Changing Masks

by Nicholas Metelsky

Five people, Soga, Ishikawa, Chesuje Yasuo, Ring, Captain, who everyone called Hatano-San, and I were still in the game. The chubby one and Ishikawa had about 90,000,000 each. Hatano was sitting on 55,000,000. I had north of 65,000,000, and Chesuje, who had been walking the edge since the very beginning, had about 40,000,000.

  Two cards were laid in front of me. I reached for them and froze. What is the point of looking at them if I'm being read? Should I play a la Hollywood, without looking? Plus, I’m really sick of sitting here. It's gonna look bad, but only if I win. That only flies in Hollywood though. Everyone here will think I’m giving up. Either that or that I'm insane. Watch yourself, Max. That's it.

  Khatano was thinking about something.

  'Five hundred.' Not bad for a bet. I don't care that they're reading me. I'm gonna put all in. If I get lucky, I'll make 500,000 at least. Hehe, if I get lucky...

  Jack, ace. I don't even know... He definitely has better cards. Something like a pair. Mine aren't bad either.

  'Fold.' Chesuje was out, and it was my turn now.

  'Call.' There were too many options as to why he started with this amount, and my cards were good.

  'Fold.'

  'Fold.'

  What a...? Poker heads. Now it’s Sailor-boy against me. Will he fold? The first three cards were laid on the table. Ten, queen, king. That's a Straight. With higher ranked cards. Even if he has a pair there, he can't have a Full House. In the worst case, we'll simply divide the pot. I hope he doesn't fold.

  'Five million.'

  Darn it!

  'Raise.'

  'Call.'

  Could he have a Straight there too? Hmm. The fourth card was a jack. Something was telling me that he had a Straight for sure.

  'Check.' Hmm. He’s gotta be bluffing.

  Enough mourning, Max. Think. I was already taken advantage of with a Straight. It'd be sad to fall into the same trap twice. Ten, jack, queen, king. Even if Hatano has any pair of any of the cards on the table, it's definitely not a Full House, not yet. Keep playing then. Careful though—there’s a plentiful amount in the pot.

  'Check.' The last card turns out to be a nine. Cripes. It was a Straight on the table.

  'All in.' You don't have a Full House, anyway. So I don't care.

  'Call.'

  'Showdown, gentlemen,' came the dealer's voice.

  Hatano revealed his cards... Two kings. He's a hardcore. He had a king until the last moment and got his Straight only after the nine was revealed. I flipped my cards. Jack, ace. That's a Straight with an ace—I won. This round made me the richest person at the table. Bwa-ha-ha!

  'You have beginner’s luck, Sakurai-kun.'

  'It's hard to argue that, Hatano-san.'

  'Well, I wish you further luck.' It won't hurt.

  In the next hour, Chesuje and I managed to blow ten million, which were taken by Soga and Ishikawa. However, I still remained the richest, with my one hundred and ten million. Ring had 30,000,000, and the sweet couple—100,000,000 each. The rest of the tables were vacant, and people had gathered around us, carefully watching the game. I could understand their curiosity because they might be our opponents next time.

  I looked at my hand. Eight, nine. That was slightly below average. I should wait for the flop. It could be good. Soga put 50,000; Ishikawa immediately raised to 500,000, and Chesuje up to two million.

  'Well, indeed,' I said, looking at the aristocrat with the ring. I glanced at the crowd, at Ishikawa and Soga, then at the clock. Five hours of sitting down, how sickening. 'Call.'

  The first round ended with three million and fifteen in the pot. Nobody folded. Flop. Jack, ace, ten. Personally, I had a Straight without one card, but who cares. If I don't get a Straight, I'll fold after someone else does. If not, even better. The game will be finally done.

  On the second round, we all added another six million. The fourth card was a jack. For me personally, it was a lousy card, but there was still a chance of getting a queen or a seven. Soga checked, Ishikawa put in another mil, and Chesuje raised by five. I called, and so did Soga.

  'What an interesting game,' Ishikawa noted, fanning himself. 'I think I'll put... twenty-one million.' Funny, that is exactly how much Chesuje left.

  'Call,' he went all in.

  What an interesting twist. Well, I guess I'll support the bet.

  'Call.'

  'All in.'

  What the...! Soga is absolutely nuts! Two options: either he has really good cards or he's bluffing. I have no idea which.

  'Amazing, Soga-San. I have no idea what to do next. I guess I’ll call too.' 'What the heck is going on here? What am I supposed to do now?'

  At this point, everyone was looking at me. As a warlock, I could sense their looks, and let me tell you, it wasn't pleasant.

  'Wait a second,' Chesuje said, suddenly raising his hand. 'I want to put skin in the game.'

  Okay, this is interesting.

  'I hope it isn’t going to be a car?' chuckled Soga.

  'Or some small firm. It's nothing but a headache.' Ishikawa noted.

  'It's an artifact. I bought it for 400,000,0000,' Chesuje answered.

  'Do you have it with you here? We don't feel like waiting for it to be delivered. Then, it'll need to be appraised,' Soga stretched the words lazily.

  After that, I realized that he and Ishikawa simply did not want to accept his bid. There were clearly subtle details I didn't know about. For the time being, I understood only that if Chesuje won, he would not receive the whole pot because he had invested too little. The rest of the money would go to the highest combination of cards after his.

  'Any artifact costs more than your bets! Mine is even more than the pool!'

  'I don't know. I personally don't need an artifact, which I can't say about the pool,' Ishikawa said supporting his friend.

  'Grrr, you gotta be kidding.'

  'Of course not. We just want to continue the game, and if you have nothing else to offer...'

  Two against one. While they were both refusing the bet, my opinion mattered little. Considering my generally poor cards, I didn't care what they decided.

  'Wait!' He was bull-headed that’s for sure. I wondered what cards he had. 'Corvette. Just off the manufacturing line, valued at 300,000,000.'

  'Chesuje-San, the Ishikawa clan doesn't need a Corvette. It's nothing but a pain. Our pool looks much better right now.'

  'I agree. The Soga clan has enough ships. We have a clear plan, both financial and military, and an extra corvette does not fit in it.'

  'Khm,' I coughed, unable to restrain myself. Purely out of mischief. 'Excuse me. Go on, just ignore me.'

  'That's fine, Sakurai-san. Would you like an extra corvette?'

  'What am I supposed to do with it? Take it to school? I have two legs for that purpose, each 50 lb, and that's enough for now.'

  'Well, what about the artillery and anti-aircraft armament?? asked Ishikawa.

  'I am a shooter in the rank of Apprentice, so I'm also doing fine with armament.'

  Chesuje was ready to explode. Fool. He should have been thinking what else he could offer now that he had won some time. Soga cut in again.

  'How about EWF?' That stood for 'electronic warfare.'

  'Two whole super sharp eyes, improved ears, and a communication center 'brain' with a guarantee of a hundred years.'

  'I am speechless. With features like those... You see, Chesuje-San...'

  'Enough!' He lowered his voice, 'I get it. Well, I have something even you can't refuse.'

  'Mm? You've intrigued us.'

  'It's a mansion in Tokyo.'

  'Funny...'

  'With patrimonial lands.'

  'Or not so much,' Soga and Ishikawa exchanged looks then glanced at me. All I could do was shrug and lift my hands in dismay.

  'Well, if you're certain... No, I must ask you once again, Chesuje-San,' Soga looked at him convincingly, 'Are you absolutely sure? You don't want to bet anything else?'

  'Yes, I'm sure. I don't w
ant to bet anything else.'

  'In that case, I have nothing against it.'

  'Same here,' Ishikawa supported him. Whatever I said would be useless right now. Waiting for the paper and pen to be brought, Chesuje signed and folded the sheet in half, then threw it into the community pile. It was my turn.

  'All in.'

  'A-a-all in,' Soga stretched out.

  'All in, gentlemen. Let's see whose side the gods are on today.'

  We had a jack, ace, ten, and another jack on the table. I had an eight and a nine—a straight without one card. I needed a seven or a queen in order to stay in the game. The pinked-haired undine took out the fifth card and placed it on the table. Queen. I had a Straight starting at eight. I didn't feel any joy. I was tired. I hoped but didn't really believe that I could win cards like mine.

  'Showdown, gentlemen,' the girl's voice shook me from my reverie. We all sat, quiet, just looking at each other.

  'Oh, it's just like children,' said Ishikawa and turned over his cards.

  A king and an ace. That's it—I'm out. It didn't matter what the others had because I had already lost to one of them. I had a Straight with higher-ranked cards: from ten to ace. I was slightly disappointed but mostly relieved that it was finally over. Anyway, the auction was next. By the way, I have noticed that people who play poker have nerves of steel. Even Ishikawa got his Straight when the last card was open.

  Soga didn't want to reveal his cards at all. He just folded. Apparently, unlike Ishikawa and me, the last card did not work out for him. Next, Chesuje flipped his cards.

  Two aces.

  'I'm fed up with this Full House,' I said, flipping my cards. I didn't care as much as Soga. I closed my eyes and started rubbing my temples. 'At least it's over.'

  'You know, young man,' I heard Ishikawa's voice, 'you shouldn't complain about a Full House.'

  At that moment when I looked at the man, the dealer announced the result:

  'A straight flush. The pool goes to Sakuraju Shinji. The winner at the table is Sakurai Shinji-san.'

  No words.

  * * *

  A flush is five cards of the same suit. How could I have forgotten about that combination? Now that I thought about it, I realized how many opportunities I had had. Oh well, I won anyway. That's all that matters. I was sitting at one of the glass tables with Aniko, drinking juice, and eating something airy-creamy. The end of the game was marked by applause, I’d even say standing ovations of the people around us. The truth was, I did not fully understand who they were meant for: me as the winner or Chesuje as the risk taker. It’s not every day that ancestral lands are part of the stake. One of the employees took the title and said they were going to put it under my name, and I'd be able to receive it tomorrow or in a couple of days delivered by the prince's courier. In the meantime, I could rest, chat with the guests and wait for the auction, which should start in an hour after the game was completed. About half an hour before the start of the auction, I watched Soga and Ishikawa, accompanied by their wives, approaching our table.

  'Well, Sakurai-kun,' asked Ishikawa after introducing the ladies to each other. 'Whatdo you have to say for the evening?'

  'I'm impressed by the level of people who came here. I didn't know that there were so many poker lovers among the aristocrats of the Empire.'

  'Haha. To get in here, one will turn into anything. There aren't any real enthusiasts, unfortunately,' Soga noted.

  'I see you decided to stay for the auction?'

  'Well, I must thank Aniko-san for the luck she has brought me,' I said spreading out my hands. At these words, the girl squinted at me, and the corners of her lips tugged into a smile. 'I hope there will be something worthy there.'

  'Don't worry about that, Ishikawa-san and I decided to stay for the same reason.' Getting gifts for their wives was sacred.

  'If you don't buy it once, then you'll be reminded of it for the rest of your life,' Ishikawa noted.

  'Kisho-san!' Exclaimed Mihiko. 'Why would you say that?'

  'Okay, okay, I'll be quiet.'

  In ten minutes, we were joined by Hatano and his wife. His full name, as it turned out, was Osamu Hatano, and he came from an ancient family of the Imperial aristocracy, that had been associated with ships and the sea for the past four hundred years. The eldest sons went into the merchant marine, and the younger sons, into the military. Also the Hatano family owned a small private shipyard, which produced luxury yachts.

  Given that I was required to learn about ship armament both in my former world and here, I participated in the conversation.

  'You might not believe me, but in a few years, I want to buy a shipyard and start manufacturing something like speedboats. Ideally yachts, but fully armed.'

  'Heh, almost our competitor?' He grinned.

  'That is unlikely. I'm not going to stop at speedboats though.'

  'These are grand plans for someone of your age.'

  'Only some of them, Hatano-san.'

  'It'll be interesting to discuss the manufacturing process of such boats when the time comes.'

  'True. As a battle officer, your suggestions could be extremely useful.'

  'In a few years?' Hatano asked, pondering. 'I think Soga-san will be able to contribute as well. His clan has been dealing with armor for more than a hundred years.'

  'I'd appreciate being inspired by the wisdom of more experienced men. But Soga-san is quite a busy man,' I replied with a respectful smile.

  'Well, I think I can take the time to educate a young person. In a few years.'

  Phew... We have a preliminary agreement. Now I need to raise the project I postponed until better times and think it over carefully in the light of these new circumstances.

  Within the hour, which was set aside for preparing for the auction, strong men moved the poker tables and brought in additional glass tables with chairs. Tables also appeared in the hall housing various kinds of equipment and a huge, liquid crystal screen. They also brought in a couple of speakers and an ebony rostrum. Any minute now, the auction would start. People started to settle down and the Prince stepped out by the rostrum.

  'I would like to welcome you once again. I'm not going to give a long speech, but I'll say that the pride of the auction today is jewelry. Lots of the pieces are, as always, rare, unique, unusual, and simply amusing. Let's greet Satoru Nishizono, our permanent auctioneer.'

  The first lot was a painting of eels, stolen from a Frenchman about forty years ago, causing the Frenchman to suffer a heart attack. The painting was sold for six hundred and eighteen thousand. Then there was a Golden nail, shabby-looking and old. Allegedly, it was used to shut down the construction of the first railway in Japan. The third lot came as a surprise to me. It was the same statue that appeared to be the reason for the death of a Hindu and his two comrades, Veterans. I hoped Akemi had not made a mistake and had in fact given the raccoon to the right person. This piece of clay was sold for a little over ten million. The fourth lot was an artifact in the form of, I don’t know, a piece of dirt I suppose. Despite its appearance, the unpresentable artifact could structure Bahir flows and slightly increase the speed of technique. It was sold for what I thought was a ridiculous price: one hundred and twenty-three million. Finally, they presented the first jewelry piece. It was a platinum necklace in the form of many small flowers, inlaid with diamonds. Originally, it belonged to an Indian Princess, who passed in a fire along with her deceased husband. The husband was killed by a member of the Soga clan one hundred and eighty years ago.

  'I don’t think something with such a history should hang from the neck of such a beautiful lady as you, ma'am. Is that not so?' I whispered, leaning close to the girl's ear.

  'It’s too fussy. And you're right, it is not a very attractive story either.'

  She might refuse a gift from me. We didn't know each other well enough, and the lots weren't cheap here. Besides, I wasn't the man of her dreams. What would be an unobtrusive way of clarifying that? I was a commoner, and I could
ask a question directly. So, that’s what I did.

  'Aniko, tell me: would your family have anything against me giving you an expensive gift?'

  'Why would they?' That's not what I wanted to hear.

  'A commoner, giving a noble girl jewelry that costs several million... Is it too brazen?'

  'What nonsense!'

  'So if I give you something that I buy at this auction, no one will say a word?'

  'Of course not!'

  'Great.' Now, she has to accept it.

  Demonstratively tinkering on my chair, I threw another glance at Aniko, who was watching me, slightly squinting. Then she rolled her eyes for a moment and sighed heavily. Excellent, I had received carte blanche.

  The next three lots were martial artifacts: a dagger, short sword, and... a pistol but only instead of the barrel, there was a piercer. The knife was pretty cool actually. They say that with its help, one could challenge up to eight earth wolves. It sold for ninety-five million. Cripes. That's the cost of a good torpedo-boat destroyer.

  What else do we have here? Earrings, a necklace of transparent plates,... a metal glove! This looks nice. A platinum pendant, decorated with a sapphire. I missed how many carats it was, but it was about 2 inches in size. It was the Tear of Melanya, an artifact, slightly reinforcing techniques based on lightning.

  'Hm. Aniko, a beauty, I have a question.'

  'I'm listening, Shinji.'

  'Does your family use lightning techniques?'

  'Absolutely.'

  'Do you like sapphires?'

  'Well, how can I say it... I'd find something this pendant would be suitable for.'

  'I like sapphires,' I blurted out foolishly. 'Fifty!' I raised my hand.

  As a result, I got the pendant for ninety-eight million. It was the most expensive piece of jewelry I'd ever bought in either world. It'd be nice to buy something for myself, just for the status.

  The next lot, which I was interested in, was a five-inch cube, glued together from small golden balls. Judging by the way the people in the hall started moving after seeing the object on the screen, they knew about the cube.

  'That's right, gentlemen,' the auctioneer said. Your eyes don’t deceive you—this is it. The Cube of Silence. The artifact belongs to the class of 'suppressors.' It's able to block the use of Bahir. Completely, gentlemen, not like Simon's lock. There is no protection from it.