The Absent Appellation

“Well, to be honest,” the Genie said. “I don’t really have a name.”

“Why not?” Francis asked.

“I don’t remember ever having one. I’ve had enough Masters that I’ve forgotten who I was born as. I guess I’ve gotten in the habit of responding to however my Masters called me.”

“Hmm. What did your previous Master identify you as?”

“Schiavo,” she said after a few minutes of thinking. “He wasn’t very original for an Italian.”

“I’m sorry,” Francis said. “But what does ‘shiavo’ mean?”

“****,” the Genie smiled thinly. “That’s what I am, a **** to the lamp and to the Master. It’s not as bad as it sounds. There have been a few Masters who have allowed me some leniency as to how I’ve lived. Others didn’t treat me too well and a few were… particularly nasty.”

“That’s horrible,” Francis gasped. “How could you stand such ****?”

“I had to,” she shrugged. “Otherwise I couldn’t survive. A genie is subservient to the lamp. If the lamp’s destroyed…” The Genie trailed off.

“Oh my,” the young man paled. “Couldn’t you be freed of the lamp?”

“No,” she smiled sweetly. “Without it, I don’t exist.”

“Not even a wish could free you?”

“No,” the Genie shook her head. “It’s one of the Conditions of the Lamp.”

“Are there more?”

“Yes.”

“And they are?” Francis prompted.

“First and foremost, a wish cannot bring any creature back to life. Once a soul has left this Earth, it cannot be brought back. Second, a wish cannot be used to kill someone. Third, a wish cannot change the whole of reality, let alone the world. You can’t **** such a drastic change to human nature.”

“Is that it?”

“Pretty much,” the Genie nodded. “And you do want to be careful how you wish. You’ll want to be specific as possible. Vague wishes can have unintended results.”

“Understood,” Francis nodded. “Anyway, going back to the original issue of what to call you, would you like to choose your own name?”

“Choose my own name?” the Genie exclaimed arching her eyebrows. “I’ve never been allowed that before. I, I have no idea what I would choose. Names don’t mean too much to me, anymore. Just go ahead and pick one, but please, not anything derogatory.”

“I could do that, but… perhaps I could use one of the multitude of wishes available to grant you a name for all time. A wish that couldn’t be countermanded by any other Master in the future nor even me once your name has been set,” Francis offered.

“Granted,” the Genie smiled. “So, how long will it take you to give me a name?”

“That was quick,” Francis said. “I wasn’t expecting the wish to be completed that fast. I mean, how did you know if I was finished wishing or not?”

“I’m sorry,” the Genie said softly, lowering her head. “I, I just assumed you were done. Are, are you g, going to punish me n, now?”

“Maybe,” Francis contemplated. “Maybe not. But for future reference, please don’t grant the wish unless I say so. I may want to change my mind. And a signal would be useful when the wish is granted.”

“What would you like?” the Genie frowned, irked at her Master. “A flash of smoke? The ringing of a bell?”

“I’ll let you know,” Francis said crossly. “And don’t you get cross with me! It’s not like I’ve been a Master of a Lamp before. This is all new to me.”

“I apologize, Master. I meant no disrespect.”

“You haven’t had many kind Masters, have you?” Francis asked. “You can be arrogant and proud, but you cow so easily. It’s a wonder you haven’t been broken yet.”

“Not really,” the Genie said, gazing on Francis in awe. “As a genie, I’m…”

“I know, I know,” Francis interrupted. “You’re subservient to the Master, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have your own personality. You have a sharp tongue, you have a tart attitude, but I like you. Be yourself. We’ll just need to adjust to each other.”

“As to the punishment you asked for,” Francis continued. “We’ll get to that later. For now, we need to find you a name.”