Chapter Two
DJINNISTAN
Present Day
"SELOS, COME FORTH!" the Blue Jinn commanded. He and Jeannie II were standing in his lair – a cave in the middle of the desert.
The Blue Jinn and Jeannie II stared at the bronze disk in the Blue Jinn's hand – nothing. Nothing was happening. The Eye had yet to reveal itself.
"SELOS, ARISE!" The Blue Jinn bellowed.
Once more … Nothing.
"I hear 'Open Sesame' works in a pinch," Jeannie II said dryly.
The Blue Jinn scowled at Jeannie II. Will YOU shut up?
"Selos was Egyptian. Maybe we should try an Egyptian incantation?" Jeannie II suggested.
The Blue Jinn sighed. "I have tried EGYPTIAN incantations ... I have tried PERSIAN incantations ..." he ejaculated in frustration. "Nothing! Nothing seems to work!"
"I do not believe this!" exclaimed Jeannie II. "You have a mystical amulet in your possession, yet you have not the faintest idea as to how to USE it!
"Where did you GET this anyway?"
"A trader in the bazaar. He wanted twenty dinarii for it." The Blue Jinn grumbled. He glared at the disk and added angrily, "The vile piece of camel dung CHEATED me!"
All at once, Tony Nelson Jr. appeared in the midst of the two of them - bound, gagged, and kneeling on the floor of the cave. He was dressed in sneakers, a white polo shirt, and blue jeans.
Aged sixteen, Tony Jr. was lean and athletic with his father's dark brown hair.
The Blue Jinn pointed at the kneeling Tony Jr. and bellowed, "What is HE doing here?"
"Surely I did not bring him here!" Jeannie II shot back.
"Well, I most certainly did not bring him here," the Blue Jinn protested. He then added, "If YOU did not bring him here, who DID?"
Jeannie II and the Blue Jinn stared at the bronze disk that was laying in the palm of the Blue Jinn's hand.
The Blue Jinn stared wide-eyed at the bronze disk. "Methinks we HAVE engaged the Eye after all," he said, his jaw quivering. A chill suddenly ran down his spine.