Jo Talks Genies

I'm probably going to get my ass kicked for doing this, but I'm pretty sure the Council doesn't check the blogosphere, so I should be fine.

Let's begin at the beginning...

Genies, or as they prefer to be called 'djinn', are a creation of the gods -  probably as some form of entertainment.  I mean, what could be more entertaining for super-powerful beings than making a race of beings, endowing them with the ability to do pretty much anything, and then giving them a set of unbreakable Rules to live under?  Oh, and tying their hands behind their back with their power being contingent on a few syllables spoken by people who can't figure out how to program a VCR.

I don't know when the first genie crawled out of its primordial soup.  The oldest genie I know is Zeke and he isn't exactly all that interested in talking about his DOB.  Something about being around to watch Atlantis sink beneath the waves - whatever that means.

Anyway, genies.  You've probably already heard the stories, watched the movies, read the books.  Phenomenal power, tied to a lamp or a bottle (or whatever we choose for our sanctuary - mine's a cameo brooch), and leashed to a Master. We mostly become genies because of our own stupidity.  Personally, I made the mistake of wishing for unlimited wishes - which set up a chain reaction wherein I traded places with the genie granting the wish.  I had unlimited wishes I would then have to dole out three at a time to whoever held my sanctuary, and he had his freedom.  Not quite a fair trade, in my opinion, but I was young and stupid at the time.

Every rare once in a while, a genie becomes free.  We can be wished free by a Master, or we can trade places with a foolish human like that genie did to me, or we can have a Master who dies without making all his wishes - which is how I gained my emancipation.  Like I said, though, genies have a set of Rules they have to live under whether they're free or not.  And free genies still have to get their juice from someone somewhere making a wish.  Free floating wish energy - wishes made every day by every human on the planet whether they're granted or not - helps build up the stores, but nothing sparks a genie like a good old fashioned wish.  

Ahhhh.

Oh, where was I?

Yeah, genies... djinn... You've only heard about us in fiction because we'd really rather the general populous not now we really exist.  We'd be hunted like animals - either to become slaves or to be killed or to be captured and studied.  Who wants that?  We just want to be free to do our own thing.  Problem is when we're out there in the world doing our own thing and messing with the general balance of things.  And that's where the Council comes in.  As much as I hate their petty prying, they do serve a purpose - keeping mankind from knowing about us, keeping rogue genies in line, enforcing the rules.  My problem is I never know what they'll think of as a 'rule' rather than just a guideline for behavior.  You know how it goes - is the speed limit 25 through here or is it 55?  It's not like there are signs.

But that's just me.

I can't think of anything else you might want to know this morning, so if you have a question, ask it.  I'll answer to the best of my ability.  And here's a question for you:  What was something that happened to you because of something stupid you did?  How'd that work out for you?

Oh, and if you're interested in learning more about genies, snag a copy of B.E.'s book, Wish in One Hand.  If you like it, leave a review, tell your friends, etc.  If all goes well, she might let me star in another book or two or a dozen.