Chapter 6

When we got home, I grabbed a pop tart and went up to my room for a couple of hours. The lamp was still there, sitting on my dresser. After thinking about it for a minute, I picked the lamp up and put it in my lockable desk drawer. I didn't have the key to lock it, but it there was a trick to getting it open that no one else knew. I figured it would be safer there.

The truth was that I didn't really know what else to wish for. My powers were as complete as I could imagine them. But then, I didn't know what I had gotten myself into.

Karen didn't give me any trouble that afternoon. It surprised me a little. I figured she was planning something really nasty, so I didn't give it too much thought. Kenny was just getting home as I was leaving for the Catch. I waved to him in passing, but he ignored me, as usual.

The fifteen minute walk to the Catch had me brooding. When I finally got there, I saw the building was locked and closed. I walked around back and tried the rear door. It opened for me and I stepped inside.

Haller was there, working on something at his table. Almost as soon as I walked through the door he was standing up and coming over to me. "So what did you wish for?" He asked.

I damn near pissed my pants. "Uh ... that is ... I mean ... what?" I managed to stagger out.

"I mean the genie lamp. What did you wish for?" He clarified.

I thought fast. "I wished for lots of money and dozens of beautiful women to serve my every whim." I said. He couldn't have missed the resemblance between the fairytale depiction and the lamp I bought. He might just be jerking my chain, so I felt safe jerking his right back.

Suddenly his face took on a sour expression and he gave me a guarded look. "I hope you aren't being serious." He said with total somberness. "Those kind of wishes always backfire."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, disbelieving. "If this is a joke it's gone too far."

"This isn't a joke, Jason. I was fully aware when I gave you the lamp that it was a magical artifact containing a genie, and I know you've made at least one wish."

"How?" I asked, dumbfounded. "How could you know?"

"Do you really want to know?" He asked.

"Just as long as it gives me time to settle myself." I answered truthfully, and he laughed.

"I've been in the business of excavating and researching such artifacts most of my life." He said. "It started back when I was in the service; I signed on as an infantryman and ended up guarding a bunch of archaeologists. They uncovered something nasty and it killed most of them, except me and two others. I managed to seal the monster back in its tomb, and it was decided that my firsthand experience made me more useful to researchers than my company."

He said this last part with some bitterness.

"They shipped me back stateside and put me through just enough school to keep me from breaking anything in the labs, and then handed me over to the scientists. The fools were so eager to learn, so conceited in their own intelligence. They wanted to reopen the tomb. They thought they could handle the monster inside." He shook his head. "They died of their arrogance."

It was shocking that he could be so cold. The Haller I knew was a gentle man of few words and small gestures. This Haller was different. His retelling brought long forgotten pains to the surface, and his eyes smoldered with anger.

"It wasn't something I saw, I refused to have any part of what they planned, but I later heard from a good friend of mine that high command dropped a fuel air bomb on the site. They sterilized it. An entire company of men died with them."

"I'm sorry." I said. "I didn't know this was so much a part of you."

"And that's why it's okay. But now that I've started I better finish." He said, more lightly than before. "After I got out of the service I retained my interest in the supernatural occurrences that I had witnessed. It was against everything I believed as a rational person, and I wanted answers! There were some private groups that shared my interest, and I managed to sign on with one of them, using my experience in the military to secure the position. We studied artifacts from every culture in the world, and even came in contact with some of the magical creatures that live in hiding. We learned so much, and yet so little. Eventually the private backers withdrew their finances from our group and we broke off our research. I and a few others vowed to continue as best we could, sharing whatever we could learn with each other." He leaned back against the wall. "When I saw the lamp I knew something special was happening. I recognized it as a magical artifact of spectacular power, and when you asked

for it I decided to take the chance and see what would come of it." He finished.

"You've certainly lived an interesting life." I told him, slightly in awe.

"Yes, I have, and so, it would seem, will you. Now tell me for real this time; what did you wish for?"

"Okay." I said, and told him everything: the genie, the wish, the ways I had used it throughout the day, and my plans to use it in the future. It took a while to tell it all, so we sat down in some plush chairs while I was grilled for details concerning the genie and the wishes. Mr. Haller had some surprising insight.

"You know." He said; which I didn't. "A regular genie couldn't have granted a wish like that. So the genie in that lamp must be a Greater Power."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"There are many different kinds of Powers in the world. And this genie has to be way up in the hierarchy in order to have done what you described. He might even be powerful enough to effect changes on a global scale." Mr. Haller was lost in thought for a moment. "You said he was limited by not being able to go against the will of the creator? I wonder what the will of the creator actually is. There are as many interpretations on that as there are people."

"I never thought to ask." I said truthfully.

"And as for the wish itself, that was a bit of a twist. For a while I was actually worried that I would have to go and bail you out of whatever trouble you might have landed yourself in. I'm quite surprised at how things turned out, but also concerned. Giving yourself that kind of power strikes me as dangerous. You're a good kid, but you should be concerned about losing yourself in your powers. Don't become too detached from your humanity, or you might someday look in the mirror and see a monster smiling back."

I sighed and confessed my fears about my karma, telling him of the warnings from both the man who sold me the lamp and the genie. "I just don't know how I can keep track of it. It really worries me."

"Karma is one of those things that are hard to define. Do you feel guilty over what you did to those girls at your school?" Mr. Haller asked.

"Well, maybe a little. But I tried to set things right with them. Elizabeth should be fine now. I made sure she wouldn't remember our encounter. And Amber really wasn't my fault. I'm still not sure what happened there. I told Terra the truth, and gave her room to make her own choice. Maybe she'll come back to me, and maybe not. Sandy is the only one I feel particularly guilty about, but she's also the only one I didn't get sexual with. She should be the one I'm least concerned with."

"I think the problem with Sandy isn't what you have or haven't done with her. I think the problem is what you plan on doing. You're set in your intentions. You said it yourself. You don't think you could let her go, even if she wanted to leave." It was true, so I didn't say anything to refute it. Sometimes, I hate myself. "Do you want a drink?" Mr. Haller asked.