"We will see."
"As you wish. I'll have Dol take you to an honest bookie. She will tell them that you are my friend, and you will be well taken care of."
"Thank you. What is happening with the KUL and the PPG, incidentally?" Kren asked.
"Oh, there is a lovely gang war going on, even better than I had hoped. More than eight dozen bits of trash have died thus far with only a few of them being resurrected, and the end is not in sight. Also, that lieutenant who offended me had a meeting with his superiors, and hasn't been seen since. To my mind, it's good riddance to the lot of them. I think of it as a private contribution on our part toward the general betterment of the city."
"I expect that you are right. And what is happening with Kodo?"
"That is still in the planning stage. When things are ready, we'll discuss the matter fully," Bronki said.
"As you wish."
* * *
The first athletic meet of the season was a home game, and the Dren University athletes were naturally nervous about their first public performance of the year. It was a two-day event, and there were three dozen and five separate competitions, held with the rival University of Tu, whose team had flown in from the other side of the planet.
The facilities available for the meet were large by human standards. Every sport had its own separate courts and buildings, with open-air facilities for good weather and indoor ones built below them for use in winter and on rainy days. The university had been building and expanding for over seven dozen thousand years, and the Mitchegai, with their long lives, built things to last.
While their creativity was inferior to that of humans, materials technology is largely a matter of experimenting with many things over a long period of time, and at this, the Mitchegai excelled. Their structural components could be relied upon to last indefinitely, and even their carpeting could sometimes last for ten thousand years.
The complete lack of microbes helped considerably. On earth, microbes are not only responsible for the degradation of organic materials, but also for much of the rusting of iron and other metals. There is even one that thrives on gold.
And since the outsides of their buildings were always covered with self-renewing grass, they required no external maintenance at all, forever.
The Mitchegai, who neither drank, nor smoked, nor enjoyed sex, were almost all serious gamblers. With more than six billion free adults on their efficiently managed planet, a significant portion of their gross planetary product was wagered on academic sports.
The fencing competition was held on Saturday morning in an open arena, since the weather was good. All of the javelin events would be held in the afternoon, which would leave Kren free for the whole day on Sunday.
And at noon, there would be a fight to the death between two athletes selected by lot, one from each university.
Fencing was a horizontal pyramid event, where the winner of a previous bout went up against the winner of the bout below her. The scoring was simple. The first contestant to score three touches against her opponent won.
Kren was surprised to find that he won six matches in a row quite easily, and was hailed the winner before a cheering crowd. Dik came up to him and hugged him, which caused Kren a bit of embarrassment.
"That was magnificent, Kren! Do you realize that the official pari-mutuel odds on you paid a gross two dozen and four?"
"No, Coach, actually I didn't."
"You mean to say that you didn't bet on yourself? I put over a dozen and five thousand Ke down on you, and I'm a wealthy person because of it!"
"Actually, I didn't think that I was that good. After all, until today, you were the only person that I had ever used an épée against, and compared to you, I am only marginally superior."
"Well, we kept your fencing talent a secret to keep the odds on you up. We never meant that you shouldn't know about it. Anyway, you know now. But next time, the odds on you will not be so good."
"Indeed, I seem to have made a major financial error."
"Sorry, Kren. I thought that I had made it clear how good you were."
Kren left the arena depressed. Had he bet his money on his fencing, he would be on his way to wealth and power. Furthermore, he would have more than five million Ke that he could now bet on his javelin throwing, not a paltry three dozen and eight thousand.
On his way to the locker room, Kren was stopped by Bo, an athlete that he barely knew.
"Kren, you must help me!"
"And why is it that I must do this thing?"
Kren continued walking toward the locker room, with Bo scurrying behind him.
"Kren, I lost the raffle! I'm going to have to fight to the death in half an hour!"
"So? Someone had to lose. Anyway, it's not like Big Time Gladiators on television. They always resurrect the loser in these university matches."
"I'm a runner! I'm not a fighter! I'm sure to be the loser! And resurrection is so painful!"
"It is far superior to the alternative. Anyway, I fail to see what I can do for you."
Bo said, "You could take my place! You can out fight anybody!"
"But, why should I want to do this for you?"
"Because I would pay you to do it! How does five thousand Ke sound to you?"
"It sounds very small," Kren said.
"Then ten thousand! That's all that I have!"
"I'll be paid in advance?"
"Very well, but how? We can't get to the bank and back before the event," Bo said.
"There are plenty of bookies around who are working the crowds. You will place a ten thousand Ke bet naming me as the recipient of the winnings."
"Okay! I'll do it! But let's hurry!"
They found a bookie, placed a bet for Kren to win at the javelin accuracy competition, and then went to the locker room where Kren picked up his sword and a spare military spear that he'd bought.
The rules for the death competition were "arm yourself with any legal weapon."
They got to the ring with three minutes to spare. Kren was just getting into it when he was stopped by the athletic director himself.
"Kren, just what in the name of the Great First Egg do you think that you are doing?"
"I am getting into the ring?"
"And why were you doing this stupid thing?"
"For the Glory of the University! Consider, sir, that Bo here doesn't stand a chance of winning a fight against anybody. The university team will lose five points when he gets killed." Kren knew that it was a stupid excuse, but it was the only thing that he could think of at the time. "How could I let a thing like that happen to my beloved alma mater? Especially when there's no doubt at all that I would win easily."
"You bloody idiot!" The director said, "Do you have any idea how much money I have riding on your performance with the javelin this afternoon? Even a slight wound could risk that! Now get your bleeding cloaca out of that ring!"
The athletic director then picked up the terror-stricken Bo and threw her bodily into the fighting area.
"And you, Bo, will quit blowing farts and at least try to die like an athlete!"
Kren got out of the ring and offered Bo his sword.
"I guess that the best that I can do now is to offer you a good weapon. Do you want the spear as well?"
"What about my money?"
"You must worry about your life, first. We don't have time to get your money back to you now, but come see me, the next time you get a chance, and we'll work something out."
"So how much was she paying you?" The director said.
"Ten thousand Ke."
"Kren, you are dismally stupid."
"I quite agree with you, sir. Especially since I failed to bet on myself in the fencing competition," Kren said.
"Absolutely dismally stupid!"
The director was shaking his head as he walked away.
Bo took Kren's sword, but she didn't know how to use it. The match was over in a half minute. The crowd got a bigger thrill out of watching a yo
ung carnivore eat Bo's brain and body, than they did from seeing her fight.
You win some and you lose some. Sometimes the other guy eats your lunch, and sometimes you are lunch.
Kren retrieved his sword, which had Bo's severed hand still clutching the hilt. He pried loose the fingers and absent-mindedly munched on the wrist as he went to the javelin courts.
The first javelin event was team tennis, which was a major spectator sport, but not very important to the gamblers. Kren's performance was more than adequate, but his team's wasn't. They lost eleven to nine.
Individual tennis was another horizontal pyramid sport. Kren won his first three bouts, but then lost the fourth when he misjudged his opponent's position. She caught his spear just as it went over the barrier, and immediately spiked it into the ground a yard from the wall. This happened when Kren had been expecting a long shot, and was in the back court.
The distance throw was next, and the Master of Javelins again admonished Kren to not get carried away, but to try to make each throw just a few yards longer than the best throw before him. Kren promised to do so.
The playing position was determined by each player walking past a bucket set with its top higher than eye level. They each reached in and pulled out a ceramic tile with a number on it which determined when they would be throwing. Kren was toward the middle of the three dozen athletes competing.
Things went well at first, and halfway through the third and final round, Kren had made the longest throw, although it was nowhere near an amateur record.
Then two athletes from the opposing team outthrew Kren's best effort by more than eight yards each, to almost tie for first place. They had been playing the sandbagging game, too, and had been in a better position to play it from.
Suddenly, Kren was only a poor third.
The Master of Javelins said, "Yes, well, I suppose that you can't win them all. On the accuracy competition, just stay with the program, and everything will be all right."
"Yes, it will, madam, because I am going to win."
"That's the spirit!"
"I mean, madam, that I will win because I will not follow your tactics. What I will do is see to it that I get the lowest possible score to guarantee a win, but I will win," Kren said.
"Hey! You don't argue with the coach!"
"I am not arguing, madam. I am explaining."
Kren walked away and joined the line forming up to draw the position tiles for the next event.
On the first round, Kren put his four javelins into the gold circles in the center of each target, while he mentally kept score on each of the other players. The mathematical skills that he had stolen from Bronki were a major advantage to him here.
On the second round, he put three into the gold, and one deliberately into the blue, since none of the others were now likely to equal his score.
On the third, he got one blue, two red, and one white, since at that point, even if everyone who had not yet thrown in this last round got nothing but gold, they couldn't catch him.
The crowd was wildly enthusiastic, but that wasn't important to Kren. What was important to him was that he was now worth in excess of one million Ke.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
FROM CAPTURED HISTORY TAPES,
FILE 1846583A ca. 1832 a.d.
BUT CONCERNING EVENTS OF UP TO
2000 YEARS EARLIER
Sports Victories and Vampire Plans
When Kren got home, he found Bronki and Dol laughing and talking together in a most uncharacteristic manner.
"Is this a private party, or may I join you?" Kren asked.
"You certainly may," Dol said. "After all, you are the guest of honor!"
"Indeed?" Kren said sitting down with his tail wrapped around his waist. "And how did this come about?"
"It came about because today you won both the fencing contest and the javelin accuracy contest, sir. While you have been somewhat taciturn with me, a mere servant, it happens that while accompanying you in the course of my duties, I couldn't help noticing, first, that you were capable of hitting the smallest of targets at the greatest of distances with a spear, and also that on the very first time that you picked up an épée, you scored points on Dik, something that no one else has done in years."
"Yes. So?"
Dol said, "So, I gathered together my entire life's savings, a matter of less than six gross Ke, and bet it all on the outcome of the fencing competition. And then, having won a tremendous sum there, I went to bet all of my winnings on your next real competition, naturally eschewing the javelin tennis game. But, there was not enough time between events to bet on the distance throw and then to reinvest the winnings in a wager on the accuracy competition. Therefore, I put it all on the one with the higher odds, accuracy. This fortunate decision multiplied my winnings by a further factor of a dozen and nine. I am now the proud possessor of just under a million Ke! And I owe it all to my association with you, and to Bronki here, who introduced us, and put me to work for you!"
"Well, I congratulate you," Kren said. "Properly invested, that should earn you the independent income that you once dreamed of. I take it that you will be leaving our employ?"
"I'd considered that, but on reflection I decided that it would be foolish to do so. Consider that in my short association with you, you have led me to the way of fabulous riches! So, if you will permit it, sir, I would like to continue as your servant, willing and able to do absolutely anything that you ask of me. I will ask no payment for this, except perhaps for the privilege of occasionally sitting at your feet and learning more from you on how to progress further on my path to wealth, fame, and power."
"This is a remarkable offer. But I am staying with Bronki, and I see no incentive to moving my place of abode. Will you be her servant as well?"
Dol said, "With her permission, no. I have already made arrangements to rent her second best guest room, which is next door to your suite, and I will do such things as she desires from time to time provided that it does not conflict with my duties and obligations to you."
"Very well, on that basis, I accept. You will continue to be my servant. What about you, Bronki? While you have been thus far silent, you too seem to be in a remarkably jovial mood."
"Kren, I am very happy because this has been the most profitable single day in my entire life, all five thousand years of it! I was not quite as astute as Dol here in multiplying my resources, but my capital base was much greater to begin with. Having seen you in action, I wagered heavily on all three of your main events. And while I lost a little at the distance throw, two out of three isn't bad! I made more than three dozen million Ke today!" Bronki said.
"I am very sorry about the distance throw. You see, the Master of Javelins . . ."
"We know all about that, Kren. So does everybody else. The director of athletics will doubtless fire her on Monday morning for her abysmal choice of tactics, unless some of the irate gamblers kill her first. I think that I am safe in assuring you that from this time forward, the game plans that you work under will be made by you."
"I am not at all sure that this would be wise," Kren said. "Consider that I completely misjudged my fencing abilities and never placed a wager on the fencing match. Consider also that while I started with four dozen and six thousand Ke, and Dol here had less than six gross, she ended up winning almost as much as I did."
"I see two things happening here, Kren. In the first place, you did not have enough proper information with regards to your fencing abilities, and those of others. That will not happen again. Second, you have not stopped to think out the mathematics and the psychology of gambling. In this area, you already have the mathematical tools that you need, although you have not used them, and Dol and I can assist you with everything else. With our help, you can formulate a game plan that can optimize your winnings."
"I would welcome your help."
"And we are eager to give it, since it automatically lets us in on your game plan," Bronki said.
A
t this point, the door gong sounded.
"That will be the party snack I ordered," Dol said. "But in my excitement, I forgot that while I am now rich, I don't have any money. All of my wagers were in currency, and I was afraid to bring that much money home by myself. That, and I don't have anyplace safe here to put a million Ke, once I do get it home." Using Bronki's safe simply never occurred to any of them. No Mitchegai would trust another to that extent.
"Put the child on my bill," Bronki said to the delivery porters. Turning to Kren and Dol, she said, "Monday, we'll order a pair of safes, one for each of you. You can pay me for it all later, at the usual interest rates. We should discuss insurance then, as well. But for now, shall I bring out the branding irons? Or the knives? Both?"
* * *
"They said that you wanted to see me, sir?" Kren said walking into the director's office.
"Yes. You did a fine job on Saturday. For a first time freshman to win at two events is almost unheard of."
"It should have been three, sir."
"True. But that problem has been taken care of. I'll be running the javelin team personally until a replacement can be found. As I was saying, you did well. Do you realize that your accuracy score broke the planetary amateur record?"
"Yes, sir. I felt that it was necessary to do so, in case anyone following me was sandbagging."
"Fine. But you broke a planetary record, something that usually happens once in a dozen years, and then you didn't show up for the awards ceremony on Sunday. I had to accept the award for you, in your name. I had to make excuses for you, in public, and I didn't like it. But here it is," he said, throwing the large, platinum medal across his desk, followed by three smaller ones, two of gold and one of copper. "The other three are for fencing, accuracy, and distance. Don't you ever pull a stunt like that on me again! Why didn't you come?"
"Because nobody told me that I was invited?"
The director buried his face in his hands. "Kren, you are stupid."
"Our university lost the meet, sir."
"I am aware of that."
"We lost it by three points. Had you permitted me to take Bo's place, I could have defeated his opponent easily, gaining us five points. I saw the fool fight, after all. Had you done it my way, we would have won," Kren said.
Kren of the Mitchegai Page 16