The guard took the children to the palace.
Vinnie and Mandy were scared, but they had never seen a place so grand.
There were so many courtyards and fountains.
Everything glittered with gold.
"This place is big!" said Vinnie.
"Bigger than Versailles," Mandy added.
Two more guards came out of a palace gate.
They walked over to the guard who was holding the children.
All the guards began whispering at once.
Their faces were angry.
"It is time," said one guard.
"We hoped the sultan would raise our pay," said another guard.
"But he only cares about his own riches."
"We have no choice," said the first guard.
"We must act!"
The guards huddled together, and the children were forgotten.
"Come on!" cried Vinnie.
He pulled his sister's arm.
"Let's get out of here!"
The children ran into a nearby building.
It was a huge kitchen made up of ten large rooms.
Each room had a tall chimney.
"This is a kitchen?" Vinnie said, amazed.
Many people were rushing around.
Everyone was busy cooking, washing, or chopping.
"How many people do you cook for?" Mandy asked a young cook.
He wiped his face.
"Over four thousand people," he replied.
"Sometimes, we cook six thousand meals a day."
Mandy could not believe it.
"Look at all those dishes!" she cried.
Then she saw more Janissary guards entering the kitchen.
They looked very angry.
She poked Vinnie.
"Vinnie! They found us!"
Mandy pointed at the door.
"What should we do?"
she whispered, looking for a place to hide.
But the guards ignored the children.
Instead, they picked up big pots.
The kitchen workers looked frightened.
"What's happening?" Vinnie asked one of the cooks.
Each guard was carrying a large pot.
The leader of the guards called out,
"We will make the sultan listen!"
All the guards cheered loudly and marched from the kitchen.
"Where are they going?" Mandy asked the cook.
"They want more money," said the cook.
"The guards have been angry with the sultan for a long time.
They want the sultan to fill the pots with gold."
People started shouting throughout the palace.
"Mandy, let's go!" cried Vinnie.
The children ran out of the kitchen.
They followed the Janissary up some marble steps and through a large door.
Soon, Vinnie and Mandy were in a big colorful room.
A man wearing a turban with a white feather sat on a red throne just inside.
"That must be the sultan," cried Mandy.
"We can't stay.
Let's get out of here and find a way back home," said Vinnie.
The children ran out of the throne room and into a courtyard.
"I hope you know where you're going," Mandy said.
"Don't worry, Mandy" said Vinnie as they ran.
Soon they were outside of the palace.
"Look! Over there!" Vinnie pointed.
Another mosque was nearby.
The dome shone brightly in the sun.
Vinnie took out the photo.
It was glowing blue.
"Four towers . . . " he said, counting the towers around the mosque.
Then, the photo started to glow red.
"Mandy, this is it!"
Vinnie grabbed his sister's hand.
"We're really going home!"