When Djinni Met Genie
By
Eric Franklin (Kentauros) & The Rare Delurker © 2010
(Disclaimer: We do not own the characters of IDoJ they belong to their creators. This story is written purely for entertainment and not for profitable purposes. We do, however, own all original characters and the plot. If you would like to use the characters we have created, please ask first.)
~13~
Later, all of the djinn and Pamela's master were in the study, a room quite similar to Mindy's, making both briefly comment about each other's related tastes in palatial décor. A large table had been blinked up to hold all of the family records for easier study by Mirrilla. The books were written in a style such that they contained listed names of members of each generation one after another. Thus, they were all crowded over the books.
"I've been able to trace some as far back as 16th century Europe. Others are complete mysteries," Pamela explained.
"And there's the Lebanese ancestry," Mindy said. "That might be significant."
"Yes, it could be. But I cannot take that farther than about 1850 and… Wow." Pamela had stopped on a certain branch, holding her fingers above it, yet not wanting to touch the paper for some reason.
Everyone but Mirrilla replied in surprise, "What?" The older djinni held a hand over the branch, sensing it as she suspected Pamela had also done.
"Mindy, you stated that when you were reading the story from which your friends traveled that there was magic in the text? I am sensing that here!" Mirrilla said, pointing excitedly to a branch.
"How can this be?" Mindy asked.
"It means that somewhere in your family you had more than just a casual contact with a djinni," Mirrilla said.
"I feel it, too," Jen said. "It's sort of like the energy that burst of out the Past-Future Machine that brought us here, only not quite as strong." Something made Jen shiver and she backed up. "Even if it has something to do with you, what would it have to do with me?"
"We do not know," Mirrilla said. "But this information is most helpful for determining why Mindy and Pamela are akin to elemental djinn. It needs to be traced further, this time by magic. That is, one or more of you must travel back in time with me to find the origins of this branch. I find this highly unusual that they would have djinn-ancestry and not still be djinn in the present. It is also suspect that this and your problem have occurred so close together, Jen. There may be a connection that we cannot yet sense. I would like to go in the morning with Mindy and you. If there is a connection in the past about this, we will find it."
Jen sighed at learning that. "Is this going to be dangerous?"
Mirrilla laughed and then smiled to Jen, wondering why a fellow djinni would think such a thing. "To a djinni? No, dear, it will not be dangerous."
"I hope so," Jen said. "But we don't have to go right now, do we?"
"No," Mirrilla replied, "we will leave in the morning. Perhaps Yosuf should come along, too. I will tell him of our plans when I return to Limbo."
"I actually get to wait around for a bit in this world?" she asked, smiling at the thought. "Good."
Everyone was then in agreement and parted ways until the next morning.