양지의 아니에스/8권

Chapter 8 - 22 Cards of Fate - Part 1

Agnès was still shaken up by Edwin's behavior, even after she returned from the Eaton News. Normally, he was so straightforward and easy to read! But now...

She wiped down the countertop and rearranged the glasses and silverware in an attempt to calm herself, but her anxiety remained. The only customer, Old Man Purdue, sat at a nearby table, chatting leisurely with Agnès' uncle. He waved to Agnès, and she responded in kind.

'...Do you have any ideas, Kagemaru?' she asked.

Kagemaru was curled up on his favorite spot on the counter, just left of Edwin's usual seat. The cat stared at her with his usual lethargic look.

'Yeah. I figured as much...' she thought.

Agnès reached for her knit cap, but stopped herself. Even if she ran out searching for Ed now, she knew she wouldn't be able to find him. He had his bike, and was bound to be on the move at all times, with how worked up he was. Instead, Agnès opened a drawer behind the bar and removed an old-looking deck of tarot cards.

'Yeah, these ought to do the trick...'

Pinpointing lost items through tarot card readings was well within the clan's rules. Every now and then, Agnès would even do some fortune-telling for their regular customers. It was nice to hear them tell her she had been right, but what really made her happy was getting to use her powers freely.

Reading a fortune for one's own benefit, however, was wholly forbidden. After all, too much knowledge can be a danger in and of itself.

Agnès hesitated briefly before undoing the string that bound the deck together.

'There was something off about Edwin today. I'm sure of it.' She exhaled deeply before placing her fingers upon the stack of cards. Imagining the possible answers the deck held, no matter how small, calmed Agnès.

'Excuse me, miss!'

Suddenly, a cute little girl, about ten years old, stood before her.

'Can I help you...?' Agnès asked as she took her hands off of the cards, wondering when the girl had come in.

'Are you telling fortunes, miss? Can you do mine, too?'

The girl introduced herself as Tizze and said she was looking for answers. She fidgeted with the red ribbon she wore. Apparently, her father was in the middle of a difficult job, and she wanted to know how it would turn out.

'Well, I...' Agnès wondered if the little girl was from the area. She'd never seen her before. Her request came at a fortuitous moment, though. Agnès was reluctant to use her powers for herself, but she had far fewer qualms about using them to help others.

'Well, I'll make an exception, just for today. What'll it be, Tizze? I'll take one single request.'

'Wow, really?'

'I never lie, and neither do my tarot cards.'

第８回　２２枚の運命Ⅰ

通信社から戻ってきても、まだアニエスは落ち着かなかった。……エドウィンがおかしい。いつもはあんなに単純で分かりやすいのに！

調子を整えるためにカウンターを拭いて、グラスとスプーンとフォークセットを並べなおしたが、やっぱり心のざわめきは収まらない。客は１人、近所に住むパデュー爺さんで、テーブル席で叔父さんと歓談している。パデュー爺さんが手を振ったので、アニエスも小さく手を上げて返した。

「……カゲマル、何か知ってる？」カウンターの定位置──エドウィンの席の左前──で居眠りを始めたカゲマルに聞いてみるけれど、眠たげな視線を返されただけだった。……カゲマルが知るわけないよね。

アニエスはニット帽に手を伸ばし、途中で止めた。今から探しにいったってきっとエドは見つからない。自転車も持っているし、何しろいつも猪突猛進なんだもの。代わりに引き出しの１つをあけて、古びたタロットを取り出す。……やっぱり、これを使おう。

タロット占いと失せ物探しの力だけは禁じられていない。だからアニエスは時々常連客相手に占ってあげることがあった。「当たったよ」と言って貰えるより本当の力を気兼ねなく使えることが嬉しかった。

でも、自分のために占ってはいけない事になっている。色んな事を知るというのは、それなりに危険な事だから。

──でも…………　アニエスはタロットを束ねていた紐を外した。今日のエドウィンは絶対におかしい、絶対に。一度だけ大きく息を吐いて、揃えた指をタロットの上に置く。これで少なくとも何かが判るんだ。そう思うと不思議と感情が静まってきた──

「……お姉さん！」

「えっ！？」いつの間にか目の前に、１０歳くらいの可愛らしい女の子が立っていた。あれ、いつ入って来たんだろう？ともかくタロットから手を放し、赤いリボンをつけた少女に向いて、アニエスはどうしたのと尋ねた。

「お姉さん、占いをするの？あたしにも占ってくれない……？」ティセと名乗った少女は、どうしても知りたい事があるのだという。パパはいま大変なお仕事をしている、パパのお仕事がうまく行くか、おしえてほしいの。ティセは少し恥ずかしがり屋なみたいで、もじもじしながらそう言った。

「ええと…………」近所の子かな、見かけないけれど。でも少女の頼みは渡りに船な気がした。自分のために力を使うのはやっぱり気が引ける。でも、誰かを占うついでなら……

「……じゃあ、今日は特別。ティセちゃんのお願いを１度だけ聞いてあげるね」

「わっ、ほんとう？」

「嘘は言わないわ。もちろん私のタロットもね」