The Old Genie Hottabych

WHERE SHOULD THEY LOOK FOR OMAR?

To look at Hottabych’s healthy face, no one would ever suspect he had been seriously ill so recently.

His cheeks were a soft, even shade of old-age pink. His step was as light and as quick as always, and a broad smile lighted his artless face. And only Volka, who knew Hottabych so well, noticed that a secret thought was constantly gnawing at the old Genie. Hottabych often sighed, he stroked his beard thoughtfully, and large tears would ever so often roll from his frank, friendly eyes.

Volka would pretend not to notice and did not bother the old man with tactless questions. He was convinced that in the end Hottabych would be the first to speak. That is exactly what happened.

“Grief and sadness rent my old heart, O noble saviour of Genies,” Hottabych said softly one day when a magnificent sunset coloured the evening waters of the Moskva River a delicate pink. “Thoughts of my poor lost brother and of his terrible and hapless fate do not leave me for a moment. The more I think of him, the more I feel I should set out to search for him as soon as possible. What do you think of this, O wise Volka ibn Alyosha? And if you regard this decision kindly, would you not make me happy by sharing the joys and sorrows of this journey with me?”

“Where do you want to start looking for your brother?” Volka asked in a business-like way, since he was no longer surprised at the most unexpected suggestions Hottabych might have.

“If you remember, O Volka, at the very dawn of our extremely happy acquaintance, I told you that Sulayman’s Genies threw him into one of the Southern Seas, sealed in a copper vessel. There, along the shores of the hot countries, is where one must naturally look for Omar Asaf.”

The possibility of setting out on a journey to the Southern Seas really appealed to Volka.

“All right. I’ll come along with you. Wherever you go, I go. It would be nice if…” Volka fumbled.

But a cheerful Hottabych continued: “…if we could take our wonderful friend Zhenya ibn Kolya along. Have I understood you correctly, O my kind Volka ibn Alyosha?”

“Uh-huh.”

“There could not have been a shadow of doubt,” Hottabych said. It was decided then and there that the expedition setting out to search for Hottabych’s unfortunate brother would leave no later than in two days’ time.

However, if the time of departure caused ho discord, it quite suddenly became apparent that there were serious differences on the question of a means of transportation.

“Let’s go by magic carpet,” Hottabych suggested. “There’s enough room for all of us.”

“Oh no,” Volka objected strongly. “No more magic carpets for me. Thanks a lot! Our last trip was enough for me. I don’t want to freeze like a dog a second time.”

“I’ll supply you both with warm clothing, O blessed Volka. And if you so desire, a large bonfire will constantly burn in the middle of the carpet. We can warm ourselves beside it during our flight.”

“No, no, no! The magic carpet is out of the question. Let’s go to Odessa by train. Then, from Odessa …”

Hottabych immediately accepted Volka’s plan and Zhenya, who was told of it in detail a short half hour later, enthusiastically approved.