The universal truth

Mr. Smith was an old pirate captain and he was remembering his old adventures as he had opened a forgotten chest. He noticed an oil lamp that was full of dust, so he brushed it up and then, there was light all over the place, followed by green smoke.

-“Where there is smoke, there is also fire” he thought.

The smoke took the form of a turtle, which spoke like a little child:

-“I salute you my master. I will grant you one wish”.

-“First of all, what kind of a descent Genie would appear like a turtle? Second of all, as I recollect to my times, Genies gave away three wishes!”

-“Listen gramps, if I take my normal morph, you will be terrified and your times were the ancient ones, but never the less only in fairytales, Genies give away three wishes. So don’t keep me waiting and make your wish!”

-“My name is Mr. Smith and I was captain of the black scorpion. Got it junior? Anyway, my wish is very simple: I wish to find out the universal truth!”

 -“Ok gramps, your wish is my comma….wait a minute, no one so far has ever wished that! Don’t you want pretty ladies?” and he makes some beautiful women out of green smoke. He adds then:

-“Or perhaps fortune that exceeds your imagination?” and he makes diamonds and rubies out of green smoke. All these things vanish after some moments pass.

Mr. Smith was furious and before he speaks, he waved his cane towards the Genie as the captain had a wooden leg:

-“For the last time, it’s Mr. Smith! For a Genie, junior, you aren’t so smart! Look at my white hair! Do you think I am after companionship? Look also at the walls of this room! I have paintings and antiques that even a wealthy king can’t afford! Are you up to the task sailor?”

Something happens radically as the room fills with green smoke for once more. Afterwards, the roof of the house decays, because the Genie took the shape of a great titan. Genie shoots:

-“You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!” and by saying that, he crabs some sand out of the beach with his gigantic hand. Then, he adds:

-“The truth is that the sand is made out of dust!”

The dust was pouring out of the Genie’s hand. He continues by grasping the moon and brings it near to the captain:

-“The moon is made out of glass!” and the Genie closes his holding hand and breaks it like a crystal glass. He carries on by saying:

 -“You are living in a dream Mr. Smith! The truth is beyond the borders of this world and you would never be in a position to comprehend it! So choose your wish wiser”

The captain lost the cane of his grip as he waved it high and towards the Genie and fell off his feet. He speaks out loud as he was lying down on the floor:

-“Then, give me back my dream, Genie!”

Genie replies:

-“Your wish is my command!”

Everything becomes white like a lightening and Mr. Smith is magically transferred through time and space when he was a young captain at the black scorpion, before his ship’s mast collapse and cut off his leg. He was granted a chance to relive his adventures with his pirate crew. He walked on the bridge of his ship like a single day hadn’t passed and told the steersman:   

-“Billy set course for Norway! We’ll steal Draupnir and this time we’ll make it right!” but this is another story and it will be narrated another time!    

Moschopoulos Gerasimos.