Corruptable

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Into the Lair of Claire

Before them stood an enormous woman with her hands on her hips. She wore a red sleeveless dress striped with various zig-zag patterns, and was dripping in various trinkets that served as pendants to her many bracelets, belts, and necklaces. A tuft of dark brown hair poked out of her red bandana, and was twinned by the large swirls that poked out just below her large, gold hoop earrings.

Dark blue eyeshadow had been caked on up to her eyebrows. She had a boil on her nose and a mole on both her cheek and chin. Her mouth and first chin matched that of a frog mid-croak. She smiled villainously at the group before bursting in hooting laughter.

"I am so sorry! Madame was just playing with you!" she wiped her eyes, "You should see the look on your faces!" she mocked their petrified looks and burst out in boisterous laughter again. Her entire body rippled, her beads and knick-knacks clacking with every jiggle. Her voice was guttural and ressonent, yet still feminine, and she spoke with a slight Romani accent.

"You are looking for the Claire Voyance, yes?" she asked, after catching her breath.

Sally was too stunned to speak. The last minute of her life was filled with such confusion, terror, and, well, more confusion, it was all she could do to nod slightly.

"Well, come!" said the woman, "I take you to her, yes? Follow Madame!" The woman turned around and swung open the door across from them. Sally noticed the brass eyeball knocker. The woman put a hand on her hip and another up like she was presenting a door prize and said,

"Soo-prize! It is me! I am the Madame Claire Voyance!" she chuckled.

"Come in, come in," she corralled them.

It was a dimly lit bedroom decorated in velvet drapery. On the side wall was a large bar-like area, with cabinets lined with tea cups against the wall. On one side of the bar was a large chair whose lining looked almost like the face of a duck wearing a hat, and on the other were several highchairs. Madame Voyance more or less shoved everyone in, forcing them into their seats, saying,

"Yes, now the Madame will tell you your fortunes, yes? The first reading is on the house but the rest of you pay."

"Free?" asked Bill.

"Yes, that's right, little man! Do you want a peek into what may be?"

"Well I--" he stammered.

"Of course you do! Here," she said, thumbing through the cabinets, "for you, I use my special cup!"

She placed a tea cup on the bar and bent down. From beneath the bar, she produced a small crate filled with several tea bags. And began swirling it about in front of Bill.

"Choose, my friend, let the spirits guide you!"

"Well," said Bill, "ain't you a spirit? What's yer guidance?"

"Eh," she said, "Go with Citrus Blend, can't go wrong."

"Oh, okay... uh, Citrus Blend I guess."

"Ah, a wise choice, my friend. I will go pour."

She went over to a counter where a teapot sat. She lifted it with one hand and produced a green flame with the other, holding it under the pot and waited for the water to boil.

"I'm thinking skeleton man is correct," the Ambassador whispered to Sally, "I have not seen tea leaf reading before, but I am guessing flavor of tea does not matter."

"Ah," said Sally trying to sound like Voyance, "but it is the flavor that the spirits have chosen!" They giggled lightly as Clair returned and poured moldy water into Bill's cup.