“I know what only means,” I say. “But it’s printed.”

“Uh-huh.” They are losing interest, beginning to pick at their nails and straighten a pile of clear jelly soaps on the table next to us.

“So who would ever print just one? It doesn’t make any sense.”

They scoff. “Who would ever print more than one?” As if I am talking nonsense. “No, that deck bears no repeating. Any more would be dangerous.”

“How so?”

They shrug. “The cards—those cards—are whatever someone needs them to be. Can you imagine? If more than one person at a time got their hands on something like that?”

They make the cards sound like a nuclear weapon, but they have only ever been cards to me. Until…I think of the Devil and shudder. Still, I can’t see how this is what I need—creepy men with peppermint booze shadowing me and golden coins flying at my face? They have to be mistaken.

I shake my head. I am starting to lose my hold on the world in this ludicrous store.

“Never mind,” I huff, and take the bottle from Daniel, handing it back to the clerk.

They look surprised. “Careful, careful! You don’t want to upset them.”

I assume they mean the whatever-mint flowers in the bottle, but I don’t ask because I don’t care. I just want to get out of this store before my mind implodes. My eyes begin to water, which makes me feel angry and exposed. “I just wanted to find the stupid missing card,” I blab under my breath as I pass.

“Whyever didn’t you say so?” they exclaim. “Fortune’s Gate always has what you’re looking for.”

I spin around to face the clerk. “But you just said—”

“Though it isn’t often the same as what you want,” they add quickly.

I feel my fingers ball into fists at my side.

“Which one are you missing? No! Let me guess. Is it the Moon?” They clasp their hands, waiting for my response.

“How did you know?” I ask.

They give me a wry smile. “The Moon is tricky. Doesn’t like to be nailed down. Now let me see…I know I have that card somewhere here.” They are turning over mismatched goblets and spilling bowls of dry herbs and spices. “I saw it only a moon ago. Get it? A moon ago!”

They are laughing to themselves when Daniel smacks my arm and points out the front door.

In the parking lot, I can just make out a couple of kids leaning up against his cousin’s car.

“Shit, they’re trying to pop the lock.” He leans away. “Bernard is going to kill me if I lose his car.” And just like that, he is running full tilt through the store, out the door, and into the parking lot.