4. The Mission

4 The Mission The bazaar was colorful with over-flowing displays and noisy with the cheerful shouts of buyers and sellers. Booths were piled with antiquities: woven rugs and embroidered cloths, ancient pottery and plates, brass lamps, gold jewelry, silver brushes and combs, decorated tablets and scrolls. Everywhere, Stanley smelled

incense and perfume and spices. Donkeys brayed and carts jostled the crowds. Now and then, Stanley had to turn sideways to get through without bumping into anything. "Sometimes," he reminded himself, "sometimes being flat makes me feel lucky." "But mostly," he reminded himself back, "mostly being flat just makes me feel... flat." He couldn't help wondering which way he would feel at the end of his adventure. If he ever had an adventure! How would he know he was at the right place? How would he find Sir Abu Shenti Hawara IV?

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"Pssst... Flatly! You Flatly Porkchop?" Before Stanley could correct whomever was there, an arm shot out and dragged him behind a hanging rug. "Come with me," said a man in a dark

uniform. "Sir's been waiting for you." The man pulled Stanley through the back alleys of the bazaar until they came to a fenced-off tent surrounded by more uniformed men. Inside, even more guards nodded at Stanley and the

man and stepped aside. Inside the tent was dark, with clouds of smoke rising from oil lamps and pots of incense. After a moment, Stanley made out a bearded man in a red robe seated on a gold embroidered cushion. Sir Abu Shenti Hawara IV clapped his hands and motioned for Stanley to approach, and then he nodded to