In the town shrouded in dense fog beneath the night sky, the miserable howls of evil spirits made the deep night feel all the stranger. Even the dancing firelight in the fireplace failed to lift the spirits of the two people conversing indoors.
Laplace Klein Howard, wearing a monocle, watched Shade.
"So, are you really Shade Hamilton?"
Shade still did not answer.
"Is Myriad Aspects of Impermanence in your possession?"
The seer shook his head again.
"I'm looking for it too, but I haven't had that honor. At least, not yet. Would you like to play a round of Rhodes Cards?"
That was usually what Shade said to others.
"I came out looking for someone this time. I didn't bring my own deck."
He actually had brought one, but whether he used the spare blank deck or his true deck, his identity would be exposed.
"That's fine. I can lend you a deck. We'll play only one round. Win or lose, I can tell you something."
He handed a deck to Shade. There were no special cards inside. Yet his own deck actually contained thirteen special cards.
There was no need to shuffle or inspect each other's decks. Beneath the fireplace's glow, they placed the decks on the tea table and began drawing together.
Neither spoke. They merely narrowed their eyes at the suits in their hands.
Laplace Howard stopped after drawing two cards.
"King."
He revealed his second card.
Shade, meanwhile, drew three cards.
"Twenty-one. I win."
He revealed Sun 1, Stars 10, and Moon 10.
The seer was not disappointed. He tossed his cards onto the table.
"I'm going to tell you that the apocalypse is approaching. The world is about to end. This isn't some absurd prophecy. It is reality."
Shade asked unhappily:
"You came all this