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           "Tom,youseethat?Acard,hiddenaway,andnowshethrowsitoutatus!"Douglasheldthecardtothelight."It’sblank.I’llputitinamatchboxfullofchemicalsduringthenight.Tomorrowwe’llopentheboxandtherethemessage’llbe!"

           "What’llitsay?"

           Douglasclosedhiseyesthebettertoseethewords.

           "It’llsay,‘Thanksfromyourhumbleservantandgratefulfriend,Mme.FloristanMarianiTarot,theChiromancer,SoulHealer,andDeep-DownDivinerofFatesandFuries.’"

           Tomlaughedandshookhisbrother’sarm.

           "Goon,Doug,whatelse,whatelse?"

           "Letmesee...Andit’llsay,‘Heynonnyno!...is’tnotfinetodanceandsing?...whenthebellsofdeathdoring...andturnuponthetoe...andsingHeynonnyno!’Andit’llsay,‘TomandDouglasSpaulding,everythingyouwishfor,allyourlifethrough,you’llget...’Andit’llsaythatwe’llliveforever,youandme,Tom,we’llliveforever..."

           "Allthatonjustthisonecard?"

           "Allthat,everysinglebitofit,Tom."

           Inthelightoftheelectricbulbtheybent,thetwoboys’headsdown,thewitch’sheaddown,staringandstaringatthebeautifulblankbutpromisingwhitecard,theirbrighteyessensingeachandeveryincrediblyhiddenwordthatwouldsoonriseupfrompaleoblivion.

           "Hey,"saidTominthesoftestofvoices.

           AndDouglasrepeatedinagloriouswhisper,"Hey..."

           Faintly,thevoicechantedunderthefierygreentreesatnoon.

           "...nine,ten,eleven,twelve..."