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  “I need water,” Shazad interrupted, cutting his brother off before he revealed how he normally traveled to and from Jorako. “Have you got any with you?”

  “Water? Oh, right,” Ali said, momentarily embarrassed that he had not offered his brother anything.

  “I haven’t had anything to drink all day,” Shazad rasped.

  “I didn’t realize you didn’t have anything with you.” Ali held up an empty flask the size of a thermos. He shook it, and the flask filled itself with crystal-clear water. Shazad took the water and chugged it down in one gulp. He repeated Ali’s motion, filling the flask and drinking the water again. Ali took stock of his brother as he drank. “What’s in the bag?” he asked, eyeing his backpack.

  “Not water,” Shazad replied, avoiding the question.

  Ali’s face lit up as he drew his own conclusions. “Don’t tell me you’re finally bringing back some of Redondo’s things.…” He gave his brother a congratulatory clap on the back. “That’s fantastic! Father’s going to be thrilled. Did you have to sneak them out of the theater? Is that why you’re out here like this? What have you got?”

  “Nothing,” Shazad said, appalled. “I didn’t sneak anything out. I wouldn’t do that. Stop being so nosy.”

  Ali was visibly let down by his brother’s reply. “Still nothing? Father’s not going to like that.”

  “I know. I’m working on it.”

  “What’s taking so long? You should hear him every day after you leave.” Ali lowered his voice, imitating their father: “It’s been a month! When are Shazad’s friends going to listen to reason? It’s bad enough one of them lost Houdini’s wand. He’s going to lose the rest if he drags this out any longer.”

  Joey grunted and spit on the sand near the feet of Ali’s horse. He didn’t mean to do it. Houdini’s wand was a sore subject with Joey and camels were known to spit. It was just something they did. Night Wind snorted and stamped in place, very much offended.

  “That’s enough,” Shazad said, speaking to Night Wind, Joey, and his brother all at once. His words fell on deaf ears. Joey backed away from Night Wind, but the muscular, feisty stallion followed after him, leaning into his space as Ali continued to update Shazad on their father’s current mood: “I’m just saying he’s running out of patience, is all.”

  Shazad let out a mirthless laugh. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “He told me today he should have sent me to win the wand.”

  “He didn’t say that,” Shazad replied, sounding wounded. “Did he?” The question came a beat later, with less confidence than Joey was used to hearing in Shazad’s voice.

  Ali shrugged sympathetically. “It’s not fair, I know. It’s not your fault your friend threw away Houdini’s wand. That was his stupidity, not yours.”

  Joey blurted out an indignant cry, trying in vain to defend himself. Ali wasn’t being fair. He wasn’t stupid. He was inexperienced! “Who’s to say you wouldn’t have done the same thing in my place?” Joey asked in an unintelligible, gargling groan.

  Night Wind reared up, affronted that Joey had the gall to insert himself into the conversation a second time. He whinnied to Ali as if to say, Are you hearing this?

  Ali got Night Wind under control, but he frowned at Joey. “My horse doesn’t seem to like your camel very much.”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Shazad gave Joey a light kick in the ribs, telling him to zip it. “We’d better separate them. You might as well ride ahead and tell Father I’m coming back empty-handed. Again.” He gave back the empty flask. “Thank you for the water. I’ll see you at home.”

  Ali gave a nod and took up Night Wind’s rains. He patted Shazad on the shoulder and departed with a sad look. Shazad said nothing. He just watched his brother go. Shortly after that, Leanora returned, but the remainder of the journey passed in silence. Joey kept his head down as he walked. He felt foolish for nearly provoking a confrontation with Ali’s horse. He also felt bad that the wand and the items in the theater had become a source of friction for Shazad and his father. That was one benefit of not coming from a magical family. Joey didn’t have any pressure from his parents to bring home magical items. He would, however, have some explaining to do if he didn’t get to California by the end of the day. Joey did some quick math in his head, thinking about the time zones and how long he had before his flight was supposed to land in Los Angeles.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Jorako revealed itself to him at last. The long walk, seemingly toward nothing, ended abruptly. Joey had put one foot down on coarse sand, and the next footstep landed on a thick, soft bed of grass. Joey’s mouth fell open as the oasis materialized around him, teeming with life. It was the size of a football stadium, lined with a forest of fifty-foot palm trees. Inside the dense ring of trees was a fertile garden, filled with short, stocky palms, robust shrubberies, and bright pink and white flowers. A riot of color bloomed throughout the oasis, all of it perfectly placed around a wide lake with a bubbling spring. It looked like paradise, but the stunning natural beauty of the grounds was nothing compared to the awe-inspiring sight of Shazad’s home.

  Joey had assumed Jorako would be grandiose, and it was, but not in the way he had expected. He had envisioned something out of 1,001 Arabian Nights: a magnificent palace, complete with pillars, arches, and domes. Surprisingly, the ornamental details that exemplified classic Islamic architecture were nowhere to be found. There were no jewel-like, decorative tiles. No intricate, kaleidoscopic mosaics or patterned brickwork. The massive structure at the heart of the oasis was a futuristic fortress that was so at odds with its environment, it might as well have been an alien spaceship.

  Joey could hardly believe his eyes. The giant building stood over the lake, crafted from thousands of crystalline cubes. They came in many different sizes, some of them as big as a house. They were stacked on top of each other like Lego bricks, packed tight in a complex, dazzling arrangement. Glass cubes jutted out on every surface, rising and falling in squared-off peaks like a geometric mountain range. As the sun disappeared over the horizon, individual cubes lit up, illuminating the building with a scattered checkerboard of golden-yellow and soft-white lights. It was a stunning display of beauty, completely unique. The more Joey looked at it, the more he realized the geometric precision of the permutated cubes and the unspoiled flora and fauna of the oasis didn’t clash at all. The juxtaposition of the two styles was what made it special. Jorako was a wonder unlike anything Joey had ever seen before, and that was saying something.

  Leanora took to the sky and flew a short lap around the immediate area, making a fuss the whole way. Joey let out a bewildered cry that sounded like a hound dog trying to sing opera.

  “Easy, you two,” Shazad said quietly. “You’re supposed to be simple animals, remember? This shouldn’t be that exciting for you.”

  Joey and Leanora quieted down and tried to play it cool as Shazad dismounted and walked them in. Dozens of people greeted Shazad on his way in, speaking in what Joey assumed was a Jorakan dialect. He couldn’t understand the words, but their meaning was clear enough. Everyone was glad to see Shazad. He was well known and well liked. Joey wondered if everyone there was part of his family. They passed through a small outdoor market and walked down a pleasant garden path toward the lake. Families were finishing up picnics on the grass and stepping into midair portals that appeared to lead to different corners of the oasis. Joey tried not to stare, either at the magical doorways scattered through the area or at the giant crystal fortress that was Shazad’s home. The entrance was out over the lake. An irregular staircase made up of the same glass cubes as the rest of the building zigzagged its way from the front door down to the water’s edge. As they approached, Joey could see silhouettes of people milling about inside the building. Jorako was already big enough to fit half his neighborhood back in Hoboken, and he had a feeling its borders stretched beyond what he could see. Up ahead, the road split, with one path continuing on toward the lake and the other leadin
g off in the direction of the house. Crystal lanterns lit an empty lane that led to the base of the staircase.

  “I can’t bring you in,” Shazad said once they got there. “I’m sorry. I have to go find my parents first. They’ll be expecting me inside. We need to act like everything is normal. Just keep your heads down and rest here by the water. I’ll try not to be too long.” Joey tried to reply, but Shazad shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips and reminding him to stay in character. He promised to return as soon as he could, and went up the steps to the house alone.

  Once he was gone, Joey and Leanora looked at each other and tried their best to communicate in animal form. Leanora gave a kind of what now? shrug with her wings. Joey grunted in reply as if to say, I guess we wait. He looked at the lake and suddenly felt thirsty. The next thing he knew he had his face in the water and was drinking enough to last him for a week. Fully quenched, he found a comfortable place to sit down and lowered himself to the ground. He was an expert on that now. Joey wanted to explore the oasis, but he was too tired. Also, he spotted Night Wind close by and didn’t trust himself not to do anything that would arouse suspicion. He had messed up enough already. The best thing he could do was follow Shazad’s advice and get some rest.

  * * *

  When Joey woke up he was human again. Shazad was standing over him, having just pulled the cape off Joey’s body like a blanket. Joey rolled over on his back and looked up at the night sky. The stars were out and shining bright. He sat up with a jolt. “What time is it? How long was I asleep?”

  “A while,” Leanora said, putting out a hand to help him up. She had been changed back as well. “It’s late.”

  Joey got up and dusted himself off. He ran his tongue around his mouth, making a sour face. “My mouth tastes like pond water. Yuck.”

  “This should help with that.” Shazad held up a small basket filled with thick pieces of pita bread, cookies topped with almonds, and honey-glazed golden nuggets. “Eat something. You must be hungry.”

  Joey dug in, going straight for the sweets. “Shazad, you’re a lifesaver.”

  “Don’t just eat the ghorayebah and zalabya,” Shazad told Joey as he stuffed his face. “The aish baladi’s fresh.”

  Joey paused. “Which is which?” he asked with his mouth full.

  Shazad gave Joey and Leanora a quick rundown of the food he had smuggled out of the house. The butter cookies that had practically melted in Joey’s mouth were ghorayebah, and the sticky treats that reminded him of doughnut holes were zalabya. Shazad took special pride in the bread, or aish baladi. It had just come out of the oven and warmed Joey’s insides. “This might be the best bread I’ve ever had. Either that, or I’m starving. Or both.”

  “It should go with hummus or something to dip it in, but we have to eat and run, so I just grabbed something quick. This was the best I could do on short notice. Here, in case you’re thirsty,” Shazad added, producing a jug of water to go with the food. “Sorry it took me so long to get back here.”

  “Forget it,” Joey said, taking a big swig of water to wash down the food. “It felt like five minutes to me. I passed out quick.”

  Leanora nodded in agreement and helped herself to more cookies. “I figured you’d have to wait for your parents to fall asleep before you could come find us.”

  “Wait a minute… parents.” Joey checked his pockets for his phone. “It must be the middle of the night,” he said with his mouth full. “I’m supposed to call my parents.”

  “Don’t worry.” Shazad held up Joey’s phone, displaying the text screen. “I took care of that. They kept trying to reach you, so I texted them back.”

  “I get reception out here?” Joey asked, astonished. He took the phone and read the message Shazad had sent his parents:

  Hey guys—sorry I’m checking in so late. Flight got delayed, but we made it (eventually). Supertired though… gonna crash now. Talk more tomorrow?

  Joey blinked at the screen. “That actually sounds like me,” he said, impressed. He scrolled down and saw that his father had replied, writing that he was glad Joey had made it to California in one piece and told him to get some rest. Joey’s mom seconded that but added that she expected an actual phone call from him in the morning. Replying as Joey, Shazad had sent back a sleeping emoji, effectively ending the conversation.

  “Not bad,” Joey said. He powered down the phone to preserve its battery and put it in his pocket.

  “I read through the text history with your parents to get the right tone,” Shazad explained. “Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. You nailed it. Thanks again.”

  “How did it go with your parents?” Leanora asked Shazad.

  Shazad grimaced. “About as well as it’s been going for the last month, which is to say, not great. I don’t have to tell you my parents aren’t big fans of us keeping the magic items we have in the theater all this time. I didn’t tell them I lost the Staff of Sorcero, either,” he added, upset with himself. “Do me a favor and don’t mention that when the time comes that you finally meet them.”

  “What’s the Staff of Sorcero?” Joey asked, playing along.

  “Never heard of it,” Leanora said, doing the same.

  The staff was a major loss, but no one could fault Shazad for not being able to save it. After all, he had saved them and the map, too, which was now rolled up in a tube-shaped container on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll take better care of this,” Shazad said, tapping the map.

  “Did you get a chance to research the shield?” Joey asked.

  “I’ll come back and do it after we get out of here,” said Shazad. “You’re not supposed to be in Jorako, either one of you. If my parents found out about this…” He paused, thinking about what would happen if he got caught sneaking his friends into the oasis. “Let’s just say it wouldn’t go over well. I only brought you in because we can all go home from here. We should do that. Now.”

  “Absolutely,” Leanora said, ready to go. “Lead the way. Let’s leave before you get in trouble with your family.”

  “Before we get in trouble with my family,” Shazad corrected.

  Just then there was rustling in the bushes nearby. Joey had a sinking feeling they were being watched. He nodded in the direction the noise had come from and asked, “What if we’re already in trouble?”

  Joey, Shazad, and Leanora all turned to look at the bushes. Ali stood up behind them. Everyone gasped, but Ali appeared to be more shocked than anyone else. “Shazad?” he asked in a brittle voice, stepping out into the open. He looked crushed. Betrayed. “What is this? Who…? What are they doing here?”

  “We were just leaving,” Joey said quickly.

  Shazad put a hand up, hissing at Joey to let him deal with this. Chastened, Joey buttoned his lips. Shazad’s eyes were locked on his brother. “This isn’t what it looks like,” he told Ali. His voice was calm and reassuring, but his words rang hollow. They didn’t line up with the reality of the situation.

  Ali was clearly stunned by his brother’s actions. “It looks like you snuck your friends into Jorako.”

  Shazad’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, it’s exactly what it looks like, but it’s not what you think. You don’t know what we’ve been through today. I’ll tell you everything, but first I have to ask you, please… don’t tell Dad about this.”

  “I’m sorry, Shazad. I can’t help you.”

  “What do you mean? Why not?”

  Ali held up an orange-colored jewel. It was the size of a silver dollar and glowed brightly in the night. Joey saw an eye staring out from its largest facet.

  “It’s not Dad you have to worry about. It’s Mom, and she already knows.”

  8 Family Meeting

  “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble,” Ali told Shazad. “I didn’t want to spy on you. It wasn’t my idea!”

  Shazad trudged up the steps to the cubist, crystal-rock palace, ignoring his brother’s pleading voice. He didn’t look angry. He looked beaten,
like a criminal who had just been arrested and was on his way to the big house. Joey, Leanora, and Ali followed after him, trailing a few steps behind.

  “It wasn’t my idea,” Ali said again, this time to Joey and Leanora. He was looking for absolution anywhere he could find it. “Our mother thought Shazad was acting strange,” he explained. “She told me to find out if there was anything going on out here she should know about. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t have a choice.”

  “It’s not your fault, Ali,” Leanora sympathized, walking beside him. “We’re the ones who broke the rules, not you.”

  “What was he thinking, sneaking you in like this? Why’d you come here?”

  “We didn’t plan it,” Leanora said. “We didn’t have a choice, either.”

  Ali gave Leanora a weak smile, full of pity. Joey got the feeling they’d have to come up with a better explanation than that, and soon. “Which one of you was the camel?” Ali asked as they climbed the staircase.

  Joey gave a little wave. “That was me.” He figured he might as well come clean. “Not very convincing, I take it?”

  Ali gave a shrug. “I did get the feeling you were listening in on our conversation.”

  Joey nodded. “It was hard not to.”

  “Because I was wearing this.” Ali held up his hand, which was marked with an intricate symbol. “The Lingua Franca. It’s a universal translator that works perfectly for people, and it works pretty well on animals. My parents wouldn’t let me ride Night Wind without it. I use it to get him to listen better. You seemed to understand us a little too well. That was suspect. Other than that, you looked the part—except for the paint,” he added, surprising Joey.

  “The paint?” Joey looked at his fingers, which still carried traces of white from the cottage door. “What paint, this?”

  Ali squinted at Joey’s fingertips. “I don’t think so. It didn’t look like that. It was more colorful, and it wasn’t on your hands—or your feet. It was splattered all over the side of your neck.”