“So you’re saying this fortuneteller knows everything?” Nori said, struggling through the muck.

“Everything,” replied Yasu. “The past, the future, all of it.”

“Well, at least she’ll be expecting us,” Nori said, leaning against a nearby boulder for a moment.

“I asked her once about that,” said Yasu. “She said ‘If I looked into the future and saw that I was not expecting you, would that mean that I would or would not have the teakettle on?”

“Typical.” Nori let out a deep breath. “At least there’s plenty of boulders to rest against.”

“Oh, ah, that’s not a boulder.”

Nori looked up, startled, as the ‘rock’ began to move. It was an enormous toad that let out a sullen croak before lumbering deeper into the mire.

“Fortuneteller’s grove, toad boulders…can today get any weirder?”

Yasu pointed at something in the distance. “I think it’s about to.”

  • Like what you see? Purchase a print or ebook version!
Advertisement