You continue to sit on her as you examine the Dagger. "It's pretty. Nice jewel on the handle. But it's just another weapon. Why should I respect it?"

"That's where you're wrong, Persian. This is not just another weapon. It is for this dagger that lies have been tolda"false excuses to invade our city, to dig beneath our streets. And it is my destiny to protect it."

You stand and step away from her. You can tell she's telling the truth. The truth she believes. You just don't buy it.

16.

King Sharaman turns the Dagger over in his hands, examining it. Then he hands it back to the princess. "Yours is a holy city. I will not desecrate it further by claiming your sacred relics."

Princess Tamina clutches the Dagger, her eyes wide with surprise. "Thank you. Perhaps I am wrong in my a.s.sumptions about the Persians."

"We have much to learn about each other," King Sharaman says. "Let me suggest an alliance between our peoples. And to seal it, I would like you to marry my beloved son, Prince Dastan."

Now it's your turn to stare. "But I thought . . ." Could Nizam have been wrong?

He gives you a kindly smile. "Even a loving father must sometimes speak harshly to a son."

Princess Tamina looks disdainfully at you, but then nods. "I agree. I am grateful for the respect you have shown my people and our beliefs. I can only hope your son shares your wisdom."

King Sharaman laughs. "We all hope for that!"

You gaze at the princess. You're not sure why, but somehow you feel marrying this arrogant, willful, and beautiful woman is part of a larger destiny. If nothing else, she has given you back the knowledge of your father's love, and for that you are grateful.

THE END.

You climb up onto Aksh and gaze down at Tamina. She stares up at you, her eyes wide.

"You're going to help me?" she asks, incredulous.

You feel something shift inside you, something momentous. This is no longer about proving you didn't kill your father. This is about something much bigger. More important. Maybe that "destiny" she spoke of . . .

You hold your hand out to her. "We can sit here and chat," you tell her, grinning, "or you can get on the horse."

59.

You quickly seek out Tus. While Tamina hides on the balcony outside your brother's chamber, you step inside. "h.e.l.lo, brother," you say quietly.

Tus spins around. "Dastan!" He must have been prayinga"he's holding your father's prayer beads.

Tus's bodyguards instantly rush toward you. You lunge for Tus and grab him. You hold the Dagger to his throat. The guards freeze where they're standing.

"We need to talk, brother," you say.

"Then talk," Tus replies.

"Alone," you say.

Tus pauses a moment. "Wait outside," he tells the guards.

Once they leave, you look into Tus's eyes. "Alamut was never supplying weapons to our enemies," you tell him. "It was all a lie. Fabricated by our uncle Nizam."

"Nizam?" Tus repeats incredulously. "Are you mad? What could he gain from such a thing?"

"Beneath the streets of this city is an ancient force. A container holding the fabled Sands of Time. Nizam wants to use it to corrupt history and turn back time to make himself king."

Tus is not buying your story. "If you're going to kill me, best you do it now," he says.

22.

You immediately draw your sword. "Pull that Dagger and I will cut off your hand," you tell Princess Tamina.

"Who are you?" she demands. "Why have you come here?"

"Destiny, I suppose," you tell her.

She startles at your statement. "What do you mean?"

You laugh. "Destiny is a far more impressive word than luck," you say. "I was asked to search for you, and I refused. Yet I find you anyway. Doesn't that sound like destiny to you?"

"Why were you looking for me?" she asks. Then her eyes narrow in anger. "You're one of the invading Persians. One of the crude and illiterate buffoons who desecrated the sacred city of Alamut."

"If you care so much for your city, why did you run away?" you retort.

Her jaw sets. "I had my reasons. None that you could understand."

"Try me," you say.

"Who are you?" she asks again. "You still haven't told me,"

You waver. What will get you the information you need?

If you decide to tell her the truth, 53.

If you decide to lie, 101.

You will have to mourn Tus's death later. Now you follow Tamina down a dark staircase. You hope you can stop Nizam in time. "The Guardians built pa.s.sageways underneath the city for secret access to the Sandgla.s.s," she explains.

Tamina finds a carving on the wall and reaches behind it. A hidden door instantly springs open. "If we move fast enough, we might get there before Nizam," she says, echoing your thoughts.

You follow Tamina, coming to a narrow bridge. As you cross it, there's an angry rumble. Pieces of rock crash down around you, falling away into the deep chasm.

"The digging is undermining the city!" you say.

"It's the G.o.ds," Tamina cries. "Nizam must have breached the Chamber of the G.o.ds!"

You get across the bridge and emerge from the tunnel. You stand before a vast room with a floor of golden sand. This is the home of the Sandgla.s.s of Time.

94.

Both choices are risky, but you'd rather take your chances with the main roads. The Valley of the Slaves is notoriousa"and you have enough trouble as it is.

"We'll need some sort of disguises," you tell Princess Tamina. "We're both much too recognizable."

"We're not exactly traveling with extensive wardrobes," she points out. "All I can think to do is to dress you in my clothes."

You gape at her. "Dress like a girl? And what will you wear?"

She shrugs. "I'll think of something."

You notice a caravan off in the distance. Many travelers come here on their way to market. Maybe you can trade with them for some clothinga"perhaps even travel with them, helping you disguise your ident.i.ty even more and offering you some protection.

On the other hand, no one will be out looking for two young women traveling together.

Tamina is waiting. Which is it going to be?

Swap clothing with her and 65.

Wait for the caravan and 68.

You start to pace, connecting your thoughts. Through a window you notice an archer up on a nearby roof. He wasn't there before.

It wasn't Tus behind all this. It was Nizam! He never tried to take the robe off Sharaman. His hands should not have been burned.

You take off running.

Vwip! An arrow grazes your side, but you don't stop.

"Dastan!" your uncle calls behind you. "Wait! I can speak to Tus!"

You don't slow down. You race through the crowded marketplace.

You hear footsteps behind you and see crossbowmen on the roofs above you. A two-tiered a.s.sault! Another arrow comes at you. You drop to your knees and slide, feeling the arrow's breeze as it whistles by. It clatters to the ground beside you.

You leap up and start running again. Now you see a squad of soldiers coming toward you! Your eyes flick left, then right. Nowhere to go.

You rush straight at them.

GO TO PAGE 57.

You're wasting your time fighting this one guard. You have to find your brothersa"and your battalion.

You put all your weight behind your next blow, and the Alamutian topples over. You spin around and race away, your eyes scanning for your Persian comrades.

As you sneak through the city, you are greeted by horrific sights. Carnage is all around youa"b.l.o.o.d.y evidence that the battle has been a ma.s.sacre. While you were fighting the sandstorm and hiding in the tunnels, Persians and Alamutians were losing their lives in great numbers.

This was precisely what you'd hoped to avoid. It is why you came up with an alternative plan. Maybe if you had gone with your gut, all this could have been avoided.

Then you see Roham, one of your men. He seems dazed, but unharmed.

"Prince Dastan," he calls when he sees you, "I've been searching all over for you."

"What is the news?" you ask as you hurry to him.

The look on his face makes you wonder if perhaps you don't want him to tell you.

109.

"I have to stop Nizam," you say. "I'm all that stands between him and the crown, and he's made certain that I appear guilty of my father's death."

You can't bear to look at the disappointment and defeat on Tamina's face. Maybe once you confront Nizam you can find the Dagger for her.

You say your good-byes to Tamina, Amar, and Seso. Then you mount Aksh, all the turmoil weighing heavily upon you. You have no idea what you're going to do once you get back to Nasaf.

It's a long, hard ride. Your thoughts are no clearer as you approach the city walls. With every mile you've traveled, the more your anger has taken over. When you arrive, you learn Tus is dead. No doubt the result of Nizam, you think. Your anger deepens.

You know where your uncle will be: in the royal compound. It would be easy to sneak in and confront him with such knowledge. It's the middle of the nighta"perhaps the element of surprise will allow you to get the best of him. Maybe even find the Dagger.

But maybe it would be better to wait and gather information. Nizam might not even still be in the city. You'll need to find a place to hide. After your childhood in the streets, that shouldn't be too hard.

If you confront him now, 24.

If you find a place to hide out and wait, 40.

You drag the princess to Nizam. "Princess Tamina," your uncle says, "so nice of you to join us."