Magician 05: Caught in the Act 02

"As a magician, I am a master of misdirection. They won't see it coming, and others won't see it happen."

"Oh, dangerous. That could be fun to watch, but not tonight. I wish to leave them with a favorable impression, so that I might make certain bargains later. Basima, please see to it that she has no such need of discouragement?"

"Yes, master."

"In that case, ladies, attend me."

Basima took an arm, so I took the other. I asked, "Do they speak English? I don't speak other languages."

Basima said, "No. Give me a moment." She then said words, and I heard, "I give you the gift of tongues." Looking at her master, it was clear he only heard strange sounding words.

She then added, "When you speak to others, focus on answering them in the language they spoke to you."

I realized she had just spoken Arabic, so I tried, and also in Arabic, I replied, "I shall."

"Thank you, Basima. Alice, here, I am known as Jasper the Jeweler, or as chief Jawahir. Let us enter." He led the way from his room, to a great hall, and upon seeing us, the attendants at the doors opened them.

Apparently, when someone enters this way, everyone stops and looks. In the sudden silence, Jasper said, "Welcome, my friends. Let us enjoy the night while we can. Speak what is on our minds, and leave happy." He then led us forth into the room, and we were swallowed by the crowd.

It took only fifteen minutes before Jasper left us. Basima said, "The one he left with is a minor gem dealer, and they have been in business for years. Jasper supplies him with rare, and even unique gems, but not ones of great worth."

I fingered one of the gems on a ring I wore, and asked, "Just like this one."

She smiled a conspiratorial smile, and only said, "Exactly." Then she added, "They will be closeted up in a room for a while, and then they will return to the party. My job, and yours as well, at least for the night, is to entertain. To hang on every word of the stories they tell, and so on.

Together, we had a little insulation from all the men in the room, but we were still found often enough. I treated it like a Vegas mixer where guests would meet performers. Turned out they reacted the same way, for the most part, so I was not even tempted to cause trouble. With no alcohol, the drinks were spicy, sweet, and many other things, but we had no drunks at this party.

Eventually, the party ended, and Jasper came to us.

"Ladies, did you have a good time?"

Basima said, "Yes, master."

I said, "Yes, chief Jawahir."

"Please, call me Jasper. At least for the night." With that, he led us back to his bedroom.

When we got there, his demeanor changed. It now seemed tired, and frustrated. Jasper said, "Alice, after such trying parties, Basima usually soothes my body. She is well versed in such acts. Do you wish to retire in a guest room, or would you like to watch her?"

"She will join me. I have already spoken to her of your needs, and she is willing to join us for the night."

"Alice, is this so?"

I answered by removing my clothes. It didn't take much, and as he observed my body, I used my foot to touch the outfit, and brought my hand up to activate the necklace. I don't think he noticed what I did at all. Sex is very distracting, and I was nude.

"Then ladies, soothe me."

Basima led, and I went to the other side and did as she did. It was clear she knew all his sensitive points, and we set every one of them off, leaving him a limp wreck, but also well pleased. Then began round two. Here, we rubbed our naked bodies against his, and pulled his hands into full contact with our own erogenous zones. Basima kept us both on the edge long enough for him to recover, and when he did, he took her first, and then he looked at me, and I nodded. He then took me, and I also went over the edge and came hard. He took her one last time, and she also came hard. Then we all settled to sleep.

In the morning, we bathed him using our bodies. He indicated he needed to go into the city, and that he would take us. Once he left the bath, we bathed each other. We met him for breakfast, a light meal. We got into a car, and his driver took us. On the way, he asked what I would need to return.

"I have no ID, no passport, or any other papers. I will need help to get a ticket home to Vegas. I will likely also need help when I arrive, to pass customs. They will likely want to learn all about where I've been, and more importantly, if I am a possible threat, or a medical threat. I will likely be quarantined. I can handle the wait, but returning to work won't be simple. I will likely have to start over. At least I will have recent work I can point to."

"That is a lot. However, if we took care of that at this end, it would be a lot simpler. We can drop you off at the American Embassy, and Basima can do her thing to make you sail through, with all needed paperwork supplied quickly."

"Thank you. If I may, I would like to play tourist while I am here. May Basima and I go shopping, and play tourist a few days?"

"Basima, would you be willing to keep her safe?"

"Yes, master."

"Good. Then you shall have your play." He pulled out his wallet, and from that, a credit card. He gave it to Basima.

She said, "I will use it wisely, master."

He put his wallet away, and then leaned back. He was clearly happy to sit and watch. We arrived at an office building, and before the driver could open the door, he looked at me and said, "I want you to know that you are free. I have no claim on you. Hassan will take you to a mall, and later, bring you home. Enjoy yourselves."

As he said that, I felt something strange. It was as if Basima was doing some magic, yet she was doing nothing. I shook the feeling off, and replied, "Thank you, Chief Jawahir." He then told Hassan to take us to a mall, and then left to go into the building. Hassan closed the door, and soon we were on the road again. A few minutes later, he opened the door, and said, "Ladies, we are here." After we got out, he pointed to the benches just inside the doorway, and added, "I will await you on those benches." He then bowed, and drove off to park somewhere.

It was an Arabic mall. Perhaps I should say, it was an ARABIC MALL. I had seen one on TV, and I wanted to see if there really was a vending machine that dispensed gold. The place looked swanky enough, and I could see a number of limos and expensive cars in the lot. The parking spaces were quite wide. Clearly, the owners of these cars wanted plenty of room, and the mall wanted their patronage. We quickly went inside to get out of the heat.

We both stood out for our western attire, yet we were not the only ones so attired. Apparently, this place was modern enough and cosmopolitan enough to accept Western women. We spoke and decided the first stop would be to get me a phone. But we slowly walked to a phone store, so we could window shop.

When we entered, a woman, in more traditional dress, approached us. "Ladies, can I help you?"

I saw she had a name tag, so she worked here. "Yes. I am looking for a phone, and I also need an international phone plan. No. Make that two."

Basima asked, "Two?"

"Yes. We need to get my new friend a phone, as well."

Her eyes got big when she realized I was getting her one. "But I have no need of one."

"Yes you do. Trust me on this."

The saleslady, seeing us pause, asked, "What kind, and what features do you want?"

"Show me what you have, and I will pick one."

She took us to where the phones were on display. I was surprised to see the devices unsecured. Then I noticed there were lots of cameras. So the risk was not as much as it might seem, and the marketing advantage of having the wares out in the open would be significant. The only problem was the only brand I recognized was Apple. I'm sure the others were likely as good, but I didn't know them.

"I like the Apple, what models do you have?"

"Well, this model was released last week, with enhanced photo and video capability. To the right, is another model, from earlier this year. While it does not have quite as many abilities, it is a robust model, and the user ratings are five-star. Over here, is another model. It is the pro version of the second one, designed for photographers, with a larger memory and better cameras. It even has a stereoscopic mode for making 3D pictures."

My mouth watered at that third one. I'd read about it when it came out, and knew it could help me get much better test shots of my practice performance. It would better enable me to perfect my magic act. However, it was well out of my price range.

The next two were from late last year. One a pro model, with lots of extras, and the other the regular model. It was clear they only carried top-of-the-line products here. I pulled Basima aside, and asked quietly, "These are all quite expensive. I cannot afford anything like these."

Quietly, she said, "Choose one. He can afford it, just like the jewelry you wear."

That's when I realized she was providing him wealth by magically creating jewels for him. So I returned, and said I wanted the 3D Pro and the regular version. Black for mine, and I asked Basima what color she liked for the other.

Basima took care of the transaction, and it was apparent she knew all about credit cards, even if there were many things she knew little of. Well, I would be helping her with that. I asked her if we could go someplace quiet where we would not be disturbed, nor thought to be out of place. She took us to a restaurant, and we got a booth.

"Why do you want such privacy, Alice?"

"I want to set up these phones for us both. It will take a while. Plus, I want to see if I can send word to some friends that I am okay, but not yet free to talk."

We chatted a bit as I unpacked everything, and checked we had service. When the waiter came, I asked Basima what a particular drink I had last night was called. She gave the name, and the waiter recognized it. I asked for one, and he said they did not have that, but did have something similar. I accepted, and Basima also asked for one. He left, and I started by installing an encrypted app on both phones, and linked them to each other.

Then, on my phone, I surfed the internet to my website. I navigated down several levels, then clicked a hidden link that asked for a password. I gave it, and it presented me with some initials and phone numbers. I entered them into my contact list, and when done, exited the page.

I gave her the other phone, and showed her how to use the app to text me, and to talk to me via internet, and by regular phone service. I explained security, and told her to assume someone was listening anytime she was on the regular line. The app, however, provided better security. Not enough to stop a government, but enough to stop most from listening in. Leaning in, I whispered to her, "Never say you are a genie or can do real magic on the phone. Too risky for you. Talking about magic tricks to a professional like me is okay, as it is my livelihood, and people will pay little attention to it."

"Do you not trust the phones?"

"Not fully. But I do believe they cannot pay attention to everything. Instead, they listen for certain words, and look at those. Most conversations they will ignore because they contain nothing of interest to them."

"Who are they? And what if we want to talk about something you say should not be said?"

"'They' are usually some government, or other nosy group that wants advantage over others. They could be anyone. It doesn't matter. If we keep to common things like friends would, they will ignore us. As to the other, I will think of something. It likely won't come up for years."

I finished setting them up, and we tested them. Then I took a selfie, and sent a text to Mario, saying, "I ran into some trouble after you left. Out of trouble, but still in a jam. A friend is helping, and expect to be back soon. Here's a pic." I added the pic so he would know it was me.

A few minutes later, I got a call from Mario.

"Who are you? Where did you get that picture? How did you get this number?"

"Hello Mario. Good day to you, as well."

"Alice? Is it really you?"

"Yes. I even remember you suggesting I use a latex glove to avoid cuts when I reloaded the smoke machine."

"It is you! Oh my god! Are you okay?"

"As I texted, I am okay. Not quite sure of where I am, but I have access to funds, and expect to be flying back into Vegas in a week or so. Maybe later if customs has a snit."

"I don't understand."

"It is a long story, and best told in private. I think I can top your tale, though. Hehe."

"You do? Then it must be a whopper of a tale."

"It is. Can you pass the word? And this number? I don't have my own phone, and only have a few contacts from my secret web page."

"Secret page?"

"Yes. My website has assorted Easter eggs, but one is really deep and hidden. It brings up some info I consider critical, so I can access it from anywhere. Your number is on the short list."

"Wow, I made the list."

"Over the next several days, I'll send more texts, and talk to more people. See you soon. Goodbye."

After hanging up, I looked to Basima, and said, "Well things are now in motion. Hopefully, I can get my life back in order. So, what's next?"

"Clothes."

"Clothes?"

"Yes. We may not buy anything, but I want to see the latest fashions. He likes me to keep up on them. Also, it will give us some privacy, and we can sever the blood bond."

"Oh, I forgot about that. Yes, clothes shopping it is."

We went to another fancy store that sold Western fashions, and on the second round of using the changing room, she said strange sounding words. I heard, "Let others hear what they expect to hear."

"There. Now no one will notice." She said a simple word, that meant 'towel' and one appeared between us on the bench seat in the changing room. She said another and a knife was in her hand. She made a small cut, and held her hand over the towel, then handed me the knife. I did the same, and laid the knife on the towel.

She said more words, and I heard, "Let our blood return to the body it belongs in." She held her hand next to mine, and I watched as a drop formed slowly and seemed to fall up and over from my hand to hers. A few moments later, a drop went from her to me. We waited several minutes, and suddenly, after a drop left my hand, the wound started closing. Likewise with her hand. When I looked back at the knife and towel, they were pristine. Apparently, the little blood on them also went back to us.

"It is done. We are no longer linked." She said some words again, but this time, very little meaning came through. Yet the voices outside I still understood. Apparently, this magic language is not part of the gift of tongues she gave me. So why could I still sort of understand it? She then dispelled the disguise spell, and we began trying on assorted outfits. She did buy a dress, and had it shipped to Jasper's home.

"He likes me to attend in regular clothing most of the time, just in case."

I, however, was shocked when I realized how expensive it was. We went to several other places, and in one, she bought some fancy artwork and shipped it also. Later, we went to another restaurant and ate. She even ordered a meal to go. I had no idea why. Right after, we headed out of the mall. When our driver saw us, she called to him to wait a moment. He did.

"Hassan, you have been patient. We bought you some food. Hope you enjoy it." She then gave him the package.

"Thank you, ma'am. I shall." He then walked out, and got the limo. As it pulled up, he got out and opened the door for us.

"That will be all for the day. Please take us home."

"Yes, ma'am."

Once we were inside, she said more words, and said to me, "I must contact the elders. They may want to talk to you. Please speak only if asked a question, and only say enough to answer them. They will know if you lie so don't even try."

I realized she had to report to the elders about me. Could be interesting, but also dangerous, so I said, "I shall be silent."

"Thanks." She then said more words, and an image appeared before her.

The image spoke, in a language like none I ever heard. He said, "Lujayn, Why the delay? What have you to report?"

It is not possible to bow much in a car, but she gave the impression of a very deep bow. "Elder, my master kept me in my bottle until yesterday, and this is the first time I have had the privacy to talk. I also regret my error in believing Tamara the Tender was a genie."

"What do you mean?"

"She is an entertainer, who performs fake magic to amuse the audience. I took her by force, and when I got a chance to interrogate her, I learned of my mistake. She was hurt when I took her, but I healed her when I realized I broke the law. My master is aiding me to restore her to her place, with minimal notice by the world."

"What has she learned of us?"

"She knows we exist, and that there is real magic. It is my fault."

"Did you consider wiping her memory?"

"Only enough to know it would betray her. Had her knowledge come by accident, wiping would be indicated. But my direct action meant she knew. I do not think it will be a problem, as our masters have known for eons."

"Do you think she can keep our existence from the world?"

"Yes. She has explained her profession is based on keeping secrets. She can keep it."

"Is the woman with you, the one you took?"

"Yes."

The image seemed to rotate, and now faced me.

"Woman. Is it true Lujayn is restoring you to your place?"

Feeling formality would be best, and using the gift of languages to reply to him, I said, "Yes, Elder."

"Will you keep our secret?"

"Yes, Elder."

"Why?"

This was unexpected. I answered after a moment. "As soon as Lujayn saw her error, her actions changed. It was clear she felt sorry. While waiting for the conditions to allow my return, we became friends. I don't want to hurt my friend. I will keep your secret, Elder."

He was silent for a time, clearly studying me. Then the image turned back to Basima, and he spoke, "Remember your error. Do not make this error again." The image then winked out.

She turned to me, and said, "That went better than I expected."

"It still seems he is angry, or at least, disappointed with you."

"A little, but it will pass in a decade or so. But I need to not cause trouble until it passes."

"I see. I have friends who have told me of bosses like that. Best let something else take their attention before risking anything that might upset them."

She said more words, and I realized the noise from outside had been missing. We were silent the rest of the way home.

Later, in her room, I showed her how to access the internet. I told her that it was like a lawless place. There was much bad there, but also much good. She could learn a lot, but much was fake, so trust nothing. Lastly, there was much that could entertain. I showed her YouTube, and some other places, and searched on some comedies, some dramas, and some mysteries. Then I told her my plan for her.

"This is a solar charger. It sits in a lighted area, and uses that light to add power to the phone." I then showed her how to charge her phone. "It works best with a lot of light, but it also works on less, such as what we have here, and you have in your bottle."

Next, I explained the wireless charger. I placed it near her bed, and said she should place the phone on it at night. That way, it will be charged by morning. I also explained the use of a password, so she could keep others from learning what she did with her phone. It could be gotten around, but was not easy. Also, unlike magic, people understand a password barrier and most don't try to bypass it.

The final part of my plan was to try accessing the internet with her phone while inside the bottle. She said, "Magic won't pass the bottle."