"I'm real good." She plucked a card from the deck and held it up, showing me the face. "The Page of Swords. That's you."
Cordia said, "Bel."
"Well, it's true. This is the second time I pulled it. I shuffled the deck and drew it as soon as she stepped in, and then I drew it again."
"Well draw something else. She's not interested."
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Cordia said, "Bel will start telling your fortune any minute now. I'm warning you, once she gets on it, it's hard to get her off. Just ignore her. That's what I do. You don't have to worry about hurting her feelings."
"Yes she does," Bel said feebly.
"Are you good at telling fortunes?"
Cordia cut in. "Not especially, but even a blind hog comes across an acorn every now and then." She had taken up her knitting, which she held to the light, her head tilted slightly as the needles tucked in and out. The narrow piece of knitting trailed halfway down her front. "I'm making a knee wrap, in case you're wondering."
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<of a cat> "She must like you," Blemira said, turning the cards up as she spoke.
"I'm thrilled."
"Well, would you look at this? The Ten of Wands, reversed." Bel was laying out a reading. She placed the Ten of Wands with the other cards on the table in some mysterious configuration. The card she'd assigned me, the Page of Swords, had now been covered by the Moon.
I freed one hand and cranked Dorothy's tail down, securing it with my right arm as I pointed to the cards.
"What's that one mean?" I thought the Moon might be good, but the sisters exchanged a look that made me think otherwise.
Cordia said, "I told you she'd do this."
"The Moon stands for hidden enemies, dear. Danger, darkness and terror. Not too good."
"No kidding."
She pointed to a card. "The Ten of Wands, reversed, represents obstacles, difficulties and intrigues. And this one, the Hanged Man, represents the best you can hope for."
"She doesn't want to hear that, Bel."
"I do. I can handle it."
"This card crowns you."
"What's that? I'm afraid to ask," I said.
Oh, the Hanged Man is good. He represents wisdom, trials, sacrifice, intuition, divination, prophesy. This is what you want, but it isn't yours at present."
"She's trying to help with my knitting. You might at least leave her be until she finishes."
"I can do both," I said. Though truthfully, Dorothy's presence was making the task difficult. The cat had rotated in my lap and now seemed intent on smelling my breath. She extended her nose daintily. I paused and breathed through my mouth for her. "What's that card?" I asked, while she butted my chin with her head.
"The Knight of Swords, which is placed at your feet. This is your own, what you have to work with. Skill, bravery, capacity, enmity, wrath, war, destruction."
"The wrath part sounds good."
"Not overall," Bel corrected. "Overall, you're screwed. You see this one? This card stands for pain, affliction, tears, sadness, desolation."
"Well, dang."
"Exactly. I'd say you're up poop creek without a roll of TP." Belmira turned up another card.
Dorothy climbed up on my chest, purring. She put her face in mine and we stared at each other. I glanced back at the tarot deck. Even I, believing none of this, could see the trouble I was in. Aside from the Hanged Man, there was a fellow burdened with heavy sticks, yet another fellow face-down on the ground with ten swords protruding from his back. The card for Judgement didn't seem to bode well either, and there was the Nine of Wands, which showed a cranky-looking man clinging to a staff, eight staves in a line behind him. That card was followed by a heart pierce with three swords, rain and clouds above.
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Bel said, "Oh dear, this card represents the King of Cops ... reversed again. That's not good."
I looked over with interest. "The King of Cops?"
"I didn't say cops, dear, I said Cups. The King of Cups stands for a dishonest, double-dealing man, roguery, vice, scandal, you name it."
