Genie had his doubts regarding Beast’s honesty but he did not argue with him. Instead he shared a broad smile with the beast and moved to stand in front of him. “Good!” he replied cheerily. “Now here’s the part everybody loves: the wish fulfilment. There three wishes to be exact and there is no wishing for more wishes. It’s three, it’s always been three, it will always be three. I don’t know what Antoine Galland next door has been telling you but just because they say something it doesn’t always mean it’s true.” Scolding the beast, the genie pointed at him accusingly. “If he jumped off a bridge would you jump too? I don’t think so! No way, not happening, don’t even try to say otherwise. We do it Charles’ way or no way, got it?!”

Realizing how into this debate he had gotten with himself, the genie paused to allow himself to calm down. He had argued over wishes far too often to his liking. As though he didn’t know how to do his job. He had only granting wishes for over sixty thousand years. No, clearly not. He had been enslaved to the lamp for centuries just because he looked pretty. Genie frowned. The master was not always right. He buried his face in his hand and sighed, allowing his hand to slowly slide down his face before he shared an apologetic smile with Beast.

“Sorry about that. What were we talking about again? Wishes! Yes, wishes. He who holds the lamp in entitled to three wishes courtesy of the Cave of Wonders. No substitutions, exchanges or refunds – no we do not match competitor’s prices or accept coupons.”