They had their dinner as the sun began to lower in the sky, causing the shadows of the brightly colored tents and stands to stretch out into weird designs on the ground and across the expanses of the other tents. It was shaping up to be a beautiful evening, and Jack leaned against his stuffed black lab while he held an ice cream cone out to Jaffer so the big dog could eat it at his leisure while Sam and Gina finished their gyros. Jack had nibbled a bit on Sam's, but he wasn't hungry, and really didn't have any room for much more to eat. Jaffer on the other hand, had eyed the ice cream cone Gina handed to Jack with such longing that after a couple bites, Jack had given in and shared it. Jaffer loved ice cream. And Jack loved Jaffer. So it worked out about right.
Gina was looking around while she ate, reading all the signs of various displays that were being shown.
"Look Jack," she said, pointing with her free hand. "There's supposed to be the world's largest alligator in that tent."
He looked over, seeing a small line of people who were waiting for a chance to pay a dollar to witness the fearsome beast.
"You want to see it?" He asked. He'd take her if she wanted, although he wouldn't take Jaffer. Sam could hold the black lab. And the monkey, and the polar bear, and the stuffed dog.
Gina shrugged. "Maybe."
She looked at the next tent, which was the world's largest steer.
"What's a steer?"
"A cow."
"Why isn't it called a cow, then?"
"It's a boy cow, Gina," Sam told her.
"Like a bull?"
Jack nodded, watching Jaffer carefully now, since the black lab had eaten the ice cream all the way to the cone, and his teeth were fairly close to Jack's fingers now. Not that he was really worried about getting nipped, but accidents did happen, right?
"What's the difference between a bull and a steer?" Gina asked.
Yeah, that wasn't something Jack wanted to get into. He pretended to have missed the question, leaving it for Sam to answer, and the scowl Carter shot him was one that told him she knew exactly what he'd done.
"A bull can... um..." Sam looked around, trying to find a distraction. Anything. What she saw was perfect. She pointed to another tent, this one bright red and outlandishly decorated with spangles and moons and stars. "Look! A Palm Reader. Why don't we go get our fortunes told?"
"What?" Jack looked over as well, just as Jaffer snatched the last bit of cone out of his hand and munched it down. "I don't-"
"Oh, that'd be fun!" Gina said, neatly diverted from her original question, much to Sam's relief.
"It's not real, honey," Jack told the girl. "They just make stuff up that they think you want to hear."
"Gina, I'll take you if you want to go," Sam offered, noting the crestfallen look on the girl's face.
Jack had noticed, too, and he inwardly sighed, knowing he'd blown that one. Sometimes it was just better to keep your opinions to yourself, and Jack wasn't always that good at knowing which times to do it and which times to run off at the mouth. Although he was usually better about it when he was with one of the kids.
"Nah, I'll go with you." Jack said, forcing a smile. "Maybe she'll know who's going to win the game tomorrow."
The smile he received in return was worth the effort, and Jack wondered – not for the first time – what it was about little girls that made him turn into goo. He looked down at Jaffer, who was licking the ice cream off his nose. "If I'm going, you're going," he told the black lab. Jaffer wagged his tail. Sure! He'd go! Where were they going?
"I'm not sitting at the table all alone," Sam said, smiling. "I'll come, too." Besides, it'd been her idea, right?
They finished eating, and a reluctant Jack walked over to the gaily- decorated tent, carrying the monkey while Sam picked up the polar bear and Gina carried the stuffed dog. Jaffer eyed the tent suspiciously, his nose working overtime as he caught the scent of different candles burning different odors – none of them bad, but all of them different – long before they'd actually entered.
There was a small foyer, where a man in an odd robe and wearing a turban was standing next to a small podium thing. Above him was a sign that read Madam Xara! True Seer and Fortune Teller. Jack frowned, but the scowl was hidden behind the monkey.
"Ah! Visitors to see Madam Xara?" The man asked, looking down at Jaffer, who was watching him intently, his tail still, but only because he wasn't sure about this guy in the dress and the odd hat.
Gina nodded, smiling excitedly, and Jack shrugged.
"Yeah. We're here to... um... see her."
"She's expecting you," The man said, smiling. He pointed to a small table against the wall of the tent. "Feel free to leave your stuffed animals there. I'll watch them for you. There are candles burning inside, and it's probably better if you don't take them in."
That was fine with Jack. He was already tired of carrying them around. Next time he had Sam win him a prize, he was going to have her try for a goldfish or something equally tiny.
"Do you want me to hold Jaffer out here, Jack?" Sam asked.
"That's not necessary," the man said, smiling. "Your pet is welcome. Madam Xara loves dogs, and he's obviously well-behaved." He gestured for them to enter the other room of the tent, bowing slightly.
Yeah, so this guy obviously wasn't a True Seer, Jack thought wryly as he plopped the monkey down on the table. Otherwise he'd know better. He smiled, though. Madam Xara couldn't be all bad, if she liked dogs. He waited until they'd set the rest of the stuffed animals down, then with Jaffer at his side (pretending to be the perfect gentleman the man thought he was) Jack led Sam and Gina into the dimness of the other room.
Gina was looking around while she ate, reading all the signs of various displays that were being shown.
"Look Jack," she said, pointing with her free hand. "There's supposed to be the world's largest alligator in that tent."
He looked over, seeing a small line of people who were waiting for a chance to pay a dollar to witness the fearsome beast.
"You want to see it?" He asked. He'd take her if she wanted, although he wouldn't take Jaffer. Sam could hold the black lab. And the monkey, and the polar bear, and the stuffed dog.
Gina shrugged. "Maybe."
She looked at the next tent, which was the world's largest steer.
"What's a steer?"
"A cow."
"Why isn't it called a cow, then?"
"It's a boy cow, Gina," Sam told her.
"Like a bull?"
Jack nodded, watching Jaffer carefully now, since the black lab had eaten the ice cream all the way to the cone, and his teeth were fairly close to Jack's fingers now. Not that he was really worried about getting nipped, but accidents did happen, right?
"What's the difference between a bull and a steer?" Gina asked.
Yeah, that wasn't something Jack wanted to get into. He pretended to have missed the question, leaving it for Sam to answer, and the scowl Carter shot him was one that told him she knew exactly what he'd done.
"A bull can... um..." Sam looked around, trying to find a distraction. Anything. What she saw was perfect. She pointed to another tent, this one bright red and outlandishly decorated with spangles and moons and stars. "Look! A Palm Reader. Why don't we go get our fortunes told?"
"What?" Jack looked over as well, just as Jaffer snatched the last bit of cone out of his hand and munched it down. "I don't-"
"Oh, that'd be fun!" Gina said, neatly diverted from her original question, much to Sam's relief.
"It's not real, honey," Jack told the girl. "They just make stuff up that they think you want to hear."
"Gina, I'll take you if you want to go," Sam offered, noting the crestfallen look on the girl's face.
Jack had noticed, too, and he inwardly sighed, knowing he'd blown that one. Sometimes it was just better to keep your opinions to yourself, and Jack wasn't always that good at knowing which times to do it and which times to run off at the mouth. Although he was usually better about it when he was with one of the kids.
"Nah, I'll go with you." Jack said, forcing a smile. "Maybe she'll know who's going to win the game tomorrow."
The smile he received in return was worth the effort, and Jack wondered – not for the first time – what it was about little girls that made him turn into goo. He looked down at Jaffer, who was licking the ice cream off his nose. "If I'm going, you're going," he told the black lab. Jaffer wagged his tail. Sure! He'd go! Where were they going?
"I'm not sitting at the table all alone," Sam said, smiling. "I'll come, too." Besides, it'd been her idea, right?
They finished eating, and a reluctant Jack walked over to the gaily- decorated tent, carrying the monkey while Sam picked up the polar bear and Gina carried the stuffed dog. Jaffer eyed the tent suspiciously, his nose working overtime as he caught the scent of different candles burning different odors – none of them bad, but all of them different – long before they'd actually entered.
There was a small foyer, where a man in an odd robe and wearing a turban was standing next to a small podium thing. Above him was a sign that read Madam Xara! True Seer and Fortune Teller. Jack frowned, but the scowl was hidden behind the monkey.
"Ah! Visitors to see Madam Xara?" The man asked, looking down at Jaffer, who was watching him intently, his tail still, but only because he wasn't sure about this guy in the dress and the odd hat.
Gina nodded, smiling excitedly, and Jack shrugged.
"Yeah. We're here to... um... see her."
"She's expecting you," The man said, smiling. He pointed to a small table against the wall of the tent. "Feel free to leave your stuffed animals there. I'll watch them for you. There are candles burning inside, and it's probably better if you don't take them in."
That was fine with Jack. He was already tired of carrying them around. Next time he had Sam win him a prize, he was going to have her try for a goldfish or something equally tiny.
"Do you want me to hold Jaffer out here, Jack?" Sam asked.
"That's not necessary," the man said, smiling. "Your pet is welcome. Madam Xara loves dogs, and he's obviously well-behaved." He gestured for them to enter the other room of the tent, bowing slightly.
Yeah, so this guy obviously wasn't a True Seer, Jack thought wryly as he plopped the monkey down on the table. Otherwise he'd know better. He smiled, though. Madam Xara couldn't be all bad, if she liked dogs. He waited until they'd set the rest of the stuffed animals down, then with Jaffer at his side (pretending to be the perfect gentleman the man thought he was) Jack led Sam and Gina into the dimness of the other room.
