In a dark and hazy room, peering into a crystal ball, the fortuneteller delivered grave news:
"There's no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just be blunt. Prepare yourself to be a widow. Your husband will die a violent and horrible death this year."
Visibly shaken, the young woman stared back at the old woman's lined face, then at the single flickering candle, then down at her shaking hands.
She took a few deep breaths to compose herself. Her mind raced. A question forced it's way out. She simply had to know. She met the fortuneteller's gaze, tried to steady her voice and asked, "Will I be acquitted?
