a man walked down a country road at dusk.
he carried a brown bag containing a change of clothing, a bottle of water, and an ancient manuscript.
at a bend in the road he encountered a gypsy sitting on the ground, with an old dog, an empty rat trap and a deck of cards.
the gypsy offered to tell the man’s fortune, for a nominal fee.
grateful for the respite in his interminable journey, the man agreed.
the gypsy asked the man to pick a card from the deck.
it was the four of spades.
the four of spades, the gypsy explained, foretold the coming end of the great city towards which the man’s steps led him.
four prophets would appear on the streets of the city, denouncing the rulers of the city for their crimes, but even more earnestly denouncing each other for their false prophecies.
the first prophet, an old man, foretold that the city would be destroyed by earthquake.
the second, a beautiful young woman, that it would be destroyed by great beasts descending from the sky.
the third, a small child, that it would be destroyed by wind and rain causing a great flood.
the fourth, an anonymous traveler carrying a brown bag, prophesied that the city would vanish, to reappear in another universe where all laws would be upended and reversed .
the man thanked the gypsy for the ireading, and for the nominal fee presented the gypsy with the ancient manuscript in his bag.
the man continued down the road, leaving the gypsy to peruse the ancient manuscript.
the sun set.
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