The Prophecy Machine

Squeen is maimed for the moment, so the meal should be a real delight.”

Sabatino paused, inspected Letitia up and down, then down and up again. It imparted such lewd and open desire that Letitia felt a rush of color to her face.

“There is nothing so arousing as a woman full of ire,” he said. “You are fortunate indeed, Master Finn.”

Finn went for him, unarmed or not, but the fellow was gone in a lavender blur before he could stalk across the room …

32

“This is another of that dandy's despicable jokes,” Finn said. “Fraud, chicanery and lies have stained the man's soul. Treachery's the only skill he knows. He must be a fool to think we'll fall for something so utterly transparent as this.”

“I'm certain you're right, dear. He's cunning, devious and sly.”

“And we're not taken in, not by a whit.”

“If you'd like, I'll scrub your back, Finn. Then, if you please, you may do mine.”

“I'd be delighted, for sure.”

The tub was made of staves, held in shape by hammered copper bands, rolled in with steamy water buckets from the hall. It was clearly not a tub for two, but once Letitia let her dress slip to the floor, dipped a tiny toe, and immersed her lovely self, Finn was not far behind. He backed up against her, so close that her legs had to wrap around his front. A rather tight squeeze, but wasn't that the idea, after all?

“I'll bet that feels good,” Letitia said, scrubbing him with a brush. “It's been some time.”

“It has indeed,” Finn said, scarcely aware of any brush at all.

“I'd give a silver penny to know what he's up to,” he said, watching Letitia's wiggly toes.

“Well, whatever it is, this wonderful tub and real soap and-clean clothes! That's no trickery, Finn, that's real!”

“Oh, it's trickery all right, make no mistake in that.” He leaned back against her, resting his head in the hollow of her shoulder, whispering in her ear.

“It's a cruel hoax, my dear, playing on our needs. All this is meant to distract us from some other purpose hatching in his devious mind.”

“What, though? I can't imagine what it might be.”

“Nor I, and it doesn't greatly matter, since it plays right into our plans to make our way out of here tonight.”

He kissed the steamy droplets on her cheek, and nibbled at her ear.

Letitia leaned away and gave him a wary look. “He said there'd be real food. I don't intend to miss that.”

“We won't, we won't. I can't imagine he knows what decent food is, but we'll gladly play along. The bath, the clothes, the food-it all bends in our favor instead of his. We'll be much better prepared to make our move. Cleaner, clothed and fed. The fellow doesn't know he's filling all our needs.”

“Oh, I know it's going to work. It's a good plan, Finn. And we are going to eat first, right? I feel it's essential that we do.”

“Well, yes. I think he might grow suspicious if we don't.”

“Come here, please. Turn around, love.”

Finn felt his heart leap. “I-think I can. If I stand up first. I don't want to flood the place. We might go right through the floor.”

Letitia watched his clumsy gyrations, hiding a laugh behind her hands.

“Take your time,” she said, with a glow, with a glimmer, with a shine, with a very saucy hint in her great enormous eyes.

“I'll be right here, love …”

And Julia Jessica Slagg, aware there were times when she shouldn't be around, took a lizard nap beneath the chair.

Sometimes she felt Finn had built in a toggle or a spring, a tiny little switch that said forget you're even here. She couldn't say for sure, and could never quite remember to ask …

33

The first thing Finn noticed was the table. It was painted a shade of creamy white. Not black as it was the day before. Closer, he realized that it wasn't painted, but merely scraped clean.

Beside him, Letitia drew a breath, dazzled by the sight before her eyes. There were truffles, pickles, cheeses of every sort. Steamy roasted potatoes split down the middle with a buttery lake inside. Fish grilled crispy brown, fragrant with a lemony sauce.

And greens, to Letitia's great pleasure. Crispy, leafy treats of a color she'd nearly forgotten. Even the dishes were whole, and the vessels made of glass.

“I have to say,” Letitia said, “in spite of my intense dislike for you, I must say this is a stunning feast you've set before us this day. Don't you think so, dear?”

“I expect it's ill-mannered to ask, but do I have your word nothing here is laced with deadly herbs or drugs? No foul or septic powders, no poison of any sort?”

Sabatino looked hurt. “Of course not. If I'd not already called you out, I would do so again.”

“Is that a yes or no?”

“You may trade plates with me if you like.”

“Oh, no you don't,” Finn said, with a sly and knowing grin. “That's just what you'd do, isn't it? You're ready for that, you'd expect me to ask.”

“Eat, Finn, it's delicious.” Letitia stabbed a bite of vinegar greens, savored it a moment, closing her eyes in delight.

“Oh, my, that fish looks divine. I shouldn't, but I simply have to try.”

“I don't sense any virulence in the air,” Julia said from Finn's shoulder. “Of course, there could be something I've never sniffed before. There are things I can't detect at all.”

“I'm stunned to hear it,” Finn said, wrinkling his nose at the fish, risking a tiny bite.

“What concerns me more is why you're doing this? You have some reason, Sabatino, and I doubt it's too obscure.”

“You're quite right, of course. And you as well, dear lady. There is no need to mask our loathing for one another, it makes for a most unpleasant meal. Oh, and I must say you look enchanting. That gown fits you well.”

“I'd rather you didn't, but thanks all the same.”

The gown was quite nice, an enchanting shade of blue, and it certainly fit, Sabatino had seen to that. If Letitia hadn't done hasty work with pins, she'd be naked to the waist.

“You didn't cook the meal,” Finn said. “I doubt you made the dress. This crockery is whole, everything's clean …”

Sabatino wagged a finger at Finn. “You're such a curious fellow, I knew you'd have to ask. Not a healthy trait, I might add. There's a place I go for ale now and then, TAVERN,as it's called. Some people go to BAR-I wouldn't be caught in there, of course.”

“Neither would I.”

“No, you would not. At any rate, the food was prepared by the keeper's wife. The gown is her daughter's. If you could see the wife, you'd know it wasn't hers.”

“And what's it all for? You never got to that.”

Sabatino held his glass up to the light. It wasn't turnip wine, but he didn't seem to mind.