Hindsight is 24/7

The clerk took Fred over to a secluded corner where a small crystal ball was standing on a pedestal. "What day were you here?" he asked.

"Um, Tuesday."

Mike stared intently at the crystal and said in a commanding voice: "PLAYBACK TUESDAY." Almost immediately a small picture of a darkened room, empty of people but pretty full of everything else, appeared in the crystal. They stood looking at it for a while. Nothing happened.

"After midnight," Mike explained. "This could take some time. Try playing with it for a while. I'll be in the office. The commands are forward, back, fast, slow, start and stop."

As he turned to leave, Fred asked: "You're not going to charge me for this are you?"

"No, only predictions are that tricky. Scrying into the past is a piece of cake. Particularly after lunch."

"Why is that?"

Mike grinned. "Because then your past is a piece of cake!"

Fred groaned. "Don't quit your day job!" Actually this advice had the exact opposite meaning as intended - Mike's real day job was as a comedian at a day club for nocturnals, he was just sunlighting at the magic store in the off season.

Fortunately Mike went back to work without saying anything more, and Fred kept playing with the crystal ball until

1. he spotted himself entering the store.
2. he spotted a strangely familiar, beautiful young woman entering the store.
3. he got distracted by a shoplifter (in the crystal).
4. he got distracted by a shoplifter (in real time).
5. the crystal went inexplicably black.
6. his sword accidentally sliced through the pedestal.
7. Mike returned.
8. This is boring, let's follow Mike instead.
9. Let's hear more about Mike's job at the day club.
10. Let's have a piece of cake!

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