I wish to dedicate the completion and revision of this story to the one fan and friend that had inspired me to keep writing on the idea so many years ago. We all knew her in the IDoJ community as "Carpet" and some of us had the fortune to know her as Carrie. She is still missed though I don't doubt she is 'around' to enjoy this story all over again.

I am also dedicating this story to the one woman I love, Maryanne, whom inspired me to complete the story (once she had read the old version) and has kept me going to get it out of my head and into the world for all to enjoy. Here's to your enjoyment! :-)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of IDoJ they belong to their creators. This story is written purely for entertainment and not for profitable purposes. I do, however, own all original characters and the plot. If you would like to use the characters I have created, please ask first.

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Genie of the Lamp

By

Eric Franklin

Chapter One

"You will be staying on the second floor in rooms 17 and 18," the short swarthy clerk informed the threesome. "Enjoy your stay in Tehran."

"Thank you." Tony took the keys, one of the suitcases and the two metal cases of the surveying mechanisms. Roger got the tripod and collapsible leveling rod while Jeannie got the other two suitcases. Tony knew how heavy they were yet he had seen her lift crates and furniture almost like Superman. He never knew if she was using her powers to do that or if all djinn were simply superhuman in strength.

Their hotel was tiny by modern American standards, though to the casual observer, it was definitely well kept and clean. It was a standard travelers' hotel since NASA wouldn't splurge on business trips. They made their way across the old, cracking sandstones of the sparse courtyard and up a rather creaky set of wooden stairs. They landed on a narrow and dimly lit cedar-floored and paneled hallway between their rooms, white plaster arching overhead by at least ten feet if not more. Roger took his room-key to let himself in, while Tony and Jeannie went into room number 17, on the inner courtyard side.

"Ah, it's good to relax! Those military transport planes are not that comfortable. But, they are free," Tony commented and tossed his jacket and suitcase on the one queen-sized bed, messing up the orange bedspread and knocking the embroidered brown throw pillows almost off to either side. A thick Persian rug covering most of the floor in and around their bed deadened his footfalls as he dropped into an ample, well-upholstered armchair in matching bright orange. Chair and astronaut were in a corner near the carved cedar-shuttered window, and in enough shadow that Tony could close his eyes to block out the rest of the light. The whole of the room received a sufficient amount of light filtered through shutters and gathered peach-colored window silks, to keep the mostly white plaster-walled room bright to read by. Jeannie had given it all a good glance over upon entering and felt that it could have used with a little magical restoration. Perhaps she would do just that, she thought as she put her suitcase next to his. She happily sat in her Master's lap and snuggled close. An overhead fan high above kept a slight breeze going in the room as the morning temperatures were still cool enough to take in the outside air. There wasn't much scent to the air other than the barest of a musty smell from the furniture. That was easily taken care of if only for a later time in their day, like when the rest of the room was improved.

Upon Jeannie settling down in his lap, Tony opened his eyes to see the cracked beige plaster on the high-arched ceiling above. He needed only to tilt his eyes down a hair to see a much nicer visage.

"Well, I did offer to blink us here, Master. It would have been much faster, less trouble and no jet lag."

"I know, Jeannie, but it was safer to fly. Now we don't have to worry about Dr. Bellows asking questions." A knock at their door interrupted them.

"Hey, Tone! Can I come in?" Roger's muffled voice came through the stout wooden door. It may have been native cedar, like every other wood in the room, but it had either been stained or weathered such that one would have to carve into it to tell. Jeannie hardly noticed, but anyone else might have spent long minutes gazing at the intricate carvings engraved on their side of that door. It was no wonder Roger's voice could barely be heard through it. The arched opening and door together looked much like something Jeannie would blink up with nary a thought in creating it.

"Sure, Rog, come on in." Tony's partner and best friend stepped in, crossing the room to sit in the only other chair opposite them.

"So, what's the plan?"

"The plan is that we are going to relax for about an hour and then head out to the East, to the future tracking site," Tony explained, knowing full well that Roger had some other 'plan' in mind.

"Well, I'm not going to waste my hour just laying around. Jeannie, where are the really hot spots around here? I'd love to find me some nice little harem girl to take home, heh-heh!"

"Roger! You can go girl-shopping later. We have the whole week. And it probably won't take us more than four days to get this done."

"Yeah, well, all work and no play makes Roger a very dull and bored boy! If you won't help, I'll just go and see what passes for a bar in these parts," he replied and got up.

"Master? May I at least tell Major Healey the best inns he can try?"

"Alright Jeannie. But no more than that. I'm going to take a nap for the next hour, but I want to leave here no later than 9:30. I don't want to be out in the sun longer than necessary. You remember what Furnace Canyon was like in Nevada."

"Yeah, but we have Jeannie with us again. And I know all about her this time around. We could have little rain showers follow us the whole way."

"Just go on, Roger. We can talk about this later. Don't be gone long with him, Jeannie."

"I will not, Master," Jeannie replied as she gave her Master a peck on the lips. She was at the door in a moment with Roger, waving bye to Tony. Jeannie pulled the heavy door shut behind them and they were gone. Tony got up from the chair, moved the suitcases to the equally heavy wooden bureau, and laid down for a nice nap. He was glad that Jeannie pretty well obeyed him since their marriage and did not get him into as much trouble anymore with her powers. Thinking that, Tony drifted off into a restful sleep and dreamt of djinn and palace-life.

"Where would you like to go first, Major Healey?" Jeannie and Roger were in the general neighborhood of the hotel, casually walking the streets, looking around as they went.

"Wherever the best inn in town is." Roger laughed at the little joke, but Jeannie didn't get it. Cutting his chortle short, he rephrased the answer.

"Wherever they have the best belly dancers and slave girls."

"Very well, Major Healey, but this city has changed much since I was last here," she explained as they walked. She recognized nothing.

"When was the last time you were here?"

"2000 years ago."

"Ask a silly question..." Roger mumbled. "Well, why not just blink us to the best place? If you can't just point me in the right direction, I'll just have to explore on my own. And that will take longer than that little hour Tony has given me."

"I do not know, Major Healey. I do not think my Master would approve of that."

"Look, Jeannie, how's he to know? All you are going to do is pop us out of here and into the best place in town for girls. That's all. No more magic needed. I can do the rest without your help, heh-heh."

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose there is no harm," Jeannie replied, folding her arms up before her as they stopped in front of some random residence along the road. As she nodded and blinked the two of them into nothingness, Jeannie's nonchalant display of magic was observed. A very shocked woman had happened to look out of her window at just the right moment. It was enough of a shock as to make her fall out of her wicker chair and start praying to Allah for protection.

An old and weathered sign hung over a wide-arched entrance read (in Persian) 'The Blind Parrot'. At least that was what Jeannie translated to Roger once they appeared outside the walls of that particular tavern.

"Wow! Thanks, Jeannie! This place looks great!" he said, looking in past the louvered doors to the current belly dancers performing for the crowd. Slavegirls could be seen delivering foods and drink to the men all seated around and on various piles of Persian carpets about the place. It was certainly the next closest thing to paradise in Roger's eyes. He was stepping inside when Jeannie tugged on his sleeve.

"I will meet you out here in one hour, Major Healey. Do not be late!"

"Me? Late? You're talking to Casanova Healey! I'll have a girl on each arm in five minutes," he boasted. Jeannie just smirked at him and blinked out. Roger jumped a bit, though his task at hand calmed him in seconds. And true to his word, in just under five minutes Roger was relaxing on luxurious Persian carpets with a slavegirl on each arm as he ogled the belly dancers. He hardly noticed how fast the time flew by he was having so much fun.

Once back at the hotel, Jeannie blinked their clothes into the drawers of the bureau, and hung the rest in the nearby closet. That same blink also made the suitcases vanish into nothing. She rounded the edge of the bed to the side opposite her beloved Master, and blinked at the top of the small bedside table. An instant later, a large shiny brass hourglass appeared. The hour markings were different than any other hourglass Jeannie had owned or used. It was more apparent what they meant when Jeannie blinked again, and two of the hour markings glowed, one green and one red. The sands began flowing through the hourglass as soon as the markings glowed. A satisfied djinni just smiled to herself and laid down next to her handsome Anthony for a one-hour nap. Djinni and astronaut snuggled close and the djinni was asleep with her Master in mere moments.

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