Night is the right time for a summer journey between Sambi and Induslan, except there should be a full moon, not a new moon. Going to Aunt Haneen’s house felt risky, so Aladdin borrowed two water bags from the tack storage and headed directly away from town to the Induslan trail.
As he walked the last of twilight left the sky. It was dark now and it would stay really dark until dawn.
The stars put out just enough light that Aladdin could see the landscape as a dim gray spreading out under the starry sky. He could see the trail as a lighter gray, but sometimes he couldn’t see the rocks and holes in it, so he stumbled a lot despite walking slowly. Then he got an idea. He pulled out the tall flower stalk of a dead yucca and used it as a walking stick. After that he walked for an hour at a good pace.
When he took a break he could still see Sambi behind him, but far away and below him. Only in the center of town, around the bazaar, were there torch lights as workers readied for the New Moon celebrations. The summer breeze was warm and dry. Aladdin was tired of walking now, but comfortable, and it was pretty clear that he would be alone on this journey—there were no torch lights coming from Sambi indicating pursuers, and if travelers were coming from Induslan he would meet them in four or five hours at the halfway point. He thought about the lamp.
He brought it out and rubbed it. The gene appeared and looked around.
“No Almanzor?”
“He stayed home. You and I are going to Induslan.”
The genie thought briefly. “I don’t know Induslan, and why are we going there?”
“To fight against the Iron Men.”
The genie backed off, arms raised, “Oh no! No, we’re not! I’m a playground genie, not a warrior genie! Not even a police genie! I may look all powerful to you but that’s because I’m supposed to look scary to kids. Any real warrior genie will eat me for lunch and spit me out. This is a crazy idea.”
“Yeah, but there are no warrior genies.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’ve never heard of one.”
The genie looked at Aladdin carefully. “Seriously, you haven’t?”
Aladdin shook his head.
The genie looked at his “watch” again. “ … Ten thousand years … a lot could have changed.” He looked around the landscape. “A lot has changed.
“Still … I’m not a warrior genie. Who are these Iron Men?”
“They attacked Induslan a few months ago. We don’t know anything about them, but they’re why I’m living in Sambi. I don’t like Sambi. I want to go home to Induslan. If we can beat the Iron Men, I can go home. So when we get to Induslan I’m going to join my father and uncles. And when we see the Iron Men, I’m going to bring you out and wish that we beat them in the upcoming battle. That’s my plan.”
“Yikes! Sounds like a good plan … but wishing for me to beat soldiers in battle isn’t like wishing for gold or candy. Those I can make appear, no problem. But a victory … that’s a bit more complicated.”
“Are you saying you can’t do it?”
“I’m saying that I’m a playground genie. I make children happy by giving them a little adventure, a little scare, and then rewarding them. There are other genies who do what you’re asking for … ” He looked around again. “Or at least there used to be. This is getting really creepy for me, you know! Are you sure you wouldn’t like to just make three wishes and then I can get back in my lamp?”
“There used to be more genies?”
“Oh, lots of them. Lots of people and lots of genies. Now it seems everyone’s gone.”
“Oh, there are still lots of people. We’re in the country, between the cities of Sambi and Induslan. That’s Sambi back there, where we came from.”
The genie looked, studied it a bit, then said, “You call that a city? It looks like about five hundred people live there … and where are the lights? It’s totally dark!”
“Totally dark? There are torches in the bazaar.”
The genie looked at Aladdin. “When I last came out, ten thousand years ago, that place you now call Sambi was called Lakstar, and it was a neighborhood in the city of Mulorn, which had a million people and a hundred thousand genies. My Goodness! The parrots kept in Mulorn probably outnumbered the people of Sambi, and the parrot was a rare pet! I’m sorry, but this world I’m looking at is not my world!”
The genie floated to waist-high, then crossed his legs as if he were sitting on the floor and looked sadly at the ground.
“ … Do I still get my wishes?” asked Aladdin.
“If you want gold or candy,” said the sulking genie.
“No.” Aladdin spoke very deliberately now, “I wish for a victory over the Iron Men.”
The genie motioned with his hand and a sack appeared in it. He held it out, not bothering to look at Aladdin. “Here’s some gold. Buy one.”
Aladdin swatted the sack from the genie’s hand. “No! I want a victory! I’m wishing for a victory, and I want a victory!”
The genie looked up into the fire of determination in Aladdin’s eyes. “Well, if this is the world I have to live in now, let’s find out about it.” He stood on the ground again.
“Do I get my wish?” Aladdin knew weaseling when he heard it.
“I don’t know yet. We have to see the Iron Men before I will know if I have any useful powers.”
“That makes sense. Induslan is this way.” Aladdin started walking again.
The genie followed him a few steps, stopped, and asked, “How far is it?”
“Oh, we’ll be walking the rest of the night and maybe some into the day. It’s over these hills and in the valley beyond.”
“Well … Would you like to make this journey a little faster … and with a little more style?”
Now it was Aladdin’s turn to look quizzical. “What did you have in mind?”
The genie waved his hand and … poof! two horses appeared. The genie hopped up on one. Aladdin stayed on the ground, looking very nervous.
Recognition hit the genie’s face, “You don’t know how to ride a horse?”
“I’m a city kid. Merchants ride horses. Merchants, and rich farmer’s kids.”
The genie grinned, “And don’t forget princes. They ride horses, too.”
“Yeah, and princes. … Why did you bring up princes?”
“Because I can make you one,” said the genie matter-of-factly.
Now Aladdin finally looked amazed. “Does it take a wish?”
“It’s part of your wish … if it ever comes true. If you’re a prince, you’ll find your Induslani friends are easier to convince and command. And you’ll know how to ride a horse, so you can get to Induslan faster.”
Aladdin thought, but not for long. “ … I accept.”
With another wave of his hand, the genie transformed Aladdin. Aladdin still looked like himself, but with some big improvements. He was now richly clothed. And he moved differently because there was a lot more to him. His muscles, body, and face were no longer poor-kid scrawny. There was a lot more … “command” is probably the best word … in his style. He laughed a hearty laugh … a bit deeper than before … and mounted the horse easily.
“Off we go!” Aladdin said, and it sounded like good drama. He raised his arm and pointed with appropriate drama, too. Aladdin noticed the differences. He smiled a hearty smile at the genie. “This being a prince is fun,” and he spurred his horse towards Induslan.
“All fun and games … until someone gets hurt,” muttered the genie to himself.