Games Even the mighty like to play. When genies play games, the objects of their attention must learn the rules. And fast.

Outside the Universe, unbound by physical laws, sits the City of Brass. An empty room waits deep in the city, and when a room in the city is empty, it is truly empty. Not only is there nothing on the walls, there are no walls. The room does not exist when it is empty, it is nothing but empty space.

Even empty space is full compared to this.

And then it is not empty.

Shag carpeting covers the floor and goes right to walls decorated with chrome and neon. Curving sofas give plenty of room to sit and are conveniently located by the fully stocked bar. Party decorations litter the floor along with spilled food and drink.

Five genies are in the room that didn’t exist. They act as though no time has passed since they started their contest.

Then again, it didn’t.

For beings of their power, time is strictly optional.

“That was fun. Now to pick a winner.”

“No need. It was me, let’s just acclaim it and get on with the party.”

“Oh please, get real. You can’t possibly think you beat me. Mine was brilliant.”

“Get out. An imp could have done better than that.”

“We did agree to vote on it, no voting for yourself. How about we do what we said? If nothing else, it’ll be a pleasant change.”

“Then how about a show? Tell each other what we did.”

“We already know.”

“OK, let’s change it up. Look in on our marks a year later.”

“Why not? You go first.”

---

A crowd swirled around the young man in glasses. “Rewrites in for approval in 20.” “Lighting needs input, are we still cloudy?” “They’re sobering her up, she’ll be ready for the noon shoot.” “Props has a fix, they want to run it by you.”

Each person got a nod, a few words, or a short acknowledgment that he’d get back to them. “Looks like we’re 30 minutes behind on the set, spread the word,” he announced. “I’ll be with lighting for when the next emergency pops up,” he told the aide standing at his side.

“Got it, sir,” was the instant response.

Hans Smithfelt was in constant motion for several hours, only sitting during the brief rehearsals and filmings. After each one, he jumped right back into motion, with orders or questions for cast and crew.

“Break for lunch,” he finally ordered. “Be back on set in one hour, people.”

While most of the crew ate the fine lunch, he went back to his trailer. “How are you doing, handsome?”

“Fantastic,” his lover replied weakly from his chair. “I can’t believe all this. Robert Downey Jr. stopped by this morning just to say hello.”

“He’s a great guy. I’ll have to thank him for that.” With a quick kiss, Hans added, “Only got an hour, so how about some lunch?”

“It’s ready. Your first movie hasn’t even hit the theaters yet, how’d you ever get this one?”

With a smile and a laugh, “Luck, the support of a loving guy, and just a little bit of magic.”

---

“Hah,” laughed the little girl, “I knew I liked him. Smart. He figured out that I switched being in two movies a year to being over two a year, as the director. So he takes advantage of it. The wish guarantees him two movies a year, so he only tries to get two. He knows they’ll have to hire him, so he only goes after the best.”

“What, you’re proud of the fact that you were outsmarted?”

“Not so much outsmarted,” she said as she changed back to her adult form, “as that he’s making the most of what he got. I thought he had it in him back when he was Tracey and asked for my help making his wishes. Take advantage of anything you’ve got at hand. Moxie. It’s a good thing, and I like seeing it.”

With a grin, “Besides, I like Robert Downey Jr, and it’s looking like a great movie.”

“Hey, let me just compliment her on good conditions. The seemed clear and simple but left a lot of room for changes. She had to change the grammar a bit on that last, the whole care of to care for thing, but it was tricky and a good job.”

“I think not. There’s no sense of irony, no cosmic justice involved. Far from it, she just gave him a better life than he had.”

“I’m not having that,” the lady replied as she shifted into the form of a crone. “I gave him a chance, but he’s the one who took it. Working for that starlet wasn’t easy, but it was those recommendations that got him the director’s job - the wish could just as easily made him a lighter and working over the movies literally. And the boyfriend gives him money, but it’s also a lot of work caring for him, and he’s doing it well. No, all I gave was options. The better life comes from working at it.”

“I like it. Some tough challenges, but if he can meet them why not let him have the rewards? Pretty clever - and hey, some time we can catch those movies maybe?”

“Yeah, of course you’d like it. You like happy endings way too much. Let me show you how it’s done.”

---

The screen changed. A graveyard at night.

---

“See that? It doesn’t take long. Clean, simple, no muss, no fuss.” The small green man floated around happily.

“Sorry old man, but you need to give us more than that. How did she die? What did it have to do with your wishes? You know the rules. Explain.”

“He,” Kazam emphasized the gender, “never had a chance. He was isolated. All his peers blamed him for Sally’s troubles due to proximity. With his new body he needed friends if he was going to adapt.

“He should have stuck with sports, he’d have had friends. His wish compelled him to spend his time alone, studying. The only friend he had was Sam, and Sam put too much pressure on him to be a girl. Isolate and ruin, easy as pie.”

“So killing the boy was your goal? Suicide was not his only option, he could have made it. I’ve seen it before. They’re stronger than you credit.”

“Of course that was my goal,” he exploded. “They’re nothing but upjumped monkeys. If they dare to fool with the very basic stuff of creation they deserve nothing but destruction.”

The others stared him down. There had been a time genies went to war over their differing goals. Whole galaxies had been destroyed. A single crack ran through the wall around the City of Brass. That scared them into a truce. Kazam caught himself and stopped.

“Of course he might have adapted. He loved his parents and wanted to live for their sake. It was his friend who made sure he wouldn’t. Every time he thought about changing, about being a girl, he was faced with the thought of loving Sam. Isolated, alone, his old life destroyed by his wish, guilty because his parents mourned his death, guilty because the girl suffered for a crime he knew she didn’t commit… He couldn’t take it and saw only one way out.”

“All right. Distasteful or not it’s a fair result of the wish. Your conditions were honest. You even gave him what he asked for in each case. The result wasn’t what he expected but he did it to himself.”

“Darn straight.”

“Hmph, yes. I think you can do better– no, he had his say and I’m having mine. You took the easy way out and just aimed for destruction. If you want to show we’re superior try to make them better. Now I’ll stop. I’m not starting up the wars again.”

Silence fell.

“Ahem. Right. Just so. Why don’t I pick up from here?”

---

Jessica strutted down the sidewalk, her heels clicking with each step. She was reading the signs in the shops, stopping to sound out the names. “Ben-ni-gans.” Later, “Star-bucks.”

Reading was tough. It wasn’t just the effort, it dredged up disturbing memories and made her feel like something was wrong. Walking in heels, for instance, was natural but somehow not. But then she’d see herself in the windows, strike a pose and admire the way they made her legs look. The leggings and skirt helped. A little kick made her look sprightly.

And all those nasty memories went away.

“The Chop-per Shop,” she read. “This is it,” she cried excitedly to anyone watching her.

“Hello there, gorgeous,” Tom said as she came in. “Hey folks, this is Jessie.”

She almost turned around, then remembered that was her. She wished Tom would settle on one name for her. Jessica, Jess, Jessie, it got really confusing sometimes. And she could have sworn he called her something else once, something that was really her name. But she forgot about that when he came over and gave her a kiss. It felt too good to worry about anything.

“This is what we did with the money, babe. Our own bike shop. Here’s the sales floor, the shop’s in back. We do custom jobs and sell ‘em straight. What d’you think?”

Tom wanted her opinion. She was so proud. He’d been talking about this a lot. She remembered he owned it. So she looked around before answering.

“Oooh, it’s pretty. The motorcycles are all shiny.” She jumped up and down to show him how excited she was.

“Your wife can come by any time, boss. Keeping her on the floor’ll increase traffic all by her lonesome.”

Tom smiled at the man, so Jessica decided he was making a joke. But Tom didn’t laugh, so she didn’t either. It mustn’t have been funny. “Come on, babe, let me show you around.”

---

“Had we merely looked half an hour later when they went back into Tom’s office we would have seen how much Jessica enjoys the result of her wishes. Perhaps we should take a look, just to be complete…”

“I think we’ve seen enough, Monty.”

“Very well, be a killjoy. It was all the result of her wishes. My conditions were simple to understand, clearly stated, and she still set herself up. As you can see, she is quite happy with the result.”

“Hardly fair. She’s not even bright enough to know what’s wrong.”

“Yeah, your taste in bimbos comes through again.”

“I reiterate, it was her wish. I merely followed through, per the terms of our arrangement. And she’s brighter than you might think. Very… imaginative. Again, let’s jump ahead that half hour.”

“That’s not necessary. I mean, I hate to admit it, but the beauty and stupidity were straight from the wish, so that’s fair. But the increased sex drive, let’s face it, is all you Montague.”

“Weren’t you just lecturing us to be kind to these humans? That helped her adapt to her new form and ensures her constant happiness. And if her loveliness and– enthusiasm should also happen to bring joy to the men nearby, who am I to complain?”

“Hah. I’m not complaining. Only thing is, as dumb as she is, how did she get a degree?”

“It’s not doing her any good, for certain. Still, I am not the one who made the wishes. In answer, her matriculation was accomplished on her knees and on her back.”

“Whatever. So how much money did you wind up wasting on them on this wish?”

“She did quite well. Thirty five million, I believe. Tom has handled it for them. He has… other distractions than drinking and partying now. They don’t need the new business, in truth, but it is something he’s always wanted to do. I am certain his colleague was correct that Jessica will be a draw in her own right.”

“Giving Jake as much time as he wanted to think over his wishes was a nice touch.”

“Thank you. I prefer the classic touch of letting people make their own pressure. It lacks a certain je ne sais quoi to rush them through.”

“Yeah, I know you’re talking about me. Real subtle. I haven’t done this as much as the rest of you. But let’s take a look. My turn.”

---

“Sally,” a man called.

“Yes, Mr. Mariano,” the woman curtsied.

“I’m bringing back some clients tonight. Make sure the dining room is spotless and set out the good stuff.” With a critical eye he added, “Wear a shorter skirt.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered while trying to stop her cheeks from burning with shame.

“Come on Chris, busy day today.”

“Looking forward to it, Mr. Mariano.”

“One of these days I’ll expect you to start calling me Dad,” he responded.

Sally almost spoke, but a sharp glance from the smiling girl at the table shut her up instantly. With a grimace like she’d been hit, Sally ran to the kitchen and came back before the men left. “Coffee for the trip, sirs,” she offered.

With nothing more than a nod, Chris grabbed them and hurried to the car. She thought he looked good in his suit, but she couldn’t tell him unless she got permission.

When the men left she started clearing the table while Tiff– she couldn’t even think it, while Miss Moriano finished her breakfast. With a grin, the girl said “Go ahead.”

Sally stumbled like the hand holding her strings suddenly stopped. “It’s like he doesn’t even know who I am,” she whined. “I did this just to stay close to him and he barely even sees me.”

“He knows exactly who you are,” Miss Moriano replied. “You are Sally, the maid. Nothing more. Now, clear my plate. I’ll be going out for the day but expect my clothes cleaned and pressed for dinner tonight.”

Rigid again, she curtsied quickly, “Yes ma’am.” She took the dishes and started another long day while the younger girl went about her amusements.

---

“She’s got a miserable life in front of her and all due to her wishes. Just as stated.” The large blue genie waved his hand about dramatically.

“Well old bean, I have to give you this one. You certainly had the most complicated conditions. I’m still not sure I’ve got them figured out.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I know I’m the newest one at this. I mean, I was just so excited you all invited me here I guess I went a little bit overboard. Probably not in your league yet, but I’m working on it. Anyway, thanks for letting me play.”

“My word! What’s this? Modesty in a genie. This is a day for surprises. You may have won my vote there. And don’t worry so much, you’re doing fine. It takes practice is all.”

“Now wait a minute, here. You can’t go voting based on speeches. We’re competing over who did the best with the wishes.”

“The only rules we actually agreed on were that most votes win and you couldn’t vote for yourself. The contest is, well, a guideline.”

“His entry was too uneven. I mean, misery’s fine, but he didn’t spread it around much. He made the girl’s family rich enough to have a maid, and probably improved the boy’s life as well.”

“Sure,” the blue man jumped back, “it hardly seemed fair to ruin them when they weren’t the ones wishing.”

“What’s fair got to do with it? We’re genies.”

“Right. But if they stop wishing, then what are we?”

“You know, guys, I think this one might be dangerous some day. He’s a thinker. But sorry, Blue, I don’t think you’ll get my vote. The conditions were a bit too tough, pushing he into making the wishes was unnecessary, and yeah, the outcome is a little messy. A bit more, I don’t know, poetry, would have helped out.”

“Oh, that’s OK. Practice makes perfect, and it’s good to get the feedback, even if I don’t win,” he shrugged with a disarming grin.

“That modesty routine is very becoming, though. Keep that up as long as you can.”

“It’s disgusting, but the kid’s still in the lead. I can’t vote for myself and he’s the only other one of us to go for misery. Even bimbo-maker over there leaves everyone happy.”

“Really?” he smiled.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself just yet. We still have mine to look over.”

---

“Oh my, he’s got quite the grip there. Don’t you, you cute little guy?”

“He’s just grabbing at anything you put in front of him,” Janet replied proudly. “You can see him trying to figure out the world.”

“Come here, Carl,” the woman on the couch said to the little baby as she picked him up out of the bassinet. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. Carl loves his Auntie Donna, doesn’t he?”

The baby gurgled as she lifted him to her shoulder. “I told you my grandfather was named Carl, right? Yeah, this little guy’s going to be just as big and handsome as he was,” she said while tickling his stomach.

“I think you mentioned it,” Janet answered easily. “We liked the name, but I’m happy for the coincidence.”

While she’d wished to be in Virginia Beach to be near her granddaughter, she and Ed had agreed not to try to tell her who they really were. They’d gotten to be good friends with Donna and her husband, although it felt strange to have a granddaughter a few years older than them.

To be fair, it wasn’t the only strange thing they’d had to get used to. It barely made the top ten.

“How’re you two holding up? Is there anything we can do to help”

“Please,” Janet demurred, “you two have brought us so many dinners I’ve almost forgotten how to cook.”

The first time she tried to cook she made hamburgers. She’d grilled them as a man, how hard could they be? She wound up serving hockey pucks on bread because she’d gotten distracted by the broccoli that she wound up boiling into mush.

Ed offered to do the cooking; times had changed, it was all right for men to cook. She insisted. It was a way for her to show Ed she was going to try to be his wife. She was getting better at it. The cooking, that is. The being a wife, too.

It was a new life for them. They wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and try to do new things.

“Well, anything we can do to help, you can count on it.” Donna looked at the floor before speaking again, “I figure you’ll be able to return the favor soon.”

It took her a minute.

“What? Really? Congratulations, honey.”

She cried too loud in her excitement and Carl started fussing, so the two of them were distracted trying to quiet the demanding infant. Soon they had him back in his bassinet peacefully grabbing at a piece of colored plastic.

“Yeah, really,” Donna said quietly. “We wanted you to be the first to know. Well, first outside the family, I mean.” That hurt, but only a little. Family was important, and Donna didn’t know who they really were - or rather, who they used to be.

“We’d kept putting it off, wanting to be more established, have everything more in control. But then you two… Well, you were an inspiration to us.”

Only barely hiding her tears, she hugged her granddaughter gratefully.

---

“I thought they’d do well, as long as they stayed together,” said Daphne quietly. “Looks like I was right. I’m happy for them too.”

“Yes of course, because everything must be saccharine sweet–”

“Get off your high horse,” she shot back. “They didn’t have to. It’s not like a sex change wouldn’t throw off a lot of couples. They decided to stay together and to keep loving each other and they worked at it. They deserve the rewards.”

“I’m with her.”

“Thanks, but let me keep going here. He had his say, now it’s my turn. People are amazing, and they can be even more with a nudge here and there. We can do that. Give them a chance to fail, sure, but they also need a chance to succeed. You’ve got to leave that door open, and if they take it they get the rewards.

“Carl and Marjorie raised three kids to be great parents. It looks like they’re on the way to repeating that, and the world will be a better place for it. No matter what the outcome of this contest, I know the truth. I did good.”

“Well said, dear heart, but I think that calls for a change of topic back to the contest itself, don’t you? I can appreciate the artistry, and may I compliment you on that - Janet is a wonderful looking girl - but your conditions seemed flat. What was that bit about prime factors all about?”

“Ah,” she blushed, “I’d originally intended to say I could switch around the prime factors rather than the numbers themselves. But then I thought that would just make the whole thing too confusing. It encouraged him to spread out the numbers a little bit in the end.”

“It made him think a little bit longer about his numbers, so there’s that. And I liked them. Nice people. Good job.”

“I’ll echo that, and I thought it was a nice twist. Just switching numbers didn’t leave you a lot of room to play with his wishes. Making being a mother into a 21 year job was clever and well done.”

“Glad some people appreciate it. That’s everyone then. Shall we?”

An instant later.

“There it is. Two for the Lady, two for Blue, and one for Monty. Tie.”

“I went for you, Lady,” piped up Daphne. “What can I tell you? I like a happy ending.”

“Well I went with Blue, just like I said I would, and for the opposite reason as you,” snarled Kazam.

“I went Blue too, as I said. He’s an odd one, and I’m curious what he’ll do with his victory,” the Lady smiled.

“Um, I went with Monty,” said Blue. “Petty, maybe, but I thought Jessica was, well, hot.” He blushed as Monty grinned in appreciation.

“It should be quite obvious at this point,” Monty put in, “but my vote went to the Lady too. All talk of outcomes aside, I liked her conditions the best.”

“We didn’t actually set up rules for a tie. What do you say, Blue, shall we share the victory?”

“Really? We can do that?”

“We’re genies. We can do pretty much anything.”

“Sounds good.”

With a nod the others relinquished their control. For the remainder of the party Blue and the Lady could control them, their forms, memories, and personalities, as easily as they could a mortal.

For the near omnipotent genies, a night being at someone else’s whim is nothing more than a change of pace. Winners and losers alike consider the outcome a win – a wild night of fun.

And all it cost was chaos on Earth.