"Maybe. Maybe maybe maybe." Sigh. "I wonder if my being here will cause more genies to appear, more spirits... It'd be on the scale of years even if it did, though."

"Uh, good to know that might happen, I guess."

"This has never happened before. There was a successful petition to keep all magic off the moon over contamination fears... Not that it'd stop a determined genie, but nobody has deliberately put a magical being on any other celestial body, this is a first."

"Is there some theoretical basis for thinking that might happen?"

"A lot of coincidences and trends of monster incidence, genie and spirit and bearer populations, immigration, and other factors that are not particularly convincing by themselves but together add up to a 'maybe there's something going on here'."

"Well, thanks for the warning."

"Once it becomes important to check, I can maybe remember enough about the magic detectors to build one."

"Ooh."

"That sounds like a 'you should'. Can I have a blank notebook and a pen at the first chance we get?"

"Glove compartment."

"Aha. Very good."

She finds the named items and starts writing and sketching with occasional 'hmm' noises.

Bella drives the rest of the way to Winnipeg.

Tara finds a time to decostume at a stoplight along the way.

"...Hotel and finding a place for Kaff to hide. A parking garage would be a good candidate."

"Does it have to be unused? I don't know if I can get you unused."

"Kaff, you know how important it is to us to be sneaky here, right? If the aliens find us we might die and we will certainly lose a valuable opportunity."

"I understand. I am only thinking and talking to you and your friend."

"...I think an occupied one will be fine."

"Okay. I can find one of those. - Incidentally, if I come under attack by evil aliens who know too much I will reset without accounting for you to get away, I can't afford to dither."

Kaff gives an agitated gusting. "Will you warn us?"

"I probably won't be able to. I have had to do this on less than two seconds' notice before."

"I think it is too risky to stay. I do not want to risk death. Tara, I think we should leave as soon as I am able."

Tara looks vaguely terrified. "...The risk is small and can be made smaller by us being careful."

"It won't happen if you don't talk to the aliens. And I'm not going to, not this loop. But you really, really shouldn't talk to the aliens."

"I will not talk to aliens. There is still a potential for death. I do not need information from here. I do not like this risk."

"...Ideas?" she asks Tara.

"...Lean on my pristine reputation with genies? Kaff, genies can sort of be two places at once, right? Could you put a backup of yourself in a - an adjacent universe or something?"

"My trust in you is not the important factor. I may be able to do that. I would have to attempt it."

"And you don't want to try it because it would be expensive?"

"No. I will try it now."

Kaff's voice fades. And doesn't come back.

"...Kaff?"

"I am here."

"Did it work?"

There's hesitation in the genie's usually toneless voice. "...Yes."

"So you're not in danger if this universe suddenly deletes you."

"I would still be harmed. I would not die. This is acceptable and I will stay and make deals with you."

"Oh good. Thank you."