Chapter Five
I glanced around the dimly lit stall, feeling the weight of Zayed’s gaze on me. The scent of incense and the musty aroma of old relics filled the air. My mind was still reeling from everything that had happened so far, but there was no time to waste. I needed to find those artifacts and clear my name. Now, if only I could figure out what Zayed wanted in return.
“So,” I said, folding my arms and trying to look like I was in control. “What kind of favor are we talking about?”
Zayed stroked his long, white beard thoughtfully, a smile playing on his lips. Before he could answer, Snickers bounded up to the counter and grabbed one of the bright yellow bananas stacked inside a red ceramic bowl. With a deftness that would put any street performer to shame, Snickers peeled it with his feet, took a big bite, and then held out the half-eaten fruit to me. His eyes were wide, and his expression was one of pure innocence.
I hesitated. Eating a banana offered by a monkey was not high on my list of sanitary choices. But my stomach grumbled, reminding me that the last thing I’d eaten was the minuscule bag of peanuts on the plane, which felt like a lifetime ago. I shrugged. “What the hell,” I said, taking the banana from Snickers and biting into it. It was sweet and slightly overripe, but at least it was food. As I chewed, Snickers seemed to study me, his eyes darting from my face to my neckline.
Before I knew it, Snickers reached out with a tiny hand and tried to peer down my blouse. I gasped, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Snickers!” I exclaimed, swatting his hand away. Snickers screeched, a high-pitched sound that filled the small stall, and hopped back to Zayed’s shoulder, clearly pleased with himself.
Zayed and Jack burst out laughing. “Snickers likes his lady friends,” Zayed said, chuckling.
“He has good taste,” said Jack, looking at me.
“Hmph,” I muttered, pulling the neckline of my blouse higher. I shot Snickers a look that I hoped conveyed disapproval, but the monkey just blinked at me, as if he couldn’t understand why his behavior might not be acceptable.
“So, about that favor?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation back on track. Zayed stopped laughing and turned serious, though his eyes still twinkled with amusement.
“Ah, yes,” he said, nodding. “The favor. I need someone to take care of Snickers for the next couple of weeks. I’m going to be out of the country, and I don’t trust just anyone with my little friend here.”
Jack, who had been examining a dusty old vase, looked up with a grin. “Covert operation, huh? Need to keep it under wraps?” He grabbed a banana for himself from the counter, peeled it, and took a bite, leaning against the wall nearby with a casual air.
I stared at him. Covert operation? What kind of people had I gotten myself mixed up with? My mind raced with possibilities, each more outrageous than the last. Was Zayed some kind of secret agent? Was Jack?
Zayed shook his head, laughing. “Nothing like that this time, my friend. I’m taking a tour of New Zealand to see the places where they filmed ‘Lord of the Rings.’ I have always loved those little hobbits!” His eyes sparkled with genuine excitement.
I blinked, taken aback. “Lord of the Rings?” I echoed, trying to process the sudden shift from espionage to Tolkien fandom.
“Yes, the hobbits!” Zayed said, clapping his hands together. “Such delightful creatures. I’ve always wanted to see the Shire with my own eyes. But I cannot take Snickers with me, and he is my only companion, my friend. Will you take care of him?”
Jack shrugged, still munching on his banana. “Sure, why not? We’ll keep an eye on him. Right, Charlotte?” He glanced at me, a teasing glint in his eyes.
I hesitated, eyeing Snickers, who had his leg lifted and was busy grooming himself. “We will?” I said, unsure. The thought of taking care of a monkey, especially one as mischievous as Snickers, wasn’t exactly appealing. But Snickers made a silly face, reminding me of Palmer, and I found myself smiling despite my better judgment. I adjusted the neckline of my blouse again though, just in case.
Zayed’s face softened with gratitude. “Thank you, my friends. Snickers means the world to me. I am indebted to you for this kindness.” He bowed his head slightly, and Snickers copied him, giving a mock bow of his own, which made us all laugh.
“Well, since we’re doing you this favor,” I said, shifting gears, “can you tell us what you know about the Path of the Gods? We need to find those artifacts.”
Zayed nodded, his expression turning serious. “I will tell you what I know. The Path of the Gods is an ancient secret. It is said that the entrance lies hidden, known only to those who can decipher the clues left by the ancients.”
He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, then recited in a sing-song voice:
“ By the light of Ra and Hathor’s grace,
Seek the shadow’s secret place.
Where two lines cross beneath the sun,
The hidden door will come undone .”
I listened intently, repeating the rhyme in my head, trying to make sense of it. A riddle. Of course, it was a riddle, because why not? This was beginning to feel more and more like a treasure hunt out of a storybook. A magic flying carpet would probably appear next to whisk us off.
“Thank you, Zayed,” I said, committing the words to memory. “We’ll figure it out.”
Zayed nodded, his gaze becoming thoughtful. “Most interestingly, you are not the first to ask about the Path of the Gods. In fact, someone else was here this very morning asking the same questions."
My heart skipped a beat. “What? Who? What did they look like? What did they say?”
The old market seller shrugged. “They were completely covered up. Big sunglasses, head wrapped. You could barely see any skin. They spoke in a whisper.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine. “Did you tell them what you know?” I asked, dreading the answer.
Zayed shrugged again, looking slightly apologetic but not overly concerned. “Yes, I did. They paid me enough cash to upgrade my lodgings in New Zealand to a penthouse suite, get a personal chauffeur, and hire a masseuse. They even threw in a signed ‘Lord of the Rings’ poster, autographed by all the stars. I mean, can you blame me?”
I groaned, slapping my forehead. “Great. Just great.”
Jack put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, don’t worry, sweet cheeks. This just tells us we’re on the right track. If the thieves are looking for the Path of the Gods, we can hopefully catch up to them and recover the artifacts.”
I sighed, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in my chest. “I hope you’re right, Jack. I really do.”
Zayed nodded sagely. “Remember the clue,” he said, his voice low and serious. “It is your key to finding the entrance. And be careful. Whoever this other person is, I feel they will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
Another shiver ran down my spine and I gulped, twisting my fingers nervously.
“That’s why she’s got me. To protect her,” said Jack, turning around and tripping over his untied bootlace. “Oops.”
“I have no doubt you will,” Zayed said with a wink. He patted Snickers on the head, and the monkey chattered happily. “Take care, my friends. And remember, the Path of the Gods is not just about the destination, but the journey itself.”
With that cryptic farewell, Jack and I left the stall, Snickers perched comfortably on Jack’s shoulder. The bustling bazaar stretched out before us, alive with color and noise. I glanced at Jack, who seemed lost in thought, and then down at Snickers, who was busy trying to grab my hand.
“Aw, you want to hold my hand?” I asked, offering my fingers to the little monkey. Snickers wrapped his tiny fingers around mine, his grip surprisingly strong. It was sweet, in a strange sort of way. But as I walked, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to hold Jack’s hand instead. The thought sent a warm rush through me, and I quickly pushed it away, focusing on the riddle instead.
My stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence as we walked. Jack glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. “Hungry?”
“You think?” I said, my voice tinged with sarcasm. The banana Snickers had given me had barely taken the edge off.
Jack laughed. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.” He led me through the maze of stalls and people, finally stopping at a small outdoor café tucked away in a corner of the bazaar. The aroma of spices and grilled meat filled the air, making my mouth water.
We sat down at a small table, and a waiter quickly appeared, taking our order. Jack suggested falafel wraps, and I agreed, trusting his judgment. When the food arrived, I took a bite, and my taste buds exploded with flavor. The falafel was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned to perfection. It tasted nothing like the falafel I’d had in New York. This was the real deal, and I couldn’t get enough.
As we ate, Snickers suddenly scampered off, disappearing into the crowd. I shot up in my seat, panicked. “Shouldn’t we go after him?” I asked, scanning the bazaar for any sign of the little monkey.
Jack waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back. He knows where we are.”
I tried to relax, taking another bite of my wrap. Just as I was starting to enjoy my meal again, Snickers returned, a mischievous look on his face. Draped over his arm was a beautiful emerald-green scarf, shot through with gold thread. He scampered up to me and, with a flourish, wrapped the scarf around my head, grinning proudly.
I touched the scarf, feeling the soft fabric. It was beautiful, but where had it come from? The monkey surely hadn’t gone shopping. “Oh no,” I said slowly, looking at Jack. “He stole it, didn’t he?”
Before Jack could answer, a woman’s voice cut through the noise of the bazaar. “Thief!” A petite, olive-skinned woman with a long brown braid flapping against her back came running toward us, her face flushed with anger, pointing directly in our direction.
For a brief, terrifying moment, I thought she was pointing at me. My heart pounded in my chest, and I looked around for a place to hide, wondering if I’d end up in a Cairo jail before the day was out. But then I realized her finger was aimed at Snickers, who was sitting calmly on the table inspecting his nails, seemingly oblivious to the commotion he’d caused.
Jack stood up, holding his hands out in a placating gesture. “I’m sorry about the monkey,” he said smoothly. “He can be a little…sneaky. We’re working on training him.”
Snickers crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue. I stifled a laugh, despite the tension in the air. The woman glared at Snickers, then at Jack, clearly torn between anger and the absurdity of the situation.
I quickly pulled the scarf from my head and offered it back to the woman. “I’m really sorry,” I said earnestly. “He must have thought it was a gift.”
The woman hesitated, looking at the scarf, then at me. Jack stepped forward, reaching into his pocket. “How much?” he asked, pulling out a few bills.
The woman’s dark eyes narrowed, but she named a price, and Jack handed over the money without hesitation. She took the cash, muttering something under her breath, and walked away shaking her head. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful the situation hadn’t escalated further.
Jack turned to me, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You know, it really does look nice on you,” he said, nodding at the scarf still in my hands. “Brings out your eyes.”
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “Thanks,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my face. For a moment, we stood there, just looking at each other, the noise of the bazaar fading into the background. It was one of those moments where time seemed to stand still, and I couldn’t help but wonder what Jack was thinking.
The moment was broken when Snickers crawled into Jack’s lap, curled up and closed his eyes. Jack absentmindedly stroked the monkey’s fur, his touch gentle. Watching him, I felt a strange warmth spread through me. There was something undeniably sweet about the way Jack cared for Snickers, and it made me see him in a different light.
“Zayed’s clue,” Jack said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Do you know what it means? Does it mean anything to you?”
I shook my head, pulling the scarf tighter around my shoulders. “Not yet. But maybe this will help.” I reached into my bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper, carefully smoothing it out on the table. It was a copy of the map from the explorer’s journal Dean had found, one of the few pieces of information I’d managed to gather before leaving New York.
Jack leaned over, studying the map. His brow furrowed in concentration. “This intersection here,” he said, pointing to a spot where two lines crossed. “That’s a pyramid. But not one that’s open to the public. Most people don’t even know it exists.”
I looked where he was pointing, my mind racing. The riddle Zayed had given us. “By the light of Ra and Hathor’s grace…Seek the shadow’s secret place…Where two lines cross beneath the sun…The hidden door will come undone,” I recited, piecing the words together in my head.
Suddenly, it clicked. The intersection of the lines, the mention of light and shadow. “It’s the shadow!” I exclaimed. “The pyramid must cast a shadow that points to the entrance. It’s hidden, but if we follow the shadow at the right time of day…”
Jack’s eyes lit up with understanding. “We’ll find the entrance,” he finished. “The Path of the Gods.”
I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. We were getting closer. The artifacts, the truth, everything—could they really be within reach? I glanced at Jack, who was already folding up the map, a determined look on his face.
“Ready to go?” he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.
I nodded, my heart pounding.
With Snickers nestled comfortably in Jack’s arms, we set off once again, the noise and color of the bazaar fading behind us.