The Teller of Small Fortunes

by Julie Leong

“Wisdom can be found in all places,”

“Wheresoever river inscribes rock with truth, and men fan flames of creation.”

“How much wealth makes a fortune depends on how much one already has, for it will always be more than that,” said Tao. She was rather enjoying getting into character—even if some small part of her shook its head at showing folk what they wanted to see in a mystical Shinn fortune teller, rather than the more mundane truth.

Familiarity could look very much like love from a certain angle, if one didn’t look too hard.

Everyone deserves a home, Tao thought, patting Laohu’s whiskery grey nose. And what was a home but somewhere you wouldn’t have to feel quite so alone?

“People think they want true fortunes, but they don’t really. What they want are lies. Small lies, big lies, entertaining lies, comforting lies.

“What they don’t want is a stranger—an outsider—to see the full truth of them.

“And the suspicion turns to fear, and the fear, as it always does, turns to anger.”

“It must be comforting to believe that a god watches over you. Someone who will protect you and care for you because you’re one of his. Who belongs to you, as much as you belong to him.”

“All cats are slightly magical, don’t you know? It’s why they’re so smug all the time.

Aye, our lives are short and shaped by circumstance, and maybe we can’t control most of what’s to come. But we can control how we feel. We can savor the sweetness of a blackberry scone, and the company of our friends, and the warmth of the summer wind at night, and be grateful for it. We can be nothing, and choose to be miserable about it, like you—or we can be nothing, but choose to be happy, and let that be purpose enough. Which sounds more worthwhile to you?”

“I am sad that you have lost so much,” said the old man, empty hand falling back against his side. “I hope you find new joys to take their place.”

There’s no such thing as greater good—there’s just good, and the more of it we can do, the better.”