Chapter 16. Ophelia

The books in the window had been a good ruse,

but Yolanda didn't want to push her luck.

The local policeman she was paying to turn a blind eye

to her fortune telling, told her she was starting to attract

unwanted attention. It was time to pack up and go north

to the mid-lands where the army camps were the size of

small towns. There would be plenty of opportunities for an

enterprising woman such as herself to make some money.

There was a knock on the door.

It was a young man who wanted to buy a book out of

the front window. Yolanda hid her surprise - the books all

had prices on them - but she'd never actually sold one.

She gave the books to the punters after they'd paid for a

reading, that way, if the law wanted to get involved later,

she had an out - she could say she was selling the books

and giving free craft demonstrations, no laws broken here

your Honor.

There was something about this young man.

He introduced himself as Finn. He was quietly spoken

and polite, which made it easy for Yolanda to talk him into

a card reading he said he didn't want.

Here was a chance for a little extra money for the road.

Yolanda lit scented candles on the sitting room table.

She told Finn to deal out six cards face down.

''The first pair will represent your past, the second

pair your present and the third pair your future."

She let her words hang in the air for a moment to

add a little drama.

''Before you turn the cards, show me your hands."

Finn put his hands on the table palms up and Yolanda

placed her hands on top of his.

"Close your eyes."

Sitting like this she could usually pick up clues about

the punter and weave them into the card reading later

for good effect.

His hands were soft - a young man who hasn't had to do

hard physical work - from a wealthy family perhaps.

An unsettling feeling of losing her balance started to wash

over her. Yolanda tried to let go of Finns' hands.

She became frightened when she realized that no matter

how hard she tried, she couldn't.

Finns' eyes were still closed.

A womans' voice spoke to her.

"You have flown in the wrong window little bird."

Yolanda screamed as an aura of darkness began to

bloom behind Finn. It grew until it filled the room and

Yolanda was lost and blind in it.

She shivered with terror.

There was a hand on her shoulder.

"I want you to do something for me."

*

Days later, down stream from the Osney bridge,

a lock keeper saw a body in the reeds. He recognized

who it was straight away - the gypsy woman Yolanda.

She was floating face up with her eyes open.

With the War going badly and the lists of casualties growing,

his wife and other ladies from the local parish had gone

to her to ask about their loved ones fighting in France.

All desperate for hope, the lock keeper thought.

The river water was cold and it made his old bones ache.

One of his sons would of taken over from him as lock keeper

by now, if they both hadn't gone rushing off to fight in the War

he thought sourly.

He pulled Yolandas' body through the reeds to the bank.

"Bet you didn't see this coming in those cards of yours."

*