At an unknown time in the past, a time portal opens in Saudi Arabian country and Alice falls down with Vine landing on top of her back. “Agh, my poor back again!” Alice shouted. Vine steps away from her. “Sorry,” Vine said. Alice stands up and stretches her back forward. “Ugh, my back is making sound again,” Alice said. Alice looks around. “Where are we?” Vine asked. “I don’t know, maybe we’re in Saudi Arabia. Hmm, lucky that I used the spell that would help us understand Arabic,” Alice said. “I know, let’s ask the people in here. Maybe they can tell us where we are,” Vine suggested. “Great idea,” Alice said. Alice and Vine look around and ask a woman nearby. “Excuse me...Can you tell us where this is?” Alice asked with the help of her language translation magic. “You’re in Saudi Arabia, children” the woman answered. The woman observes their clothes which look different from her. “Those clothes look fancy. Where are you from, children?” The woman asked. “We’re from America, madam,” Alice replied. “We would like to ask you. Who reigned over Saudi Arabia right now? Just curious,” Vine asked. “Ah, smart children. Vathek ruled Saudi Arabia now,” The woman asked. “Vathek??” Both looked at each other with a perplexed faces. “Let’s sneak into the castle to see what’s going on,” Vine said. “Are you sure? We would get caught if we just barge in! Wait, I have an idea,” Alice said. Alice takes Vine to a quiet place. “Here we go. Invisible!” Alice casted magic. Alice and Vine turn invisible from the magic. “Let’s enter the palace to see this Vathek,” Vine said.
Alice and Vine pass through the palace wall like a ghost and walk free in the castle due to their invisibility. No one can hear them talking as they’re a ghost under Alice’s magic. “There he is. Oh boy, this Vathek is the most terrible human I have ever seen,” Vine said. “What?” Alice said in disbelief and see for herself. Alice and Vine see a majestic figure sitting on the throne. According to the manuscript that Alice received, Vathek was the son of Motassem and the grandson of Haroun Al Raschid. He ascends the throne at early age, making him the youngest caliph ever ascended to the throne and he possesses many talents. His subjects expect that his reign would be long and happy. He is the ninth caliph of the Abbasids who ascended the throne and was known as a tyrant. Despite his pleasing and majestic appearance, he has terrible anger. His eyes become so terrible that none could bear to look upon it and the wretch that he fixed his gaze upon, he or she instantly falls backward and sometimes expire. Alice and Vine were shocked upon witnessing the event. “Holy...He just made this man expire with a glance of his eye. This man did nothing wrong and Vathek just made him expire. How horrible! Does he possess an evil eye?” Alice shocked. “This man is dangerous and evil,” Vine said. “I agree with you,” Alice said. Vathek is shown addicted to women and the pleasures of the table. His generosity was unbound, his indulgences are unrestrained, for he was by no means scrupulous, nor did he think with the Caliph Omar Ben Abdulaziz, that it was necessary to make a hell of this world to enjoy Paradise. Despite being a Caliph, Vathek had no love for his own people who thought that a sovereign immersed in pleasure wasn’t less tolerable to his subjects than one that employed himself in creating foes. But the unquiet and impetuous disposition of the Caliph does not allow him to rest there; he had studied so much for his amusement in the lifetime of his father as to acquire a great deal of knowledge, though they are not sufficient to satisfy himself as he wished to know everything, even sciences that did not exist. He was fond of engaging in disputes with the learned but liked them not to push their opposition with warmth. He stopped the mouths of those with presents whose mouths could be stopped while others, whom his liberality was unable to subdue, were sent to prison to cool their blood, a way that often succeeds. Vathek also discovered a predilection for theological controversy, but it was not with the orthodox that he usually held. With means of inducing the zealots to oppose him and then persecuted them in return as a resolve to have reason on his side much to Alice and Vine’s shock. “Wow, this Vathek is just horrible,” Vine commented. “Hmm...We are inside the manuscript so yes, he is exactly like the original tale written in the manuscript that we entered. It is said that Vathek wished to know everything including science that doesn’t exist,” Alice said in objective view. “Science that doesn’t exist? Does that mean he wanted to know something like magic?” Vine wondered. “I don't know what kind of science is it myself. You know what? Let’s stay here and watch over Vathek. Maybe we can change his fate when the time is right. I know, we can pretend like we came here to be Vathek’s student to keep an eye on him. I’m going to tell him that we have science that never exists before and that is magic,” Alice suggested. “Sounds good,” Vine nodded. Alice and Vine appear in front of the door. “By the way, I just remembered the meaning of Caliph. It’s a term meaning Sultan in modern times so we are dealing with a king in this era,” Alice said. Alice and Vine look at the palace. Alice takes a deep breath. “Are you ready? We better not mess this plan,” Alice reminded Vine. “Ready,” Vine replied. Alice and Vine walk to the door but the guards block the way. “Halt, what’s your business here?” The first guard said. “We came as Vathek’s students. Open the door!” Alice commanded. “Vathek’s student? Show us the proof that you are Vathek’s student,” The second guard said. “Really? Very well....Upperwind!” Alice casted. Alice summons wind from below the second guard’s feet and blows him to the sky. “Was that enough?” Alice asked. “Y-You may enter,” The first guard trembled.
Vathek stands up from his throne and shouts,” Who art thou? Thou dareth to eliminate thy guard?? State thy self!” Alice and Vine kneel before Vathek. “We came to learn as your student,” Vine said in informality. Vathek was perplexed by the situation. “Children...Thou knoweth who I am?” Vathek asked, curious whether they knew him. “I know. First, allow me to speak in an informal way. Your name is Vathek, the ninth Caliph who ascended the throne at young age and son of Carathis. Thou wished to know everything including science that never exists. We had knowledge that never exists. Your mother, Carathis learned black magic but we learned more than just black magic. We learned the magic of nature itself. Allow me to transport thee to somewhere far from the town,” Alice clicked her finger. Vathek, Alice and Vine vanish and appear in the middle of the desert far from town. “Watch upon our magic. Rain over the town!” Alice casted. A cloud appears above the town and begins to rain. Vathek watches the magic and he is still not impressed. “I guess that didn’t impress thou enough. This will get cold a bit! Hail!” Alice casted. The sky begins raining small ice upon the town. Vathek begins to show a sinister pleased smile. “I’m not finished yet. Frost!” Alice casted. The town froze into a big icicle in one minute. Vathek laughs as he is pleased with the frozen town. “Impressive...Thou shalt be thy student, children. Need not worry, thy shalt taught thee well,” Vathek said. Alice and Vine have sweat on their face. “We accept thy offer,” Alice kneeled. Alice teleports everyone back to the palace and begins the lesson. While Alice and Vine are learning, a great prophet named Mahomet looks with indignation from his abode in the seventh heaven the irreligious conduct. “Let us leave him to himself,” he said to the jinn, who are always ready to receive his commands. “Let us see what lengths his folly and impiety will carry him. If he runs into excess, we shall know how to chastise him. Therefore, assist him to complete the tower which, in imitation of Nimrod, he hath begun, not like that great warrior, to escape being drowned but from the insolent curiosity penetrating the secrets of Heaven. He will not divine the fate that awaits him,” he said.
The jinn obeyed and when the workers had raised their structure a cubit in the daytime, two more cubits were added at night. The expedition in which the fabric arose wasn’t flattering to Vathek. He fancied that even the most insensible matter showed boldness to subserve his designs without considering that he surpassed the foolish and wicked form the first rod of their chastisement. Alice and Vine joined Vathek on the summit of his observation tower where he used to stargaze at the stars on the night sky above him. The tower has eleven thousand stairs that when looked down, Alice can see Vathek’s men as small as pismire ants, mountains as small as shells, cities as small as beehives much to Alice’s surprise. The idea of such elevation inspired by his own grandeur completely bewildered Vathek. He almost adores himself until he lift his eyes upward, he saw the stars above him appear when he stands on the surface of the Earth. Alice and Vine feel inner hate stirring inside them over his inflating pride and ego. “What an inflating pride and ego he got. I felt stirring hate and anger inside me. Am I jealous of him or something?” Alice thought while sensing her own increasing heartbeat.
Vathek taught Alice and Vine till Vathek and the two adept in the mysteries of astrology and his imagination that the planets had disclosed to him the most marvelous adventures which can be accomplished by an extraordinary person from an unknown country which caused Alice and Vine to laugh with a smile. Prompted by motives of curiosity, he was always courteous to strangers but at this instant, he intensified his attention and order his announcement by the sound of the trumpet through all the streets of Samarah that none of his subjects on peril of displeasure shall either lodge or detain a traveler but to bring him to the palace much to Alice and Vine’s shock.
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