Good." Turns out, the woman is a camel dealer, with a stable out in the middle of nowhere. She needs you to keep them in market condition.

Just great. The Dagger is gone, and now it appears you are destined to end your days as a camel beautician.

THE END.

You need to help catch Prince Dastana"you can't risk his getting away with the Dagger. That could mean losing track of it forever.

You spot a windowa"and it looks as if that's where Dastan is heading. You race to it, and as Dastan rushes toward you, you fling yourself at his knees, knocking him over. You land together, arms and legs tangled.

Guards instantly surround you, and Garsiv binds Dastan's wrists. "I couldn't let a murderer escape," you explain as the uncle, Nizam, helps you up.

Nizam gives you a slight bow. "And for that we are grateful," he says. "So grateful, you should be rewarded."

Excellent. This is going exactly according to plan.

"The Dagger the murderous prince has in his possession is a sacred object to my people," you say. "I would be most grateful if you would return it to me."

Nizam's eyes narrow. "I am sorry. Giving a captive princess a dagger wouldn't be wise. Sacred or not, it is still a weapon. But I am sure Tus would be delighted to make you his wifea"as now the king's choice for you is no longer available." He nods to the guards who haul Dastan away.

Your heart sinks. Marriage to Tus seems as cruel as Dastan's imprisonment. And you have no idea what will happen to the Dagger now. But you will spend the rest of your life searching for it.

THE END.

The room grows silent. Prince Dastan gapes at you. Perhaps you should not have been so stubborn and taken greater care with your words. Luckily, the king seems more amused than offended.

"Clearly she will make a fine queen," he says. His eyes narrow as he studies you. "But Tus already has enough wives. You might take fewer chances, Dastan, if such a jewel waited in your chambers. The princess of Alamut will be your first wife." He grins at Prince Dastan. "What say you, Dastan?"

Now it's your turn to stare. This is a surprise. Dastan seems equally flabbergasted.

The king points at Dastan. "He plunges into a hundred foes without thought, but before marriage he stands frozen with fear."

The king laughs, and the crowd joins in heartily. Then his expression turns to panic. "The robe!" he screams. "It burns!"

You watch as several attendants pull at the robe, but they can't pry it off the king's body. Garsiv pushes through the crowd and rips at the robe. "My fingers!" he cries. He stumbles backward, clutching his hands.

"G.o.d help us," Nizam says, "the robe is poisoned." He whirls and points at Dastan. "The robe Dastan gave him!"

98.

Dastan notices you hovering at the edge of the group. It distracts him, and his opponent gets in another hit.

"He favors his left!" you shout at Dastan. "And antic.i.p.ates high!"

Dastan blinks, obviously surprised that you're yelling fighting advice at him. Then he whirls around and brings the club low and to the right. The other fighter drops to his knees. A cheer goes up. Thanks to you, Dastan has won.

You wait as he shakes hands with his opponent and returns the clubs to the men who lent them to him. He approaches you with a quizzical look.

"Did you decide to give me Princess Tamina's message after all?" he asks with a teasing grin. "Or are you here to give me fighting pointers?"

You're not sure how to proceed. Is he more likely to give you the Dagger if you reveal Nizam's plotting? And if you do get the Dagger from the prince some other way, how are you going to keep it away from Nizam, and save your own life?

If you decide to tell him about Nizam, 87

If you decide to keep quiet about that, and just ask for the Dagger, 27

You need to get out of your chamber, fast. The royal family could arrive and marry you off to Prince Tus any moment! And then what would happen to the Dagger?

Luckily they have allowed one of your loyal maidservants to stay with you. Quickly, you exchange clothing with her, leaving her sitting with her back to the doorway. Anyone peeking in will believe you're sitting in quiet contemplation at your dressing table.

You cross to an intricately carved decorative platter mounted on the wall. You press the jeweled eye of a bird, the raised paw of a cat, and the rough bark of a tree and step back. The wall slides open, revealing a secret pa.s.sageway. You step inside and press the same b.u.t.tons on the inner wall. The door slides shut again. Did the Persians really believe you wouldn't know the palace's many secrets?

You welcome the cool quiet of the hidden room. You need this moment to think, to get your bearings. You must find Prince Dastan and somehow retrieve the Dagger.

You've heard from your maidservant that Prince Dastan often carouses with his men and almost seems more comfortable among common people than with royals. But his father, the king, is due to arrive at any moment. He could be staying close to his brothers right now. What should you do?

If you take to the streets, 68

If you search the palace compound, 95

"Prince, you have something of mine that I'd like returned," you say calmly. "My dagger."

"Actually, Princess, I think you need to be returned. To your chambers," Dastan says. "You are to marry my brother to create an alliance between our peoples. We can't have you running around dressed as a servant. Who knows what trouble you may cause." He gives you a warning look. "And there will be trouble if you try to escape."

He gestures, and the crowd of men who had been watching the fight now surround you. "Let's escort the princess back to where she belongs," he says.

A messenger arrives on horseback. "Prince Dastan! I've been sent to find you," he says. "Your father, the king, has arrived!"

Prince Dastan's face lights up. "So soon!" He turns to you. "Let's dispense with formalities and introduce you right away."

The guards drag you to where the royal procession is arriving. You frantically try to think of a way to get the Dagger and to escape this terrible fate.

88.

"Sorry, Princess," Prince Dastan says with a smirk. "You can't have your city back. It's in Persia's hands now."

You fight back your fury. Such insolence. But to snipe at him won't get you what you need. "I simply ask for you to return the Dagger you wear in your belt," you say softly. You can't risk the guard hearing.

He pulls it from his belt and holds it up. The jewel in the handle glints in the light. "Why should I?"

Your mind races. What will appeal to his pride? "You wouldn't have won that fight without my guidance," you remind him. "Surely you agree a gift of grat.i.tude is in order."

His eyes narrow as he looks from the Dagger to you and then back again. Then he shrugs. "Why not?" He tosses the Dagger to you. You catch it neatly.

"Thank you," you say. You turn to go but feel you need to try one last time. After all, Dastan is not all that bad. "Please, Dastan. Keep a close eye on your uncle."

"That's an old trick, Princess," Dastan says. "Divide and conquer. You seek to create a rift in my family. It won't work."

You know not to say anything else. He could change his mind about the Dagger, and you can't risk that.