glass.
I manage a curt nod. He gestures to Arthur Adner, who
accepts his money and brings it to the table. Nodding to Arthur, I toss
the coins into the pot. "Call," I say.
There is one excruciating moment where the cards are descending
toward the table in slow motion, where I second-guess myself and imagine what I
will do if I lose. Then they're down, and I'm laughing. I'm
laughing as I throw my forearm around my money and pull it toward me. No
one else is laughing, but I don't care.
The floodgates open. I play two more hands and win them
both. I'm about to throw another ante in when my two friends show up at
my sides.
"Time to go," Blondie says, tapping my shoulder.
I give him a look of annoyance. He shrugs apologetically at
me and grins at the rest of the card players, but there's something else in
that look. A warning. Don't do anything stupid.
I climb to my feet, gathering my loot. Before I can scoop it
all up, Green-eyes covers my hand with his. "Twenty percent for
Matt."
I use my best card-playing skills to not make a face, and count
out the twenty percent. Arthur Adner is hovering at my shoulder, waiting
for it, so I put the coins in his expectant hands. He nods at me, and
goes back to the bar. A glance reveals a string of disgruntled faces
around the table. Green-eyes takes my forearm and pulls me toward the
exit. I'm still shuffling coins as we go. I pause at the door to
give him his loan and the fifty I promised him. I give Blondie fifty as
well and put the rest into my pocket. But neither of them are paying
attention to the coins. They rush me out the door.
The street is black, lightless. I mean to say a quick thank
you and do a runner for my disguise in the alleyway, but both of my companions
have my arms and are dragging me along the street.
"Stop," I hiss at them. "I paid you.
Let me go." I dig my heels in. It does no good. We're
still moving.
Blondie says in a dark voice, "I don't think you want to do
that." He glances back over his shoulder as we make the
corner. I catch a glimpse of light flashing into the street-- the door of
the Rustler opening. I quit struggling and go along, but neither of them
let go of me. We jog down the street and make another corner, take an
alleyway. We keep moving, and turning. Soon, I am completely lost.
"OK," I say, trying to shake them off my arms without
making it an actual fight. I have a single piece of glass tucked into my
jacket pocket. My fingers twitch as I consider reaching for it, but they
still have my arms. The further we go, the more certain I am that I'm
going to have to fight my way out of this. Should I attack first, use the
advantage of surprise? Which one of them should be my first target?
I can make a quick swipe and run for it. Which way will I run? Have
we passed any good hiding places? Before I’ve sorted it all out, we go by
a short wall of piled debris. Just beyond it is a small, ramshackle building.
They push me forward, open the door, and shove me, stumbling, inside. A
wash of light blinds me. While I'm blinking, trying to see, I hear the
sound of a lock sliding into place behind me.
Chapter
5: Politics and Religion
One step inside, I whirl on them. Black dots swoop across
Blondie’s face, where the bright light has blinded me. He’s leaning on
the door. Green-eyes has moved to the side.
“Move out of the way,” I say. My voice is unsteady. I
squint at Blondie, and try to watch Green-eyes in my peripheral vision at the
same time.
“I thought you paid us to protect you,” Blondie says, eyeing me.
“Your job is done,” I say. “Get out of my way.” My
fingers squeeze the glass in my pocket until it cuts into my flesh.
“That would fall under ‘doing something stupid’” Blondie says,
looking annoyed. I’m not sure if he’s figured out I have a weapon, or if
he’s still talking about leaving. “Look,”
I manage a curt nod. He gestures to Arthur Adner, who
accepts his money and brings it to the table. Nodding to Arthur, I toss
the coins into the pot. "Call," I say.
There is one excruciating moment where the cards are descending
toward the table in slow motion, where I second-guess myself and imagine what I
will do if I lose. Then they're down, and I'm laughing. I'm
laughing as I throw my forearm around my money and pull it toward me. No
one else is laughing, but I don't care.
The floodgates open. I play two more hands and win them
both. I'm about to throw another ante in when my two friends show up at
my sides.
"Time to go," Blondie says, tapping my shoulder.
I give him a look of annoyance. He shrugs apologetically at
me and grins at the rest of the card players, but there's something else in
that look. A warning. Don't do anything stupid.
I climb to my feet, gathering my loot. Before I can scoop it
all up, Green-eyes covers my hand with his. "Twenty percent for
Matt."
I use my best card-playing skills to not make a face, and count
out the twenty percent. Arthur Adner is hovering at my shoulder, waiting
for it, so I put the coins in his expectant hands. He nods at me, and
goes back to the bar. A glance reveals a string of disgruntled faces
around the table. Green-eyes takes my forearm and pulls me toward the
exit. I'm still shuffling coins as we go. I pause at the door to
give him his loan and the fifty I promised him. I give Blondie fifty as
well and put the rest into my pocket. But neither of them are paying
attention to the coins. They rush me out the door.
The street is black, lightless. I mean to say a quick thank
you and do a runner for my disguise in the alleyway, but both of my companions
have my arms and are dragging me along the street.
"Stop," I hiss at them. "I paid you.
Let me go." I dig my heels in. It does no good. We're
still moving.
Blondie says in a dark voice, "I don't think you want to do
that." He glances back over his shoulder as we make the
corner. I catch a glimpse of light flashing into the street-- the door of
the Rustler opening. I quit struggling and go along, but neither of them
let go of me. We jog down the street and make another corner, take an
alleyway. We keep moving, and turning. Soon, I am completely lost.
"OK," I say, trying to shake them off my arms without
making it an actual fight. I have a single piece of glass tucked into my
jacket pocket. My fingers twitch as I consider reaching for it, but they
still have my arms. The further we go, the more certain I am that I'm
going to have to fight my way out of this. Should I attack first, use the
advantage of surprise? Which one of them should be my first target?
I can make a quick swipe and run for it. Which way will I run? Have
we passed any good hiding places? Before I’ve sorted it all out, we go by
a short wall of piled debris. Just beyond it is a small, ramshackle building.
They push me forward, open the door, and shove me, stumbling, inside. A
wash of light blinds me. While I'm blinking, trying to see, I hear the
sound of a lock sliding into place behind me.
Chapter
5: Politics and Religion
One step inside, I whirl on them. Black dots swoop across
Blondie’s face, where the bright light has blinded me. He’s leaning on
the door. Green-eyes has moved to the side.
“Move out of the way,” I say. My voice is unsteady. I
squint at Blondie, and try to watch Green-eyes in my peripheral vision at the
same time.
“I thought you paid us to protect you,” Blondie says, eyeing me.
“Your job is done,” I say. “Get out of my way.” My
fingers squeeze the glass in my pocket until it cuts into my flesh.
“That would fall under ‘doing something stupid’” Blondie says,
looking annoyed. I’m not sure if he’s figured out I have a weapon, or if
he’s still talking about leaving. “Look,”
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