• 7 •

DESTINY FORETOLD

The young Asian woman caught Maloney’s wink when he entered her tent with Hakim. She was thin and pale. Hakim stared at her small hands resting on a table covered with a black cloth. A green stone sparkled on the smallest finger of her right hand. Her black eyes, shining underneath thin eyebrows, reflected the green glitter of the stone. Long black hair flowed onto her shoulders, spilling down her slender back. She acknowledged Maloney’s wink with a quick twinkle of her own and a warm glance at the boy. Then she turned her attention to the young woman who sat across from her.

“My name is Lamia. I am not a psychic or a star reader. I only read the cards that you choose. I explain the non-material entities that rule the inner workings of the universe. The cards that you choose from the Tarot are guides to the hidden elements that shape the course of your life. They tell a story of obstacles to be overcome and lessons to be learned.”

She waved her hands over the empty table cloth. When she brought them back, a deck of royal blue cards lay spread across the table. A quiet gasp emerged from the woman seated across from her. Hakim watched intently, enchanted by the mysterious woman.

“Choose your magic.” Her voice was directed at the woman who sat across from her. “You control your choices, and thus control your fate. Take six cards from the pile.”

The woman picked the first card from the middle of the pack with little hesitation, but became more hesitant with each successive choice. Lamia picked up the woman’s cards and spread the top three in a row, then two under that, and a final one beneath them. She inspected them for a moment, then fixed her gaze on Hakim as if to suggest something with her eyes.

“What is it that you would like to know?” Lamia asked the woman across from her.

The woman answered in a hushed tone. “My husband is a farmer, I have three young ones, and we greatly need the crops this year to be prosperous. I have come from the country to find out if it shall be otherwise…”

Lamia whispered back, “Let me see.” She looked at the top row: Hermit, Emperor, Devil. “The top row reveals the current state of affairs.” She looked carefully at the first card.

Hakim stepped closer, listening closely, hoping the cards would hold some meaning for him as well. Maybe they would guide him on his journey to find the wise one.

“The Hermit means solitude from the activity of the material world, a period of silent reflection. If you do not find that which you seek within, then you will never find it without.” Her face straightened as she continued. “The hermit is the silent seeker. In solitude, the hermit finds multitudes, an infinity. Be prudent. There are impediments, even enemies ” — she looked at the woman — “perhaps other farmers. One must reassess what has been learned prior to a new beginning.”

She squinted as she looked at the cards, then focused squarely at the woman across from her. “Perhaps your husband has already planted the seeds in order that they may flourish.” The woman nodded in agreement. Lamia nodded also. “Then that is good.”

Lamia looked at the second card: Emperor. “The path of worldly power requires discipline. If followed properly, discipline results in mastery of whatever skill you seek.” She paused and looked again at the farmer’s wife. “Your husband must be patient and disciplined in the practice of his farming if he wants to achieve success.” The woman nodded her head in understanding.

Lamia read the third and final card in the top row: Devil. The woman across from her shuddered at the name. Hakim himself shuffled his feet nervously.

“The Devil represents the impulse to abandon our dreams and forget our true essence. Sometimes we exchange the mysterious and ambitious for the functional and pragmatic. That is the seduction of the Devil. The Devil tries to hold us back from the heights we are capable of reaching.”

She looked back at the woman. “Perhaps your husband should aim for the most productive harvest he has ever achieved.” The woman shot a guilty but humble smile back at Lamia.

“The second row of cards reveals what is coming.” Lamia spoke softly. Hakim read them: Chariot and Sun.

“The Chariot indicates a journey. A journey will often bring one full circle, back to the beginning. But just because one ends where one begins does not imply lack of movement. The movement takes place within.”

Lamia’s voice took on a tone of concern. “The Chariot may test you by taking you through places of great confusion. Any major evolution captures the attention of evil. So beware.” She looked at the farmer’s wife. “Your husband may attract the attention of others in his quest for prosperity. Temptation lurks in every corner. Misuse of power is always seductive, but one must remain strong and determined. The right use of power brings you what you want.” The farmer’s wife smiled again.

Journey, prosperity, power, temptation — the words echoed in Hakim’s head. He thought about his own journey before him, the search he had begun for the secrets to power. Misuse of power is always seductive.… Surely the Master had misused his power, but Hakim could not understand how he suffered because of it. Didn’t the Master have all that he wanted?

Lamia’s eyes met Hakim’s, her voice reflecting her concern. “There are those who will attempt to sway your heart for selfish purposes, but remember, there is one who will always protect and guide you. One who will help you to make the right choices.”

Lamia paused to let her words sink in before continuing. “The Sun card compliments your evolution. The Sun is about healing and light. The journey you are on is a journey of healing. Just as disciples go on a pilgrimage to seek their Gods, so, too, must the soul endeavor to find light. This is what the Sun card represents. Your husband’s crops shall be very promising if they are carefully attended to. The Sun promises health and wealth on every level.”

Lamia smiled slightly when she read the final card: Universe. “This is a very good card for you.” The farmer’s wife giggled modestly. “This is the fate you have chosen,” Lamia said, peering at Hakim and Maloney from the side of her eyes. “The Universe card indicates the outcome of your journey — that all is at your disposal.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “The Universe is union, the unity of individual and universal purpose. When the individual self is in alignment with the universal self, success is the natural outcome of every action. This means,” — she turned to the farmer’s wife — “very good crops.”

The farmer’s wife let out a gasp of relief, then quickly gathered her things as she struggled to get up from her chair. “Thank you… oh thank you. My husband shall be so pleased.” She rushed from the tent. Lamia’s eyes did not follow the woman, but rested instead on Hakim who stood by the doorway.

Hakim suddenly realized that he had been transfixed by the mysterious woman. Now with her gaze locked on his, he felt his face flush with heat.

“Come.” Maloney’s hand turned Hakim’s shoulder, and he led him out of the tent. The carnival was dying down. The sky had turned blue-black, and the pounding of the waves grew louder as they walked toward the ocean.

“The crazy life of a Welsh carnival entertainer never ends. I move on tomorrow,” Maloney said gently.

“What should I do now?” Hakim asked Maloney.

“Listen to your heart, and you will know what to do. What you do depends upon who you are.” He smiled and pointed to Hakim’s heart. “There is much wisdom in listening to your heart, and much joy in understanding your own identity.

“Be still, Hakim, and you will know that you are an instrument in the symphony of the universe. Enter into the harmony by finding the stillness inside, and you will feel nature’s power move through you. It will always guide you.”

Hakim turned to the water and gazed at the white foam of the waves crashing to the shore. When he looked back, Maloney was gone. Strangely, it didn’t strike Hakim as all that odd. He was suddenly weary and could think only of finding a place to sleep. Hakim chose a large, dry rock, curled up on its smooth surface, and fell into a heavy slumber.

Lamia emerged from her tent and gazed at the stretch of beach where Hakim lay sleeping. There was affection and warmth in her eyes; in her hands she held six cards. She looked at them with a feeling of concern, then flipped one over — Chariot. She flipped another — Universe. The fortune-teller shot one final glance at the sleeping boy. Then she put the cards in her pocket and stepped back into her tent.

Silence infused the cool night air when suddenly the shadow of a figure appeared where Lamia had stood just moments before. A tall man emerged from the crowd of workers who were cleaning up and dismantling the carnival. He came out of the darkness as if he were made of it, with eyes that sparkled like jewels.

The Master smiled like a child in a candy shop. He had gone to sleep the previous night with renewed energy. The energy of excitement that had loomed in his dining hall had found its way to him. Upon waking, he had decided upon a jaunt to the carnival. Just as he had anticipated, a remarkable thing had happened: one of his kids, the insolent one in the market, had set out on a journey to find the secrets of the wise one.

The Master chuckled at Hakim’s youthful innocence. But he was also impressed with Hakim’s determination to succeed. Hakim struck him as having real potential that only needed to be shaped and steered. The Master was increasingly excited by the idea that he might reel the young one in for his own purposes. He needed someone to collect his monies from the street people he employed — someone with street smarts, ambition, and desire.

Hakim would be lucky to have him as a mentor. What homeless child would not be enticed by the promise of luxury, prosperity, and power over others? Such temptation would taste sweet to one who had so little. Yes, he thought to himself, here was a chance to gain control of another young boy.

The Master stood nodding his head and feeling a smug sense of satisfaction in the choice he had made. He gazed through the dark to where Hakim lay curled up asleep. Slowly he moved in the direction of the rocks, leaving nothing but scattered sand as a trail.