Tom was walking towards his dorm block when something nasty occurred to him. He rubbed the lamp and watched as Beldazzar appeared.
“Something just occurred to me” Drake said before the genie could speak.
“And what is that?” the Djinn said with a smile.
“I wished that Tom would grow up to 240lbs of muscle if he took Veg X. I didn’t say how long it needed to take. I then just wished that Tom and I would get as big as Bear in six months if we have regular contact with him. Bear takes Veg X, if he gets bigger we would keep getting bigger until we match him, or six months is up, yes?”
“It seems that way yes” said the floating Djinn.
“So if Tom takes lots of Veg X now, would we both get big? Or will I get as big as Bear separate to Tom?”
“Well if I was being nasty I would make Tom addicted to Veg X and balloon up really quickly taking you along too. However since you acted for them I am prepared to let you grow at the six month rate, provided you maintain regular contact with Bear.”
“But if Tom stuffs himself with Veg X he’ll grow really fast?”
“You worded it that way. I cannot change it. If I had known how you were when you first wished I may have advised you word it different, but I did not.”
“So I can’t stop it?” Drake realised he had walked right past his building and into the Campus gardens.
“Not without using another wish no.”
“All right then. I don’t want to freak Tom out ‘cos he suddenly starts growing overnight.” He paused and thought “I wish that Tom would take Veg X in regular, as described on the tin amounts, his growth will seem natural to him as a result of working out. He will not become addicted, piggish, or stuff his face with the stuff.”
“Nicely worded” Beldazzar said “look out” and then he vanished. Drake had time to go huh? before walking into someone.
Drake looked up, and up into the multi-chinned face of Marco Deltono, the fattest guy on campus-23, 6’ 3” and at least 430lbs of soft fat.
“I wish you’d watch where you’re going!” Marco exclaimed.
“I wish you’d lose some mass so I could!” Drake shouted back, and then realising what he’d said clapped his hands over his mouth. It took him a couple of seconds to realise that Beldazzar had not been out of the lamp at the time.
“Look dude, I’m sorry” he said to the surprised Marco “it’s been a long day. I really apologise”. Marco titled his chubby face at him.
“No problem man, I hear it all the time”
“But it’s still shit of me to say it. I feel really bad about it” Marco stepped back away from Drake and cupped both hands on the small part of his immense belly he could reach; he wiggled the folds at Drake.
“Dude according to the doc I am genna be dead inside a year if I don’t lose some of this mass. If I could wish it away believe me I would. You saying what hundreds of others have is no insult, believe me. I’ve heard much worse” Marco smiled a multi-jowled grin at Drake and stopped wiggling his gut.
“Shit dude dead in a year?” Drake took in Marco’s massive body. He could see that a heart might have problems with hauling around that much mass.
“Yeah, I’m just trying to finish my Thesis so I leave something behind for the University library. You mind if we sit?” Marco waved a chubby fat hand at a ‘U’ shaped bench.
“Sure” Marco sat first the metal and wood bench creaked a little. Drake sat just round from him. Now he had a second to obverse Marco he realised that the Italian blood in him was strong giving him great skin, great hair and green eyes. From what poked out from his collar, and cuffs he was nice and hairy too. Drake tried to visualise Marco about 150lbs lighter. Hum……..
“Marco Deltono” the big guy said offering his meaty hand.
“Drake Steele” they shook hands. “so what you working on?” Drake asked.
“Post-grad study on the emergence of sub-cultures in post world war II America. You know the stuff, teenagers, the bodybuilding scene, furries, gay culture, and more recently the net heads and stuff like that”
“Wow, that’s impressive”
“Sort of. I’m short on data of the more recent stuff though, the gay and lesbian scene especially. The Society on campus is not very forthcoming with information; seems they think I might make fun of them.” Marco let out a good hearted laugh. Drake was confused.
“Why so funny?” he said
“It’s just that for a group so normally out and loud about who they are, they are being damm hard to get any info out of this time” Marco laughed again and Drake caught himself grinning and laughing too Marco’s was cool.
“You tried the net for info?” Drake asked.
“To tell the truth I find typing with my fat fingers a real pain. I dictate my chapters and someone types them up for me as it is. I can’t see my typist being up for searching the net for me as well. She’s broad minded, but not that much. I may just cut the gay chapter down”
“That’d be a shame man. Look if you need some help let me know, I fly on the net.” Marco narrowed his small eyes at Drake.
“Are you??” he said
“Yeah” Drake said not meeting his eyes “I kinda keep it quiet though. I’m not up for the whole nethead scene- can’t stand the Trolls” Marco blinked a coupled of times before letting out another belly laugh.
“You got a problem looking at pics of naked men, or finding stuff about Bears?”
“I got no problem with Bears” Drake said looking Marco right in the eyes. Marco grinned another easy smile.
“Seems I may have a researcher then” he said “what connection you got?”
“Standard college T1” Drake said “friend of mine in the IT department has disabled the blocked site list off my machine as well”
“Even better I’ll give you some starting points then. You defiantly up for it?”
“Yes defiantly” Marco reached over his large hand and Drake shook it.
“My normal rate for researchers is a credit on my work, some credits for your course, and at least some beer and pizza when we compare notes over at my place. Ok?”
“Yeah, those credits would come in handy and who doesn’t like pizza and beer?”
“Liking them to much was what partly got me to this size!” Marco laughed
“You don’t like being big?” Drake blurted- he’d always wanted to be bigger than he was.
“Hell, I love being big!” Marco laughed “but BIG, not fat. I was working out when I was in High School, football star, the lot. But I broke a leg and had to stop, however I never gave up the food and beer, and look what happened!” he slapped his belly and Drake watched it undulate.
“My Doc says if I don’t lose some then my heart has about a year left. I am too big to lift now, I can’t run, I have tried the most extreme diets, pills you name it. So a few months ago I said ‘fuck it’ and started eating and drinking what I wanted again. Never been happier in some ways”
“Seems a big waste of a brain to me” Drake said.
“Yeah, well that where you come in. You help me achieve some sort of immortality- that’d be enough. Hell given the choice I’d lose 100 lbs so I can start lifting again, once I can do that I’ll burn the rest of the fat off on my own. If I could get below 300…..well let’s say things change!”
Drake grinned at Marco. The temptation to use the lamp was getting overwhelming. Marco seemed to be waiting for something. Did he know he had it? Was this the fascination that Beldazzar had warned him about? Drake forced himself to keep watching Marco’s face and not glance at his bag where the lamp was. Marco looked away first and hauled himself to his feet.
“Dude, I gotta go, I have a meeting. Mail me” Marco handed Drake a business card.
“Sure no problem” Drake said. Marco reached out a hand again, Drake shook.
“Genna be fun having a proper researcher again. Talk to you soon” and with that Marco walked way. Drake waited until the big man had gone round the corner of the Administration building before putting his hand into his bag and rubbing the lamp. He pulled out a text book and pretended to read.
“What is your……are you alright?” Beldazarr said as he emerged, concern on his otherwise perfect face.
“I think I just came across someone who could sense the lamp” he said carefully.
“It happens; some are more sensitive to the magical threads than others. Sometimes I have had my vessel pass between masters like a ship tossed in a storm. It all depends on the place and peoples. Those in Ancient Arabia where fare more sensitive than say the Romans where, but it varied.”
“How did the others protect the lamp?”
“I can not tell you Master, you must discover a way for yourself. It is one of the rules”
“Rules?” Drake turned a page as if he was reading the book in front of him “what rules?”
“Ah, therein lies a tale!” Beldazzar said and settled his ghostly form down on the bench next to Drake.