you?” snorted Absinth, his gruff voice hacking apart the silky texture in the air. “We’ll ask questions and let’s see if you can answer ‘em.”
She looked at him patiently and shook her head.
“You may not question me... yet. But I shall prove to you my power.”
She smiled at the group and each stared longingly at her, lost in her charm and strange beauty. Turning to Dan, she held his gaze, their eyes locked and unblinking.
“Hayley, an intimacy of yours?”
“I dated her for a couple of years...” he said, still staring into her eyes.
“She left you for your cousin.”
“Son of a bitch!” he cried out, furious and embarrassed. He looked at the rest of the group, his face flushed red. “I think she’s right. I mean... I don’t know if Hayley did, but it makes sense. Both of them did hang around a lot together, and right after she split with me, he and I stopped talking. I guess that’s the reason he was avoiding me. Fucker!” He whirled back to her. “How did you know?”
“I know everything.”
“How do we know this isn’t some cheap parlour trick?” Absinth was still not convinced. “You could be reading his mind or somethin’.”
“Wouldn’t that still be remarkable?” She flashed him a daring smile. The loaded grin of a croupier.
“It wouldn’t make you an oracle.”
“I told Daniel something he didn’t know. I’ll do it again. Jessica?” She fixed her eyes on the woman amongst them. Once again she looked at her for a few seconds before she spoke. “Your mother crashed her car whilst driving around Big Sur, California.”
At that the Mariner’s stomach took a twist. California. Home of his wine.
Jessica was nodding, urging the Oracle to continue. “You never knew why this happened, but I can tell you now. She had an epileptic fit, lost consciousness and drove off the road.”
Jessica’s eyes filled with tears and her hands shot to her mouth. “My uncle had epilepsy!”
The Oracle nodded solemnly. “Yes, as did she.” She turned her attention to the cynic. “Absinth. Do you still doubt?”
He was less wary now, an eager glint glowing deep in his eyes. “Still not sure, to tell the truth,” he said, though he joined them eagerly enough, leaving only the Mariner to stand by the exit, reluctant to come any further.
Absinth turned back to him. “Come on Cuntface, don’t you want your fucking truth?”
“This is correct, I have truth to share,” she said, her words like old glue. “But perhaps this man is not prepared for it? Perhaps he should leave?”
He didn’t, but the Oracle acted as if he had and she turned to Absinth, looking down at him as a teacher does an infant.
“You were friends with a girl, Isabel. She was murdered.”
Murdered
.
The Mariner tensed, feeling sick with his own guilt. Absinth nodded, gazing back at her.
“You never knew who the murderer was-”
The Mariner’s heart seemed to stop. What was that? Why nod along with the false claim? He
did
know!
“I can tell you who killed her.”
What did she mean she could tell him? He already knew!
“She was killed by a man named Claude, a sailor who you shared a cigarette with, that very night.”
Absinth looked shocked, horrified by the news. He stared at the floor, muttering the name ‘Claude’ to himself over and over. Then he stopped, his head slowly turning towards the Mariner.
“You killed her?”
This seemed to surprise the Oracle as much as he! Her head jolted in his direction, eyes narrowing as if he were a strange illness she couldn’t diagnose. Absurdly she hissed, “Cuntface?” with genuine surprise.
“You fucking murderer! It all makes sense.” Absinth was on his feet and marching towards the Mariner, who backed away, hands held out for defence. “How could I have been so stupid? Who else was on the island at that time, but you? Who else could have killed her? It all makes sense. You evil fuck!”
“But... but.. You knew it was me,” he pleaded,
She looked at him patiently and shook her head.
“You may not question me... yet. But I shall prove to you my power.”
She smiled at the group and each stared longingly at her, lost in her charm and strange beauty. Turning to Dan, she held his gaze, their eyes locked and unblinking.
“Hayley, an intimacy of yours?”
“I dated her for a couple of years...” he said, still staring into her eyes.
“She left you for your cousin.”
“Son of a bitch!” he cried out, furious and embarrassed. He looked at the rest of the group, his face flushed red. “I think she’s right. I mean... I don’t know if Hayley did, but it makes sense. Both of them did hang around a lot together, and right after she split with me, he and I stopped talking. I guess that’s the reason he was avoiding me. Fucker!” He whirled back to her. “How did you know?”
“I know everything.”
“How do we know this isn’t some cheap parlour trick?” Absinth was still not convinced. “You could be reading his mind or somethin’.”
“Wouldn’t that still be remarkable?” She flashed him a daring smile. The loaded grin of a croupier.
“It wouldn’t make you an oracle.”
“I told Daniel something he didn’t know. I’ll do it again. Jessica?” She fixed her eyes on the woman amongst them. Once again she looked at her for a few seconds before she spoke. “Your mother crashed her car whilst driving around Big Sur, California.”
At that the Mariner’s stomach took a twist. California. Home of his wine.
Jessica was nodding, urging the Oracle to continue. “You never knew why this happened, but I can tell you now. She had an epileptic fit, lost consciousness and drove off the road.”
Jessica’s eyes filled with tears and her hands shot to her mouth. “My uncle had epilepsy!”
The Oracle nodded solemnly. “Yes, as did she.” She turned her attention to the cynic. “Absinth. Do you still doubt?”
He was less wary now, an eager glint glowing deep in his eyes. “Still not sure, to tell the truth,” he said, though he joined them eagerly enough, leaving only the Mariner to stand by the exit, reluctant to come any further.
Absinth turned back to him. “Come on Cuntface, don’t you want your fucking truth?”
“This is correct, I have truth to share,” she said, her words like old glue. “But perhaps this man is not prepared for it? Perhaps he should leave?”
He didn’t, but the Oracle acted as if he had and she turned to Absinth, looking down at him as a teacher does an infant.
“You were friends with a girl, Isabel. She was murdered.”
Murdered
.
The Mariner tensed, feeling sick with his own guilt. Absinth nodded, gazing back at her.
“You never knew who the murderer was-”
The Mariner’s heart seemed to stop. What was that? Why nod along with the false claim? He
did
know!
“I can tell you who killed her.”
What did she mean she could tell him? He already knew!
“She was killed by a man named Claude, a sailor who you shared a cigarette with, that very night.”
Absinth looked shocked, horrified by the news. He stared at the floor, muttering the name ‘Claude’ to himself over and over. Then he stopped, his head slowly turning towards the Mariner.
“You killed her?”
This seemed to surprise the Oracle as much as he! Her head jolted in his direction, eyes narrowing as if he were a strange illness she couldn’t diagnose. Absurdly she hissed, “Cuntface?” with genuine surprise.
“You fucking murderer! It all makes sense.” Absinth was on his feet and marching towards the Mariner, who backed away, hands held out for defence. “How could I have been so stupid? Who else was on the island at that time, but you? Who else could have killed her? It all makes sense. You evil fuck!”
“But... but.. You knew it was me,” he pleaded,
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