promised my aunt Martha that we would run to the store with her to pick up some
perennials, whatever they are, and after that, you and I are going to get up to some serious wish-granting. I have been toying with the idea of a helicopter.”
Fon-Rahm seemed distracted. He didn’t even appear to be listening.
“You with me, buddy?”
Fon-Rahm said, “Something has happened.”
“Wow. Here’s a command for you: be less cryptic.
What
has happened?”
“I do not know. Something has changed. The balance in the Nexus has shifted.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a Nexus?”
“It is the force of magic that surrounds Earth. I sense dark waves on the horizon.”
“Oh. Well, in that case...” said Parker. “No, I still don’t care. I’ll see you in about a half an hour.”
Parker left the barn. His headache returned the second he shut the door behind him.
“Come on, Parker,” said Theo. He was waiting with his mother in the driveway in front of a ratty Subaru station wagon.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
With each step Parker took toward them, however, his headache got worse. By the time he reached the car, he was pressing his palms into his eye sockets to try to relieve the pressure.
“Parker?” asked his aunt Martha. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I just...I’ll be okay. My head hurts.”
“It’s probably allergies. People who aren’t used to the country get them.”
Theo got in the car. Parker opened the door to the backseat and grimaced when he climbed in. His aunt looked him over.
“Maybe you should go inside and lie down for a while.”
“But...”
“Go, Parker. Theo? Why don’t you stay with your cousin? There’s some allergy medicine in the bathroom.”
Theo grumbled and got out of the car with Parker. As soon as Aunt Martha drove off, Parker collapsed onto the driveway.
“Jeez, Parker, are you okay?”
“The barn,” Parker said.
Theo helped Parker to his feet. As they neared the barn, Parker’s headache vanished. They swung open the barn door to find Fon-Rahm rising from the ground, recovering from a headache of
his own.
The genie looked at Parker.
“You, as well?” he asked.
A half an hour later, Parker, Theo, Reese, and Fon-Rahm were standing under the uprights in the visitors end zone of the Robert Frost Junior High School football field. It was
set behind the school, hemmed in on one side by hills. It was also deserted on a Sunday morning, which made it perfect for an experiment like this one.
“I don’t know, guys,” Reese said, scrolling through a Web site on her phone. “I can’t find anything anywhere about genies and their masters being attached by the
head.”
Parker and Theo stared blankly at her. Boys, thought Reese. Really.
“You two didn’t even consider Wikipedia?”
“I do not know what knowledge this Wikipedia contains, but the spell that binds me to Parker has clearly also created some kind of a tether between us.” Fon-Rahm turned to Parker.
“My suggestion is that you walk down this shorn meadow....”
“It’s a football field,” said Theo.
“This football field, then, until the pain forces you to stop. That way at least we will know how far apart we are permitted to go.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Rommy,” Parker said. “But, of course, losers walk.”
Parker pointed to the other end zone. Fon-Rahm rose off the turf and began to float slowly down the field. Reese counted off the yards as he went.
“Ten. Twenty.”
“My head already hurts,” said Parker.
“Thirty. Maybe he should slow down a little.”
Parker rubbed his temples.
“Wow. Yeah, it’s getting much worse.”
“Should we stop?” asked Theo.
Parker said, “Uh-uh. We have to know.”
The pain was obviously getting very bad for Parker. He clenched his eyes shut and began to sweat.
“Forty. Fifty.”
“Okay. That’s enough,” Theo said.
“Sixty.”
Reese was starting to sound as nervous as Theo.
Parker fell to his knees. In the
perennials, whatever they are, and after that, you and I are going to get up to some serious wish-granting. I have been toying with the idea of a helicopter.”
Fon-Rahm seemed distracted. He didn’t even appear to be listening.
“You with me, buddy?”
Fon-Rahm said, “Something has happened.”
“Wow. Here’s a command for you: be less cryptic.
What
has happened?”
“I do not know. Something has changed. The balance in the Nexus has shifted.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a Nexus?”
“It is the force of magic that surrounds Earth. I sense dark waves on the horizon.”
“Oh. Well, in that case...” said Parker. “No, I still don’t care. I’ll see you in about a half an hour.”
Parker left the barn. His headache returned the second he shut the door behind him.
“Come on, Parker,” said Theo. He was waiting with his mother in the driveway in front of a ratty Subaru station wagon.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.”
With each step Parker took toward them, however, his headache got worse. By the time he reached the car, he was pressing his palms into his eye sockets to try to relieve the pressure.
“Parker?” asked his aunt Martha. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I just...I’ll be okay. My head hurts.”
“It’s probably allergies. People who aren’t used to the country get them.”
Theo got in the car. Parker opened the door to the backseat and grimaced when he climbed in. His aunt looked him over.
“Maybe you should go inside and lie down for a while.”
“But...”
“Go, Parker. Theo? Why don’t you stay with your cousin? There’s some allergy medicine in the bathroom.”
Theo grumbled and got out of the car with Parker. As soon as Aunt Martha drove off, Parker collapsed onto the driveway.
“Jeez, Parker, are you okay?”
“The barn,” Parker said.
Theo helped Parker to his feet. As they neared the barn, Parker’s headache vanished. They swung open the barn door to find Fon-Rahm rising from the ground, recovering from a headache of
his own.
The genie looked at Parker.
“You, as well?” he asked.
A half an hour later, Parker, Theo, Reese, and Fon-Rahm were standing under the uprights in the visitors end zone of the Robert Frost Junior High School football field. It was
set behind the school, hemmed in on one side by hills. It was also deserted on a Sunday morning, which made it perfect for an experiment like this one.
“I don’t know, guys,” Reese said, scrolling through a Web site on her phone. “I can’t find anything anywhere about genies and their masters being attached by the
head.”
Parker and Theo stared blankly at her. Boys, thought Reese. Really.
“You two didn’t even consider Wikipedia?”
“I do not know what knowledge this Wikipedia contains, but the spell that binds me to Parker has clearly also created some kind of a tether between us.” Fon-Rahm turned to Parker.
“My suggestion is that you walk down this shorn meadow....”
“It’s a football field,” said Theo.
“This football field, then, until the pain forces you to stop. That way at least we will know how far apart we are permitted to go.”
“That’s not a bad idea, Rommy,” Parker said. “But, of course, losers walk.”
Parker pointed to the other end zone. Fon-Rahm rose off the turf and began to float slowly down the field. Reese counted off the yards as he went.
“Ten. Twenty.”
“My head already hurts,” said Parker.
“Thirty. Maybe he should slow down a little.”
Parker rubbed his temples.
“Wow. Yeah, it’s getting much worse.”
“Should we stop?” asked Theo.
Parker said, “Uh-uh. We have to know.”
The pain was obviously getting very bad for Parker. He clenched his eyes shut and began to sweat.
“Forty. Fifty.”
“Okay. That’s enough,” Theo said.
“Sixty.”
Reese was starting to sound as nervous as Theo.
Parker fell to his knees. In the
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