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SCENE THREE: TAROT OR NOT TAROT...

As the players leave Hyde Park, it will be easy to flag down a horse drawn Hansom Cab. Assuming that the players act quickly the cab will get them to the address shown on the card in time to keep their appointment.

The cab pulls up outside a large, terraced town house. The street is quite busy with pedestrians as you step out of the carriage, and after paying the driver, climb the few steps up to the large blue front door. A brass plate beside the doorbell declares: 'Mrs. Emma Huntingdon: Psychic Extraordinaire'. You press the doorbell and you hear the tinkle of a distant bell within.

A maid will answer the door and tell the players that they are expected. She will show the players into a plush living room where Mrs. Huntingdon is waiting. Mrs. Huntingdon is a short, grey haired lady who appears to be about 45-50 years old, and a little overweight. She will introduce herself and then hand the players an envelope.

"I believe this is what you came for," she says, "although I must admit that it is all very mysterious.."

She will go on to tell the players that a tall handsome man with a black moustache gave her the envelope two days ago and said that some friends of his would call for it today at 1:00pm. He paid her £5.00 to keep the envelope safe and deliver it when his friends arrived. Quite why he chose her is a mystery to Mrs. Huntingdon, as she had never seen the man before.

Any 'thought probes', or such like by the players, will reveal nothing extra, as Mrs. Huntingdon is telling the truth. If questioned about her profession, Mrs. Huntingdon will explain that she reads Tarot Cards or palm-reads in order to tell people's fortunes. Although Mrs. Huntingdon believes that she has a power to tell the future, she has no real ability.

If the players ask for a reading, Mrs. Huntingdon will gladly oblige, preferring to use the cards. She will pull the curtains, light a single oil lamp and pull some chairs around a small card table. She then produces a pack of Tarot Cards, and, whilst muttering under her breath, shuffles them. She will then deal five cards in a line in front of the players.

"Your life in the past has been ruled by..." she turns the first card, revealing a picture of a wheel inscribed with various runes, "The Wheel of Fortune."

"Your life will ultimately deal with...." she goes to the fifth card and flips it revealing the Earth supported by various wild animals, "the Fate of the World."

Mrs. Huntingdon looks worried. Players with intuition talent will feel uncomfortable, and the room gets noticeably cooler.

"Your aim now concerns..." Mrs. Huntingdon continues, flipping the second card, revealing a man seated on a throne, "The Emperor?"

"Your success is impeded by..." as Mrs. Huntingdon reaches for the middle card, the gas lamp flame flutters as if in a breeze, and any psionic character in the party (preferably one with precognition ability) suddenly places his hand over the card. Eyes closed, he will stand as if frozen for nearly 30 seconds. He will experience a wildcard premonition, revealing the following:
"He sees himself lying in bed from afar. As the viewpoint rapidly approaches the bed, he looks at his watch - it is 12:30. He feels a sense of impending doom..."

The premonition ends, and the player collapses back into his chair. The gas lamp flares as he turns the card to reveal a skeleton on horseback. "Death..." says Mrs. Huntingdon, under her breath.

She is visibly shaken by what has happened and she will ask the players to leave. When they open the envelope, the players will discover two false passports, and two tickets for the Airship "Colossus", leaving that night at 8:00pm from London, bound for Petrograd.

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