Karina had done readings on credit for four mangy chickens, a basket of half-spoiled assorted fruit, a primitive handmade wooden musical instrument whose tone much resembled that of a squealing pig, the squealing pig that resembled the musical instrument, and a set of tea towels embroidered with the patches of the various branches of the Federation service that formed the career path of the embroiderer, who was a burly bearded six-foot-two tractor mechanic with hair the color of butter and eyes like razors.
“Please,” Karina said wearily to the captain. “I grow fatigued “with the power of my visions. No more, please, no more.”
“Just one, Madame Harakamian, oh please, just one,” begged a young boy leading what appeared to be a very elderly and crippled individual who looked as if what was left of her hair had never made the acquaintance of shampoo. “My granny sorely needs to see you, ma’am. She’s been waitin’ on you for weeks and weeks. I’m sorry if we’re late, but she has a mighty hard time gettin’ around.”
“Oh, come now!” Karina said, snapping just a teensy bit. She had been enjoying getting used to leisure and luxury, and these locals had put her through a very grueling day for a few pounds of garbage she would have had to have been very hungry to eat even at her poorest. “How could she have been expecting me for weeks and weeks? My husband and I decided on our journey quite suddenly, made first contact with anyone outside of our own staff only a few days ago, and have not actually been traveling for weeks and weeks.”
“Nonetheless, ma’am, she was expectin’ you. Granny has her ways, she has. Now then. Granny, sit a spell and visit with the purty lady.”
Karina paused. He did seem a very bright boy, after all, and with excellent taste and eyesight, so she gestured to the chair vacated by the last seeker of enlightenment and the boy helped the crone be seated.
“Now then, Madame,” Karina began, shrewdly guessing that the old lady probably didn’t want to know when she was going to find her true love, “can I put you in touch with some departed soul of whose happiness you wish to be assured?”
The old woman fixed her with one clouded eye and one quite bright green one and said in an insultingly mocking voice, “No, Missus, you cain’t put me in touch with some dead person. I can do that for my own self if I’ve a mind to.”
Where ()u) these people come up -with their atrocious accents? Most of them had been required to have quite good educations before being allowed to settle here not so very long ago. And how did this woman get so old. Surely the original settlers would have had better genetic material than that!
The old woman, as if reading her mind, cackled at her. “No genes gonna keep me from lookin’ old when I’m a hunnert and three years old, Missus. Kept me from bein’ fat earlier on though. Looks good on you though, if I do say so, and pleases that husband ofyourn. Oh, good, here he is now. He can hear what I have to say to you, too.”
Karina was glad for Hafiz’s presence as he came to stand behind her, taking one other hands in his.
“If you don’t wish me to contact the departed for you, then what is it you wish?” Karina asked very sweetly, considering.
“I wish you’d quit jawin’ and let me tell you what I come to say. I want to put you in touch with the living, girly-girl. I reckon as how you and your man are off to help that hornyheaded gal come to save us from them buggers awhile back. It’s your man been in touch with his dead, only she weren’t dead, and she’s been in touch with you, too.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“You got yourself a new golden ring in the shape of a pie’^on’iu serpent, ain’t you?”
Karina dug in her pocket and pulled out the ring.
“Look inside of it, you darn fool.”
Hafiz groaned and tried to snatch the ring away but, failing, covered the lower half of his face with one hand.