next to a silver bowl of nuts. He held it over the king. Fatima heard Ahmed draw in his breath. âYou look just like Yusuf did afterâ¦â His voice trailed off.
âYusuf? What about Yusuf? Is he ill too?â asked the king.
âNever mind about Yusuf,â said Ahmed.âYou havenât been stung by bees, have you? How long have you had these horrible red bumps?â
âBees?â The king shook his head weakly. âNo. Itâs a rash, and Iâve had it for more than a week.â He groaned. âItâs hot and itchy and getting worse. The doctors think itâs the plague. Theyâre afraid of catching it, so they examine me from a distance.â
Fatima drew back a little, but Elena stepped into the room. âExcuse me, Your Majesty,â she said, âbut may I have a look?â
âWhoâs this?â The king sounded startled.
Fatima came forward. âIâm Selimeâs sister, Fatima. And this is my friend, Princess Elena.â They both curtsied. âElena is skilled at healing. Maybe she can help.â
The king sighed. âI fear Iâm beyond anyoneâs help.â Then, managing a feeble smile, he added, âBut where are my manners? Youmust be hungry after such a long journey.â He motioned to the silver bowl on his bedside table. âWonât you have some nuts? Theyâre about the only thing Iâve eaten since I became ill. In fact, Iâm feeling a little hungry now myself. Maybe Iâll have a fewtoo.â He reached for the bowl, but Elena stopped him.
âI think those nuts may be the problem,â she said.
âWhat?â cried Ahmed. âYou donât think theyâre poisoned, do you?â
Could he be thinking the same thing she was? Fatima wondered. What if Yusuf�
But Elena shook her head. âNo, nothing like that. But sometimes certain foods, such as nuts, can cause a rash. If Iâm right, Your Majesty, youâll get better once you stop eating them. But for now,â she said, uncapping her little blue bottle, âthis lotion should help.â
12
Back Again
W HEN F ATIMA AND E LENA CAME DOWNSTAIRS for breakfast the next morning, King Murad was sitting with Ahmed, enjoying a huge meal of scrambled eggs, fruit, and pastries. King Murad beamed when he saw them. âThe rash is gone!â he said. âI feel wonderful. Like I could go on living for another fifty years!â
âAnd I hope you shall, Father,â said Ahmed.
Fatima and Elena looked at each other and smiled.
Later that morning Ahmed filled in his father on Yusufâs doings. The king shook his head sadly. âDisgraceful! His mother will be utterly enraged. Sending Yusuf to her is a just punishment indeed. And Iâm so glad youâre okay.â
Shortly afterward Ahmed and the princesses left for home. As Fatimaâs carpet sailed over lakes and valleys, mountains and trees, Prince Ahmed praised Elena. âIt was clever of you to figure out what was causing my fatherâs rash when none of those doctors could.â He rolled his eyes. âThe plague, indeed!â
Jealousy surged through Fatima. She was proud of her friend too, but why couldnât Ahmed ever say anything nice about her ?
It was evening when they finally arrived back at the palace. Ahmed went in search of Selime and Hassim, while Fatima and Elenaran off to find their friends.
âI canât believe how much has happened since weâve been here!â Tansy said later as she polished her flute in Fatimaâs room.
Fatima stopped brushing Elenaâs hair. Sheâd been trying to take some of the frizziness out of it, but it only sprang back, frizzier than ever. âIâm afraid it wasnât exactly the adventure Iâd hoped for.â
Tansy looked up from her flute. âI thought the whole thing was rather exciting.â
âMe too.â Lysandra set down the book sheâd
Learning to Kill: Stories