A Day with Doti, part 3, Knight of Cups
7:37 pm, Sowenmoon 24th, 456 NE Madame Fem’s, Haver Street, Naurlinz, South Wisana, Jaboa
Emmy awkwardly shuffled the large bone cards that were big for her little hands. A sad looking thin young Treole woman came in with a platter of food and set it down in front of Madame Fem. Then the girl pulled out some cutlery rolled in a napkin and placed neatly by the plate. She was a waif of a girl, maybe 15 years old. Under her apron she wore a muted dun coloured jacket and layers of long skirts, as was the Calbrin fashion, these over a tired looking off white blouse that was ornately embroidered in the blocky red and yellow Calbrinese patterns. She gave furtive glances towards Emmy. Her hands were wrapped in bandages.
“Thank you my dear Ritia. Get a small plate for our guest too, please.” Fem commanded.
Ritia put down a small set of salt and pepper shakers pulled from her apron. She scuttled off.
Emmylou cut the cards, deck #2, and set them adjacent to the smaller all trumps deck, deck #1, she had already prepared. She had a big question, where is Lyrick Lastat.
The aroma of the gumbo and andouille sausages was pleasantly distracting. Fem sopped up some sauce with a torn chunk of baguette and bit in with her strong teeth and robust jaws. As she dabbed her lips with the napkin, she asked around the bread. “Finished?” she pointed to the deck. Emmy nodded. “Now burn his name.”
Emmy held the strip of script in the flame of a red candle in a blown glass tumbler painted with some saint holding a man faced cat. She held it until it burnt to her finger tips. Then she dropped it onto a small lapis tray. In silence they watched it turn black, curl and turn to white ash with a stream of white smoke swirling out of it.
First, the court card Knight of Wands was chosen for the significator (Lyrick).
Emmy drew three cards and laid them in the spread that Fem instructed her to between her bites. Emmylou’s fare was delicious but it was cold and it was indeed a little plate with tiny portions. Gone in four bites. Either Fem was unaware of the Flirnii appetite, was being rude or was taking care of herself first and foremost. Emmy would never know. Not with this woman.
These three cards were to provide a brief story providing general developments in the situation.
After taking a moment to finish her meal she looked them over. “Three of Swords reversed; recovery & forgiveness. Ten of Swords; collapse & failure. Justice reversed; dishonesty & unaccountability.” Madame Fem stated in succession.
The next three were to reveal underlying or motivational forces behind the narrative of the upper row. “The Emperor reversed; tyranny & coldness. Justice; clarity & truth. The Hermit; the search for truth.
He is healing from the past by putting relationships back together but that relationship is also coming to a sad and bitter end. There is also dishonesty and corruption he contends with. This is all happening as part of some quest. There is some truth he seeks or must deliver. This truth will bring a reckoning and shine into the darkest shadows. Presently he is imprisoned but he is also needed, therefore, he should be safe, for now.”
The last three were for Emmylou’s relationship to the situation. They were drawn from deck #2, the full deck. “The Moon reversed; confusion & fear.” The next card caused Fem to pause and release a long slow whistle. It was The Moon again but not reversed. “Hmmm…The Moon; illusions & intuition.” Emmylou was lost in thoughts. Was this some trick of the witch? A prank? She was not a card reader but she knew that a deck had but one of each card. “Go on.” Fem gently prodded. “The Wheel of Fortune; cycles, change & inevitable fate.”
They sat in silence staring at the cards as Ritia arrived and took their dishes. “Please, send the young woman up dear Ritia.” When they were alone again, Fem slid Emmy’s coin back to her. “I can’t read that, other than, that you are on a special path. Pay attention to the moon, I reckon.”
Doti had her reading with Emmy there. She asked for just a general reading. “Six of Cups; happy memories & healing. Knight of Cups; Idealistic & romantic.” “Ooh!” Dot tittered and flipped her third card. The crone droned on, “The Wheel of Fortune reversed; bad luck & loss of control.” Dot’s face creased with worry. “Keep your head out of the clouds, girl.” Madame Fem sternly continued. “The world isn’t as innocent and kind as you think.”
Haver Street 9:11 pm, Sowenmoon 24th, 456 NE The two cohorts caroused Haver Street as it started to fill with the night crowd. They snacked on boiled sweetcorn on the cob, tacos lengua dripping with grease and fresh salsa. They washed it down with some sarsaparilla root beer. Doti started laughing uncontrollably as they watched a fire breather. There was literally nothing funny about it which made Doti’s laughing at it all the funnier.
Quickly the two of them were near disabled with laughter spawned by the most banal of things. They had wandered into a procession of musicians and revellers. It was difficult to control her navigation. It was about then that Emmy realized her vision was blurry. Both her and Doti were staggering. Being trampled is a real concern for the small Flirnii. Drunken crowds in near dark playing loud music sre exactly where something like this could happen.
“I think something is off.” She was saying as she turned to Doti. Her friend was no longer at her side.
Doti was up on the shoulder of a mummer in white and wearing a full knight’s helm made of tin. Dot and the mummer were raising mugs together, sloshing suds on themselves. He was surrounded by six other mummers also dressed in white and raising sudsy mugs. One had a small keg strapped to his back.
“Isss the Knight of Cuspes!” she howled then slumped. The knight craddled her gently as she slid down. Emmy then realized Pan was gone! She stopped and frantically looked around calling for him, trying to sense him. How could she have lost him? Her vision was full double now. The mummers were moving away, sinking into the night and the crowd. “Dot! Wait! My friend!” she ran towards them falling once and bouncing off people, barely staying up right. She caught up with them. “My friend, she…” her words were cut short as a cloth with a chymical odour was clasped over her mouth. She lost consciousness.
Lakeside, Naurlinz 10:05pm, Sowenmoon 24th, 456 NE When she came to she was groggy, disoriented and her head was pounding. She tried to move but was restrained and slung over a shoulder crushing her abdomen. There was jostling torch light. Sounds of boots hustling and the laboured breathing of men.
By force of will she pushed her consciousness up. She was in the rear of the group. They were in an alleyway, low wood fences, shacks and bushes. By the smell, she was closer to the water. Was it the lake or the river though?
She was gagged and wrapped tightly in a cloak. From what she could tell they had removed their white mummery. Their pace was slowing. “Hoosh, less take a breather.” A gruff voice up ahead panted as quietly as his heaving lungs would allow.
“Nah, sooner we drop these two off the sooner we get paid.”
A second nasally voice replied. “Melon, you just gonna give it all to the tables anyhoo.”
A third very deep voice slurred. “Sooner we get these two there, and get paid, the sooner we can get some more and get paid again. The night is young and so are the girls. Sides, we got only a week before we ship out.”
A fourth practical sounding voice, probably the leader, added to the conversation. “This one is starting to squirm.” Said the man carrying her and it about made her jump out of her skin.
“Thish one ish limp ash a rag.” A fifth lispy voice piped up very close by. Doti was right there. She had had two root beers. Emmy’s worry for her friend made her want to struggle free and help her. To get her away and safe. Her focus was hard to maintain with the disorienting drugs and the headache.
“Benny, Dodge, Art, you three go scout ahead make sure things are clear, specially Bongo street. Wait for us by Ruby’s” The fourth voice commanded.
Bongo street; Emmylou was not familiar with it. She heard the three men leave. “Letsh have a lil’ look at thish giry. Shee wash ish under the fanshy dresh. Sheesh a lil’ dolly.” The fifth voice lecherously drawled. The other three chuckled.
Emmy listened as her friend’s dress was stripped and torn while the pigs made lustful sounds and lewd comments. In her position she could see nothing. Whenever she tried to wiggle to see better The man who held her made no comments though. “Unsullied, Narm! Lookin’ is fine. But be careful what you put where. Kay, pack ‘er up. Let’s get a going.”
Then, she heard small soft feet running towards her, towards the back of the man who held her. It was Fabian! The two made brief eye contact before he hunched over and balled up as he smashed into the back of her captor’s legs. The man buckled forward sending the bundle that was Emmylou flying through the air as he rushed to get his hands in front. She landed hard, knocking the wind out of her. She saw Fabian getting up. Two of the men were swinging around from the hips wide eyed with surprise. A third one was stomping about hunched over rubbing his face and spitting curses. Wulgar was in front of the latter lifting the limp mostly naked Dot over his shoulder. The torch lay sputtering on the ground. A gaggle of guard geese in a nearby yard began honking. Dogs began barking. Emmylou caught her breath and began thrashing about trying to loosen the wrapping. Fabian came towards her. In one hand he had a short cudgel. Her captor, who was between her and Fabian, started to get up. Fabian cracked him on the head. He bellowed with rage, leapt up and whipped out a wicked knife.
A flash and a boom startled everyone as a disgruntled neighbour fired of a warning shot from a blunderbuss. The two ‘swinging men’ lurched towards Wulgar in a grapple. Wulgar jumped into a hedge and disappeared with Dot. The two men chased him but got hung up in the acacia brush.
Torches started to appear in the backyards. The torch on the ground was but a flicker. The gibbous moonlight was dimmed by clouds.
“Let’s get out of heere, wer’ gonna get lynched.” Fourth man said. Fourth man and the other one of the two grabbed the man with chili pepper in his eyes and started off. The captor with the knife swiped at Fabian before turning to follow his peers. The torch flickered out.
Fabian rushed to her fumbling in the dark to help her get free. “I’ve got ya Emmy. Everything’s gonna be just fine ya hear.” His soft gravelly voice strained to contain his panic. Something wet and warm was splashing on her face. The salty thick taste of blood trickled into her mouth. “You’re gonna…be…fine…” his voice trailed off. His fumbling ceased. She could just make out his silhouette swaying. “Mother of man! Fabian! Fabian!” Emmy screamed and frantically struggled. She heard a hustled rustle in the bushes.
“errr…” Fabian released her as he slumped in the dark. There was a loud scratch and light burst forth as Wulgar moved up cupping a large match. He had a look of disbelief of what lay before him. Fabian laying coated in blood with his hand on his neck. Blood flowed between his fingers. “Stop the bleeding!” Emmy demanded. This snapped Wulgar into action. He pulled off his leather jacket. Then ripped off his shirt, wadded it up and dropped to his knees. He tenderly pulled Fabians hand away before placing the fabric over the gash on the side of Fabians neck.
“You’re gonna be fine buddy.” Wulgar stroked his friend’s dark curly hair. Tears were welling up in his eyes. “Wulgar. Wulgar.” Fabian whispered. “Yes, Fabian, yes.” Wulgar sobbed. “Promise…promise me…promise me that…that you will always and forever keep Emmy safe.” “Yes, I will Fabian. ‘Cept you ain’t gonna die on me Fabian.” Them he followed up in an angry voice “You ain’t!”
Emmy continued to struggle without avail.
“Promise. Swear it Wulgar. Please, she is all…” he faded out.
“Fabian! Fabian! No. Oh dear, please no.” Wulgar pleaded.
Fabian snapped to. “Swear it. Please…” he began to close his eyes.
“I swear it!” Wulgar swore hoping it would bring his friend back. “I swear it for the rest of her natural life I shall do my best to not let harm come her way.” “Thank you… Wulgar…you are the…the best friend…friend… I could ever have…had. Keep… her safe…She is all that they…” Fabian’s back arched as he groaned sickenly with eyes wide open. Then he collapsed, shuddered a few times and lay still.
Emmy finally came free and put an arm around the blubbering Wulgar
The neighbours came out cautiously and well-armed. They were suspicious at first with all the blood and a body. Once they realized it was only victims, they were helpful and sympathetic. Doti was retrieved from the wood shed Wulgar had stashed her in. Her clothes were put back on by matrons and she was handed some coffee as she came to under a kerosene lamp and a dozen womens’ eyes. She was on a daybed in a rustic parlour with Wulgar and her dead brother.
She did not take the last part well. She began wailing. Emmy rushed in from calling Pan. All of them were crying. Emmy and Wulgar sandwiched hugged Doti over Fabians body.
Despite the tragedy, Emmylou could not help but worry about Pan.