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In the middle of the stone floor, she danced gracefully. Her body swayed to the tune of the music outside. Black scarf and
veil flowed with her movements. You can hear the gold bangles on her wrists jingle. She's not dancing for anyone, just for
herself. I stood there watching her behind a pillar, enchanted by this beautiful creature. She stops to remove her scarf.
Long black hair fell down her shoulders. I felt the very air escape from my lungs. She sat down on a flaming red square pillow,
trimmed with a gold braided rope. Each corner of the pillow had tassels.
Softly, she began to sing. I didn't understand the words, but the song was still beautiful. Her voice sounded like wind
chimes during a gentle breeze. I sighed. She must have heard me because she looked in my direction. I moved farther behind
the pillar, hoping to conceal myself completely. I dared not to move another inch, or even breathe. I heard her speak. I silently
prayed that she didn't call for her guards. I would be publicly beheaded for spying on nobility. Once again, I heard the jingling
of bracelets. My fate had been sealed, or so I thought. Feeling a gentle touch on my shoulder, I gasped when I turned to face
her. She placed a finger over her lips as if she was saying that I should keep quiet.
I looked around, expecting to see guards running into the room, but there was none. She motioned me to follow her, so
I did. Quietly we climbed the stair. No doubt to her sleeping quarters where I seen her stand on the balcony every night.
Once inside her large room, she bid me to sit down onto a pile of pillows. She peered out the doorway to make sure we weren't
followed. After closing the door, she sat in front of me. There was a different look in her eyes. Like a predator stalking
its prey. She removed my fedora hat, and tossed it on the bed. I ran my fingers through my unruly hair. She laughed at my
self-consciousness. I had to keep myself from tearing off that cursed veil. For so long I wanted to see her face, as well
as the rest of her.
My usual tactics of romancing was failing me. Instead, she was doing the seducing. I let her. Just from the look in her
eyes, I knew she would take me places I never even dreamed. All I had to do was take her hand, and she will lead me. I turned
from her gaze to watch the swirling sands outside the window. She began her tale.
It was a different language the second time she spoke, but it was the language I knew. At least one of the language
classes paid off. I'm sure she'll explain how it came about of her learning another language other than her own. She says
her name is Shahrazad. The name is familiar for some reason. This is our first meeting so she wasn't one of my past escapades.
Shahrazad is from Persia, which is now the country of Iran, and the oldest daughter of a scholar. Her mother was a multi-linguist.
That explains how she knew more than one language. She lived a very educated and happy life. However, she ran away from home
after her sixteenth birthday to avoid an arranged marriage to a murderous king named Shahryar.
On her black steed, she rode across the desert. She reveled in her newfound freedom. In Turkey, she met and fell in love
with a Sheik. Together, and his band of thieves, they went to Egypt. They knew there was plenty of loot to plunder amid the
pyramids. Their plundering puts my years of treasure hunting to shame. She kept the jewelry from inside sarcophagus of queens
and princesses. The rest of the loot was pawned off at various bazaars. Who knows where the priceless treasure is now. Probably
on a shelf covered with dust. The band of thieves continued their looting, but only at night to keep from rousing suspicion.
They kept the loot hidden in a cave that they found in a canyon wall. They kept a boulder in front of the opening so no one
else would find the treasure.
One thief got careless, and bragged to a merchant about their findings. The merchant notified the authorities. The authorities
hid around the pyramids hoping the thieves would return that night, and they did. The surprise caused a pandemonium. The thieves
pulled out their scimitars to depend themselves. Shahrazad escaped unharmed, but she never knew what became of her lover.
She had to dress up as a man to board a ship to India. When she arrived there, she worked long hours as a weaver, and received
very little pay. During her stay in India, she befriended a poor woodcutter. He explained to her that he didn't make enough
money to support himself and his ailing mother. Shahrazad felt sorry for his plight that the next day she pawned her jewelry,
and gave him the money.
Shahrazad began to think about her own parents, which made her homesick. Therefore, she bought a horse, and left India.
She was greeted with happiness, but turned to sadness when she was told that her father was dying. Sitting by his bedside,
he uttered his last dying wish. She was to marry King Shahryar. He believed she could change him from his murderous ways.
With a heavy heart, she went to the palace, and married the king. Before she could finish her tale, there was the sound of
horses neighing outside. I quickly jumped up, and looked out the window. I saw my friend with the two horses on the high sand
dune. That was the signal that is was time for us to leave. I grabbed my hat from the bed, and explained to her that I will
have to hear the rest of her tale some other time. I jumped out the window, and ran to meet my friend.
"Hello, Indy. The officials signed the papers," Sallah handed the papers to me.
"Good. We can start digging as soon as we get enough volunteer workers." I folded the papers, and stuffed
them inside my leather jacket.
"Did you find anything out there?" Sallah asked.
"Yeah, there's a palace. I talked to a beautiful Arabian woman named Shahrazad," I answered excitedly
while mounting the horse.
Sallah suddenly burst out laughing. "I never pictured you reading fairy tales, Indy."
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Shahrazad was the storyteller in the book Arabian Nights. I think you've been in the sun too long, my friend."
I turned around. The palace was gone. There were only miles of desert sand. Was it all a dream? Maybe Sallah was right,
perhaps I've been in the sun too long. "I think I need a drink."
"Now that's the Indy I know. There's a great place that serves a nice glass of scotch."
"Lead the way, Sallah." I pulled my hat over my eyes to shield them from the sun. Finally, we galloped
away. The palace and Shahrazad never left my mind. I hope when we start the excavation that we will find something. It was
all real, and not my imagination. However, that tale will have to wait until next time.
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