Part 13 (1/2)

Keep my mouth shut; don't draw its attention. Let Amesh ge t his hand, and then hopefully the djinn would return to its bottl e and leave us alone .

A voice spoke . T he words did not emanate from the direction of the invisible ma.s.s alone . T hey came out of the walls . T hey were inside my head, too, an echo of a sound so old i t could have existed before the earth. Words both soft and oppressive, definitely sly . I t was clever; its life had been long . I t would be difficult to fool .

”What is your name?” it asked .

Amesh opened his mouth to speak . I abandoned my vow o f silence .

”N o!” I shouted. ”Demand to know its name.”

Amesh tried to look at me, but the thing had hi m hypnotized .

”Why?” he mumbled .

”Your name will give it power over you . T ell it to revea l its name.”

Amesh swallowed, struggling. ”Who are you?” he asked . N ow I felt the djinn stare at me . I t did not want to giv e out its name. Plus, it was angry that I had helped Amesh . I sensed it saw me as an enemy .

Yet a part of me felt that was not necessarily bad . T h e djinn were not there to make friends . T hey were forces of nature . T hey possessed power, and apparently they craved power .

Amesh could use it as an ally to get what he wanted. But the n he had to break the bond . I felt as if the carpet were still talking to me, telling m e these truths. But I wondered if it was not something else . M ayb e just talking to the carpet had awakened my intuition .

”Don't just ask. Order Order it to reveal its name,” I told Amesh . it to reveal its name,” I told Amesh .

He coughed weakly. ”tell me your name,” he muttered .

His voice lacked authority; another mistake, I knew . T h e djinn's gaze swung between us. Amesh had set it free. However- a nd it was like I could read a piece of its mind!-there was thi s other one who kept giving Amesh advice . I sensed its doubt . I t wanted to know my name! e ven more than Amesh's . I t wanted his name so it coul d get mine . I t was fortunate I was in the temple to guide Amesh .

At the same time, it was a pity I had not had a chance to lear n more from the carpet before I had to face a djinn . I was not sur e why it was interested in me .

”B e forceful,” I urged Amesh .

”i demand that you tell me your name!” he said, finall y showing some strength . T he attention of the djinn swung bac k to Amesh .

”Darbar Aloya ta,” it replied . ”N ow your name.”

Amesh went to reply .

”I gnore it,” I said . ”M ake your demand. ”

”S hould I ask for my wish now?” Amesh asked me .

”First invoke its name . T hen make your wish an order.”

Amesh nodded at my instruction, which had just poppe d into my head. Frankly, I felt as if my mind was not my own . I felt like the carpet was still trying to warn me about the djinn, w hile the djinn was still checking me out .

As Amesh focused on the djinn, he flashed a c.o.c.ky grin . T hat worried me. c.o.c.kiness and mastery were not identical . I n fact, they were usually opposites .

”Darbar Aloya ta,” Amesh said firmly . ”I demand yo u grant me great riches of jewels. A trea sure chest full of them. ”

” Huh?” I gasped. He was asking for money when he shoul d have been asking for a new hand! money could always be earned; o nly magic could fix his handicap .

A red mist formed at Amesh's feet. A wind blew, takin g the mist and twisting it into a spiral that spun before him, giving off bright sparks, changing into a pillar of fire . I heard a loud popping sound, and a gold chest appeared at Amesh's feet . T he jewels inside it sparkled with exotic beauty . T he pilla r vanished .

I knew I had to get over my shock and watch closely wha t Amesh did next . T he entire night had led to this moment .

He had made his wish . I t was not the one I had hoped for bu t it was done . N ow he had to return the djinn to its cage an d walk away .

But Amesh had fallen to his knees. He was running hi s fingers through the jewels, lifting them to his lips, kissing them, s pilling them over the floor. His eyes were drunk with joy, th e smile on his mouth so wide I thought it might split. He looke d so happy-i scolded myself for being judgmental. His wish ha d not been my choice but it had been . . . H is .

All along I had been wrong. He wanted wealth more tha n anything . N ow it was his; now he could buy his Papi and mir a whatever they desired. From what I could see, the gems th e djinn had given him were priceless . I suspected the richest me n in the middle east would sign over their fortunes to possess them .

Possess . T he word haunted me for some reason .

”Do you see what I have! sa-” he shouted .

”Don't say my name!” I interrupted . ”N ot in front o f the djinn!”

But the djinn had heard . I heard it whispering to itself .

Sa . . . Sa . . . Sa . . .

Amesh made a dismissive gesture. ”Don't worry, I'm the on e who freed it from the bottle . I t owes me. You can't hear everything it's telling me. You can't see it, can you? it says you can't.”

”no, I can't see it. But I can hear it, and I know it's tellin g you what you want to hear. For one thing, it doesn't owe yo u anything . I t already granted you a wish . R emember the laws I told you about . I f you make another wish, you will owe it.”

Amesh plucked a large ruby from his chest and stared at i t hungrily .

He giggled. ”What are you talking about? I'm its master . T hat's why it told me its name . I t's under my control. You saw h ow it obeyed me.” I took a step toward him. Yet I was afraid to step betwee n him and the djinn . I suspected the creature would not allow that .

”Please,” I said. ”You promised me you'd make just on e wish. We have to put the djinn back in its bottle. We have to ge t out of here. ”

” Why?” he asked, the silly grin still on his face. He was no t hearing every thing I said . T he djinn had its own dialogue goin g on inside my friend . I t did not want me messing with its plans . N o doubt its plan was old, tried and true, for whoever opene d its bottle . I t probably kept giving the person whatever the y wanted, as long as he or she kept making wishes . . . I worried Amesh would make a second wish . I was terrified he would make a third .

”A mesh, we're in danger!” I pleaded .

He laughed and stood, shoving a few prized gems in hi s pocket. He held out a huge pearl to me, which was encircle d w ith a diamond-studded gold band . I t was a pendant-the pear l dangled from the end of a gold chain. Amesh came near .

”T his one's for you . T ake it . I t's my gift to you.”

He was close enough to slap . I felt I had to knock som e sense into him . M ental telepathy, the ability to dominate a person's will-these were not powers I had expected the djinn t o have . I realized I had been a fool to go along with Amesh, t o help him get even a single wish. Because all of it had just opene d a door-the djinn's front door . I pushed his hand away. unfortunately, he dropped th e pretty pearl, and it bounced over the floor. He took a step back, s tunned that I would reject him so blatantly. Yet I wanted t o shock him back to his senses .

”Keep your stupid jewel,” I said .

His grin was gone, but something else had also vanished . T here was a flatness in his gaze I couldn't quite understand . I t was as if his inner light had been extinguished .

”What's wrong with my jewels?” he asked . ”N ot goo d enough for the Proud Princess?” I tried to grab hold of him, to get him to focus on me .