"And that's all?" Efrat asked.

"Well, he also said that I must choose wisely and carefully, because once I choose, there is no turning back, so"

Efrat and Roy exchanged glances, but before either of them could say anything, Roy had to brake the car almost suddenly before the last traffic light at the entrance to the accommodation complex in Yotbata. The first. "Okay," he announced loudly. "Somebody said they were hungry, right?"

"Ice cream!" Danny exclaimed in response.

Roy and Efrat burst out laughing with relief at what seemed to them to be a completely normal reaction on the part of their son. Roy hastened to open the car door and help Danny get out and stand stably on the crutches he received at the hospital. The three began to walk towards the entrance of the restaurant. At the end of the parking lot, not far away, there were several decorated camels and next to them two Bedouins who waited with bored indifference for the tourists wishing to experience riding a camel. Efrat and Roy ignored them, but something caught Danny's attention and he stopped and turned so suddenly that he almost tripped and fell.

Next to the Bedouins and the camels, on a rug on the ground, sat a man wearing a colorful vest and equally colorful sharwals, a golden sash around his waist and a red turban on his head.

Danny grabbed his father's arm and shouted: "Dad! He's here!"

Roy was confused for a moment. "Who?! Where?!"

"The Genie! He's there! Look!"

But when Danny turned, the man and the rug were gone. Without hesitation, Danny ran towards the Bedouins as fast as the crutches could carry him, and when he reached them he uttered out of breath: "Did you see him?! Did you see him?!"

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The Bedouins' bored indifference was replaced by suspicion, as it was quite clear to them that there was no chance that the boy on the crutches was going to order a riding tour from them. "Who did we see?" The older one asked.

"He was sitting right here next to you, on the carpet," Danny cried imploringly. "He..."

He didn't have time to complete the sentence because Roy came running and quickly grabbed grabded him by the shoulders, preventing him from getting closer to the Bedouins and their camels. "Danny!" He called out." What's the matter with you?! You're going to spook the camels!"

Danny was on the verge of tears. He pointed to where he had seen the carpet. "He was here, the Genie, I tell you! He was sitting right here, wearing the same clothes..."

Roy was at a loss for a moment, but quickly came to your senses. "I'm really sorry," he turned to the Bedouins apologeticakky. "The boy didn't mean to bother you. Just tell him there was no one else here besides you, okay?..."

The Bedouins looked at each other and their suspicion subsided. "No," the older one said finally. "It's just us here, us and the camels."

Danny's disappointment was beyond words, but he let his parents lead him into the restaurant.

None of them paid any attention to the stall selling souvenirs, decorative objects and handicrafts that stood not far from the camel riding ebclosure. In one of the corners of the booth a glass bottle, very old and dirty looking, could be seen.