Chapter Ten

"You saw Tony smoke out of this bottle," Doctor Bellows asked his daughter.

"Yes, I thought I did," she told her father.

"I see. Did you smoke out this bottle," Doctor Bellows asked Tony Junior.

"That's impossible," he said quietly to Doctor Bellows. "I love Trudy, but I think the shock of seeing me suddenly, after I've been missing for twenty-four hours, has upset her."

"I see your point. But Trudy isn't subject to these hallucinations. At any rate, Tony, where were you all this time?"

"I was going for a drive. My car broke down . . . in the woods . . . and I got lost on my way back to town." Tony Jr thought "If I have to, but if only if I have to, I can blink a car on a road in the woods, broken down, and say its mine."

"Have you told your parents yet?"

"No, I was about to phone when Trudy found me. Can I go see my dad?'

"I'm sorry. He went home a half hour ago to be with Jeannie."

"Can I phone them, Doctor Bellows?"

"Go right ahead." However, at this moment, the telephone rang. Dr. Bellows picked it up. It was Mrs. Bellows. They talked for a few moments. To his terror, Tony Jr. heard Dr. Bellows mention the words "Roger Healey," "green bottle," "accidently gave it away."

"Trudy, Tony, do you who that bottle belongs too?"

"Tony?" said Trudy.

"I better call home, Dr. Bellows," said Tony Jr. nervously.

"Roger Healey," Dr. Bellows went on. "It turns out his mother gave it you, Trudy, by mistake. He'd like it back."

"I'll return it on my way home," said Tony Jr. quickly.

"No need. I'll return it on my way home tonight. A couple of hours before Roger Healey leaves on his European vacation."

Tony Nelson Junior quickly started dialing home. "He's not going anywhere if I can help it," he thought.

"You know Tony, Trudy, there is something strange about this bottle. It fascinates me somehow," said Doctor Bellows. "Somehow," he thought, "if seems to offer a clue into all those strange events Colonel Nelson was involved in years ago."

"Yes," said Trudy, holding it, and wiping it gently. "There is something interesting about it. I wish I knew what it was."

Doctor Bellows and his daughter were suddenly interrupted in their reflections by Tony Nelson junior. He had suddenly dropped the phone, and seemed to have gone into some sort of fit. He was desperately biting his lip, his face was red, and he was propping himself up on Doctor Bellow's desk for support.

"Would you tell us what exactly is going on?" asked Doctor Bellows, shocked.

"Is he sick, is he having some sort of attack?"

"None that I have ever seen," said Doctor Bellows.

"I'm a genie," Tony Junior finally blurted out, much against his will. I wasn't, but my aunt did something to me, and then tricked me, so I am one now. That's my bottle your holding, with it you can make me do anything you want. The real reason I disappeared yesterday, was that my aunt put in my bottle, and no one freed me until Trudy opened the stopper on the bottle."

Doctor Bellows and Trudy looked at Tony Nelson dumbstruck. Tony Nelson looked back at them with a fake grin.

"Uh, . . ." was all he was able to say.

"You've been under a lot of pressure," said Dr. Bellows. "Why don't you lie on my couch here, and we talk about being the genie in the green bottle."

"Wait," said Trudy. "Now I'm sure that what I saw happened." "Tony?"

"Uh, yes," he said nervously.

"I wish you to smoke into the bottle."

"Anything but that, please." He had no choice. With his teeth gritted, once again he blinked, and smoked into the bottle.

Dr. Bellows sat on his couch. Trudy sat at his desk.'

"Will you let me out Trudy?" Tony Junior said miserably.

"Of course, Trudy. Let him out," said Doctor Bellows weakly.

Tony Nelson reappeared.

"Sit down, Tony," Doctor Bellows ordered.

He sat down.

"How long have you been a genie."

"A day, sir."

"Are you prepared to tell everything? Can you explain everything? How this happened. What you know. It could help solve other mysterious things that have taken around here these past twenty years."

"I am now, Doctor Bellows," said Tony Nelson Jr. with a sigh. "Goodbye space program, goodbye life . . . again," he thought. "At least I still have my freedom."

"Excellent," said Dr. Bellows. "Trudy, you and me are going to see General Peterson. Tony, wait here."

After a moment's thought, Trudy picked up the green bottle. "I'm sorry to do this, Tony, but I wish you'd stay here."

"I have to, Trudy, Doctor Bellows. I can't leave the green bottle without permission."

"I understand, or at least I think I understand," said Doctor Bellows. Thank you very much Tony, I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Your welcome sir," said Tony Junior gloomily, with no clue what Doctor Bellows was talking about.