“You don’t want to know,” said Uma frankly. “I mean…Cook has a fabulous recipe.” She realized that buttering up the clams, so to speak, was the way to get what she wanted from this girl. “Did you guys have a nice dinner?”
“We did,” said Sophie. “I’ve never been here before.”
“Come back again,” said Uma. “On Fridays we have the weekend special.” The weekend special was everything that didn’t sell over the week, but Uma didn’t say that.
“Okay, I will,” said Sophie. “I don’t really get to go out too much.”
“The sorcerer keeps you busy?”
“Yeah, there’s always papers to grade and research on his experiments. But I have nights and weekends off. It’s just a bit far from where we live.”
“I see,” said Uma. “I heard you’re not from here, like we are.”
“Yeah, I’m not. My family’s from Eden, actually,” said Sophie. “We live in the middle of the forest.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes. It’s so green back home and so…well…not green here.” Sophie shrugged.
“You don’t have to say,” said Uma. “We know what the Isle is like.” She whistled to a server. “Bring us two pints of the best swill.”
“Oh wow,” said Sophie.
“My pleasure,” said Uma. “Gil is handsome, isn’t he?”
Sophie’s eyes flicked to Gil, who raised his bilge glass to her with a goofy smile. “Yeah, I guess, if you like brawny.”
“Who doesn’t?” said Uma.
Sophie giggled self-consciously. “Belle, I guess. Although she married Beast.”
Uma decided it was time to get down to business. “Anyway, you have a second?”
Sophie nodded and put away her napkin. “Gil said you had something magical for me,” she said, in a professional tone.
“He did?” Uma was confused for a moment until she remembered it had been her idea to tell Sophie that she had something for her. “Oh, right, I do.”
“You really have it?” Sophie asked, her neck tensing at the question. Whatever it was that she thought Uma had, it was clear it was incredibly important to her.
Like Gil, Uma decided the best answer was a definitive “Yes. I have it.”
“Oh, thank wizards!” said Sophie, smiling in relief. “I’ve been looking for it everywhere! Where’d you find it?”
“Around,” said Uma vaguely.
“I mean, I can’t believe the shop gave me a witch’s hat back!” Sophie grumbled.
“Right…”
“I just took it there because the brim was fraying,” said Sophie. “I should have just fixed it myself. I’m sure they sold the sorcerer’s hat to someone else.”
“The hat! You’re looking for the sorcerer’s hat!” said Uma.
Sophie was suddenly not as friendly. She frowned. “Yeah, and you said you had it.”
“Pointy blue one? With all those stars and moons on it? What’s so special about it?” asked Uma. She would never understand the ways of wizards.
“Nothing!” said Sophie abruptly.
“Nothing?” said Uma suspiciously.
“The professor doesn’t like to be without it,” Sophie finally admitted. “He’s a little sensitive about his bald spot.”
Uma raised an eyebrow. “That can’t be all it is.”
“Fine! Whoever wears the hat is able to use his power, except there’s no magic on the Isle, thankfully,” said Sophie. “But I still need to get it back. So, out with it. Do you have it or not?”
Uma slammed a palm on the table. “Of course I have it! And it can be yours if—”
“What do you mean if?” asked Sophie.
“If you give me something in return,” said Uma with a wicked smile. “Can’t get something for nothing, you know. Ursula’s rule. And you’re on our turf now.”
Sophie’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want for it?”
“Tell me where Yen Sid keeps my mother’s necklace,” said Uma.
“You want Ursula’s necklace?” asked Sophie.
“Are you deaf? Yes, I want her necklace—the seashell one!” growled Uma.
“But it’s broken; what would you need it for…?” said Sophie.
“I don’t care, I want it. It was my mother’s, and I want it back,” said Uma. “Sentimental value, shall we say.”
“You? Sentimental? As if!”
“It was my mother’s!” said Uma. “It’s rightfully mine.”
Sophie stuck her nose in the air. “Be that as it may, it’s the property of the kingdom now. It belongs in the museum,” she said in a superior tone. “The only reason it’s still on the Isle is—”
“The embargo,” said Uma. “I know.”
“I’m not telling you where it is,” said Sophie.
“Fine, then no hat,” said Uma.
“You don’t have it,” said Sophie.
Uma grunted in frustration and motioned for backup.
“Sophie,” said Harry, stepping up to the table from the shadows. “You’re surrounded. There are many of us and only one of you, and you don’t have any magic at your disposal. You’re going to lose. We don’t want to hurt you. But we could.”
She trembled. “I’m not afraid.”
Uma glared at her. “You should be.”
“Okay, so if I tell you where the necklace is, you’ll give me the sorcerer’s hat back,” said Sophie.
“Precisely.” Harry smiled and nonchalantly wiped his hook on the front of his shirt, so she could see how sharp it was.
“I can’t tell you where it is,” said Sophie. “I just can’t.”
“Why not? I’ll give you whatever you desire,” said Uma, trying a different tack.
“How? There’s no magic on the island, and last I checked you’re not Ursula, and I don’t need to sell you my voice for a pair of legs.”
“Not interested in princes, are you?” said Uma.
“Princes are boring. Have you even met Chad Charming? That’s all you need to know,” said Sophie.
“There are other things a girl might want. I don’t need magic to help you,” said Uma. “Tell me, there’s got to be something you need that you can’t have. A way out of your internship? A better apartment down at the Knob? Maybe even another date with Gil? Pirates over princes every time, am I right?”
Sophie shook her head. Uma and Harry exchanged a look and left the table—Uma ostensibly to serve other customers; Harry had no excuse but followed Uma anyway. “She won’t budge,” said Uma.
“You’re losing your touch,” said Harry.
“Oh, stuff it,” said Uma. “You couldn’t get her to spill either.”
Harry shrugged. “The Uma I know could talk the hat off a wizard.”
“If only we had the sorcerer’s hat,” said Uma. “Or if we could come up with something else she wants that I can give her.”
“Or else?” said Harry, holding up his hook with a wicked grin.
“If it comes down to that, yes. But hold on.”
Uma returned to the table empty-handed. “I don’t think you have it,” said Sophie, taking a last sip of her drink and gathering her things.
“Are you sure?” Uma smiled mysteriously.
Sophie hesitated, considering the odds. “I’m pretty sure….” She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to have come to a decision. “We’re done here,” she said, getting up. “Tell Gil next time he should take me to the Slop Shop instead.”
“Wait, where are you going?” roared Uma.
“Home,” said Sophie. “I don’t need anything from you but the sorcerer’s hat, and you don’t have it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because. I’ve looked everywhere and so has Professor Yen Sid. If we can’t find it, no one can.” She regarded Uma with hostility. “Just admit you don’t have it already!”
“But I do!” said Uma.
“Prove it!” said Sophie.
“I will!” said Uma hotly, annoye
d to be questioned. She stood from the table, her mind racing. Sophie mentioned losing it in a hat shop, which rang a bell….Why? Where had she seen a hat like the sorcerer’s? She knew she’d spotted it somewhere….But where?
Then she remembered.
“Gil!” she said, finding him throwing darts at the poster of King Ben on the wall. “Do you have those hats you bought from the shop the other day?”
“I do!” said Gil with a big smile. “But you said they didn’t look good on me.”
“I don’t need you to wear them, I need you to bring them back here.”
Gil ran off and came back carrying a big sack. “This one?” he said, showing her his white cowboy hat. “Or this one?” He held up a black top hat.
“No, the pointy one,” said Uma impatiently.
Gil reached into the bag once more and before he could say anything, Uma had already grabbed it out of his hand.
Uma ran back to the table, holding the pointy velvet hat aloft. “Is this what you’re looking for?” she asked Sophie triumphantly.
“Where on earth did you find it?” said Sophie, shocked and happy.
“Bought it at the hat shop, of course,” said Uma, dangling the hat with the tips of her fingers and walking dangerously close to the open flame in the center of the room. “Now tell me where Yen Sid is hiding my mother’s necklace. Or I’ll throw it into the fire.”
Since the Great Wall blocked the direct way to the desert kingdom, Ben and Lonnie had to take the jet, despite the short distance of the trip. Ben could see why the people of Agrabah insisted on the flying carpets. Without air rights in the area, they’d have to go completely out of their way to get to Stone City. Once they set foot in Agrabah, they were met with as much fanfare and joy on that side as in the village.
The Sultan’s nephew, the Grand Vizier, awaited them at the bottom of the mountain. While it had been cold and damp in Stone City, Ben found he was already sweating in his regiment coat after a minute in the hot desert sun.
“Welcome, welcome!” said the Grand Vizier, walking toward them with his arms outstretched, the golden bells decorating his elaborately embroidered sandals tinkling with every step. Like the citizens of Northern Wei, residents of Agrabah wore both traditional and modern garb; the Grand Vizier wore a shiny tracksuit and a pair of noise-reducing headphones around his neck. He embraced them warmly and kissed them on both cheeks, in keeping with the native custom.
The Sultan’s people kept watch over the royal jet while the Grand Vizier led them toward a pair of camels for their journey to the palace. The desert kingdom hadn’t changed much from the days when Aladdin prowled the souk in the middle of the city with his pet monkey. The place was buzzing with merchants and tourists haggling with each other, arguing over the prices of spices and rugs.
Ben found the camel ride a bit bumpy, but soon enough they were sitting comfortably on rugs in the Grand Vizier’s great room, while a succession of mouthwatering dishes were presented for their nourishment—lamb tagine with stewed prunes and apricots, great bowls of couscous, eggplant turnovers, and aromatic saffron rice.
“Is this our third lunch?” Lonnie asked, amused at all the feasting the trip had brought.
“I stopped counting,” said Ben, piling his plate high with food from every dish presented in front of him.
“How are things in Stone City?” asked the Grand Vizier, when they had finished eating. “I know you stopped there first. I hope you have time to listen to our side of this sorry tale.”
“I do have time, that’s why I’m here,” said Ben, taking a sip of sweet-smelling tea served in an ornate silver cup. “I understand it’s a question of air rights over the Great Wall in regard to the use of flying carpets.”
“Yes,” said the Grand Vizier, his face darkening. “The Great Wall keeps us out of Stone City, and so the flying carpets are our only means of transport to reach what has always been a trading partner for us.”
“I understand,” said Ben.
“And they’ve told you about our olive situation as well, yes? Our farmers plant and nurture the trees, but the wind carries the fruit over the wall, and the imperials are the ones who benefit from our hard work. Now I ask you, is that fair?”
Ben demurred from answering just yet.
“The leaves from the trees also blow over to the Stone City, and they have to clean it up,” said Lonnie hotly. “Agrabah doesn’t offer to help clean up the mess, but only demands the villagers return the fruit without payment.”
“We don’t have to pay for something we create ourselves!” said the Grand Vizier, just as hotly.
Lonnie jumped to her feet, a hand on her sword. The Grand Vizier did the same, a hand on his scimitar, and the guards in the room followed suit, ready to attack on the Grand Vizier’s command.
“Now, now,” said Ben, holding out his hands in a pacifying gesture. “We don’t have to fight. We’re here to find some peace between the two kingdoms. You have both been good neighbors for centuries, and you can still continue to be good neighbors for centuries more.”
“What is your solution?” asked the Grand Vizier.
“A compromise,” said Ben, trying to catch Lonnie’s eye. But she was looking at her feet, seemingly still angry at the Grand Vizier.
“Compromise?” said the Grand Vizier, shaking his head. “There is no compromise. We need to fly our carpets! And we want our olives back! Nothing else!”
“Grand Vizier, what would it take for you to listen to my proposed solution?” asked Ben.
The Grand Vizier shook his head, and it appeared all hopes of a truce had disappeared, when Lonnie unexpectedly knelt before the Grand Vizier like a supplicant, and offered him her sword, holding it lengthwise and balanced on the edge of her fingertips. “Forgive me, Grand Vizier, for my rudeness earlier,” she said, her head bowed low.
The Grand Vizier looked shocked. “The imperial favorite’s daughter, bowing to me?”
“Yes, my lord,” said Lonnie, her eyes on the floor. “I took advantage of your hospitality and should never have acted in such a hostile manner in your presence. Normally I wouldn’t do something like that. I’m not sure what came over me, but my mother taught me that honor is about admitting when you are wrong, and I was wrong.”
The Grand Vizier looked thoughtful for a moment. “I accept your apology,” he said. “Please, rise.”
Lonnie stood up. Ben tensed, wondering what was going to happen now. But the Grand Vizier smiled kindly. It appeared he had been moved by Lonnie’s humble gesture.
“I will listen to you, King of Auradon,” he said. “Because if someone of such high imperial blood can admit their mistake, the people of Agrabah are not so proud that we cannot do the same. Perhaps we can work with them as we have before.”
“I am glad to hear it,” said Ben, grateful that Lonnie had insisted she come along on this task and proud that she had changed the mind of the Grand Vizier without having to resort to battle—even if she had acted a bit more rashly than he’d had in mind.
“If you please, tell me the Auradon compromise,” said the Grand Vizier. “I find I am quite excited to hear it.”
Ben took a deep breath and explained his idea. Now all he had to do was convince everyone that his solution was the answer to their problem.
“Who’s down here?” asked Fairy Godmother, holding her wand high in the air like a torch and walking closer and closer to the speedboat.
“Quick, hide!” said Mal, and the four of them scrambled to find the nearest hiding place. Jay and Carlos dove under the seats, while Mal and Evie crouched behind a few containers.
“Do you think she saw us?” Carlos whispered worriedly. His heart was pounding rapidly under his black-and-white leather jacket.
“I hope not,” said Mal, crouching down even lower in the shadows.
“I swear I heard something,” said Fairy Godmother, sending beams of light everywhere.
The light arced over the boat they were hiding in, but no one moved, s
o it danced over to the next boat. Carlos breathed a small sigh of relief.
“I guess I was wrong,” muttered Fairy Godmother, and she walked back toward the shuttered yacht club at the end of the dock and began waving her wand again, making the windows sparkle and giving the building a new coat of paint.
“What’s Fairy Godmother doing down here anyway?” Evie whispered.
“It looks like she’s working on the royal yacht club,” said Mal. “Ben’s parents are returning from their cruise, and I think that’s where they’re planning to hold the welcome reception. I heard the work on getting the place up to snuff was behind schedule.”
“How long is she going to be here? My legs are getting cramped,” complained Jay.
“Shush!” said Mal.
They watched as Fairy Godmother unfurled giant banners with the Auradon crest and gave the yacht club sign a little more sparkle.
“There,” said Fairy Godmother. “That should do it.” She began walking away from the dock and back to the harbor entrance.
Carlos found he could breathe again. If they’d been caught stealing the royal speedboat, they would be in so much trouble. It felt as if his stomach had dropped into his shoes ever since he heard their headmistress’s voice.
Mal poked her head up to check, and there was no sign of Fairy Godmother anywhere. “I think she’s gone,” she said, stepping out from behind the boat’s containers. The rest of them came out from their hiding places, Evie hugging herself with her arms and Carlos still looking uncertain. Only Jay appeared unfazed.
“Let’s give it a little more time,” suggested Evie.
“Good idea,” said Carlos, who was not in any rush to get moving.
They waited a little while longer, sitting in the dark and listening to the waves slosh gently against the sides of the boat. When Mal was satisfied Fairy Godmother had left the harbor, she nodded to the team.
“Okay, let’s go,” she said, tapping the steering wheel as she muttered the words of the spell, and the boat’s engine roared to life once more.
Alas, a second later, the entire dock was flooded with light, and this time, Fairy Godmother caught them boat-handed.