Chapter 39 card divination

October 1902 Concord, Massachusetts Bailey continued to stroll around the circus, the trail leading him gradually back into the atrium.He stopped briefly to look at the flickering campfire, and then went to the vendor to buy a bag of chocolates to make up for the few mouthfuls of dinner.Chocolate shaped mouse with almond ears and licorice tail.He swallowed two at once, stuffing the rest of the bag into his coat pocket, hoping it wouldn't melt. He left the courtyard the other way, circling again away from the campfire. He passed by several tents with interesting notices, but the illusionist's previous performances still lingered in his mind, and there was no tent that made him feel the urge to enter.The trail turned a corner, and he came across a smaller tent with a cute and delicate notice hanging on it:

fortune teller Bailey can read this little bit without any trouble, but the rest is a swirl of complicated and complicated letter patterns, and he has to lean forward to read it carefully: Predict fate, reveal darkest desires Bailey looked around.For a moment, there was no one in every direction.The circus felt eerily similar to when he had slipped into the fence at noon, as if there was nothing but him and the things (and people) that had always been there. Arguments about his future echoed in his ears as he stepped into the tent. Bailey found himself in a room that reminded him of his grandmother's living room, only with a less pronounced lavender smell.There were seats, but they were unoccupied, and the gleaming chandelier caught Bailey's eye momentarily before the drapes.

It was made of strings of shiny beads.Bailey had never seen anything like it before, and it shone brightly in the light, and he wasn't quite sure whether he should go straight through the beaded curtain or wait for some sign or announcement.He looked around for a well-informed written notice, but found nothing.He stood bewildered in the empty hallway, and then a voice called from behind the beaded curtain. please come in.It was a calm female voice, and it sounded like it was standing next to Bailey, but Bailey was sure it was coming from another room. He reached out hesitantly to touch the bead, which was smooth and cold to the touch, and he found his arm slipping effortlessly through it.The bead curtain parted like water waves or long grass, and the bead strings collided with each other, rattling, echoing in the dark space like the sound of rain.

The room he was in now looked even less like his grandmother's living room.It was filled with candles, with a table in the center, an empty chair on one side, and a lady in black with a long veil on the other.On the table are stacks of cards and a large glass ball. Sit down, young man.said the lady.Bailey took a few steps to the empty chair and sat down.The chairs were surprisingly comfortable, not like the hard ones at my grandmother's house, but they were remarkably similar in appearance.It hadn't occurred to Bailey until this moment that, except for the red-haired girl, he had never heard anyone from the circus speak.The illusionist was silent throughout the performance, though he didn't notice it at the time.

Before we start, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to pay.she says.Bailey was relieved, but luckily he had brought some extra pocket money for temporary expenses. How much does it cost?he asks. Pay as much as you want for a glimpse into your future.said the fortune teller.Bailey paused to think.This is odd but fair enough.He drew what he hoped was the appropriate amount from his pocket, and placed it on the table. The lady did not pick it up, but ran her hand over the top of it, and it disappeared. Well, what do you want to know?she asked. Regarding my future, Bailey said: Grandma wanted me to go to Harvard, but my father wanted me to take over the farm.

So what do you want?said the fortune teller. I don't know.Bailey said. She responded with a laugh, but a friendly one that made Bailey feel at ease, as if she was talking to ordinary people, not mysterious or magical beings. Never mind, she said: we'll see what the cards have to say about it. The fortuneteller took the deck and shuffled it, moving the cards from one hand to the other.The cards fold and fall on top of each other or under each other in waves.Then she spread the cards on the table with fluid movements like water, drawing an arc, and the cards were printed with black and white patterns.Pick a card, she said: take your time.This will be your card, the card that will represent you.Bailey frowned as he looked at the arc of cards.They all look alike.Long patterns, some wider and thicker than others, some with less even lines than others.He looked back and forth between the two ends, and then one caught his gaze.It was even more invisible than the other cards, being almost completely covered by the one above it, with only the edges visible.He held out his hand to it, but hesitated before touching it.

can i touch ithe asks.He felt as if he had been allowed to set the table with the finest dishes for the first time, as if he shouldn't be allowed to touch such things, mixed with a strong fear that they might break things. The fortune-teller nodded, and Bailey tapped the card with one finger, then pulled it away from his partners and let it lie on the table. You can turn it over.said the fortune teller.Bailey turned over his cards. The other side was not like the black and red two-color playing cards he was used to, but the ones with hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds printed on them.It is a picture, drawn in black and white ink and various shades of gray.

The illustration is a knight sitting high on a horse, like a knight from a fairy tale world.He rides on a white horse and wears gray armor against a background of dark clouds.The horses are galloping, and the knight on the saddle is leaning forward, holding a drawn long sword, as if he is about to run towards a large-scale battle.Bailey stared at the cards, wondering where the Cavaliers were going?What is the meaning of playing cards?Cavalier d'Epees (French: Knight of the Sword) is written in ornate lettering on the bottom of the card. This represents me?Bailey asked.The woman smiled and pushed the curved cards into a neat stack.

Represent you in your divination cards, she said: it can signify activity or travel.Cards do not necessarily have the same meaning every time, and will change with each person. That must be hard to read.Bailey said. The woman smiles again. Sometimes it is quite difficult, she said: Let's try it, shall we?Bailey nodded, and she shuffled the cards again. The cards were stacked up and down, and then they were divided into three piles and placed in front of him, just above the knight's card.Pick the stack that appeals to you the most.she says.Bailey looked at the stacks of cards, one of which was slightly disordered, and one was thicker than the other two.His gaze kept slipping back to the stack on the right.

This stack.While it was mostly guesswork, it felt like the right choice, he said.The fortuneteller nodded and gathered the three decks into a deck, placing the deck Bailey had chosen on top.She turned over one at a time and spread the cards face up across the table in complex patterns, some overlapping each other, some in a row, and finally laid out a dozen or so cards.They are all black and white patterns, very similar to the one on the knight, some are simpler and some are more complex.Many cards show people in different settings, some have animals, some have cups or coins, and some have more swords.The crystal ball next to it reflects the reflection of the cards and elongates them.

The fortuneteller looked at the cards for a moment, and Bailey wondered if she was waiting for the cards to tell her something.He thought she was smiling, but tried to hide it a little. This is interesting.said the fortune teller.She touched a card that showed a woman in a flowing gown holding a scale, and another Bailey that didn't look as clear, but seemed to be a collapsing castle. Where's the fun?Bailey asked, still confused about the whole process.He didn't know any blindfolded ladies, and he hadn't been to any castles that were falling down.He wasn't even sure if there were castles in New England. There is a journey ahead of you, says the fortune-teller: a lot of activity, a lot of responsibility.She pushed one card and turned the other over, frowning slightly, but Bailey thought she looked like she was trying to hide her smile.After his eyes adjusted to the candlelight, it was easier to read her expression through the veil.You are part of a chain of events, but you may not see in the moment how your actions will affect the final outcome. I have something important to do, but I have to go somewhere first?Bailey asked.He didn't expect the fortune-teller to speak so vaguely.Still, the journey part does seem to favor the grandmother's claim, even if Cambridge isn't very far away. The fortune teller didn't respond right away, but instead turned over another card, this time without hiding his smile. So you were looking for Bobby.she says. What is Poppy?he asks.The fortune teller did not answer, but raised his head from the cards and looked at him inquiringly.Bailey felt the other's eyes sweep across his face, from scarf to hat, examining his appearance, maybe more than appearance.He shifted in the chair. Is your name Bailey?she asked.The blood on Bailey's face receded for a moment, and the fear and tension he felt earlier immediately returned.He had to swallow first before he could answer, and the volume of his opening was not much louder than a whisper. yes?He said it sounded questionable, as if he wasn't quite sure what his real name was.The fortune teller smiled at him, and that bright smile told him that she was not as old as he had thought, perhaps only a few years older than he was. interesting.she says.He wished she had picked another word for it.Bailey, we have people we know in common.She looked down at the cards on the table again.I'm sure you're here tonight to find her, but I'm also grateful you chose to come over to my tent. Bailey winked at her, trying to digest everything she had said, wondering how she would know the real reason for his coming to the circus, which he hadn't told anyone and hardly even admitted to himself. Do you know that red-haired girl?He said he couldn't quite believe that the fortuneteller really meant that.But she nodded. I have known her and her brother for a long time, since they were born, and she said: She is a very special girl with lovely hair. Is she still here?Bailey asks: I've only seen her once, the last time the circus was here. She is here.said the fortune teller.She pushed the cards on the table again, touching first one and then the other, but Bailey stopped paying attention to which was which.You'll see her again, Bailey, absolutely. Bailey resisted the urge to ask when, instead waiting to see if she had anything else to add about the cards.The fortune teller moved the cards here and there, and she took the knight card from its place and placed it on top of the crumbling castle. Do you like circuses, Bailey?She looked up at him again and asked. It's different from any place I've ever been.Bailey said.It's not that I've been to many places, he hastened to add: But I think the circus is very exciting, and I like it very much. It helps.said the fortune teller. What is helpful?Bailey asked, but the fortune teller didn't answer.She turned out a card from the deck and put it on the knight card.It features a lady pouring water into a lake with a shining star above her head. It was still not easy to discern her expression through the veil, but Bailey frowned at the card when she was sure she put the card on the table.But when she looked up at him again, her brows had already been untied. You'll be fine, says the fortuneteller: some choices may have to be made, and unexpected things are about to happen.Life sometimes takes us to unexpected places, the future is never set in stone, remember that. I will.Bailey said.He thought the fortune-teller looked slightly sad as he gathered the cards on the table and arranged them into a neat pile.She saved the Knight's card for last, at the top of the deck. Thank you.Bailey said.Regarding his future, the answer he got was not as clear and clear as he expected, but for some reason, this issue was not as heavy as before.He wasn't sure how to do it in accordance with divination etiquette, and he was struggling in his heart whether to leave. You're welcome, Bailey, the fortune teller said: It's an honor to be able to read your fortune. Bailey reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of chocolate mice to treat her to. Would you like a mouse?he asks.Before he had time to scold himself in his heart for doing such a stupid thing, the fortune teller had already smiled, but there was an almost sad look under the smile. Oh ok, I want to.As she spoke, she grabbed the tail of the licorice candy and dragged out a chocolate mouse from the paper bag.She placed it on top of the crystal ball.They're one of my favorite sweet treats, she whispers: Thank you, Bailey, and enjoy the rest of your time at the circus. I will.Bailey said.He got up and walked back to the beaded curtain, and when he reached out to push the string of beads aside, he stopped suddenly and turned away. What's your name?He asked the fortune teller. Well, I'm not sure if the person who came to my divination ever asked that question, she said: My name is Isobe. Nice to meet you, Isobe.Bailey said. Nice to meet you too, Bailey, Isoby said: You'd better take the walk on the right when you leave.she added.Bailey nodded, turned back and drilled directly through the beads and into the still-empty vestibule.When the beaded curtain fell back into place, it was not as noisy as it was at first, and when the beads settled down, everything felt soft and still, as if there were no other rooms behind, as if there were no fortune-teller sitting at the table. Bailey has an eerie sense of ease, as if he's closer to the ground and yet taller at the same time.When he came out of the tent, the worries about his future were not as heavy as before.He turned to the right and walked along the winding road between the striped tents.