The Glass Kingdom by Chris Flynn Read Free Book Online

readings.’
    â€˜Get your feet off the dash.’
    She did what I asked, but I knew I’d have to tell her again in a minute.
    â€˜Head full of crazy ideas, all fantasy and expectation. The vast majority of people coming in wanting their fortunes told have already decided what they want the cards to say. Nobody wants to hear that hard times lie ahead, or that sorrow will enter their lives, or financial difficulties, or that they will never find true love. It’s weird—so many people buy into fantasies that have no relation whatsoever to their everyday reality. They expect some sort of hero narrative, or a family narrative, or worst of all a fucken princess narrative, and if it doesn’t turn out that way they’re unhappy and angry and disappointed.’
    â€˜Would do my head in.’
    â€˜God, tell me about it. They blame me if it’s not all roses and champagne. Like somehow I can map out their futures for them. They want me to reassure them that they’re doing the right thing, that they’re on the correct path, that it will all work out for the best in the end. Thing is, though, the cards don’t lie.’
    â€˜But you do.’
    â€˜Yeah. Course I do, as much as it pains me. You can’t tell people the truth. That’s not what they’ve paid to hear. They’d rather exist in a fantasy version of themselves. Just like your little friend Mikey.’
    â€˜He’s no friend of mine.’
    â€˜That’s why you and I get on so well, I reckon. We know what we are. We don’t pretend to be anything else.’
    â€˜I don’t know about that.’
    â€˜Yeah, totally. I mean, after what happened to you, it’s not surprising.’
    Steph reached across to touch my neck. I flinched, an automatic reaction.
    â€˜You don’t live behind a façade, behind some sort of constructed personality. You’re real, baby. You’re authentic. There aren’t many of us around.’
    I had learned a long time ago not to question Steph’s beliefs, even if I did think they were misguided. I usually just let her ramble on. It was easier that way. Less hassle. No point in picking a fight I couldn’t win.
    â€˜I love the Zen state we exist in. People like us, we have a unique understanding of the world. We can see people for who they really are. It’s not always nice. In fact it’s frequently not nice at all, but that doesn’t matter because we’ve got each other. It’s you and me against the world, babe, and I’m in it with you till the bitter end.’
    I appreciated the sentiment. I really did. It’s not every woman that would have me. Such a load of bullshit, though.
    Around 10.30 I spotted a car in the distance. As it approached I could see it looked like a blue Datsun, so I lifted my foot gently off the accelerator. Steph sat up straight when the vehicle behind sounded its horn at us for slowing down.
    â€˜What’s wrong?’
    â€˜Hold on a sec. It’s probably nothing.’
    I was only doing forty ks an hour when the Datsun passed us in the opposite direction, so I was able to get a good look at the rego. I stepped on the brakes and steered in sharply to the hard shoulder. The car behind us roared past, its horn bellowing in protest. I watched the Datsun retreat in the side mirror and waited for the last two vehicles in the convoy to go past before I swung the wheel around and chucked a skidding uey. The Target Ball stand whipped around behind us and almost tipped. Finding the right side of the road again, I accelerated after the Datsun. The engine thrummed eagerly in response.
    â€˜Did you forget something?’ Steph asked, her quizzical expression melting as the rear end of her car came into view.
    â€˜Oh. Well, good morning to you, old friend.’
    It didn’t take long to catch up to him. The Datsun was no match for the SV6. I had a bullbar so I thought, well, what’s it