The air was thickening with even more of the bats; there must have been a hundred or more now, circling the pair of escapees. Following his daughter’s clever example, Jafar grabbed another of the cressets and began to swing it through the air. The flame caught some of the bats, who burned immediately like flimsy paper; the others again backed off respectfully as father and daughter stood with their torches raised, ready to burn any bat that came within range.
The carpet, rolled up as they’d last seen it, emerged from the storeroom carried by the invisible Cari. “What kept you so long?” Jafar asked her.
“I hope you’re not upset with me; I decided to follow your example,” Cari said. There was a slight smile on her face as she materialized once more. “I…rearranged things so my old master wi
