Time's Tragedies- The Books Of Beginning [2]

66. New York, 1899

What were Lili and Eternity supposed to do when the very seer they had time traveled over a century into the past for told them to follow her? Ignore the summons? Not likely. So, the two teenagers followed Ling Chao down a narrow street and into the basement of a tenement building, where a crone greeted the seer and let the three girls into a small back room, occupied by a table of scrying supplies, and a thin cot piled with worn blankets which served as the seer's bed. She muttered in mandarin to herself for a moment, before taking a seat in one of the creaky chairs surrounding the table, and motioning Lili and Eternity to do the same.

"Tea?" Ling offered them.

Lili didn't want to press the girl's hospitality, but at the same time, tea did sound quite good at the moment. "If you're offering, than yes."

"I'll take a cup too, please," Eternity said with surprising politeness for her. 

Ling nodded, then quickly slipped out of her chair to speak in mandarin to the elderly woman that she clearly knew - her guardian, if Lili was remembering her father's explanations correctly - after a few minutes, she bustled back in carrying three chipped and worn cups of hot tea. She placed one in front of Lili, one in front of Eternity, and  one in front of herself, before sitting back down. Lili noticed that her movements were quick and decisive. 

"Thank you," Lili said gratefully, warmth seeping into her hands through the cup as she took a small sip of the tea. It was sharp and bitter tasting, but Lili didn't mind - actually, she appreciated the flavor. 

"Yeah, thanks," Eternity echoed, also clutching her warm cup in both hands. 

Ling smiled - it was a sharp and cunning smile, older than her fourteen years - "of course. Now, I don't like to waste time, so let me start by saying I know why you're here. I know where you come from. I know when you come from."

Eternity balked in surprise, "how-"

"She's a prophet, E," Lili said, "and clearly a very powerful one."

"That's true," Ling agreed, "I can see far into the future, and I have great control over my abilities. Hence, when I first received visions of the pair of you arriving to speak to me, I used my gifts and did my research. I know about you, Lili Henrietta Wibberly, and you as well, Esmerelda Carmen Espinosa."

Eternity's eyes widened at the mention of the name she had been given at birth, not the name she had chosen when she ran away. Lili reached for her hand and squeezed it, "she goes by Eternity Time now, actually."

"I know," Ling said, "I just needed to prove that my information is accurate."

Eternity nodded, "fair point. So, you know that we're here for the scroll?"

"Indeed I do."

"We're prepared to pay you for it," Lili said immediately, "but we can't let you destroy it. If you know that we need it, you must know why."

Ling tilted her head to the side, and from one of the pockets of her long, warm skirt, pulled out a torn page of worn parchment, "I do know why you need it - for answers, to how to save your family. And I'll gladly sell it to you in exchange for your money - and one other thing."

"What other thing?" Lili asked skeptically. 

"I would ask to look at your timelines through the scrying bowl," Ling answered, "I've learned some about you, particularly the facts surrounding this incident, through visions, but I want a more complete picture."

Eternity and Lili exchanged looks. Then Eternity questioned, "you'll keep this a secret, right? To protect both the timeline and our privacy?"

"Of course," Ling promised, "I have a strict policy on privacy for my clients."