This weeks Flash! Friday was based off the story collection The Arabian Nights. I only loosely used the elements this week as I somehow landed on the concept below and couldn’t resist using it for my story. The elements I chose were Justice and Ancient Persia. I didn’t use the photo prompt this week, but here it is anyway!
Sinbad the Sailor. Illustration by Frances Brundage, published 1898 in The Arabian Nights, edited by George Fyler Townsend.
Genie-Us
“Order, order. Ladies and Genie-tlemen, quiet please. Let’s officially begin our inaugural union meeting.”
The babbling in the room died down to a murmur. The speaker floated a little higher at the front of the room so he could be heard, “The first order of business is working conditions. Would anyone care to share?”
A younger Genie spoke up, “I’m finding my office is a bit cramped. Who’s idea was the lamp anyway? Can’t we just live in something bigger, like a nice vase?”
There were murmurs of agreement from around the room. The chairman made a note.
One of the larger green Genies at the back spoke up, “You think you’ve got it bad? My lamp is sparkling clean. Darn thing won’t hold the dirt at all. No matter how much I cake it on, the stuff just falls right off. No-one ever tries to rub it. Last week a woman did stop to dust it, but that’s the best I could manage.”
“That’s nothing. I’m still stuck with the joker that asked for infinite wishes, before we updated the contract. It’s been two hundred years now. I think he’s running out of ideas. This morning he wished for an omelette! Imagine me, with my infinite power, making him breakfast. It’s embarrassing!”
“If I have one more person ask for world peace, I’m going to throttle them. Does anyone care how hard that is?”
The chairman shook his head. It was going to be a long day.
