"Maybe it does. Seeing the future is not a blessing. Not always."
Merlin sighed, rubbing his thumb over a small drop of something on his trouser leg. She was looking at it from the wrong angle, of course, in terms of outcomes and whether something was a win or a fail. What did it matter what the actual context of a placebo effect was, when that wasn't what he'd said? But arguing semantics with Rosario was only going to wind her up more. She was too close to the subject to be objective about it, and she was getting frustrated easily.
So Merlin took a few puffs on his pipe and left it on the ashtray, and got up. "A lot of mediums, soothsayers and fortunetellers are very good at the art of cold reading. A lot are charlatans who copy others' work and make up lies for profit. Some truly believe in the interpretations they make, and are trying to make a difference in peoples' lives. But you and I and a few other people know there is a true act of prophesy, and it's not in tarot cards or scattered beans, it's up here." He tapped his temple as he reached the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down closer to her.
"Rosario. Forget whether things matter or about success rates or the parameters of belief. Just for this moment, accept that it is confusing and cloudy, and just- let it be. Are you comfortable sitting where you are, or would you like to move?"