"Laura Resnick - The Fortunes of Temperance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Laura)

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The Fortunes of Temperance
by Laura Resnick
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Copyright (c)1998 by Laura Resnick
First published in Lamps on the Brow, July 1998

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Science Fiction


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It was a lovely morning in Tarotville as I strolled down Celestial
Avenue the other day, heading towards the center of town. After buying a
couple of cosmic reminders and a minor magic potion in Destiny Square, which
was seething with shoppers, I spotted my old friend Strength in the distance
and waved her down.
"How lovely to see you, Temperance!" Strength exclaimed when we
embraced. "But how ever did you pick me out of this crowd?"
I warily eyed the animal which has been her constant companion for as
long as I've known her. "How many other people go around town with their hands
clamped over a bad-tempered lion's mouth?"
"Oh, yes, of course," she said absently, releasing me to regain control
of the beast's jaws before he could maul a passing shaman.
Strength was looking as ... well, as _strong_ as ever. She told me
she's still seeing the Hierophant -- which means they've been together for
nearly a year now! They're not talking marriage yet, but they're making plans
to rent a citadel together, so it's a pretty serious relationship. Things are
generally going well for her, though she got very animated at one point and
nearly lost her grip on her frisky lion's mouth while complaining about the
Devil, who's _still_ involved in that property dispute with her over the
Tower.
Just before we parted, she warned me to keep a low profile, since Death
had recently been seen riding into town.
"Rumor has it that he's come for the ex-King of Pentacles, who just
hasn't been himself since losing the last election. However," Strength pointed
out, "it's never wise to be complacent about Death, so we should all watch our
step today."
Keeping this good advice in mind, I hurried towards my destination: a
modest purple-trimmed cottage in Zodiac Street, which is right next to the