Tomorrow Wendell (White Dragon Black) Read Online Free PDF

slowly—as though reading the cards spread out before it. After a moment of this, the head looked up and the hand reached down, as though sliding the card to me personally. That damn card you now hold.”
    They both looked at the card Jonathan still toyed with. He placed it flat on the desk and motioned for the man to continue.
    “That very card was what came out of the little slot of the machine. I read it and, at the time, thought it a joke.
    “I glanced back at the owner of the place to share the jest he had set up but he could not have cared less about me. I looked again at the card and it was as you see it. I left then, swiftly, and went directly to my car.
    “I drove home and tried to calm myself. I didn’t even know why it had affected me so. Perhaps, on some level, I knew it was more than a prank, even then. Knew it to be what it is.”
    “What is the address of this place, Mr. Courtney? I want to go check out this machine. It’s possible it’s been tampered with.”
    Wendell got a confused and hurt look on his face and Jonathan back-peddled to explain just what he meant.
    “I’m not talking about the owner, or someone else, putting in these cards, Wendell, although I will check into that as well. I think the horoscope and the eight ball prove there is more to this than a simple card swipe. No, the tampering I am speaking of is, well, more esoteric in nature.”
    “You really—you do that? It’s real?”
    “At this point, Wendell, are you doubting there is something unnatural about what is happening?”
    After a moment, Wendell replied he did not. He looked down at his shoes and went on to say, “No. I guess as much as I might like to hear you say otherwise, Mr. Alvey, well, I guess I know better.”
    “Okay. I’m going to go visit this machine. You are going to go home and relax. I know that sounds insane, but run yourself a nice warm bath and soak in it.”
    Jonathan slid a small notepad and pen across the cluttered desk so his client could give him the address.
    As his new client wrote he said, “You know, I didn’t even think about the appointment which had brought me out there in the first place.” He glanced up at Jonathan with a look of guilt. “It wasn’t until I was home again—until I was trying to rationalize it. To get calm.”
    He slid the notepad back and went on. “I thought about calling, just to tell them . . .” he ran his hand over his face and tiny Japanese flags fluttered to the floor. “At least to apologize, but I was afraid, see?”
    “Well, dentophobia isn’t an uncommon thing,” Jonathan said and glanced at the address.
    “I’m not scared of my dentist.”
    Jonathan was impressed that the term hadn’t thrown the guy; it said a lot for his current mental state.
    “I was afraid of what they’d—” He shook his head. “No. I was afraid . . .” He hung his head and sighed.
    “You were afraid something weird would happen there, too.”
    Wendell lifted his eyes.
    “Afraid,” Jonathan went on, “something so simple and mundane would also be corrupted.”
    His client nodded.
    “Every time you start thinking about what’s happened, I want you to picture, in your mind, an acorn.”
    Wendell’s head came up.
    “It’s a meditation technique I find helpful to those who have never done it before.” Jonathan explained, “You think of nothing but an acorn, Wendell. Then, slowly, get more and more intricate in your vision of the acorn—see the cap, the ridges in the side of the nut, the rich color striations.”
    When Wendell nodded that he understood, Jonathan reemphasized, “Try to do as I say. Home. Relax. Take that bath and I’ll call you as soon as I’ve done what I can.” And then Jonathan felt he had better add, “With what we have. Deal?”
    “Sure,” Wendell agreed amiably enough. “Yeah. I’ll try the bath and even the nut thing. I’ll try .”
    “Good. Don’t worry, Wendell, we’ll get to the bottom of this. And hey—in the mean