"You can do it as you like." Gangulin replies.
"Oh, okay..."
Niamh throws the first ball into the air and the second one flat from the one hand to the other.
"May I try it with the torches now again?"
"Sure, if you like." Gangulin responds picking up the torches. He holds them out to Niamh.
Niamh takes them and tries to juggle them like the balls.
"Could I have a break? My hands are getting tired."
"Sure. How about we eat another piece of this apple pie." Gangulin suggests.
"I'll fetch it." Niamh tells him walking into the house to fetch the apple pie. With the apple pie in her hands she comes out of the house and back to Gangulin.
"We could also walk around in the park, I haven't seen everything yet."
"Thank you." Gangulin replies taking the pie.
"If you like we could take a walk. You lead the way."
Niamh follows the way to a labyrint. She takes a cord and ties it onto a branch. "If we can't find the way out of this." She explains and walks into the labyrint winding the cord up.
But she gets to the other side with no problems. "This is boring! Let us go back and continue juggling." Niamh turns around and rolls the cord up again following it out of the labyrint again and leading the way back to Abomentolor.
"Are you done with your walk in the park already?" Abomentolor jokes.
"Yes, it was boring. May I try it with fire now?" Niamh asks Gangulin excitedly.
"I can light the torches for you." Abomentolor offers.
"If you feel ready. Just make sure you don't catch the burning end." Gangulin reminds Niamh.
Niamh takes two torches and holds them toward Abomentolor.
"Here you are." Abomentolor says with a grin as he lights the torches with a spark.
"Thank you. Uhm, maybe we should go to the pool..."
Abomentolor takes one of the buckets. "That is not necessary. I'll take care of that." he states with a wide smile.
"Oh, thank you." Niamh tells him with a hint irony.
She then starts juggling with the two burning torches.
Without catching fire.
"Do you think I could try it with a third one?" Niamh asks Gangulin.
"You're doing quite well. You must promise me not to do that for money in Lowcleft." Gangulin holds the third torch out to Niamh.
"Promised." Niamh holds the torch into another burning one. She tries to juggle them again.
At first it looks quite good but then two of the torches collide in mid air and fly away in all directions.
Gangulin ducks away "Watch out!"
He is almost hit by one of the torches.
Abomentolor steps to the side not to be hit.
Niamh jumps away in surprise.
She collects the torches and tries it again.
And again.
Gangulin applauds from a safe distance. "You see, it is not easy. But with practice it will become easier."
"I guess you are right." Niamh responds and tries it again.
But as it seems not successful Niamh steps back to let the torch drop onto the bottom instead of her hat.
"How did you learn juggling with torches? Did you have a teacher too?" Niamh asks Gangulin while trying it again.
With more success.
"No, no teacher. I just bought three torches and started trying. I also thought that I could light them after it worked for the first time to juggle them. That earned me quite a few burns." Gangulin answers.
"I guess it's a way easier to have a teacher."
"I always had one or more." Niamh says thinking of herself learning to play the fiddle.
In washers row in the fortune tellers tent
___________________________________________
Gwenhwyfar takes a gold out of her pouch and hands it to the fortune teller. "Lay the cards for me." she says and then clinges excited and anxious at Jimmy's arm again.
The Amazing Zograthy takes the takes the gold. He shuffles them and lays them out in three rows three cards each. From bottom to top, left to right he lays The Juggler, The Survivor, The Dance, The Hidden Truth, The Unicorn, The Paladin, The Big Sky, The Midwife, The Marriage.
He studies the cards for a while. He then lets his hand wander over the cards. "In your past someone was close to death, but the person survived." Watching the girls reaction he adds "You were involved... you helped with that." Continuing to 'The Truth' he explains "There is something you are searching for or that you want to know." but as there is no clear expression on the girls face he continues to the paladin with his finger. "There is a paladin in your life. He is important to you..." and from there on it gets really easy for the Amazing Zograthy, as the girl is easy to read.
"For the future I see a marriage for you. This card is aligned with it's position making it a sure thing. 'The Big Sky' says all options are open for you, you shake off shackles from your past. And you'll have children." he adds sliding his finger to 'The Midwife' card. "You are a lucky girl, you have a bright future lying before you." he compliments her.
"That's so exciting!" Gwenhwyfar says to Jimmy.
"Gwen, would you mind if i borrowed some gold? I will pay you back as soon as we get back." Jimmy asks Gwen. "This seems like far too much fun to pass up." He says smiling at her
"No." Gwenhwyfar says with a serious face. But shortly thereafter her face brigthens up to a smile "I'll pay for you."
She hands another coin to the fortune teller.
"Thank you my dear. It is much appreciated." Jimmy says kissing the top of her head
The Amazing Zograthy shuffles the cards again and with a serious look on his face lays them again in a square. He lays The Eclipse, The Sickness, The Juggler, The Teamster, The Forge, The Publician, The Bear, The Cyclone and The Rabbit Prince.
"Ooooh! That is interesting. The Sickness. You caught someting in your past? The Juggler says your life was not to your plan, but you had to take what life offers and make the best of it. In your present you are formed to something new. That is from The Forge and The Teamster. But that is no bad thing. The Bear tells that you are strong and can't be tamed."
"I'm not sure about the Rabbit Prince in that position, but something great might lie in your future." Finished with it he leans back smiling at Jimmy. Mostly because he is in a good mood for getting two gold already.
"Thank you." Jimmy says, unsure what to make of what the fortune teller has said. To Gwen he says, "Thank you my love. I wonder if the something great in my future has anything to do with yours?"
"I hope so." Gwenhwyfar smiles at Jimmy still holding on to Jimmy's arm.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" The Amazing Zograthy asks. He is not in a hurry, jut asking if he can sell more of his services.
"Well that depends. We heard mention of you from Mrs. Heidmarch. She suggested we come speak to you, so what do you have to tell us?"
"I have heard of Mrs. Heidmarch, but who hasn't. But I have no idea why she would send you to me, other than for telling your future." The Amazing Zograthy replies.
"I think he was one of the leads to find Natalya, but that is obsolete now." Gwenhwyfar whispers in Jimmy's ear.
"Perhaps you could tell us what you know of the tower girls?" Jimmy says after nodding at Gwen
"Sorry, but I can't help you with that kind of information." The Amazing Zograthy answers.
"You can't, or you don't want to?" Jimmy asks, the change in Zograthy's style of conversation putting him somewhat on edge
"I'd love to help. Information trading is my greatest business."
"So if you have a specific question that I know a specific answer to, I'd tell you if your nice little lady here can spare another 50 gold. But if you ask such a 'tell me all about...' question regarding one of Magnimar's Scarny gangs I have to pass." The fortune teller replies.
"Do you have any specific questions Gwen? I think we are done here don't you?" Jimmy says turning to Gwen
"No, I don't have any more questions. I got all the answers I need." Gwenhwyfar replies.
"If you have more questions later I'll be here." The Amazing Zograthy tells.
"Then after you my dear. Thank you for your time." He says to the fortune teller as he follows Gwen out of the tent
Gwenhwyfar takes her belt pouch in her hand to avoid sudden loss as she leaves the tent. "We may not forget to buy Antiplague for Abomentolor. And after that I'd like to talk to you in private."