3 Pentacles : Team Work

NOTE: If you are new to this blog and want to read the novel from the beginning click here

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.
The Elvis song chosen represents the Three of Pentacles Reversed.

2nd January

The following morning at 7am on the dot, Timothy knocked the door. As we started to walk up the hill towards the castle he again took my hand and tucked it into his elbow. He told me that this morning he was putting the finishing touches to a project for the King of Pentacles and wanted to ensure that everything was running smoothly. He also warned me that whilst the blacksmiths shop was in full swing that I had to sit where he told me and not get in the way.

“With hot and heavy metal flying around the place we don't want you getting in harm's way do we?”

I smiled. He seemed so brotherly and fatherly all rolled into one. He genuinely cared for my safety and the safety of everyone in the blacksmiths shop. When we arrived he took a stool from the office and set it about half way up the workshop against the wall and told me that I should be able to see everything from the stool and again warned me that safety was very important and not to move without his permission.

There were already several people in the workshop and he explained that they were apprentices. He walked over to the forges and seemed to be checking their temperature. He talked to a couple of the men and then patted them on the back when he walked away. I presumed he was pleased with their work as he had a huge grin on his face.

He disappeared into the office and came out a few seconds later tying a leather apron around his waist. He wore a leather cap which kept his hair out of his eyes. Come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen him without a cap of some sort on his head.

I spent the next couple of hours watching the apprentices work and Timothy checking their work with callipers of various types. He always seemed pleased except when it came to one young man. Every time he checked his work he frowned and didn't look happy at all and the young man always seemed to have to repeat the work he had been set.

Later when we were sat outside the workshop on a bench having lunch Timothy explained that the lad in question really wasn't interested in being part of a team.

“He always thinks he knows better than everyone else in the shop. He's only been at it a few months – I took him on as an apprentice as a favour for his dad – and he just doesn't seem interested in anything but his own way. He doesn't listen to those who have more experience than him. He rushes through jobs without thinking about them or planning them out and nine times out of ten he has to redo the work which puts him in a foul temper. Quite frankly, I think I'm going to have to let him go sooner or later.”

“Oh. Is he that bad?”

“Unfortunately yes. We have a reputation here of being the best of the best and the quality of our work is known throughout Tarocchi. I don't remember the last time I passed a piece of his work as being good enough to be sent out to a customer. He's also rude to the customers and the people who supply our materials. No one wants to work with him and no one wants his work.”

Timothy took off his cap and wiped his hands through his hair. He seemed genuinely sad that he hadn't been able to get his work ethics through to the lad. I got caught up in watching a curl that had fallen in front of his eyes and had the craziest urge to push it out of the way so that I could look directly into his eyes. Luckily the moment passed when he stood up and declared lunch over. As he did so a dray clattered through the gates of the castle and Timothy turned to wave to him.

The dray-man pulled up with a smile and shouted down that he had all the supplies that had been ordered and the two of them spent the next twenty minutes checking the order and the quality of the steel while I just sat there in the winter sun watching them.

I have to admit that I really liked the way Timothy treated people. Every person he spoke to he gave his full attention to, listened carefully to everything they had to say and smiled constantly. If he disagreed with anything they said he was always respectful but firm – never belittling ideas.

“Even the tea-boy is a valued member of the team. Without him the whole team would fall apart.”

He winked at me as he took my arm and led me back to the stool I had been occupying earlier.

The story continues with 3 Pentacles: Materials and People Handling

Please feel free to leave suggestions for an Elvis song to accompany each section (card) in the comments section below.

To read the traditional tarot articles which accompany this novel please visit
Traditional Tarot Articles

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses