"Think of your mind as a computer," Kieran explained, one elegant hand gesturing to her desk. "Downloading that much information at once would be... overwhelming. The human brain isn't designed to process such vast amounts of linguistic data simultaneously."
Mandy winced
"It would be like trying to run too many programs at once." she said, wincing as she imagined the mental overload. Her tendency toward sensory overwhelm already made crowded places challenging - okay, right. She couldn't imagine trying to process multiple languages at once. "System crash."
"Precisely." Kieran's lips twitched. "Though in this case, the 'system crash' would be rather more uncomfortable for you than it would be for a computer."
"No, no," Mandy said, shaking her head emphatically. "I definitely don't want that kind of mental overload. Just Arabicwould be fine. But… but I would definitely like both, the spoken Arabic of Cairo, and the standard, classical Arabic to be able to read and write."
Kieran's blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "And does this particular wish merit five stars in your priority system?"
A grin spread across Mandy's face as she glanced at her spreadsheet. "Yes, actually, it does." She paused, remembering one of her favorite literary quotes. "But like Treebeard said, 'we must not be hasty.'"
"Treebeard?" Kieran's elegant brows drew together in confusion.
Mandy stared at him, her mouth falling open slightly. "Don't tell me you've never seen or read The Lord of the Rings?"
Kieran's austere features settled into an expression of refined disdain. "Ah, that fantasy fiction that took the world by storm in the middle of last century?" He lifted one elegant hand in dismissal. "I think not."
Mandy crossed her arms, unable to suppress her amusement at his dismissive attitude. "Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. You might be surprised."
Kieran's response was to sniff. Like, actually sniff. A proper, haughty, nose-in-the-air sniff that she'd read about countless times in her beloved Regency romances but had never witnessed in real life.
A delighted grin spread across her face as she watched the ancient Djinn prince channel his inner Mr. Darcy, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected glimpse of the powerful being's more... human side. Who knew an ancient magical creature could be such a snob about fantasy literature? An absolutely wicked idea popped into her head.
"You know," she said, trying to keep her voice casual despite her growing amusement, "I should use one of my wishes to make you watch it with me."
Mandy sat up straighter, warming to the idea as possibilities bloomed in her mind.
"We could do it as a marathon!" She gestured enthusiastically toward her entertainment center with it's big-screen television. "I have all three extended editions on DVD. We could make a whole day of it!"
Her mind raced with plans. "I'd make a huge pot of spaghetti beforehand, let it simmer in the crockpot until dinner time." She grinned, hugging herself in delight at the prospect. "And of course we'd need popcorn. Lots of popcorn."
A familiar shimmer of magic filled the air as Jacinth materialized again, her dark eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Did someone say marathon? And popcorn?" Jacinth's musical voice carried a note of excitement as she settled gracefully onto the sofa. "What are we watching?"
"Lord of the Rings," Mandy replied, unable to suppress her grin at Kieran's pained expression.
"Oh, I'm definitely in!" Jacinth clapped her hands together in delight. "When are we doing this?" Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she added, "But make sure you have plenty of Puffs tissues. I cry so hard when Haldir dies."
Kieran's silvery-blue eyes darted between the two women with growing horror as they began enthusiastically planning the movie marathon. The ancient Djinn prince looked like he'd rather face an army of demons than sit through twelve hours of hobbits and elves.
Kieran's offended gaze fixed on Jacinth with an accusing glare. "You have watched this... this fantasy fiction?" His deep voice dripped with outrage, as if discovering she'd committed some terrible transgression against Djinn-kind.
"Well, of course! Haven't you?" Her dark eyes widened as she took in his disdainful expression, genuine disbelief written across her delicate features. "Wait, how can you not havewatched it? Or at least read the books when they came out? That was what, seventy years ago?"
Mandy bit her lip to keep from laughing as she watched the exchange. The contrast between Kieran's refined horror and Jacinth's enthusiasm was better than any comedy she could have scripted. She settled back into her chair, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected entertainment. It struck her as delightfully absurd that an ancient Djinn prince who'd probably witnessed the building of the pyramids was turning up his nose at hobbits and elves.
"I do not. Read. Fantasy." Kieran's voice dripped with disdain, his silvery-blue eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "I have existed for millennia. I have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth of religions, the evolution of human civilization. Why would I waste my time on made-up stories about fictional creatures?"
"You sound like a stuffy old geezer," Jacinth muttered under her breath.
"WHAT?" Kieran's thunderous voice echoed through the small living room, making Mozart, who had reclaimed his spot on the arm of the recliner, leap down and dart under the couch.
Jacinth caught Mandy's eye, gave her an exaggerated wink, and vanished in a shimmer of magic, leaving Mandy alone with an irritated Djinn prince.
Kieran pinched the bridge of his nose between two elegant fingers, his eyes closing as he drew a long, deep breath.
