THE HIEROPHANT, THE QUEEN OF SWORDS AND THE FOOL

Three cards

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Okay, these three people walk into a bar. The Hierophant immediately asks the bartender how he’s doing. The Queen of Swords tosses a bag of coin onto the bar and tells the bartender she’s paying for herself and these other two. The Fool grins and says “In that case, I’ll have two!” The bartender serves the beer or wine or whisky, take your pick, and the three proceed to sit at the bar and drink their drinks. As they sip their drinks The Hierophant starts talking about spirituality. He starts going on and on about good will to others and how people should behave. The Queen of Swords listens to his drivel with suspicion. You see, she doesn’t trust his words because they’ve been traveling together for some time and she’s seen him in action.

The Queen of Swords remembered a specific moment in their travels when they passed a prisoner who was suspended in a cage hanging from a sturdy tree branch. The poor, almost skeletal figure barely registered the three’s presence as they approached. When they were near enough, The Fool rapped on the metal cage with the stick he was always carting around with him and said “You sir! Why are you in this cage?” The prisoner lifted his head, his dirty scraggly hair hanging in his face, and said “I stole a loaf of bread.” The Queen of Swords shifted on the saddle of her horse and said “This seems a rather extreme punishment for steeling a simple loaf of bread. How long have you been up there?” The prisoner coughed a raspy cough and shook his head. “I forget. Days, weeks, months. Too long to count.” The Hierophant wrinkled his nose in disgust at the prisoner. “He’s a thief! Why are we waisting our time here. Let’s move on.” he said impatiently. The Queen of Swords scowled at The Hierophant and then removed her water flask from her side bag. She then removed the bread from that same bag and tore a very generous piece from it. She lifted the water and the bread to the prisoner. “Sir, please drink some water from my flask and eat this bread. The Fool and I will figure a way to get you down and free of that cage.” The Hierophant just shook his head. Then he dismounted from his horse and found a soft patch of grass to lie on for a little nap while The Queen of Swords and The Fool worked to free the prisoner.

Now, weeks later and with that moment clear in her memory, The Queen of Swords looked The Hierophant squarely in the eye and said “You sir, are the reverse of a hierophant and I think maybe this is where we should part ways.” She finished her drink in one slightly un-lady like gulp, and stood to leave. The Queen of Swords paused and turned towards The Fool. She was still undecided about that one. He made the silliest, most unthoughtful choices, like the time he lost all of his money in that rigged cup game, but he did make her laugh. The Fool was also a very good listener and paid attention to the things she said. He had helped her free that prisoner without any second thought. Maybe she’d keep him around for a little bit longer. The Queen of Swords tapped The Fool on the shoulder and said “Finish up your drinks and let’s get going. There’s more to see before the sun sets.” The Fool drank up and waved a thank you to the bartender. He slapped the Hierophant on the shoulder and said “sorry dude.”

Then The Queen of Swords and The Fool headed out to see what they could see.