"The ’Crossing Bridge’ spread," Richard continued. "You turned over the cards: Edmund for the Bridge, Maggie for the Start, me for the one crossing, and Theodore for the End. And at the very end, you turned over the ’Obstacle’."
"Mm, a good memory."
Mrs. MacNeil retrieved a box from the leather suitcase at her side.
"The cards my teacher passed down to me. You’ve seen them before."
She removed the lid of the box.
The inside of the box was lined with dark blue velvet, upon which rested a neat stack of Tarot Cards.
"Don’t try to examine them with your Spiritual Vision," Mrs. MacNeil stated plainly. "You wouldn’t be able to read them even if you could see anything."
"Today, I will first teach you to know the cards."
Mrs. MacNeil drew the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana from the stack.
"You’ll start by getting to know these twenty-two."
She laid the twenty-two cards on the table one by one.
The names of the twenty-two Major Arcana were not unfamiliar to Richard.
"These twenty-two cards," Mrs. MacNeil said, arranging each card to be face up, "each corresponds to an archetype."
"Archetype?"
"Images that repeatedly appear in the depths of the human psyche."
She reached out and tapped the card of The Fool.
"The ignorant, fearless traveler."
Then, she tapped on The Magician.
"One with sufficient will to command the elements."
"The Priestess: hidden Wisdom."
"The Empress: abundance."
"The Emperor: order."
...
She went through them one by one, giving each card the most simplified description possible.
"That Stone Reading method of yours," Mrs. MacNeil said, "how many symbols are there in total?"
"Old Big taught me nine."
"Yes. The Tarot’s Major Arcana has twenty-two cards. Add the fifty-six cards of the Minor Arcana, and the entire deck totals seventy-eight cards."
"The combinations you can form with Tarot Cards are far more complex than with Stone Reading."
"For today, I’ll start by teaching you single-card Divination."
The Spirit Medium drew a card and twirled it casually at her fingertips.
"Single-card Divination?" Richard asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, the simplest method of Divination in Tarot."
She gathered the twenty-two cards and gave them a shuffle.
Richard could see the layer of Ether swirling within the deck of cards.
After shuffling, Mrs. MacNeil placed the deck back in the center of the table.
"Ask a question silently in your mind, then draw a card."
"Any question at all?"
"That’s right."
Richard asked a question in his mind, then reached out and drew a card.
He turned the card over.
The Star·Upright
Mrs. MacNeil glanced at the card. "What did you ask?"
"...I asked, ’Will my next manuscript be published without any trouble?’"
"Mm. The upright ’Star’ corresponds to hope, purification, inspiration, and guidance."
"Taken literally, it means your manuscript will be published, and it will be very well-received."
But then her tone shifted.
"However, ’The Star’ card has another layer of meaning. It depicts a woman kneeling by the water, pouring water from her hands back into the river."
"The moment she pours, the water returns to the river, but her hands are also left empty."
"So..." Richard frowned.
"Your manuscript will be published, but once it is, it will cost you something."
"...What, specifically?" he asked, feeling a little uneasy.
"I don’t know." Mrs. MacNeil flipped the card face down.
"Tarot, like other forms of Divination, can only reveal a general direction.
Besides, I’m not personally involved in this matter, which greatly diminishes the effectiveness of my Divination."
Richard sat on the stool, silent for a long moment.
He remembered what Charlotte had said as she closed the manuscript:
"There’s a chill in this piece of yours. I can’t quite put my finger on it."
"Figured it out?" Mrs. MacNeil asked.
"...Still thinking."
"It’s fine if you haven’t figured it out."
She shuffled "The Star" back into the deck.
"The direction the Tarot reveals is meant to help you make your decision."
"Whether or not you publish this manuscript is your decision to make."
"My decision to make."
Richard took a deep breath.
"That’s all for today’s lesson on the cards. Go back and memorize the upright and reversed meanings for all twenty-two Major Arcana cards."
"Next Wednesday afternoon, I’m taking you on a house call."
"’...A house call?’ Richard thought about the things this Spirit Medium was always doing. ’Is she taking me to do Spirit Communication?’"
"A private job from the civilian Guild."
Mrs. MacNeil returned the deck of cards to the wooden box.
"It’s no good to only talk without practice. When we get paid, I’ll give you a twenty-percent cut."
"Be at the entrance of the Branch Office at 2 PM sharp on Wednesday. Don’t be late. That should be all, right?"
Richard stood up.
"The school has me on a flexible study schedule, so I just need to request a half-day off in advance."
"You should head back now." The Spirit Medium waved him off.
Just before leaving, Richard turned his head to glance at Old Big.
The man was still struggling with his "homework," his entire body scrunched up into a wrinkled ball.

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