Editing Character:Golem (section)

=Vignette=
The old woman bent over the cards she was laying out. The spread was ominous. She was crossed by Death.

Now, that wasn't quite as bad as some people who didn't know the cards might think. But it did mean a change.


"Madame Mystic?" There was a light tap on the kitchen door, and her apprentice entered. "I've been checking in on the heronet forum. There's been a--"

"Catastrophe?" she asked, holding up a card that showed a tall building collapsing and throwing a figure down.

"Oh, uh... well, a death, actually."

"Hmph," said the woman, tapping the card with the grinning skull. "You're not normally so literal."

"Gargoyle."

"Oh!"

"It's on the news, too."

"I see."

"Ah, they say he was murdered. Apparently he always has videos set to play if he doesn't cancel them, so he can report on whatever... defeated him."

"Pragmatic."

"He was going after several villains last night. Including Dr. Ares."

"Right."

The woman hadn't looked up. She continued to look down at her cards.

"Uh... master? You told me if something bad enough happened you might come out of retirement."

"False!" she said, rounding on her apprentice. "I said if I was needed I would. Come take a look at this Ayi."


The young man stepped closer and looked down at the cards.

"This says my proper role is Temperance," she said, striking the card.

"But--"

"When you read the cards, Ayi, which cards often represent yourself?"

"Ah... well, when I started getting good at it, it was always the Fool. Which is ironic... I couldn't be the Fool until I had the skill to draw a relevant card."

"Everybody's the Fool when they're learning. That's what the Fool is. But you said 'was,' so what is it now?"

"Usually the Page of Wands."

Madame Mystic flipped a card dramatically; she didn't look at it. "The significant card here is the Knight of Wands, I think?"

Ayi stared at the card. Then shook his head.

"Oh," he said, picking up a card, "you dropped one."

"The High Priestess fell off the table..." said Madame Mystic sadly, "Well, I'd say that settles that. Off you go!"

She shooed him out the door and turned back to her cards. She hadn't yet looked at the last card, the likely outcome. She turned it over.

The Magician. "Oh, good. That boy will do fine."