Some Things Never
Seem to Change
“Soothsayer!”
“Oh, Soothsayer!”
The man addressed is in transit from the library to his private study, laden with Eclipses in the Sun and Moon and their Sequent Effects, Saturnine Axioms and Theorems, Hildesheimer Astrologische Beiträge (first and second volume only), Recueil du XXIII Rencontre Astrologique à Fribourg, Comets in Chaldean Astrology, and some other scrolls.
He is far too deep in thought to notice Iras and Charmian at first, but has no other choice once they flank him and touch his arms.
“Oh, Soothsayer, we’ve been talking about love!”
“And the love of love!”
“We’d love to set you up!”
“So you need to tell us!”
“Tell us who’s your type!”
The soothsayer reflects for a moment and then recalls the exact answer to the question.
“There are only two-hundred-and-one types of people: firstly, those that have never been to Egypt and never will; secondly, those that, though strangers to us, have kindled the love of Egypt in their hearts; thirdly, those that —”
Finally impossible to suppress, a fit of giggles from the girls and they run off to their next adventure — be it another palatial encounter, a journey of discovery from market stall to market stall, or a new spa treatment they haven’t had a chance to indulge in before.