to seize the throne, but has much difficulty locating Aminah because she underestimates the girl's wits by looking only for beggar girls, especially ones with too much money. Jinni: The jinni of Aladdin's bottle, he at first holds only contempt for Aminah and the human race as a whole, but begins to soften towards her as she does things no other master has, such as accepting the rules of wishing and offering him food. In order to be able to play chess against Aminah and spend more time out of the bottle, he takes on the form of the human he once was and the name Uncle Omar, after Aminah's father, who he looks much like. Over time, he does become something of a father figure and even threatens Hassan with all kinds of bodily harm, should Hassan ever take advantage of Aminah. At Aminah's urging and with her help, Jinni discovers he was once a ruthless landlord named Gindar who loved only his sister. When Aminah offers to go back in time and stop him from becoming a jinni, he declines, fearing both a relapse for those he has helped and causing a time paradox. Though very much a paternal figure for Aminah, he enjoys confusing her, primarily by making references to future things like pizza, Galileo, and New York City. Hassan: The handsome and orphaned son of a merchant, Hassan first meets Aminah outside the city while she is still dressed as a beggar and he is traveling with a caravan to pay off his father's debt to the Sultan. Aminah does not see him again until she uses her orb to search the city for a worthy soul and finds him in his bakery. In the interim, Hassan used what little money he has to set up a bakery, but rather than selling any bread, he gives all of it away to beggars and thus becomes impoverished. Aminah gives him, through wishes, several jars that will fill with any ingredient at his command, the ability to heat and cool ovens instantly, and baking knowledge that would not become common for several centuries (with this, he makes angel food cake and cream puffs). After the first meeting, Aminah never doubt's Hassan's loyalty or sincerity. As a result, Hassan and Aminah begin to develop a secret relationship by meeting after dark in the bakery, though everyone in Aminah's household