The Sultan's Daughter (Princesses Uncovered #5)

Chapter 2: Finding Work

Fath headed down the dusty streets to the market. The sun beat down upon his thick black curls mercilessly, making him drip with sweat. He glanced at the sky, taking only a brief second to look at it before looking back down to the ground, where the heat shimmered on the blisteringly hot cobblestones.

He sighed. It was going to be another hot day. Just thinking about the heat made him dizzy.

But he needed to find work, and he couldn’t keep stealing in the hopes of making it to the next day.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t look where he was going, and he banged into a silk wrapped, muscular chest. “Oomph! Sorry, sir! So sorry!” Fath muttered, embarrassed.

The man laughed. “Where’re you off to in such a hurry, young man?”

Fath looked up into the man’s face, scrutinizing him as he decided what to say.

The man had a carefully trimmed black beard; his kindly brown eyes were fringed with dark black lashes, and neatly combed black curls, which were peeking out from under his blue cap.

Fath liked the look of the man and the kindly smile that the man was giving him.

“I’m trying to find work, sir. No one will hire me.” Fath answered, smiling back at the man.

“A nice, strong young man like you and no one will hire you?” The man clapped him on the back. “I find that hard to believe, lad!” He gave him a conspiratorial wink. Poking Fath in the stomach, he asked, “So, what’s wrong with you that no one in this fine city will hire you, eh?”

Fath laughed. The man’s enthusiasm was contagious. “I don’t think I should say. You’d think I was crazy.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Nay! But I shouldn’t. Why ever would you think that?”

Fath made a sour face. “Master, I don’t think that I should say.”

The man snorted. “Why don’t you come with me to my shop, and we’ll discuss things.”

Fath frowned slightly, thinking. This man had a shop in the city? Perhaps today was Fath’s lucky chance. The one man in the city who hadn’t been reached by Gafar’s influence, and Fath just happened to run into him. Quite literally. Well, favor was smiling on him today. “That would be nice, sir.”

The man waved a hand. “Don’t call me sir or master! My name is Hashim. Please… Just call me Hashim or Hash, if you like it better.”

Fath grinned. He could certainly envision this man – Hashim – as a slayer of evil.

Hashim continued on. “So… You’re looking for a job, yes?”

Fath nodded.

“Well, I’m looking for someone to help me with something. If you help, it’ll make your fortune, young man. I will reward you handsomely, and you will never have to work again.”

Fath’s eyes widened. “Truly? My mother is at home working her fingers to the bone with the little wash she can get.” He looked down at the ground. “My father deserted us years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that…” Hashim made a pitying noise, his dark eyes sad.

Fath shrugged. “He was a coward.”

“Still, a terrible thing to happen to you and your mother, no?” Hashim sighed.

Fath nodded again.

“Well, if you need a job, why don’t you hire on with me?” Hashim suggested.

“What do you need me to do?” Fath frowned.

He wasn’t one to take a deal without knowing what it entailed, but he was getting desperate. He needed something, anything. And if this man’s job would truly pay as well as Hashim said it would, Fath didn’t really care what it was the man wanted from him. Well, within reason of course. But at this point, reason was near to being given the boot out the door.

Hashim glanced around nervously. Then he pulled Fath into a deserted alleyway before murmuring in his ear. “I’ve found the location of a fabled object. An oil pot. It’s rumored in many ancient texts that it can grant it’s bearer anything they wish. But I cannot retrieve it from its resting place. I have tried. It is too small a series of spaces. I will help insofar as I can, lad, but I’ll be needing you to do the retrieval part of the work. I’ll split it with you even, far and square. We can live side by side out in the middle of the desert, and we’ll be like kings.” Hashim’s eyes were wide with delight. “We won’t want for anything. And think of the things we could discover. The knowledge we could have. The pot’s inhabitant, a djinn, is one of the wisest beings in all the lands. We could ask nearly any question, and the djinn would have the answer! Just think of the things we could find out about!” He was practically dancing with delight.

Fath was excited now too. “And you really know where this lays, Hashim?”

Hashim nodded, calming himself. “Yes, but I can’t tell anyone other than you. I probably shouldn’t have told you, but I just felt I could trust you. I can trust you, right?”

Fath nodded. “You can trust me. I’ll take the job.” He smiled, giving a ritual bow in greeting. “And, I never introduced myself earlier. My name’s Fath Shah. Fath for short.” He grinned. “Pleasure to work for you, Hashim!”

Hashim laughed. “I like your spirit, boy! And the pleasure is all mine!”