A SMACK OF COMMON SENSE
by
Duckling
Chapter 9
The Chapters
But
Joe also knew that he could no longer leave the genie in there, and was
pleasantly surprised to realize he possessed the power to free him as
well.
“Which
is why you’ll understand what I’m about to do next,” the blond boy
continued.
Three
pairs of eyes watched the teen as he held the lamp in his hands and raised
it above his head.
“Genie,”
he said loudly, “You had to return to the lamp because you were bound to
it while the girl who took your place was not. But now, now I give you
your freedom. You are a genie no more, and this lamp loses at your freedom
all the power which it once possessed.”
As
he spoke, the lamp again glowed golden. This time however, the light
expanded and encircled Joe. As it continued to grow, fireworks of light
shot ahead, bathing the hall in a riot of rainbow light. Suddenly the
genie appeared in his human form again and the lamp fell from Joe’s
hands, clattering against the concrete floor.
The
genie, forever free from genie-hood, grinned up at Joe. He reached out a
hand and Joe firmly clasped it.
“Thank
you,” He whispered to the younger Hardy boy, his brown eyes bright with
gratitude.
Then
turning to the others, he nodded at the lamp. “Bury that thing. Bury it
below the sands of an angry sea. Otherwise, it might be found and used-
again.” The small group shuddered at the thought of the lamp regaining
its magical powers.
He
looked at Vanessa. “You must be the one to toss it overboard,” he
added. “You have yet to command it to do anything. Don’t worry,” he
suddenly smiled, seeing the gray-eyed girl’s look of concern. “It
can’t harm you now.”
Vanessa
nodded her head in acknowledgment and gingerly placed the lamp in her bag.
Despite the cold November afternoon, she had no doubt where the group
would soon be going: to the Hardy’s boathouse to take the lamp and fling
it deep into the middle of the Bay.
“Goodbye,
genie,” Joe called out as the small dark figure turned to leave the
group.
“No,”
the genie corrected as he swung back around. “The name is Ali. Please,
call me Ali. And if you ever need me,” he grinned at Joe. “I’ll be
around.”
***
Shivering
in the brisk ocean breeze, the group huddled close to the rail of The
Sleuth, the brothers’ motorboat. They had just reached what they
hoped to be the deepest part of the Bay. Frank had throttled the motor
down for a minute and they watched as Vanessa leaned out and tossed the
cause of so much of their recent misadventures into the briny depths
below.
The
copper lamp glittered briefly in the light of the dying sun before it
disappeared below the surface of the Bay. As the teens watched it sink,
they exhaled a collective sigh of relief.
Once
he was satisfied that the lamp was finally out of their life, Frank opened
the boat’s throttle and headed back to shore.
As
the cold wind tugged at their jackets, pulled close about them, Joe winked
at the girls as he addressed his brother: “You know, Frank, it really
isn’t nice hitting people over the head with anything, let alone a magic
lamp.”
The
End
Let the author know what you think of this story
Home Library Authors Rogue's Gallery Vehicles Chums Message Board Rap Sheet Links Contact
Disclaimer
The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The authors have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.