cautiously. Then, upon seeing that there was no danger, he walked out the room, adjusting his shirt smugly.

“Short-stuff, you’re good!” he praised the small Genie.

The Genie floated out, smiling thankfully. “Many thanks, master,” he said politely. “It is nice to be complimented on my work for once.”

Baloo shrugged, and then began looking for the nearest best way to take him to the Sea Duck.

“Oh but, master?” the Genie suddenly asked.

“Hmmm?” Baloo said.

“I have only one question?”

“Yeah, fine,” Baloo said, not completely focused, as he carried the Genie’s bottle with him, finally deciding upon the best way out, and started walking. “Just let me make sure on one thing, okay? Now, you did remember to give me some time, okay?”

The Genie nodded. “I have my magic working on slow motion, master,” the Genie confirmed for him. “Master Karnage and his crew should materialise in your designated place within the next few minutes.”

Baloo gave him a thumbs up. “Great! That should give me able time to get down there, soon as I find the Duck. Oh, and once I’m out of here, you’ll put this ship back where it was? I don’t want Louie getting shaky, if he sees a pirate’s airship out in his backyard.”

“Of course, master,” the Genie confirmed. “Oh, and by the way… Your ship’s that way, two decks down, third door on the right.” The Genie pointed back the way they had come.

Baloo looked to where he was pointing, and then back at the Genie.

The Genie, Abby, shrugged. “I have been on this ship for about a week now. It’s hard not to notice these things.”

Baloo shrugged. “Works for me.”

“May I just ask one question, master?” the Genie enquired.

“Yeah, shoot?” Baloo said, continuing to walk.

“Well,” the Genie began hesitantly. “If you had me transport Master Karnage and all his men down to the place of your choosing, all of them, then… “

“Yeah?”

“Well… “ the Genie looked around himself. “If they’re all gone now, then… who’s flying this ship?”

Baloo stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the Genie, and then at the ship around him, and then back at the Genie again…. Just as he started to feel the ship begin to tilt forward.

“Ahhh… nuts!” Baloo swore, and broke into a run.

“Well, you did say all of them,” the Genie defended himself.

“Well, I figured you would have at least left someone who could pilot this thing?!” Baloo yelled.

“Hey!” the Genie said indignantly. “It’s not my fault, master. Like I kept telling all of my former masters, when you make a wish, you have to be specific with your wording. Otherwise, the effects of the wish can go either way. Just take Master Karnage for example… Do you think he intended to spend a week as your chair, a baby, a woman, and spending an entire day in a world run by you?”

Baloo growled. “Well, you could have given me some warning at least!”

The Genie held up his hands in defeat. “No one is ever satisfied,” he complained. “I should have taken my father’s advice and become a lifeguard for Water Sprites instead. They never complain!”

Baloo snorted, and continued rushing to the deck where the Sea Duck was being kept. “Man, if the Duck gets trashed,” he said fearfully. “I’m gonna have one heck of a time trying to explain all this to Becky!”

“Err, master?” the Genie spoke.

“Never mind!” Baloo shouted, as he raced past all the open doors, corridors and halls. “I know, be more specific next time, be careful what you wish for, blah, blah, blah! I got it!”

“I know, but… “ the Genie kept trying to say something, but Baloo was in too much of a hurry to listen.

Finally, they reached the lower deck, and found Baloo’s pride and joy waiting for them, all fixed and polished, looking like it was brand new.

“Oh baby!” Baloo sighed in relief. He hadn’t seen the Duck looking so good since he had first taken her out for her very first spin. “Don’t you look a sight for sore eyes. If I was another plane, I’d be proposing right about now.”

“She is a very impressive piece of machinery,” the Genie concurred, although being a mystical creature, the Genie had no real love or interest in the world’s modern devices.

Baloo snorted. “Buddy, you wouldn’t know impressive if it came up and bit you on the face. This… is a work of art!” he said… just before the Vulture tipped down once again, and Baloo slid down on the floor, banging his nose against the wall.

“Well,” the Genie muttered. “It’s going to be a work of artistic garbage, unless you get us out of here!”

Baloo moaned, rubbing his nose and glaring at the little pipsqueak, but quickly complied and ran into the plane.

“Come on, baby!” Baloo said hurriedly, switching on the engines. “Make Poppa proud!”

“Master, I feel I should… “ the Genie began again.

“Hold on!” Baloo cried, as he pushed on the Sea Duck’s steering wheel stick. “We’re up and away!”

The Genie watched, as Baloo pushed on the steering wheel, and the plane shot off down the deck, heading towards the…

“Umm… “ the Genie said hesitantly. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but… Shouldn’t those, what do you call them… Hanger doors? Shouldn’t they be open?”

Baloo squeaked. “Ohhh… botheration!” He tried pulling on the steering wheel stick, but the plane was going too fast to stop.

“Master, please,” the Genie cried. “May I make a suggestion now?!”

“What?!” Baloo yelled, closing his eyes as he waited for the impact.

“How about just wishing for the hangar doors to open?!”

Baloo opened his eyes, blinking. “Oh… “ he said finally.

“Right about now would be a preferable time,” the Genie said nervously, as the hanger doors were coming dangerously close.

“I wish the hanger doors were open… “ Baloo spoke at lightning speed. “… Right now!”

The Genie clicked his fingers. “Open sesame!” he cried, and the doors at once opened.

Baloo looked at the Genie curiously. “You mean those old words really do the trick?” he asked, remembering the words from Arabian Nights that he had heard as a child.

The Genie shrugged. “Old classic,” he simply replied.

Baloo blinked for a moment, but then just shrugged and started the plane again.

Within the blink of an eye, the Sea Duck flew out of The Iron Vulture’s main hangar, soaring straight out into the night sky. At the instant when it escaped the hangar, the Vulture’s speed picked up, as it dove nose first straight into the ocean’s deep blue waters.

“HA!” Baloo cried out triumphantly. “Now how’s that for flying!” he said proudly, patting the Duck’s controls. “Boy, old Karny’s gonna have a field day when he gets back, and finds his ship lying in the ocean! Will his ship repair itself once the wish ends?”

The Genie shrugged. “I’m not quite sure, to be truthful, master,” he answered honestly. “When the wish ends, the pirates will return to where they were all originally, in their true forms. As for their ship, since it was my magic that changed its position, then it will return back from whence it came, which was in the air. However, it wasn’t my magic that caused it to crash just now. So I am not completely certain?”

Baloo smirked. “I hope Karny and his men have all been practising their swimming lessons then,” he said.

The Genie then cocked his head at him. “One simple question, master?”

“Yeah, what?” Baloo said, concentrating on his flying. He thinned his eyes, looking out the window, and quickly recognised his surroundings. Louie’s was less than a few minutes away, so he would be there in able time.

The Genie floated over to him. “Just out of curiosity,” he stroked his beard. “Has it occurred to you that… You could have just simply wished the ship to regain control of itself?”

Baloo paused.

“Master?”

Baloo just stayed sitting there, remaining as quiet as a mouse, his eyes staring straightforward, wide open.

“Master, are you all right?” the Genie asked, concerned.

Baloo finally moved his hand, as he adjusted one of the controls. “I think we’d better make a move, don’t you,” he said