Part II | The Dreaded Truth | Theirs Was the Crime
Charlene sat back in her chair and listened to Abeline as she turned over the remaining tarot cards on the table. The card at the bottom of the diamond was the Golden Clam.
Abeline explained, “The Gold Clamshell came from the Caspian Sea Region south of Russia and north of present-day Iran. Rumor has it, the giant clam was stolen from its original owner, The Jade Emperor, who reigned over the Dragon King from the middle of the Caspian Sea. Occasionally used by Zeus for star-making purposes, the giant clam was covered in gold by the Jade Emperor on Meteor Night, over 2,500 years ago. Now, it has sunk to the bottom of a long-forgotten swamp not too far from the boardwalk and casinos of Atlantic City, NJ.”
“I'm not sure about a giant clam in my future,” Charlene spoke hesitantly, “What else do the cards predict?”
Abeline turned over the card on the left side and turned it around so Charlene could see it better. The top of the card read, "The Golden Sorceress." Underneath the letters were small, hanging lanterns that Charlene had never seen before.
“What are these lamps hanging from the tree?”
“These are Moroccan candle lanterns," Abeline explained. "The Golden Sorceress keeps her candles lit in several of these hanging lanterns near her cottage in Paisley City.”
“I see,” Charlene replied. “And what does the Golden Sorceress do in Paisley City?”
“Funny you should ask!” Abeline exclaimed as she pulled a small note out of her bag and placed it on the table. “I have a letter here from Malika that arrived just yesterday. Let me see what it says and perhaps we can be of assistance.”
Dear Abeline,
We hope everything finds you well in Louisiana. I write with news of Paisley City and the Pink Pearl. It seems the word got out, and treasure hunters are now after the Pink Pearl. It needs to be protected at all costs. Please DO NOT reveal its location should you discover it.
Yours Truly,
Malika
Charlene was silent as Abeline tucked the note back into her bag.
“I'm not sure what that means,” Abeline shrugged and turned over the last tarot card, she gasped and almost fainted at the tarot card she saw in front of her. Charlene squinted her eyes to see what the card was. The letters on the top read The Pink Pearl. At the bottom of the card was the name Calypso.
“What does that mean?” Charlene asked Abeline.
to be continued...
Notes
[1] Theirs was the crime. ~ "Swamp Hermit" by Karine Villette on ArtStation
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