The room wasn't dark, but there wasn't a whole lot of lighting in it, and somehow the walls of the tent muffled out every sound from the noisy carnival around them, because it was completely silent the moment the flap was closed behind them.
In the room, which was actually larger than it looked like it could be from the outside, there was a single small round table, a shiny oaken piece that looked so sturdy it might have grown up out of the ground right where it stood. On the table were a few lit candles in silver holders, and dominating the middle of the table was a silver globe that was about the size of a bowling ball and resting in a marble holder. There were two chairs in the room, facing each other across the table. One was empty, and the other was occupied by the woman that had to be Madam Xara.
In all the movies that Jack had ever seen that had a fortuneteller in them, the fortuneteller had been a dark-haired woman with big glasses and a million bracelets on her wrists, and large dangling ear rings. This woman had long blonde hair that was paler than Sam's, and it was neatly braided into a single braid that ran down the length of her back. And while she was wearing a gaudy outfit that was obviously designed by whomever had dressed the fortunetellers in the movies Jack had seen, she didn't have big glasses and she only wore a single necklace for jewelry, and this one was a silver owl hanging on a long chain.
She looked over at them when the four of them entered the room, and beckoned at them with a smile. The woman looked far older close up than Jack had originally thought she was. When he'd entered the room he'd have said she was about thirty. Now that he saw her close up, he figured she was at least fifty, maybe even older.
"Welcome to my humble tent," she told them in a very soft voice, smiling at Gina, who looked slightly nervous and was holding Jack's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid, child," she said, gently. "I won't bite you."
She looked at Jaffer, who was watching her with interest. "Not with such a formidable protector with you, especially." Her welcoming gaze moved from the black lab up to Jack, and then she frowned and looked back down at the black lab again and her smile faltered, but only for a moment before it returned. Just as sincere as the one before, and broad enough to make Jack wonder if he'd imagined the frown in the darkness of the room.
"Come and sit down, child," She told Gina, gesturing to the empty chair across from her.
Gina looked up at Jack, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't like the woman could possibly hurt her, after all. Not with Jack and Jaffer so close. Even if she wanted to, and Jack couldn't see why she would.
"Go ahead, honey. Have her read your palm." He smiled at Madam Xara, who was looking at the four of them, waiting. Jack noticed that her gaze returned to Jaffer and himself a bit more often than it did Sam or Gina, but he supposed it was just because Jaffer was such a good looking lab. The guy in the foyer did say Xara liked dogs, after all, and Jaffer was always getting second looks.
Gina let go of Jack's hand and went over and sat down, and Xara reached out with gentle hands and took the one that Jack had been holding.
"Let's see..." she said, looking down at the little hand in her own. She ran her fingers along the lines, apparently engrossed in what she was seeing. Jaffer moved over to see what was so interesting, and the leash was just long enough that he could stick his head over the tabletop, but couldn't quite touch either of them.
Xara smiled, not at all annoyed at the dog's intrusion. She looked up from Gina's hand and into the girl's face.
"You like to dance, don't you?"
Gina looked over at Jack, amazed, and Jack scowled, slightly. Yeah, lucky guess. All kids liked to dance.
"My mom's a dance teacher," Gina said, looking back over at the woman holding her hand.
"And she taught you?"
Gina nodded, and Madam Xara looked back down at the hand once more.
"You like a boy..."
Gina flushed, and they could all see it, even in the dim lighting of the room.
"Um... a little."
Jack scowled again, this time at the thought of sharing Gina's affection with anyone else – although he knew that was dumb. She liked lots of other people besides him. He was just being jealous.
The woman looked up from the hand again.
"You have a very interesting lifeline, child," she said smiling. "That means that you're going to do a lot of interesting things, and have many adventures. And it looks like you're going to know someone famous."
"Ooooo..." Gina looked very impressed at this, and she looked down at her hand. "Who?"
The woman shrugged. "I cannot say. Perhaps they are not famous, yet?"
Gina grinned and took her hand back.
"Do Sam, now, Madam Xara. Please?"
The smile returned, and they both looked over at Carter, who was looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Oh, I think we've taken enough of her time..." Sam said.
"Not at all," Xara told her as Gina stood up. She gestured to the chair. "I have nothing but time."
"Go ahead, Sam," Jack said, smiling. It had been her idea to come in, after all. It was only fair.
Sam handed Jack her purse, and sat down in the chair. Gina came over to stand next to Jack, and Jaffer came over to sniff the girl, checking to see if she'd been handed anything to eat. You never knew, after all. Satisfied that she was food free, Jaffer turned his attention back to Xara, who had reached for Carter's hand.
She only looked at the palm for a moment before looking up into Sam's face for another long moment.
"You've traveled far..."
Carter looked over at Jack, who scowled again, although it wasn't all that easy to see in the dark room.
"And you've lost many friends... to..." There was a pause, and she looked back down at Sam's hand again. "You're in love..."
No secret there. Sam smiled, even though she was a little uncomfortable about the whole traveling thing. That had hit a little closer to home than was comfortable.
"Yes." She agreed, once more looking at Jack, who lost his scowl at the plain adoration in her eyes. God, he loved it when she looked at him like that.
Xara followed Sam's gaze, and she smiled at Jack as well. There was no denying who she loved. It didn't take a psychic to see the connection between the two of them.
"Your aura is strong," she said, drawing Carter's attention back to her. "You have a strong personality, which serves you well when dealing with those around you."
Boy, that was right on the money. Sam nodded, and Madam Xara echoed the motion. She knew she was right, but it was always nice when they agreed.
"Especially him?" She asked, slyly. Gina giggled.
"Sometimes..." Sam admitted, casting another look over her shoulder at Jack, who didn't mind being teased at all.
"She starts it," he said, defending himself. "I'm sweet and innocent."
"Uh huh." Sam took her hand back, and stood up, gesturing to the chair. "Why don't we let her be the judge of that?"
"Yeah," Gina agreed. "Let Xara do Jack, now, Sam. That'll be fun."
Oh, joy. Jack wasn't so sure he wanted Xara to do him. He didn't believe she really had any gift or anything, but she was apparently very good at reading people, because she'd made some pretty accurate guesses. He didn't need her making guesses about him. Schooling his features – which was pretty much automatic for him most of the time anyways – Jack took the seat Sam vacated.
In the room, which was actually larger than it looked like it could be from the outside, there was a single small round table, a shiny oaken piece that looked so sturdy it might have grown up out of the ground right where it stood. On the table were a few lit candles in silver holders, and dominating the middle of the table was a silver globe that was about the size of a bowling ball and resting in a marble holder. There were two chairs in the room, facing each other across the table. One was empty, and the other was occupied by the woman that had to be Madam Xara.
In all the movies that Jack had ever seen that had a fortuneteller in them, the fortuneteller had been a dark-haired woman with big glasses and a million bracelets on her wrists, and large dangling ear rings. This woman had long blonde hair that was paler than Sam's, and it was neatly braided into a single braid that ran down the length of her back. And while she was wearing a gaudy outfit that was obviously designed by whomever had dressed the fortunetellers in the movies Jack had seen, she didn't have big glasses and she only wore a single necklace for jewelry, and this one was a silver owl hanging on a long chain.
She looked over at them when the four of them entered the room, and beckoned at them with a smile. The woman looked far older close up than Jack had originally thought she was. When he'd entered the room he'd have said she was about thirty. Now that he saw her close up, he figured she was at least fifty, maybe even older.
"Welcome to my humble tent," she told them in a very soft voice, smiling at Gina, who looked slightly nervous and was holding Jack's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid, child," she said, gently. "I won't bite you."
She looked at Jaffer, who was watching her with interest. "Not with such a formidable protector with you, especially." Her welcoming gaze moved from the black lab up to Jack, and then she frowned and looked back down at the black lab again and her smile faltered, but only for a moment before it returned. Just as sincere as the one before, and broad enough to make Jack wonder if he'd imagined the frown in the darkness of the room.
"Come and sit down, child," She told Gina, gesturing to the empty chair across from her.
Gina looked up at Jack, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't like the woman could possibly hurt her, after all. Not with Jack and Jaffer so close. Even if she wanted to, and Jack couldn't see why she would.
"Go ahead, honey. Have her read your palm." He smiled at Madam Xara, who was looking at the four of them, waiting. Jack noticed that her gaze returned to Jaffer and himself a bit more often than it did Sam or Gina, but he supposed it was just because Jaffer was such a good looking lab. The guy in the foyer did say Xara liked dogs, after all, and Jaffer was always getting second looks.
Gina let go of Jack's hand and went over and sat down, and Xara reached out with gentle hands and took the one that Jack had been holding.
"Let's see..." she said, looking down at the little hand in her own. She ran her fingers along the lines, apparently engrossed in what she was seeing. Jaffer moved over to see what was so interesting, and the leash was just long enough that he could stick his head over the tabletop, but couldn't quite touch either of them.
Xara smiled, not at all annoyed at the dog's intrusion. She looked up from Gina's hand and into the girl's face.
"You like to dance, don't you?"
Gina looked over at Jack, amazed, and Jack scowled, slightly. Yeah, lucky guess. All kids liked to dance.
"My mom's a dance teacher," Gina said, looking back over at the woman holding her hand.
"And she taught you?"
Gina nodded, and Madam Xara looked back down at the hand once more.
"You like a boy..."
Gina flushed, and they could all see it, even in the dim lighting of the room.
"Um... a little."
Jack scowled again, this time at the thought of sharing Gina's affection with anyone else – although he knew that was dumb. She liked lots of other people besides him. He was just being jealous.
The woman looked up from the hand again.
"You have a very interesting lifeline, child," she said smiling. "That means that you're going to do a lot of interesting things, and have many adventures. And it looks like you're going to know someone famous."
"Ooooo..." Gina looked very impressed at this, and she looked down at her hand. "Who?"
The woman shrugged. "I cannot say. Perhaps they are not famous, yet?"
Gina grinned and took her hand back.
"Do Sam, now, Madam Xara. Please?"
The smile returned, and they both looked over at Carter, who was looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Oh, I think we've taken enough of her time..." Sam said.
"Not at all," Xara told her as Gina stood up. She gestured to the chair. "I have nothing but time."
"Go ahead, Sam," Jack said, smiling. It had been her idea to come in, after all. It was only fair.
Sam handed Jack her purse, and sat down in the chair. Gina came over to stand next to Jack, and Jaffer came over to sniff the girl, checking to see if she'd been handed anything to eat. You never knew, after all. Satisfied that she was food free, Jaffer turned his attention back to Xara, who had reached for Carter's hand.
She only looked at the palm for a moment before looking up into Sam's face for another long moment.
"You've traveled far..."
Carter looked over at Jack, who scowled again, although it wasn't all that easy to see in the dark room.
"And you've lost many friends... to..." There was a pause, and she looked back down at Sam's hand again. "You're in love..."
No secret there. Sam smiled, even though she was a little uncomfortable about the whole traveling thing. That had hit a little closer to home than was comfortable.
"Yes." She agreed, once more looking at Jack, who lost his scowl at the plain adoration in her eyes. God, he loved it when she looked at him like that.
Xara followed Sam's gaze, and she smiled at Jack as well. There was no denying who she loved. It didn't take a psychic to see the connection between the two of them.
"Your aura is strong," she said, drawing Carter's attention back to her. "You have a strong personality, which serves you well when dealing with those around you."
Boy, that was right on the money. Sam nodded, and Madam Xara echoed the motion. She knew she was right, but it was always nice when they agreed.
"Especially him?" She asked, slyly. Gina giggled.
"Sometimes..." Sam admitted, casting another look over her shoulder at Jack, who didn't mind being teased at all.
"She starts it," he said, defending himself. "I'm sweet and innocent."
"Uh huh." Sam took her hand back, and stood up, gesturing to the chair. "Why don't we let her be the judge of that?"
"Yeah," Gina agreed. "Let Xara do Jack, now, Sam. That'll be fun."
Oh, joy. Jack wasn't so sure he wanted Xara to do him. He didn't believe she really had any gift or anything, but she was apparently very good at reading people, because she'd made some pretty accurate guesses. He didn't need her making guesses about him. Schooling his features – which was pretty much automatic for him most of the time anyways – Jack took the seat Sam vacated.