The New World

Bird of Fire

It was 4 a.m. and Mens had been asleep for a long time when an emergency call woke him up: "Brother Inspector, uh... sorry to wake you up, can I come up and talk to you for a few minutes? It's important.". Mens gasped as he heard Clara Chavez's voice, Ok", he replied immediately, "room 413." He quickly put on a shirt and pants while she went upstairs.

"Come in", he said, opening the door to his room.

"I've come for... my mother", Clara said, looking him straight in the eyes.

He closed the door and let her into the room.

Clara looked more relaxed than in her work environment. Mens had turned on all the bedroom lights and put a relaxing program on the video wall: Colorado, a lazy giant.

Moments later, they were sitting in armchairs with a drink in hand.

"So you're ready to give me some information", Mens began in a tone intended to be friendly.

"My father was killed in Empire City by your colleagues three years ago, during an operation that went wrong. It was a blunder. Do you understand now why I'm suspicious of the Wamash?"

"I'm sorry, Clara. Clara, I..."

"The little I know", Clara cut him off. "I'm only prepared to tell you if you promise to get my mother out as soon as possible."

"Wait, I don't want to give you false hope. I have to submit your proposal to a magistrate, who alone will decide. After all, I'm just a law enforcement officer. To show you my good will, I'm going to allow you to visit your mother, despite the fact that she's being held in maximum security."

"But you said she's in great danger if she stays in this cell?"

"I promise I won't introspect her, but you've got to give me something to go on. What information do you have?

"As I said, I know very little."

"But how much do you know?"

"And what little I do know, I've learned from the methods my mother taught me," said Clara, pulling a small package wrapped in brightly-colored cloth from her bag.

Unwrapping the package, she uncovered some cards, which she quickly spread out on the coffee table.

"You mean you use divination to..."

"What information are you looking for?", she asked with a small smile as she shuffled the cards. "Draw 4 cards, Inspector."

Clara pointed to the pile of cards. Mens picked four, a smirk on his lips.

"You can't be serious. What's more, you're taking risks: divination is punishable by law. But let's see what you're getting at."

Without a word, Clara turned over the chosen cards and arranged them in a cross. The drawings, curious relics, bore names that indicated The Moon, The Emperor, The Papess and The Hanged Man. She pondered for a moment, then told him in a sententious tone:

"You're looking for something false", she announced, her index finger on the Moon. "It's the sacrifice of a woman who will show you the way."

"Can you tell me more about it?"

She seemed proud of herself, like a child showing whats he can do. He leaned over the coffee table to examine the cards and could smell her perfume.

"For example, what's this fake thing you're talking about?", he asked.

"It's probably the free implants, isn't it?" She bit her lips and blushed, then continued. "So, how much do we have in synthesis..."

She placed her purple-painted fingers on each card in turn and counted aloud: