Tarot Reading

[Noth Squadron]

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Another day, another night at the god-forsaken table. The two usual suspects were at the table, and the two that were normally missing were still gone. No one was willing to play anything new, which meant no progress was being made. Four was guessing that the Five of Swords meant something like persistence, or ambition maybe, and at this point he had eight of them. The Blades could very well be exactly as Strauss had said, but Four was certain that Strauss was either lying, or lying through telling the truth.

Last time, Four had acknowledged that knowledge was power, and went looking for some information. Anything he could find to change who was applying the pressure. He hadn't found anything particularly strong, but he had found something, at least. "The Utilitarian Fantasy of the Sirian Man. Ring a bell?
"Ring a bell? I wrote it. Never published it, though."
"Published post-mortem by a second cousin."
"Ah, it must have been Heldebald. We did write to each other after my dear wife passed. I suppose he did have a fondness for those shoddy works."
"I didn't take you for an author."
"Oh, I didn't either. Nikolaus Strauss, Doctor of Psychology and Philosophy, pleased to make your acquaintance. Born to a long line of brave soldiers, served in the Rheinland Military during the colony wars." Strauss leaned across the table with a vicious grin. "Died by suicide, either starvation or dehydration in deep space. Got in a ship with no supplies, and flew off in a straight line. Never seen again."
Four laughed. "Hah! And those bastards told me that dead men tell no tales."
Strauss laughed with him. "Whoever said that has never witnessed an autopsy."
"Well, the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing mankind he wasn't there."
"So it would seem, yes? So it would seem."

Silence overcame the two. Four was at a dead end with his game of information. Learning that Strauss was already dead somehow didn't make his threat any less real. Four glared at the King of Coins that Strauss had played yesterday. Wealth, obviously. Coins were wealth, and the King of Coins had to be some impressive wealth. But he couldn't risk telegraphing that he had no idea what he was doing. So, instead, he took a roundabout way. "So, who are these other two? Why are they playing this game?"
"To your right is Death. Merciful Death, who lost her place in the universe at the hands of the natural selection you've come to represent. She plays at this table to make the universe one fit for peaceful seamstresses, artists, researchers, and other such... quiet professions."
Four hit a roadblock trying to process that information. Death was a very important step in natural selection. How could Death lose her place in the universe due to natural selection? Was he lying again? Four didn't have time to question further. "To your left is a fairy. She lost her place at another table due to Death. She plays the game to make the universe fit for her and her people. To beat Death."
"So Death is here to win. The fairy is here to beat death. I'm here to kill you. And you're here...?"
"To win."

Four wasn't much further from where he started. The Magician card on the table seemed to be laughing at him. Upon closer inspection, the figure depicted on The Magician seemed to be Strauss, but when Four tried to get a closer look, it shifted into some kind of armored demon. Angular armor that looked almost like crystal, spiked, with sharp, thin claws. Nothing usable there, either. Reaching a dead end, Four supposed it was time to take the devil's deal.
"So?"
"You truly are a shrewd man. Well, I'll throw you a bone. Death is one of a pantheon. Death stands at the head, and behind her is War, Defense, Knowledge, Creation, Experimentation, and Infiltration. "Shi" may stand for Death, but as Four, you are a pariah. An outcast, at the very fringes of your people. And that is what sancted Minerva, our goddess of War, is as well. Respected among us as a peerless tactician and the proliferator of skill-- "
Four cut him off. "My people avoid me because Four is an unlucky number. Sounds like your people avoid that war goddess because she's a right bitch. How are we supposed to be the same?"
"Because you both serve integral purposes. And, in the end, you both have admirers. So, the deal you've been waiting for. Would you like to hear it?"
"Yeah. Let's get it over with."
"Tag along with Twenty-Five and Twelve. Gather offerings worthy of War, and sacrifice them in supplication into the Pohnpei Edge Nebula. Start in sector F1. You'll feel where you need to go from there."

Four squinted at the devil sat across from him. Strauss simply smiled back, the flickering light from the green torches behind him casting eerie shadows on his face. Having something tangible to do felt right, but doing it at his behest didn't. It could be a trap. There could be missing details. And most of the squadron didn't like working with Four. He was a sign of bad luck, and a reminder of underhanded betrayals. On the other side of the coin, he could get necessary information on Strauss if he payed close attention to the job. A ghostly Wheel of Fortune card appeared in his hands, and a card appeared in Strauss's hands as well. "What's in it for me?"
"Succeed, and you make a stride into another's favor. A good woman with a tumultuous history. A pariah herself, in many ways. Succeed, and you make a stride into Minerva's favor. You may not prove yourself worthy, but you will prove yourself to be on the path to worth, and having War herself on your side will certainly be useful for killing me. Succeed, and you announce yourself to Death. You may very well align yourself with her at this very table. Two against one against one is certainly favorable to one against one against one against one, isn't it?"

Four took a moment to consider the offer. Winning the favor of gods and devils, of angels and demons. It didn't seem like the best of deals, but his options were running dry. He was dealt into this game well behind, and he was playing catchup with beings that were difficult, if not impossible, to truly comprehend. Any option forward was an option he needed to take. The Wheel of Fortune was clearly representing this gamble. The moment he resolved himself to play it, another Five of Swords appeared in his hand. He played them both, and that said all that needed to be said.

Strauss chuckled, then laughed, then veritably roared. The green fire in the torches behind him shifted to a deep red which somehow made the room darker despite them flaring up, and faint orange glows started to seep from the symbols in the wall. Four had the feeling that he'd screwed up somehow, but it didn't matter. Roll with the punches, and hit back twice as hard. "Keep that smile on when I put a bullet in your head, Strauss."
"Of course. I'll see you soon, Shi."

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