Jim

After retracing their steps, they felt around until they found Federico asleep in the storeroom. When Adelfried removed the enchantment making him invisible, he awoke resulting in a bout of intense crying. Jim pushed the door open to the bathroom, hoping for brief moment it would take them to the club, but it didn’t work. “Federico, I don’t know if you can understand me, but this is your last chance for a bathroom if you need to go.”

The first good news all day was that Federico, even with his melted brain, understood and went to use the bathroom on his own. So, he could understand some things around him. He dropped his pants and sat on the toilet. Ying slammed the door shut. “Yeah, I don’t need to see that.”

After a few minutes the sound of a toilet paper roll spinning came from behind the door. At least he was potty trained. After retrieving him from the bathroom Jim convinced him to follow them, but only by creating a makeshift leash out of a chain of towels. While it did cause some stares to be leading a grown man in this fashion, it was an effective method for keeping him out of traffic in Cairo’s narrow streets and busy walkways. After more walking, followed by some additional walking, with some walking after that, they ended up in a small park at the shore of the Nile River.

Ying plopped down on a bench to rub her sore feet. “I don’t see anything.”

Adelfried started to scan the park. “He said to look for the magic sigil.”

Jim joined her on the bench and dragged Federico to join them. “Any ideas on what this magic sigil looks like?”

Adelfried shrugged. “No, but I have every confidence we will find it. Maybe you have to activate it with magic.” Adelfried started touching every bush, stone, brick, and piece of trash he came across.

Jim pulled his shoes off and started rubbing his feet. “So…what do you think? We just find the sigil and then what, say abracadabra?”

Adelfried continued his random touching of everything in the park. “Maybe just anyone with magic can open it just by touching it. It would make sense since the magical and non-magical worlds are separated here…another odd thing. He used the word magic, not ESH.” He bent over to examine a weird black shape stuck to the concrete sidewalk.

“That’s gum.” Ying said, slipping her heels back on to join the search

Jim stood up. He should probably help as well. It takes a lot of eyes to find a needle in a haystack. After crisscrossing the park several times, their old friend, frustration, started to appear. “Do you have some kind of magic radar?”

“Radar?” Adelfried asked.

“You know, can you like, you know, smell the magic or something?”

“I don’t know, never tried to be honest. I can sense the Root even when I don’t have it so, maybe?” Adelfried sat down in the middle of the park with his legs folded and closed his eyes.

Jim walked through the park taking one disgruntled step after another, turning every few seconds for a status check on Adelfried. “Well?”

“I think…” Adelfried waved his hand in a vague circle. “…I think in that direction…maybe.” He pointed towards Jim.

Jim, getting excited, spun around and followed the direction Adelfried’s hand was pointing to the edge of the park. The only thing there was a handrail, preventing anyone falling into the river. “Congrats, you found the Nile.” He wiggled the handrail for good measure, but it was just an ordinary handrail.

“No, I sensed something.” Adelfried hurried over and joined Jim. He closed his eyes and opened them again. “There, you see that bare spot?” Adelfried pointed to a bare patch between two moss covered rocks where feet had worn the ground.

“Well… you’re the only one here with magic.” Jim said, folding his arms, unconvinced.

“Yes. And why is that Jim? Oh, I know, because someone thought it was a bad idea,” Adelfried added, with an irritated glance at Jim, before picking his way down under the handrail.

Jim laughed. “You have been hanging out with Evan and Kae too long.”

Adelfried had made his way down to the spot that was worn bare. “I see something” He reached behind a bush. “You see this symbol? It is similar to the Sovs symbol, but not quite the same.” It was an irregular, lumpy kind of oval shape but the trim and detail were different from the Sov symbol. When he reached out and touched it, nothing happened. He touched it again and rubbed it vigorously, but still there was no sign of a magical door or anything. After a few seconds a large bubble blurted up from the water.

Ying now standing beside Jim added. “Great, you gave the river gas.”

“Well, it was worth a try.” Jim said, walking down the railing looking around. “Maybe it’s on the other side of the water.”

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“What are you talking about? The entrance is right here.” Adelfried said, reaching out like he was opening a door that wasn’t there.

Ying looked at Adelfried with confusion. “What are you miming now? Is this Egyptian sun getting to you?”

“Wait, maybe it’s like that invisible ink, like the menu at the bar.” Adelfried took a step into the door. To Jim it looked like he was now standing on top of the water.

“Oh, I bet it is so us regular folk can’t see the entrance or something like that. Pretty cool trick, I’m coming,” Jim said, right before hopping the railing.

“Hey, help me with crybaby.” Ying said, tugging Federico’s towel leash towards the invisible door.

Once everyone was inside, Adelfried reached out and closed a door from the sounds of it, but it still appeared to Jim like they there standing on a platform above the water. There was a click and the invisible box started to submerge.

“Okay, this is a little freaky, I’m closing my eyes,” Jim said, with his eyes already shut.

“You know, for a police officer you sure are a wuss.” Ying laughed, giving him a nudge.

“Sorry, I get a little claustrophobic when I’m being dragged underwater to my death by things I can’t see. Just tell me when we get to wherever it is we are going.”

After a bouncy, noisy ride that took way too long. Ying elbowed Jim who was still blissfully unaware of his surroundings. “Open your eyes.”

“We’re still moving, no, thank you.”

“Just look!” Ying said, squeezing his hand.

When he opened his eyes, they were a hundred feet in the air overlooking a massive golden hued bazaar spread out below them. The air glistened with green and orange sparkles mixed with a rainbow of colored smoke that floated up out of a myriad of different stalls. The maze of stalls looked like they were fighting for space in the massive hangar sized expanse. The crowds of people pulsed through the bazaar like blood in the arteries of an organ. Only around the outer edges of the bazaar could you hope to have a chance of standing without bumping into someone. As the elevator neared the ground, the air inside filled with the smell of spiced orange and lemons.

After another few seconds they touched down on the ground with the bazaar at their back. In front of them stood a tall brick wall painted with the massive Egyptian hieroglyphs and a large arched hallway leading away. Jim walked forward smashing his head into an invisible wall. “Ow!” He grunted, rubbing his head.

“There is a door there, Jim.” Adelfried chortled as he started to jiggle an invisible handle.

“Oh, please, allow me!” A muffled voice said, coming from a small man who appeared out of nowhere. He had a huge smile with bright coffee-stained teeth that radiated through his black beard. His loose-fitting black shirt needed another button closed to keep his chest hair back, which seemed like it would burst forward to get you, if you got too close. He grabbed the invisible door and swung it open. “Welcome, welcome to the real Khan el-Khalili bazaar, not that tourist trap above ground in Cairo.” He stood back and waved them out as they stumbled out of the invisible elevator and continued gawking.

“Quite spectacular, isn’t it?” The furry chested man said, with his huge smile still gleaming. “First time, yes?”

Adelfried nodded. “Yes.”

“Excellent, excellent.” The man started with a loud and fast voice. “I am the official, unofficial greeter and guide for all new visitors to the bazaar, you four most definitely are in need of my services! I am Baba, your faithful servant, and expert on Khan el-Khalili and the magical underworld here. If there is something you require? I acquire. Something you need know? I show.” Baba, now fully into his rehearsed script, slowed his fast pace and gave them a knowing look. “You need something questionable? Baba ask no questions. You need something for free? Baba say Godspeed.”

Ying pointed over to the bazaar. “The shops are right there. We can just walk over there.”

“Yes, but Baba get you the best price, best quality, best everything with Baba.” He said, continuing his huge confident smile. “And why waste the time looking at all hundred plus stalls? You need now? Baba show.”

Ying started. “Thanks Baba, but I think—”

“We need a SIM card, food, and a hotel.” Jim jumped in, putting his hand on Ying’s shoulder. “In that order, please.”

“Yes, no problem. And this one is alright?” Baba said, motioning to Federico who had a towel leash tied around his waist.

“He’s just sad and…gets lost easily, he’ll be fine.” Ying played it off as she started to walk forward and tugged Federico along.

“If it’s fine for you, it’s fine for Baba. Everyone follows Baba. Yes?”

As they neared the bazaar, they passed a large black pot sitting on a massive burner. All it needed was witches and it would be a cauldron considering the swirling orange and yellow viscous liquid expelling vapors of the same color.

“What are these black pots?” Jim asked, taking a step closer. The scent was like a lemony-orange explosion straight from his nose to his brain. An exhilarating sense of freedom washed over him. He wasn’t sure, but he had a strong suspicion that his whole life as a human was a lie and that he had been an orange with lemon appendages living amongst humanity as an impostor. The world around him was nothing but lemons and oranges except for the large orange and yellow cauldron-pot in front of him. It was now laughing and full of joy because Jim had joined him. Jim was relieved to be fruit again, and he would now try to find his way to a citrus tree to live out the rest of his life. He knew Ying, who was now a lemon, and Adelfried, now an orange, would be happy for him. He was no longer afraid or worried. He had a purpose, and he was content now that he was at last out of his human peel. A hand grabbed his right upper lemon and pulled him backwards, away from the yellow and orange pot, which was now crying for some reason. He stumbled backwards on his lemony pegs.

“Don’t get too close to the pots,” the Baba lemon said, laughing. “Those fumes’ll make you crazier than a tunnel rat.” He motioned to the red markings on the floor. “If you cross those, you’ll visit the happy fruit land and worship the fruit god.”

“Wait, what? What happened?” Jim said, eyeing everyone around him unsure if they were fruit or people.

“Come on, this way.” Baba put a firm hand on Jim’s shoulder and tugged him along on his sad non-lemony legs. Jim gave his hand a lick just to make sure it was free of citrus flavoring. It was salty.

Ying leaned in close to Jim checking to make sure he was okay. “What are those pots for?”

“Ah yes, well, all these tunnels are filled with magic and that attracts every underground creature as you can imagine. These pots are repellant. Otherwise, every few minutes we’d have a swarm of black crawlies or box gnats or magical mosquitoes, those are the worst.”

Ying cringed. “Wait, there are magical mosquitoes?”

“The worst, now come on, let’s get some food in his stomach here before he sees the golden cloud.”

“What’s the golden cloud?” Jim said, as Baba dragged him into the bazaar.