I dropped down into the cabin, got the Polish box, took the silk wrapping off the deck, and shuffled. Seven times. Nothing mystic in that; the good gray New York Times Tuesday science pages carried an article that said a good seven shuffle gives you the best approximation of a random distribution. When the shuffling was dead, I spread the deck across the table and looked at Dessusdelit.

“Do you know about the tarot?” I asked before she picked a card.

“Just a bit,” she said diffidently.

“I like to warn people that the Death card doesn’t mean death. It means change, often for the good. I don’t want somebody to pull the Death card out of the deck, misinterpret it, and drop over dead of a heart attack

“

“I know about Death,” she said. She drew a card, held it for a moment, facedown, then flipped it over.

The Empress. I sat back, a little startled. “Have you actually done tarot readings before?” I asked.

“Yes, a few times.”

“What card did you choose to represent yourself? Was it the Empress?”

“No, no. Usually the Queen of Cups.”

“Which is a minor arcana analog of the Empress,” I said. I tapped the Empress with my index finger. “Perhaps you underrate yourself. In any case, the Empress would suggest success, fulfillment in an enterprise you’re involved with. Something you rule or manage. But that’s just a taste.”

“Just a taste,” she said.

“Sure. I have to warn you, I really don’t believe in this stuff,” I said. And if I did, I wouldn’t have picked her for the Empress or even the Queen of Cups. I pushed the cards together and rewrapped them in the silk.

“Well, I thank you,” Dessusdelit said. She found her purse, and we went back out into the sunshine, with LuEllen trailing behind.

“If you’re really interested

” I said.

“I am,” she said promptly.

“I read best in the morning. Frankly, I like to

have my beer, you know, and alcohol seems to interfere with the necessary connections

“

“I thought you didn’t believe in the magical interpretations,” she said in amusement.

“Well.” I shrugged. “You got me, I guess.”

“Come down tomorrow,” LuEllen said. “About ten o’clock. Kidd can do a reading, and we can do the ball again. And then maybe you can tell me where the best shopping is

“

“I’ll be happy to,” Dessusdelit said. She looked at me again. “The Empress

“

“Just a taste,” I said.

LuEllen and I watched her step off the end of the dock and start up the levee.

“How’d you do that?” LuEllen asked, shading her eyes as she watched Dessusdelit disappear over the top of the wall. “Produce the Empress card?”

“I didn’t,” I said.