Sapphire And Steel: In The Cards (G)
Summary: Sometimes the future tries to shape itself.
Notes: NENN for June 13th, at the request of thesilentpoet.
IN THE CARDS
*
The "gypsy" stretched and yawned First break in two hours. People just kept coming, jeez. At least the cards were cooperating. She hadn't been sure about using these old cards she'd found in the attic, but they were working out just fine. The readings were a little dramatic -- the Tower, the Devil, the Lovers, even Death once or twice -- but that's what people wanted, really.
Time for a cup of tea, she decided. She covered the cards with a silk kerchief and slipped out of the tent, pausing to flip her sign from GYPSY FORTUNES to BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. God, what a crowd -- the festival organizers must be ecstatic. Now, where was the food tent again?
The tent remained still and silent for a moment. Then two people stepped out of the shadows. The woman went immediately to the table and rested her fingers on it thoughtfully. The man went to the front and peered out warily.
"Are we in time?"
"Just barely," the woman murmured. "It's begun to reach out, but only begun. A crack in the wall, no more."
The man turned back to look at her. "Then let's plug the crack."
The woman smiled at him, as if amused by his flat tone. With an air of drama, she leaned forward, plucked off the silk kerchief and picked up the pack of cards. "Here."
The man reached out to take them, then hesitated. "Matches?"
"Outside."
The two people vanished. A minute later, the gypsy returned, and stopped short in her tent. Hadn't she left the kerchief over the cards? Dammit, she hadn't knocked them off the table somehow, had she? Or maybe--
Hell. She didn't have time to look for the cards now. Someone was already at the tent-flap. She'd do palm-readings inst--
Huh, weird. For a second she'd heard a noise, and smelled smoke. Must be the guy coming in now. "Welcome to my tent! What would you ask of the fates?"
-end-
Notes: NENN for June 13th, at the request of thesilentpoet.
IN THE CARDS
*
The "gypsy" stretched and yawned First break in two hours. People just kept coming, jeez. At least the cards were cooperating. She hadn't been sure about using these old cards she'd found in the attic, but they were working out just fine. The readings were a little dramatic -- the Tower, the Devil, the Lovers, even Death once or twice -- but that's what people wanted, really.
Time for a cup of tea, she decided. She covered the cards with a silk kerchief and slipped out of the tent, pausing to flip her sign from GYPSY FORTUNES to BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. God, what a crowd -- the festival organizers must be ecstatic. Now, where was the food tent again?
The tent remained still and silent for a moment. Then two people stepped out of the shadows. The woman went immediately to the table and rested her fingers on it thoughtfully. The man went to the front and peered out warily.
"Are we in time?"
"Just barely," the woman murmured. "It's begun to reach out, but only begun. A crack in the wall, no more."
The man turned back to look at her. "Then let's plug the crack."
The woman smiled at him, as if amused by his flat tone. With an air of drama, she leaned forward, plucked off the silk kerchief and picked up the pack of cards. "Here."
The man reached out to take them, then hesitated. "Matches?"
"Outside."
The two people vanished. A minute later, the gypsy returned, and stopped short in her tent. Hadn't she left the kerchief over the cards? Dammit, she hadn't knocked them off the table somehow, had she? Or maybe--
Hell. She didn't have time to look for the cards now. Someone was already at the tent-flap. She'd do palm-readings inst--
Huh, weird. For a second she'd heard a noise, and smelled smoke. Must be the guy coming in now. "Welcome to my tent! What would you ask of the fates?"
-end-