The Escape Plan
Peter had just awakened to the new morning as if he had just closed his eyes. His eyes felt heavy with sleep and the images of the camel winking at him during the night remained in his head. He ran his eyes from camel to camel. None look like the camel that winked at him, he thought. There was no white camel of a glowing coat. He stood up and walked to the site where the camel had stood the night before and simply puffed in the air. This was the second night he dreamed of the camel, he told himself. The sands looked smooth. It was a dream, after all, he thought.
"Sarah wake up, Sarah get up now," he said to his sister.
The man with the pouch of milk came to them again. He signaled for him to open his mouth. Peter doubted for a second. The eyes of the man looked at Peter hard and he did open his mouth. The man brought the pouch to Peter’s mouth and squirted some. The greasy camel’s milk filled his mouth. It didn’t taste as bad, he thought. When Peter finished, the man signaled to Sarah. Peter guessed quickly.
"He wants you to drink some of the milk, "Peter said to Sarah his sister.
"Don't want any, it stinks," Sarah complained covering her mouth with a hand refusing to open her mouth, but the man pressed his dark fingers around Sarah’s mouth. Her lips made a circle, a fish’s mouth and the man squirted twice in her rounded lips the camel’s milk.
Sarah swallowed hard. The man laughed aloud and left.
The man threw the milk pouch on Peter and told him to drink too. You’re too skinny, you won’t get a purse any gold,“ he said and walked away.
“Open your mouth Sarah; it will help you feel better, "Peter said lifting the pouch for her have some of it again.
"Allah, we must get his weight in gold, or we’ll leave him behind with the skinny ones," a man by the fire shouted as they saw Sarah's drinking from the pouch. The men all laughed again looking at them.
Soon, all horses and camels stood ready for its riders. A man picked Sarah and dumped her on the hump of a camel. Then, he picked Peter and did the same, putting him in front of her. Peter grabbed the reins put on his hand and when did, the camel turned its long neck. Its large eyes stared at him and he winked a sleepy eye to Peter. Before anything, the camel's voice went into Peter's head. "Peter it's me, TalMishem. Yeah, yeah, I know there is no glow. I may look different, but trust me, it's me, TM," the camel said mentally and the words got into Peter's head and he grinned remembering all about the Talking Camel and Mr. Bernard back at London.
“May I tell Sarah we’re riding on your back now? Peter asked.
"Not yet. Now, listen up. I have two round little stones in my ears; they are like what you children in England call...wait I can't find the English word for them. Anyway, we call one the Miru and the other the Nimut. But never mind their names.
“Marbles maybe,” Peter said.
‘Aah, yes, of course, foolish of me not to remember the names you call them; marbles, yes, marbles,” TM said.
“Wow, Peter said thinking of those he used for playing Keepsies with his friends.
“They sort of magic marbles; they would make you giggle sometimes. Yeah, that's it. Now, these marbles are more than that. These are going to help you talk to me and Sara all at the same time.
When you hold them in your hand you can talk to me. Simply keep them together, " TM explained.
"Magic marbles wow! Peter said with surprise in his face.
"Now, Peter, you will find them in the sac on the mount on my back. Keep them close to you. Do not lose them for without them you can't call me or talk to me. Now put your hand in the pouch and grab the magic marbles. Put them in your pocket. Whatever you do Peter, make sure you have them with you. The green is for you, the red is
Sarah’s and the blue is mine; leave it in the sac.”
“Now, please put the blue marble back in the sac. Do you understand? Tal-Mishem the talking camel asked.
"Yes I do, “Peter said with his hand already inside the sac. A giggling feeling ran through his fingers. Peter pulled his hand still giggling.
"Sorry, I forgot.
“Don't be afraid. You'll get used to their tickling in your hands soon. The more you hold them the better and the more you will enjoy the feeling, "Tal-Mishem said and TM went to explain that if he was holding hands with Sarah she would hear him too and the three would hear each other.
"Wow! Peter said giggling.
"Tonight, we’re going to rest outside the village. When everybody is sleeping, I will visit Sarah. I’m coming to Sarah in her dreams. I'll tell her about me and the giggling marbles. You may show her the “magic marbles” morning. Let her carry hers, the red one. Let it make her happy too. She will understand the language of the other children too. She’s going to be happy when she plays their games and understand them too, "TM said softly in Peter's mind.
Peter had put the blue in the sac again and put him in his pocket.
"Nobody else but you and I can know about me, Peter. Understand?
The camel said.
"Yes, TM, “ Peter said back to the camel from his mind.
"About the question of the children in your mind, they will come with us for some time. Then, I’m going to help them find their families too. Don't you worry for them for when the time comes and I’m going to send each where they belong? I've got a very special game for them to send them home. Each will have to ride on my back too one time even if only a moment and call my name three times with a wish, " Tal-Mishem said to Peter speaking to his mind. Peter listened to Tal-Mishem and knew all would be well for the other children also.
"Sarah, Peter said, "look at the other children are not crying. You have to be brave too Sarah. Remember what Mr. Bernard said about being brave? Mom and dad are going to find us soon. They’re looking for us with troops from the Royal Crown and they will find us when we get to Egypt for sure," Peter said to Sarah sobbing a bit.
"Peter, said TM, "tell Sarah her mom and dad are coming with royal troops. In a week or two, they’re going to be around us. Peter's eyes gleamed with happiness. The caravan rested that night by the lake. Then, just as planned by Tal-Mishem, he talked to the thieves in their heads. He confused every one of them as planned. He talked to the head of the chief. The chief of thieves turned pale and threatened the man next to him.
“What did you just said to me? Smelly old goat! The chief said upset to the man next to him and his best friend.
“I looked at you for some time. You indeed look like a donkey, hahaha! The man said laughing at the chief.
“And you look like a hippo, fat and ugly! The Chief of the thieves shut back upset.
“Oh, really? Then, I would look like your wife; she's fat and round as an elephant,“ the other man replied. They went back and forth getting into an argument.
Minutes later, they wanted to go sleep instead. Chief of the thieves got up and went inside his tent. Hearing enough of the man he went to sleep, but before he ordered.
“Everybody gets to sleep! Tomorrow we’re going to travel early!! He shouted upset and left to his tent. The other men following their chief orders went to sleep too. When they went to sleep, Tal- Mishem put his second plan in action. When all the men fell asleep his plan began. He sent messages to the sleeping men’s heads. Tal-Mishem told Peter to talk to the children to prepare for their escape. TalMishem helped Peter and he spoke to the children and they understood him well.
By midnight, Peter and Sarah woke up the children and all mounted their camels ready to escape. Tal-Mishem put more heavy dreams in the thieves’ heads and they never heard a sound the camels made. Then, one by one all the children got ready to travel.
Tal-Mishem went down on his front legs for Peter and Sarah to climb to his back and leading the other children into their escape. In the sky above, a full moon seemed to follow them throwing its pale light over the sands of the desert. Then, later around they stopped and Peter asked two of the children to jump to his camel and they did repeating three times Tal-Mishem’s name.
The all the children mounted on the back of Tal-Mishem for a moment and one by one, they all jumped off from is back to their camels again. After that, nobody felt sleepy or tired. They all felt very happy. They traveled for many miles singing and feeling merry. The moon above them seemed bigger and rounder than ever. Its pale, silver face lighted their way and the camel walked on and on without complaining of being tired or being thirsty. It’s like magic Peter told himself and TM winked at him with a grin in its face. When the moon went home and the sun rose again, they went across the border.
They’ve traveled through Tunisia and Libya passing by many towns and villages. They’ve seen green mountains and lakes.
Lakes of salt and a lot more they had never imagined existed anywhere. Sometime later, Tal-Mishem asked Peter to tell the children they were stopping for some time and they did and rested. Then, the caravan came to a small Oasis in the middle of nowhere for them to quench their thirst and sleep under the shade of the Oasis trees.
Tal-Mishem asked Peter and all the children to take a good nap. They would travel again at nighttime and stay away from the heat of the afternoon sun. They all cuddled and went to sleep while TalMishem knelt on its belly and looked after them. They slept until evening and traveled under the moon again.