Could he... what? What the hell is he supposed to make of this? "I... you want me to grade a paper for you?"
He's so confused and the weapon goes down again in sheer bewilderment, but the second part lets him snap back into the here and now.
"I don't have five years." His voice takes a distinctly sharper tone. "I need to get back to my world now. We're at war. People need me! Look, I'm sorry that you're having problems filling your vacancies but it's really not my problem?"
Jenkins clears his throat. "Yes, and, for that we are terribly sorry. But Djinn curses cannot be broken. Only by death."
"Death," Tom repeats incredulously.
"Yours, to be precise. But. As Mr. Stone was saying? If you fulfill the Contract-"
"Still not a contract. It's so not a contract."
"– then the curse will be lifted and you shall be returned to the exact moment of time you have been taken from. To your world, to... whatever war it is you are fighting, it will be as if you had never left."
No. Nonono, this is crazy. Tom shakes his head. "I can't be here for five years!"
no subject
He's so confused and the weapon goes down again in sheer bewilderment, but the second part lets him snap back into the here and now.
"I don't have five years." His voice takes a distinctly sharper tone. "I need to get back to my world now. We're at war. People need me! Look, I'm sorry that you're having problems filling your vacancies but it's really not my problem?"
Jenkins clears his throat. "Yes, and, for that we are terribly sorry. But Djinn curses cannot be broken. Only by death."
"Death," Tom repeats incredulously.
"Yours, to be precise. But. As Mr. Stone was saying? If you fulfill the Contract-"
"Still not a contract. It's so not a contract."
"– then the curse will be lifted and you shall be returned to the exact moment of time you have been taken from. To your world, to... whatever war it is you are fighting, it will be as if you had never left."
No. Nonono, this is crazy. Tom shakes his head. "I can't be here for five years!"