"But not before they punished the djinn by enslaving them. That's true, right? You lost the war and they hid you away in another dimension."

Lova glared at me. But I could tell my words had hurt her as well. I a.s.sumed that meant my insight was correct.

"This is no time to gloat, Sara," she said. I disliked her using my name.

"How come the Anulakai didn't punish humanity?" I asked.

Lova lowered her head. "they come in cycles. Perhaps this time we'll defeat them. Perhaps this time you'll fight alongside them and we'll destroy you both."

"Do you want humanity destroyed?" I asked. When she didn't answer, I said, "Why don't we fight together like last time and defeat the Anulakai?"

Lova stared me in the eye. "We don't trust humans. We never will. They were bred to be slaves. Anulakai slaves or djinn slaves-it makes no difference. Humans were not meant to roam free." I held my anger in check. "What does the word Shar Shar mean in djinn?" mean in djinn?"

"It is an Anulakai word."

"What does it mean?"

"Center."

"Center of what?" I asked.

"I don't know." I let the interrogation end. Lova was giving me a head ache. The limousine continued to roll through the desert and into the night. The moon rose farther in the sky.

As we neared the job site, the carpet began to make a ringing noise. It reminded me of when the jet had locked on its radar. It made sense-the six-billion-dollar hydroelectric plant would have a radar system that would notify their security people if a low-flying object was approaching.

What to do? I could go up or I could go down.

Whatever I did, I had to do it fast. I could not repeat the game I had played with the jet. But I spotted a large truck following the limo, not far behind us.

since there was nothing else out here, I a.s.sumed it was headed for the job site. I flew over it to take a closer look. It was a garbage truck. Empty, but nevertheless smelly. The ringing noise grew. I immediately ordered the carpet to land inside the truck and was relieved when the ringing stopped. Lova complained about the odor, but I told her to hush.

"We won't be here long," I said.

We stayed inside the truck only as long as it took to pa.s.s security. I doubted the job site swept itself with radar. Its antennas must all be pointed outward, away from the plant. Once we were away from the gate, I flew us out of the truck. unfortunately, now I had lost track of Amesh and his limo. I a.s.sumed that he was heading for the cave and shar temple on the far side of the pit, but I had to raise the carpet pretty high to get my bearings. The place looked different at night. I reached for my binoculars, searching. Eventually I saw the limo and Amesh. He was holding my father captive, and he had a sword in his hand. He was shouting for me to come down from the sky.

"Last warning, Sara!" he yelled. "Surrender or he dies!" my father tried to tell Amesh something but Amesh struck him on the side of the head with the blunt side of the sword. My dad was bleeding from his nose and ears. I sat back and stared at Lova, my heart pounding.

"if I order you to destroy Darbar, will you do it?" I asked.

"If you will agree to be my thrall."

"I'm only your thrall if I make three wishes."

Lova chuckled but said nothing. I sighed. "Carpet. Take us down to ground level."

Chapter Twenty-One.

We LAnDeD neAr tHe CAVe, not far in front of Amesh and my father. There was no sign of spielo. I couldn't see Darbar but felt he was near. h.e.l.l, he was practically on top of us, and it was the djinn who was holding my father in place, not Amesh, not even with the threat of the sword. The instant we landed, before I could roll the carpet up and put it away in my backpack, Amesh let go of my father and pushed him forward.

"You're late," Amesh said. "I didn't think you'd come."

"You knew i'd be here," I told him, before turning to my father. "How are you doing, Dad?"

I hardly recognized the man. Not because he was hurt, although he had been roughed up. It was the two emotions I saw on his face-confusion and fear. I had never seen him show weakness before. To me, growing up, my father had always been so sure of himself; and of course I had never seen him frightened of anything.

Yet for my sake, I think, he tried to project steadiness.

"I'm doing okay. It's been an interesting night." He stopped and peered at me more closely. "What's that bruise on your face?"

"It's nothing important. Do you feel like you're in the grip of a large invisible hand?"

He nodded. "How did you know? What is it?"

"It's a djinn. For the moment, it's under Amesh's control."

"For the moment!" Amesh repeated. "I command Darbar!

He obeys me!"

"For how long?" I said, keeping my voice calm. "You know he's about to fulfill your third wish."

Amesh grinned. "Poor Sara. You think I'm a fool, don't you?"

"I think you're in pain and I think you'll do anything to stop that pain. But hurting the people you've trapped inside that cave isn't going to ease your suffering one bit."

Amesh poked my father with the sword, hard enough that my father winced. "It isn't just those inside who hurt me. Your father was one of them. Imagine that, Sara-all this time, I thought he was trying to help me. When he was the one who ordered the attack on me."

"Who told you this lie?" I demanded.

"You know who. And he doesn't lie, not to me, not to his master." I turned to my father. "Dad. Did you order an attack on Amesh?" my father sighed. There was so much guilt in the sound, it broke my heart. "Sara. There are things I never told you about last summer. Things I'm responsible for. Amesh has a right to hate me. I lied to him." I hesitated. "Are you lying now?"

"No."

"Did you give the order to have his hand chopped off ?" I asked.

"Of course not." my father looked to Amesh. "I knew the boys were guarding the cave. I hired them to guard it. I knew you and spielo and some of the other young men were curious about the underground temple. But what happened that night- when you lost your hand-none of that was planned."

"Liar!" Amesh said. "Darbar says he lies! He was behind it all!"

"Amesh, think of how much pain you were in last summer," I pleaded. "Who came to the hospital to see you every day? Who found the best doctors for you?"

"He did it to cover up what he had done to me!"

"He did it because he cared about you!" there followed a silence as our words echoed into the vast pit behind us. Once again, I noticed the area looked as if it had been struck by a meteor. The image was uncanny.

"I did it for both reasons," my father said. He saw the shock on my face and tried to explain. "Sara, I've been living something of a double life here in the middle east." I shrugged. "I know about your interest in the djinn."

He was amazed. "You do? then you must know-i've been standing here with my head spinning. I saw you fly in on that carpet. It's a real flying carpet! Where did you get it? I've been searching for one all my life."

"I found it near here. It's amazing. It's called the Carpet of Ka." my father forgot all about the sword in his back. All about the djinn that held him in place. He tried to take a step forward.

"The Carpet of Ka!" he gasped in wonder. "So the stories are true!" But then he was suddenly thrown to his knees and let out a cry of pain. "Ahh!"

Amesh chuckled softly. "It's not like we can let Daddy go for a ride on the carpet, now can we, Sara?"

"What will it take for you to release him?" I asked.

Amesh was amused. "Have you come to bargain? that's so unlike you. When you bargain you have to give up something, then you get something in return. But from what I've seen, you like to talk about giving but in the end that's all it is-talk."

"Amesh . . ." I began.

"I'm not finished!" He shook with pain as he tried to hold his right hand down. He was having another spasm. "I've learned a lot in the last year, more in the last week. Nothing in this world's free. But a girl like you-who has the nerve to say she loves me-would never sacrifice a lira to help me."

"How does your hand feel?" I asked.

"Don't ask about my hand!" he yelled.

"It's hurting pretty bad right now. Darbar won't do anything to fix it. He gave you that hand knowing full well it would hurt you. Don't tell me he's your ally. He's your enemy. Not me or my father. Yes, I know my dad got involved with some bad people. And I know he tried to protect these people by hiding certain facts." I paused. "You have mr. Toval and mrs. Steward inside that cave, don't you?"

Amesh shrugged. "they testified against me at the trial. They lied so the others could go free."

"I know. I read the transcript from the trial."

"You did?" Amesh asked, surprised.

"Your grandfather shared it with me. It was filled with lies.

But if you think about it, Amesh, my father was the only one who showed any guilt. It's because he's the only one with a conscience. The only one who cared about what you were going through."

"Sara, you don't understand; I am guilty," my father said.

"not the way the djinn says you are," I replied. "You have to listen closely and trust that I know more about this situation than you do. If not, Amesh's djinn will take your head with that sword, and Amesh will end up a thrall for all of eternity."

Amesh snorted. "talk, talk, talk. That's our darling Sara.

Do you have anything else to say before Dear Dad does lose his head?"

"Why is spielo here? is he here to be a thrall in your place?" my remark caught Amesh off-guard, but his surprise quickly changed to anger. " I'm not a traitor like you. Spielo's here to witness the revenge that's his due. That's all."

He spoke with conviction. I realized then he might have been telling spielo the truth, or at least as much truth as a possessed person could. I saw the loneliness Amesh's pain had brought him. Still, it was hard to trust a guy with a sword in his hands.

"I hope so. I hope you're not about to put him through the same pain you're going through."

"No one knows what I'm going through!" he shouted, and his d.a.m.n hand wouldn't stop flapping. He was right, in a way; I had to shut up and deliver. Fixing his hand wouldn't save him in the long run, but at least he would know a moment of peace.

Also, even more pressing, if I healed Amesh's hand, my father would get to keep his head. Then it was possible Amesh might try to return the favor and stop Darbar from harming my father. But I doubted anything would keep the djinn from collecting its prize. I just wished I could order Lova to kill Darbar and end it.

But if she killed him, it would be equal to two wishes. Then I would end up the thrall! I stepped forward and took Amesh's wounded hand.

Amesh tried to shake free but I wouldn't let him.

"I can stop your pain, Amesh," I said. "I've brought my own djinn with me. Darbar knows she's here and he knows she's more powerful than he is. That's why Darbar's afraid to kill my dad. He knows I'll take revenge." I paused. "I told you, I'm willing to bargain."

Amesh finally showed interest. "What are you offering?"

"My djinn will heal your hand. Make it like it was before you were attacked. When it was strong and you were whole."

Amesh stared at me a long time, the moon bright in his black eyes. He was not aware but the sword in his hand began to lower.

"Will that be your first wish?" he asked. I shook my head. "My second."

He sighed. "It will cost you."

"I don't care."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you're in pain."

"Why?" he repeated.

"Because you're right; there's no love without sacrifice." I paused. " I'm going to prove to you that I do love you."

His voice trembled. "You don't know what the price will be." I turned to Lova. "What will it cost?" she did not hesitate. "the Carpet of Ka. I fix his hand; you give it to me. Agreed?" I turned back to Amesh and my father and repeated what they had been unable to hear. "She'll fix your hand in exchange for the carpet," I said.

"But you love that carpet," Amesh said.

"Not as much as a certain turkish boy." my father was worried. "Sara, I know you are trying to do the right thing. But I've researched flying carpets, and if this is in fact the Carpet of Ka, then you mustn't hand it over to the djinn."

"Why not?" I asked.

"They could use it to destroy mankind."

Lova came forward so she stood by my side. "We would only use it to defeat the Anulakai," she said. I knew what a skilled liar Lova was, but I sensed that she was telling the truth. The djinn wouldn't turn its power against mankind.

"I'm sorry, I can't let Amesh suffer anymore," I told my father. "I have to surrender the carpet."

"Sara, no. It's too important," my father pleaded.