Persian
rugs, which had something to do with the number of knots, but Santa
Anna wasn’t paying attention, drawing on the shisha.
“ Khoshet miad ?” Raheem asked
him if he liked the tobacco and when Santa Anna nodded the genie
beamed again. “Oh, che khoob ! Did you know that the
hoses were once made of cane sugar? Now my friend,” he turned back
to Bowie, “Solomon’s carpet was magnificent to behold. Sixty miles
long and sixty miles wide it was.”
“Magic carpet, yeah?” asked Bowie.
“… Any place it goes is right / goes far , flies near , to the stars from here …”
“Did you just quote Steppenwolf?” Jay asked
the genie, which laughed.
“Rah,” asked Gossitch. “What can you tell us
about a vampire that walks in the day?”
“A day walker?” the genie looked incredulous,
then certain. “Impossible. Myth.”
“Like a man who lives in a bottle?” Bowie
nodded.
“Hmmm, point well taken,” the genie leaned
forward over the table, closer to the four men. “There has been
talk” he announced conspiratorially.
Gossitch pressed. “Talk of ?”
“Talk of DNA splicing and genetic doping in
eastern Europe, among the vampire themselves. Why might you
ask?”
“This morning’s job,” said Gossitch,
“something we saw.”
“Do tell,” invited the genie, clasping his
hands.
“Tall vamp. Walked out into the rain. Yeah,
it was dark, but…”
“But this thing you saw walked in the
daylight, yes?”
“Yes.”
“There has been talk of a vampire from the
continent,” Raheem maintained his conspiratorial tone. “Extremely
tall, extremely cruel. Filled with a hatred that would defy the sun
itself.”
“Sounds like our guy.” Bowie looked at
Gossitch.
“What can you tell me about this…creature?”
Gossitch had been on the verge of saying thing , but thing had a derogatory connotation, one that might have
offended the genie.
“I will counsel you to avoid it at all
costs,” Raheem said aloud. “It has a propensity for violence and
revels in bloodshed. Its appetites are said to be nothing short of
enormous.”
“Its appetite for blood?”
“For blood, yes, but also for carnage and
sex.”
“Carnage and sex, huh?” asked Santa Anna.
“What’s sex without a little carnage?”
quipped Bowie.
“And, oh yes, it has three wives.”
“Three wives?” asked Jay. “Shit, isn’t one
enough?”
“If she’s the right one,” offered Santa
Anna.
“I myself had seventy wives in my seraglio,”
the genie offered modestly.
“Seventy virgins, Rah?” Bowie asked with a
salacious tone.
“Of course not!” Raheem waved his hand. “What
man desires inexperienced girls who know not how to please him? I
never desired su—is this where the blood you bring me comes from?”
A serious look came over the genie’s face as it locked eyes with
Gossitch. “From this creature of which we speak?”
“Yeah.” Gossitch would never lie to
Raheem.
“Then we must be extremely super secret, my
friend,” mirth filled the genie’s voice again. “Like your double
agent, what is his name? Double-oh-seven.”
“Actually he’s British,” noted Bowie but the
genie hadn’t heard him.
“If it were anyone but you, my old friend,”
Raheem addressed Gossitch, “I would not accept this delivery.”
“I appreciate it, Rah. I really do.”
“I know you do, my friend.” A smile a mile
wide spread across Raheem’s face. “You are sincere in your
gratitude. I am djinn . I can detect this.”
“You can offload this stuff?” asked Santa
Anna. “I mean, considering where it comes from and all…”
“There is always appetite to contend with, my
friend. Those we feed know better than to inquire about the
origination of the supply.”
“It’s like making sausage,” offered Jay.
The genie offered a mild oath in Farsi.
“Please, you do not mention the filthy sow in my
establishment.”
Jay quickly apologized.
“You have the smell of the supernatural on
you.” Raheem eyed
rugs, which had something to do with the number of knots, but Santa
Anna wasn’t paying attention, drawing on the shisha.
“ Khoshet miad ?” Raheem asked
him if he liked the tobacco and when Santa Anna nodded the genie
beamed again. “Oh, che khoob ! Did you know that the
hoses were once made of cane sugar? Now my friend,” he turned back
to Bowie, “Solomon’s carpet was magnificent to behold. Sixty miles
long and sixty miles wide it was.”
“Magic carpet, yeah?” asked Bowie.
“… Any place it goes is right / goes far , flies near , to the stars from here …”
“Did you just quote Steppenwolf?” Jay asked
the genie, which laughed.
“Rah,” asked Gossitch. “What can you tell us
about a vampire that walks in the day?”
“A day walker?” the genie looked incredulous,
then certain. “Impossible. Myth.”
“Like a man who lives in a bottle?” Bowie
nodded.
“Hmmm, point well taken,” the genie leaned
forward over the table, closer to the four men. “There has been
talk” he announced conspiratorially.
Gossitch pressed. “Talk of ?”
“Talk of DNA splicing and genetic doping in
eastern Europe, among the vampire themselves. Why might you
ask?”
“This morning’s job,” said Gossitch,
“something we saw.”
“Do tell,” invited the genie, clasping his
hands.
“Tall vamp. Walked out into the rain. Yeah,
it was dark, but…”
“But this thing you saw walked in the
daylight, yes?”
“Yes.”
“There has been talk of a vampire from the
continent,” Raheem maintained his conspiratorial tone. “Extremely
tall, extremely cruel. Filled with a hatred that would defy the sun
itself.”
“Sounds like our guy.” Bowie looked at
Gossitch.
“What can you tell me about this…creature?”
Gossitch had been on the verge of saying thing , but thing had a derogatory connotation, one that might have
offended the genie.
“I will counsel you to avoid it at all
costs,” Raheem said aloud. “It has a propensity for violence and
revels in bloodshed. Its appetites are said to be nothing short of
enormous.”
“Its appetite for blood?”
“For blood, yes, but also for carnage and
sex.”
“Carnage and sex, huh?” asked Santa Anna.
“What’s sex without a little carnage?”
quipped Bowie.
“And, oh yes, it has three wives.”
“Three wives?” asked Jay. “Shit, isn’t one
enough?”
“If she’s the right one,” offered Santa
Anna.
“I myself had seventy wives in my seraglio,”
the genie offered modestly.
“Seventy virgins, Rah?” Bowie asked with a
salacious tone.
“Of course not!” Raheem waved his hand. “What
man desires inexperienced girls who know not how to please him? I
never desired su—is this where the blood you bring me comes from?”
A serious look came over the genie’s face as it locked eyes with
Gossitch. “From this creature of which we speak?”
“Yeah.” Gossitch would never lie to
Raheem.
“Then we must be extremely super secret, my
friend,” mirth filled the genie’s voice again. “Like your double
agent, what is his name? Double-oh-seven.”
“Actually he’s British,” noted Bowie but the
genie hadn’t heard him.
“If it were anyone but you, my old friend,”
Raheem addressed Gossitch, “I would not accept this delivery.”
“I appreciate it, Rah. I really do.”
“I know you do, my friend.” A smile a mile
wide spread across Raheem’s face. “You are sincere in your
gratitude. I am djinn . I can detect this.”
“You can offload this stuff?” asked Santa
Anna. “I mean, considering where it comes from and all…”
“There is always appetite to contend with, my
friend. Those we feed know better than to inquire about the
origination of the supply.”
“It’s like making sausage,” offered Jay.
The genie offered a mild oath in Farsi.
“Please, you do not mention the filthy sow in my
establishment.”
Jay quickly apologized.
“You have the smell of the supernatural on
you.” Raheem eyed
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