"Hedwynn. Hedwynn, I solved it."

Raghnall nudged his fellow genie's sleeping form with the toe of his shoe.

"Hm? What?" Hedwynn rubbed his eyes and groggily loosened his tie. 

"I did it, sleepyhead. We're in."

Raghnall was standing, watching as the ornate and imposing door in front of him clicked and whirred through centuries of locks and bindings. Hedwynn finally stood once a moving panel shoved him away from the door and onto his feet. 

"This was supposed to be an impossible task. How did you...do this?"

Raghnall shrugged. "I don't think I did anything different this time. I read the inscription. I flipped the switches. I waved my hands and said 'abracadabra' and 'alohomora.' I tried wishing the door open. Everything we've been doing for the past three days. This time it just...worked."

The door was beginning to part, letting in a single beam of light that cut across both genies' shadowy forms. 

"I remember the lock-genie distinctly said that this was an impossible assignment and Dennis was trying to kill us again and we were doomed to fail like every other lion-headed, goat-bellied, snake-tailed, washed-up genie who's already tried."

"Actually," Raghnall stepped closer to the door. "I think he said 'goat-bodied'."

Hedwynn waved a hand dismissively and yawned. "Right at sunrise too. Very auspicious." Now the door was chiming with bells and possibly gongs. "Are you sure you didn't do anything different? We're going to have to explain this at some point to the council."

"No, really, I didn't--" Raghnall stopped. "Wait. Wait wait wait."

"I'm waiting--"

Raghnall looked down at the base of the door. There sat Max, unmoving, staring at the inscription on the frame. 

Hedwynn's eyes followed. "You've got to be kidding me."

Raghnall crouched down next to Max. "Can your dog read? What is he doing?"

Hedwynn crouched on the other side. "Of course he can't read. He's a dog."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure--" Hedwynn stopped. "Wait."

"--I'm waiting--"

"Shh. Wait. He spent some time with a witch while I was unconscious. It is possible she taught him to read."

Raghnall laughed. "With magic, or did she just sit down with him and pull out a copy of Green Eggs and Ham?"

"Shh." Hedwynn swatted at Raghnall until he fell over then turned his attention to Max. "Hey buddy, are you in a magic trance? Bark once for 'no, I'm fine,' bark twice for 'this door is sucking out my little dog soul and I need assistance'."

Max didn't move. 

"Raghnall," Hedwynn held out a hand, "emergency peanut butter."

Hedwynn didn't take his eyes off Max. His little dog body was still, his chest moving slowly and shallowly. His eyes stared unblinking at the inscription above. The longer Hedwynn looked, the more he was convinced Max's eyes had begun to glow. His curly fur twisted slowly as if it were being swirled around by a phantom current spilling out of the steadily opening door. It wasn't until a dollop of peanut butter was deposited in his outstretched hand that he looked up.

"I hate you."

"You said it was an emergency."

Hedwynn glared. "You're holding a spoon."

"ehmergencthy, Hedthwynn," Raghnall garbled, peanut butter spoon quickly hidden in his mouth.

Hedwynn dipped a clean finger in the pile of peanut butter in his left hand. Gingerly, he slipped a little scoop into Max's still mouth, fishing around until he found his tongue. As soon as the PB hit taste buds, Max's little dog mind returned to his body.

Kneeling, Hedwynn let Max lick up the rest of the peanut butter in his hands. Raghnall scooted over next to him, squinting against the rising light.

The only sounds echoing around the ancient chamber were the slaps of Max's tongue unsticking from the roof of his mouth, the steady clicking of the door as it widened further and further, and the rapid beats of the genies' hearts as they gazed upon what awaited them inside.