Omens

The Goblet

Staggering slightly, Kate maneuvered the weight of her tray down the carpeted steps and through the winding halls, passing butlers smoking, cooks shouting, and waiters running as they slicked their hair into place. Finally, she reached the doors of the enormous kitchen, pushing them open and running the last few yards to the sinks.

Her friend Molly looked up from where she leaned over one of the sinks, scrubbing china. "Ay! It took ye long enough!"

"I got lost again," Kate panted, adjusting her apron and maid's cap. "I don't think I'll ever remember how to get here from the ladies' lounge." She slid her tray of glassware to the sink next to Molly.

Molly grinned. "Did ye stop and ask directions?"

"Yes, I asked three waiters. The first two just cursed at me."

"And the third?"

"He said he'd tell me the way if I gave him a kiss."

Molly squealed with delight. "How ever do ye get so popular with the lads, eh? Ah, that reminds me: Frank came 'round again asking after ye."

Kate pretended to grimace. "Oh? And what did the likes of him want?"

"Wondering if he could take ye on a stroll 'round the deck, he was."

"What, does he think I'm a fine little lady with all the time in the world on my hands? Doesn't he have a kitchen to see to himself? Why, if the head cook ever heard..."

Kate broke off suddenly with a loud shriek, as the goblet she was holding fell to the ground and shattered.

Molly whipped around, splashing water on her apron. "Kate! What in heavens' name..."

"Look!" Kate screamed. "Look at what was in that glass!"

On the floor, strewn across the shards of shattered glass, were slimy twists of green-black seaweed, slippery and cold. A small silver fish lay tangled among them, long dead. Its eyes were glassy and white, its mouth open. The black seaweed was wound around its body as if to strangle it.

"It wasn't there before, it wasn't there!" Kate gasped. "Oh, Molly, I swear it wasn't there before, God's honest truth! I would've seen it as I brought the tray down, I know I would have! I never let the glasses out of my sight the whole time. How did it get into that glass?"

Molly stared at the glass shards, the dead fish, then at Kate. "I...I don't know, dear. Say, maybe it was Frank that done it! Yea, surely it was him. He's tryin' to get your attention, girl, that's all. He must've passed you in the hall and slipped it in wi'out ye noticin'."

"No, no, no," Kate murmured, staring wide-eyed at the glass. "I would've seen it. How would I have missed something like that, Molly? And besides..." She bent to touch the black seaweed. "Such things as this don't grow but on the bottom of the ocean. How would he have gotten it?"

Molly bit her lip, her eyes wide.

"What in the Lord's name is going on down here?" thundered a loud voice as the kitchen doors swung open. "What is this mess?!"

Kate and Molly turned to face a large man in a cook's uniform, red-faced and panting, his dark eyes glaring.

"I...I'm very sorry, sir, it's all my fault," Kate stammered. "I dropped a glass, because..."

"Because we think one of your boys was playing games wi' her, that's what!" Molly piped up. "Look what was in that glass! Well it wasn't there before, I tell ye. Your cooks are playing games wi' us, and look what happened." She pointed accusingly to the mess.

The cook glared menacingly from Molly, with her fiery red hair and snappy eyes, to the dead fish and seaweed, then to Kate, who looked away silently.

"Fine then," he huffed.  "I'll have a word with my cooks. In the meantime, get this cleaned up, and then you..." he pointed at Kate, "you go up on the deck for some cold air. Clear your head and maybe calm your nerves a little. And mind you don't go promenading about with one of my cooks!" He stormed back through the doors, puffing and fuming.

Kate turned to Molly. "Many thanks, Molly, but I hope Frank doesn't get into too much trouble. I really don't think this was him. There's something that's just...off about it."

Molly rolled her eyes and bent to sweep up the glass. "There's nobody else it could have been, I tell ye! Now get on with yourself and go up to the deck. I'll finish here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes, now get along. And if ye see Frank O'Reilly, be sure to promenade as much as ye like!"