Three Wishes: Cairo by Jeff Klinedinst

now it seemed to be fading. Rather than ponder his precarious situation, he picked up his pace, deftly dodging obstacles and continuing an almost blind search.
    When he finally found the source of the alarm, it turned out to be a rather large, rather natty looking dog. When he finally came face to face with the poor mutt, he realized that the whimpering he had heard was not from fear but from frustration. Somehow, this poor animal had a rope around his neck that had gotten caught in the fork of a low-lying tree. He was now strangling himself in an attempt to try and eat some sort of disgusting pile of something that only a dog could love. If Aladdin didn’t know better, he could have sworn that this animal had been tied here.
    “Well, you're in quite a predicament,” smiled Aladdin.
    A low growl told him that not only was the creature 'not' helpless, but that it was not meek either. As Aladdin reached down to pet the animal and soothe him, he was quickly informed by a quick and painful nip on the hand that his trust needed to be earned and not just assumed.
    “Hey, I'm trying to help you!”
    Another growl.
    “Fine, you seem to have things well in hand here. I'll just make my way back to town and you can continue sitting here looking stupid. Goodbye my friend. Enjoy your lunch!”
    Aladdin left the poor creature growling and looking quite puzzled.
    As he made his way back in the direction he had entered, or at least the direction he thought he had entered. He heard the growling again turn to whimpering. He stopped, smiled and turned back toward the stubborn canine.
    As he approached, he again heard the unsure growling return.
    “Are you serious? Do you want me to save you or are you planning on becoming a permanent fixture in that tree? You can have it any way you want, but this is the last time I offer.” He again made his way toward the animal. This time, as he got closer, the dog's ears perked up and he began to sniff the air.
    “What is it?” Aladdin asked.
    A simple bark and the dog stared greedily at Aladdin's pants pocket.
    “What? I don't have anything.” But as he patted his right pocket, he remembered a small amount of bread he had received from Bashir earlier in the day. He retrieved it slowly and looked at the dog. “So this is what you wanted?” He offered it on a flattened palm so as to maintain all of his fingers. But the dog very gently took the morsel of bread and the swallowed it hungrily. Aladdin then patted his head and carefully untangled the mutt from the confines of the tree.
    Since that day, they had never been apart. He had decided on the name Darius, because it was the name of a great king. Aladdin reasoned that this animal thought himself to be a king, so he named him after one. Aladdin would bring home the trappings of the day and always feed Darius first. Then he would begin on his portion; soon to be interrupted by the royal stare , which told him that his portion should again be divided so that Darius could share again. Aladdin couldn't resist those eyes, so Darius got his way.
    By rescuing the dog, he had made a wonderful and important discovery. Once you waded through the incredibly dense entry to the woods, it was actually a fairly interesting area. For someone whose mind was always plotting an escape, this dark, rich labyrinth of colors and textures provided an excellent opportunity. Not only was it much cooler than the areas of town he'd been living in, but it was also completely devoid of other living beings; except, of course for his new friend.
    Soon, he found himself immersed in a secret plan to create a lair here where he could rest, live in peace, and most importantly, run away when he needed to. Usually in the midst of being chased, he'd make the turn running alongside the wall of the palace and then scoot right into the woods. The much slower guards always assumed a left hand turn behind the palace. It didn't hurt his chances that most folks thought that the forest was