Fire Along the Sky by Sara Donati

Author:Sara Donati [Donati, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780553900644
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2004-08-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

“Now this,” said Jennet, “this is curious.”

She tapped a finger on the table and sent Martha and Callie a questioning look. “What do you make of it?”

The girls leaned toward the two cards that lay face up and crossed one over the other.

Callie pressed a knuckle to her upper lip. “The empress?”

“And the wheel of fortune,” added Martha.

“The empress crossed by the wheel of fortune.” Jennet sat back and held out her hands, palms up, and wiggled her fingers. “We laid out this cross for Hannah. What is she to learn from it?”

“Change is coming.” Callie lifted her face and looked directly at Hannah, who sat across the table with her daybook open before her. “You must be diligent.”

On the other side of the kitchen Curiosity let out a gruff laugh as she took the lid off the lye barrel and dumped in a hopper full of ash. “Now maybe that's what those cards want to tell us,” she said. “But that ain't no news. We know the sun going to set, too, and come up again.”

Martha flushed a little. “But this means great change, doesn't it? Something big.”

Curiosity met Hannah's gaze, a smile jerking at the corner of her mouth. It was good to see that Martha was able to get up at least a little temper; the girl was too timid by far.

“It does,” Jennet said. “Something that calls for considerable caution and care.”

“I suppose there could be news of the war,” Lucy said from her spot at the big loom.

“The post rider is due tomorrow, and he's always got news,” added Sally.

“Och, you mustn't waste your time guessing,” Jennet said, gathering up cards from different piles to square them neatly. “Whatever it is will come soon enough. Now I understand the two of you have schoolwork, is that no the case?”

“Just once more, please,” said Martha. “Just one more cross for Hannah, maybe it will make things clearer.”

Jennet rolled her eyes and smiled, too, in case the girls understood her sigh for what it really was, no more than a bit of playfulness. In her hands the shuffling cards flapped like wings as they flew from hand to hand. Then she flipped one onto the table and laid another across it.

“The seven and the knight of swords.” Her smile faltered and then flickered back. “Silly me,” she said, scooping them up. “It's only the face cards you're meant to use when laying out a cross.”

The deck disappeared into her apron pocket as she got up. “Off with you now, the two of you, or you won't have your lessons ready and then Elizabeth will come looking for me, and what would I say in my defense? And I did promise Ethan that I would help him with his packing this afternoon . . .” Her voice trailed away, unconvinced and unconvincing.

But the girls did as they were told, still far too unsettled in this new home to even contemplate disobedience, though Martha cast a glance back from the door.

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