by Clay Moore
Brian walked up the main entrance that was glittering with lights. Holographic displays showed a big breasted woman throwing dice. Brian smiled. Sometimes a casino has to be a little crass to make sure the point is not lost.
Alphacent does not allow Plain Jane Casinos. They all have to be club based. They also have to follow the law. Then he saw a line of women in short dresses with deep décolletage. These were women who would be your friend while you were in the Casino. Brian had seen them before in other casinos. Most of the time the Hostess was there to encourage the player to wager wildly.
Brian saw through that possibility. He rejects it, bypassing the line up at the front. Instead, Brian went straight for the cashier. He gave the woman at the cashier’s window his laundry bag. Her eyes popped when she saw the contents of the laundry bag.
“What would you like me to do with this cash.”
“I’m playing friends in Texas hold em. I need a hundred thousand Marks in high denomination casino plaques.” She nodded and started writing down what he said. “I’d like the remainder in hundreds and whatever makes up the balance. I’m going to play some of the games before my poker game.”
She finished up her notes.she counted Brian's money. She checked the first serial number and the last serial number. She opened the drawer that contained her stash of casino chips. She pulled out ten ten thousand Marks plaques. She set that in front of Brian. Then she took the wads of banknotes. She dealt each note into its denomination. Then she ran each denomination in the bill counter. She looked at Brian.
“You have Seventeen Thousand and forty-six Marks.”
Then she took out one of their Chip racks. She Expertly filled the tray leaving an empty column for winnings. She then recited the number of chips and their value.
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Just wish me luck.”
“Good luck, sir.”
Brian put the ten plaques in his left coat pocket. The rack He carried. As Brian walked the games on this level, Brian heard the unmistakable sound of the roulette wheel. He always liked to start at the wheel. He knew that it was a poor bet, but a couple spins of the wheel could not hurt.
He came up to the table. He looked at the wheel and saw it only had a Green Zero and no double green zero. It had better odds for the player. Brian put a hundred mark chip on the red bet. The wheel was spun, and the ball fell on a Six Red. His red Bet paid off. He left it there. Inexplicably six red was landed on again. All the other patrons wanted him to play one more time. Brian pushed his chips on to six red. He figured fate was telling him something. The ball fell on six red.won The roulette wheel banker paid out two five thousand Mark Plaques. He dropped these plaques into his right tuxedo coat pocket. Now it was time to play a real game.
JULIE BRIO MEETS HARMINIO
Julie saw that it was time for her lunch. Today both of her boys were gone from the office. She never asked the boys where they were going or what they did. It was not a lack of curiosity. Julie was the same as other people and hated people to keep things from her. She could see the price her boys paid for keeping those secrets. Brian especially concerned her. The mission before his current mission tore him apart emotionally
He tried keeping it from her, but she knew that something was bothering him. Women are so much more in touch with their feelings than men. He should tell her about the pain, not how he got it. She knew that could help him. He was too male to express his emotions to a woman.
She crossed the street to her favorite Tea and Sandwiches. She walked in, and the girl behind the counter asked: “The same, missy?”
She smiled back and nodded. Then she took her favorite chair. The pool in the lawn behind the restaurant was stocked, and some of the predatory birds flew down and grabbed their lunch. She watched the Birds both Terran and Eridanian. They were so beautiful and so deadly. The Birds were very much like Brian. She watched a Winged Lizard dive into the pool and came up with a fish.
“I see you are a fan of the predator show,” said a man’s voice.
“Yes, I am.” She looked up to see the best-looking man that she had ever seen. Beautiful was the only way to describe him. Brian was gorgeous. This man was too good to be true. She looked a second time at the face.
On Eridani, men do not use makeup unless they were an entertainer. As she studied his face, she saw some places where the makeup wrinkled. These were the typical places, the crowfoot, the bridge of the nose, and the line that formed when they look down on their neck wattle.
“May I sit with you?”
“Please do.” She tried to be friendly enough. She tried to rack her brain trying to remember what briefing she went to that was about counterintelligence. If she turned this contact in, they were going to grill her on anything they could think about.
Her meal arrived. She sipped her tea. And nibbled on a sandwich. The man got his sandwich and opened wide to take a bite of the huge sandwich. She saw into his mouth and saw a scar in the rear cheek area. She felt that odd. Why have a surgical scar when they can erase skin scars. The reduction of scars did not work very well for skin in regular contact with saliva.
Harminio thought nothing of Julie’s puzzled look that came when she found things that rang hollow. He figured that she was so blinded by his male beauty that was why she was slack-jawed.
“You are so pretty, and friendly. Perhaps I can take you out to dinner tonight. Eight PM local?”
“I don’t even know your name,” said Julie.
“Oh, heavens, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Harminio Andrews.” He held out his right hand.
She took his hand. “My name is Julie Brio.”
Harminio’s hand felt as slippery as a mud trout. He may wear clothes from Eridani, but he was not from Eridani. She did not know where he was from.
“So my offer of a dinner date?”
“I’d like to go out.”
“Where shall I pick you up?”
“I have to be somewhere else after the dinner. I’ll drive to the restaurant.”
“Very good. Miss Brio. The restaurant is Famian’s You know where that is.”
“Of course. Famian’s. I shall count the hours.”
She gave it to Harminio. He knew romance and how to be romantic. She watched him get up and leave. She watched him until she could not see him any longer. On the off chance, he was waiting she left everything alone. She finished her meal. She was going to have one hell of a story to tell Dan when she got back to her office if Dan was there.
CRAPS YOU WIN
Brian stopped before he got to the Craps table. He remembered turning in an analysis of the odds of Craps for the player and for the house in the Agent training during the Lifestyle course. Brian analyzed the craps game from the rules on Eridani, the rules on Snake Eyes. Everywhere he looked the casino advantage on Craps was the lowest in the house. The way the Casinos paid for it varied. One casino upped their number of slot machines to double.
The craps table there had the three men running the game. There were three players at the table. The dice were being passed around almost after every throw. The table was cold. Brian would rather pet a snake than try to warm up a cold table., But he had twenty minutes more until he had to begin the poker game. He stepped to the narrow side of the table wheel the dealers would be on his left, and the other players on his right. Brian never placed any bets on the center proposition bets. He did not like the odds. Also the fewer of his chances on the table the easier it was to monitor.
He took a “Quarter” chip, 25 Marks, and put it on the pass line. The dice was offered to him. He picked up two dice and tossed them down the table. When the dice hit the patterned side of the table, he heard the sweetest sound for the right side better, “YO-leven!”
Since it was the come-out roll he won, and so did all the players who bet the pass line, or the right side. His bet won another 25 marks chip. Suddenly the players were buzzing getting down the wagers. Brian took his winnings but left t
he original bet on the pass line. He picked up the dice and tossed it down the table.
“SEVEN!”
Brian won again. The murmuring increased and two more players joined the table. Brian picked up his winnings leaving the original bet on the table. This last roll had a lot of action on the proposition bets. Brian noticed that the box man was smiling with a newly full table of players. Brian was given the dice after the payout and scrape of the losing bets. He picked up the dice and tossed them down.
“Six the hard way, the point is Six.”
There was no sign indicating what kind of free odds they offered. Brian leaned across the table and asked a Stickman, ”What kind of free odds do you offer?”
“Double free odds, sir.”
The free odds bet is a further bet that you make on your pass line after a point had been established. In Brian’s case, his point to make was a six. The six and the eight are the two numbers just a little likely to come up than the seven. Therefore the correct odds is six to five. Free odds are a good bet to take because the casino pays you the exact odds on the odds bet.
Brian put two twenty-five marks chips behind his pass line bet.as a double free odds bet. He threw the dice. It hit eight. Some wagers lost, but much more won.
Dag’s voice came from above. He looked up.
“Hurry up, Brian we want to start.”
They all were early. The Poker players must have thought that Brian was a rube. He tossed the dice and hit the point. He gathered up his winnings. And followed the signs to the poker room.
TEXAS HOLD UP
Brian was stopped at the door. Brian explained who he was and that he was to play Texas hold ‘em with Dag and five others. They very politely allowed him into the room. There were a lot of different poker games being played here. In the center of the room was a table that was used exclusively for Texas hold ‘em.
Amarantha took this moment to remind him that she can see and talk to him. “I just want to let you know that I have access to the video pickup that is on the table.”
“What do you mean?”
“This is a high stakes game and is being shown up in the penthouse club. That means I can see all the face-down cards. All you have to do is find the cards you want to play. Also, the blinds are 1000 and 2500”
“Okay,” he mumbled.
“Welcome, Brian,” said Dag.
Brian nodded. He was given the middle seat. They were trying every trick in the book to disconcert him. He let them work their worst. Then they pulled out one he did not think they would try. A woman in red with a deep décolletage. Brian looked at her and shook his head. She went to Dag and took her wage from him.
Everybody had to buy in at one hundred Thousand marks. Dag on Brian’s front left tossed over a Money order. That was accepted. He was given his chips half 100 and the other half 250 marks chips. The player on Brian’s immediate left gave cash. Brian pulled out the plaques from his left tuxedo coat pocket. They were counted, and he got his poker chips which were different from the casino chips. The next two men had their buy-ins. The last man was in a bind. He was ten grand short. He offered a marker if someone would cover him. No one made a move. Brian wanted seven people there with their money. Brian produced his rack and the 5000 mark plaque.
The cashier at the table Asked Brian if he wanted the rest in cash. The cashier paid him in 1000 Mark notes, ten of them to be exact. The other money was added to the last man who waved at Brian.
The pit boss talked for a few moments. Then he gave the phrase that has survived at least three hundred fifty years, “Shuffle up and deal.”
The Casino supplied Dealer dealt the cards to the players. The small blind was 1000 marks, and the big blind was 2000 Marks. That was the way it was in Texas Hold’em. Brian flipped up the corners of his card.
“Two of clubs and three of diamonds. Not a good hand. Let me check, Dag has a pair of 5s. The player to your immediate left has an ace of hearts and a four of diamonds. Might call if cheap enough. The player to your right has a pair of sixes. Amarantha continued like this for every hand.
The first hand he bowed out folding. Then he had a run of luck. He won three hands in a row. Brian’s personable mien loosened up the players. He seemed to tank the next hands. Amarantha gave him an amount of his chips. After the loss on the fourth hand, she reported that he had one hundred seventy-eight thousand Marks. Dag was down to 78 grand.
Brian won the next 4 hands. Dag was down to fifty thousand Marks. Brian figured that he just had to win three more hands and people will quit the game. Brian looked at the pile he had accumulated. Brian was glad to have Amarantha on his side. If he had actually to play, it would have taken all night. The three hands Brian needed came two hands later. It felt a little like a robbery with Amarantha helping him. With Amarantha’s help, he ended up with 500 thousand marks. The player to his right had 200 grand. Everyone else left broke or owing money. The casino offered to buy the promissory note at face value. The Cashier cashed his poker chips into the casino plaques. This time he had 100000 Mark plaques five of them.
Brian asked Dag to stay behind. When the Table was cleaned. They shut the Vid lights leaving only the normal illumination.
“Sorry about the game,” said Brian sheepishly. “The cards fell my way today.”
“Everything seemed to fall your way today.”
“Maybe something will fall your way right now.”
“How?”
Brian leaned against the Poker table. He leaned into Dag and whispered: “I heard that you are the man to talk to about gold.”
Dag looked around. “Who told you that?”
“Harry Witherspoon.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“I have no idea. The last I saw Harry he was walking away from the Horse Races cashier counting out some cash.”
“That sounds like him. I’d like to get in touch with him. So, you want gold. How much can you buy?
“All of it. I have a purchaser.”
“It’s over a million ounces.?”
Brian thought for a moment. “Yeah, we can handle that.”
“How much per ounce?
“Depends on the fineness of the ounces. I was thinking about 500 gold or less per ounce.”
Dag rubbed his chin. Brian let him stew. Then he gave Dag an Idea.”
“You have a smelter here, right?”
“Yes.”
“Give me a card with the address on it.”
He gave Brian one of his business cards. Brian put the card in a suit coat pocket.
“You can do an amount check on an account, can’t you?” Brian handed his account card to Dag. “Check it for five hundred million.”
Dag ran the card to check for the balance. He smiled a feral smile as he handed the card back to Brian. He knew that within minutes the money backing his account card was zeroed. He put the card in his pocket. “What time should I meet you at the smelter tomorrow.”
“Ten. After I do business with you, I want to rest. This has been a hectic two days for me.”
Brian thought You don’t know the half of it, Dag.
“I got to leave soon. I have a medium freighter here. I have transport for the gold to the freighter already arranged. Would you like Half a billion in Gold?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Give the order for the warehouse to release to my drivers. Then tomorrow when we meet I’ll give you what you deserve.”
“Deal.”
Brian shook hands. “Tomorrow I will give you this card.”
Brian went from bright lights and noise to silence in the Portico. Manolito's Limo pulled up. Brian climbed into the limo. Manolito turned around a bit groggily.
“Manolito you sleeping on the job?”
“Of cours., man. I worked the day with you, and then work the night with you. Got two children at home, as well as a woman I like to let her know she is worth it.”
Tell Zata that this is the address. He can start now. When would he l
ike payment?”
“Anytime.”
“Brian counted out ten one thousand mark notes. He
“Tomorrow is a bloody day. I can drive myself, but you know the skyways like no other. I need a grav-car that says ‘I’m just a grav-car.’ Yet, it picks up and goes, and can fly. You have something like that?”
Manolito looked up into the rearview mirror. “Are you trying to get me killed? I bought my wife a no name. I put in the bigger jets and the flight surfaces.”
“I need it. How much is it worth to you?”
Manolito did calculations in his head. Finally, he said: “Ten thousand.”
Below the back seat, Brian counted out ten one thousand mark notes. Brian handed the shocked driver the notes.
“When we are finished you are going to need to dispose of the car. The car maybe noticed, and it may draw unwanted attention to you.”
“Don’t worry I have the perfect disposal method.”
“We are going to the smelter. I won't use the limo for that.
“We go to where you stashed the grav-car. I switch to my on ship uniform. I will be obviously armed. We land on the landing pad porch at Dag's house. We return to the limo. You drive me to my ship. How does that sound?”
“Like a good plan.”
“Take me to the Hotel. I have last minute checks to perform. Maybe I’ll find a nice girl.”
Manolito smiled into the mirror. “There’s no maybe about it.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Marking time
CROSS HAIRS OF DOOM.
Pris Amatine got off the Central Liner. She decided that the Central lines were her kind of transport company. The ship was immaculate. There was enough water for her to bath every day. There was enough to do. The one thing that was not here was people you could hire to sleep with you. That was a failing, but it was a typically Eridani one. That was not to say that you could not find an Eridani who would like to sleep with you. Eridani was free with their love but did not want the crime associated with prostitution.