by Louis Sachar
"I was looking for you," I said. "I figured you went up to your room."
"I wouldn't leave you like that!" Toni said, offended. "Besides, I was hoping for some, you know, you-and-me time, without Trapp and Annabel."
"That would have been good," I agreed.
"Your neck's really bothering you, isn't it?"
"I'm okay," I said.
"Sit down on that bench," she said. "I'm really good at giving massages."
We had been walking beside a small city park, just a patch of grass, four trees, and a park bench. I sat on the bench and Toni came around behind me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and pressed my neck with her thumbs.
A lightning bolt of pain went screaming into the center of my brain.
"How's that feel?" she asked sweetly.
"Great," I said, fighting back tears.
71
Transportation
In the previous chapter, I mentioned that my parents wouldn't pay full fare for airline tickets. At least, I hoped not. When a bridge player talks about transportation, however, he's not talking about how he's getting to and from a bridge tournament. He's talking about getting from his hand to the dummy, or vice versa.
The declarer sometimes needs to be able to lead from the dummy, rather than from his hand. Expert declarers plan ahead in order to save entries to the dummy, so that they can win a trick in the right place at the right time. Similarly, expert defenders will do what they can to disrupt the declarer's transportation. It's often the game within the game.
Trapp was involved in such a contest. This was the situation with four cards left to play. The contract was three no-trump, and Trapp had taken six tricks. He needed three more.
If the lead could come from the dummy, it would be easy to take three tricks. The queen of hearts, the jack of hearts, and the nine of diamonds were all winners.
Unfortunately, he was stuck in his hand. The defenders had cut off his transportation.
I saw no way he could take three tricks. He could lead the 9. That would win, and it would get rid of East's 7. So then he could lead the 4 and that would also win. But after that, he'd have to lead a club, and no matter which club he led, West was sure to win the last two tricks.
The best he could do was settle for down one. That was what I thought.
"Four of spades," said Trapp.
Now, I didn't know exactly what cards were left in the East and West hands, but I was pretty certain that the 4 would lose. Even if I was wrong, why not play the nine first, just to be safe? For the first time ever, I wanted to ask, "Are you sure?"
Half expecting to be called a donkey again, I set the 4 on the table, and then, at his direction, discarded the 3 from dummy.
Sure enough, East won the trick with the 7. Now he was on-lead. He shook his head and said, "You got me!"
Whatever card he led would allow the dummy to win the last three tricks.
Trapp didn't have the transportation to get to the dummy by himself, so he purposely lost the trick in order to hitch a ride with a defender.
Trapp purposely lost a trick he could have won, which allowed him to win the last three tricks.
"I never would have thought of that play," East said.
"Me neither," I agreed.
He looked at me oddly.
"I mean, I never would have thought of it until right then, when I did think of it."
Finnick and Trapp had a 61 percent game, and earned two platinum points. Lucy and Arnold met us afterward. They'd had a 57 percent game.
They knew they didn't stand much of a chance of winning the event, but even finishing in the top twenty could earn them 15 platinum points.
"What does the winner get?" I asked.
Lucy guessed it was around 125 platinum points.
Arnold asked how Toni and I had done.
"The best we could," I said, trying to sound like I was trying not to sound too dejected.
"That's a good attitude," said Arnold.
"What's wrong with your neck?" asked Lucy.
"He slept on it funny," said Toni, who then suddenly turned bright red and stammered, "That—that's what he told me. I wouldn't know!"
"Turn around," said Lucy. "I give great massages."
I'd heard that before.
Lucy placed her hands on me, and my relief was almost instantaneous. With each squeeze of her fingers I could feel the knot in my neck gently unravel.
"He doesn't like massages," said Toni. "He says it just makes it worse."
"Really?" asked Lucy.
That's what I had told her back at the park. I knew it had hurt her feelings, but I could only take so much pain. I wouldn't make a good spy. I'd crack after thirty seconds of torture.
I now had to weigh Toni's hurt feelings against the bliss of Lucy's massage.
"Yeah, you better stop," I said. "It only makes it worse."
My feeling of bliss abruptly ended.
Arnold invited us to join them for dinner. "Our treat," he said.
Toni and I glanced sideways at each other. It might be good to get a real meal for a change. I gave a half-nod.
"Okay," she agreed. "Thanks."
"Great," said Arnold. "Deborah heard about a sandwich shop not too far away that's supposed to have amazing food."
72
The Final Session
As we headed to the restaurant, I already regretted that we had agreed to go with them. Partly, I was afraid they might become suspicious if they started asking us questions about bridge hands. But even more than that, I realized that this was my and Toni's last night at the hotel. We'd be flying home the next morning. I would have liked some alone time with her.
Before entering the shop, I stepped away from the group and checked my cell phone. I had another text message from Leslie.
ur in BIG truble
Tell me something I don't know, I thought. I was getting annoyed with my sister's love for text messaging.
This time I tried calling the return number. Marissa answered. She said that Leslie had left a while ago, and asked if she could help me. For a second I considered that maybe Marissa knew what was going on, but then decided I really didn't want Leslie's eleven-year-old friend involved in my problems.
Dinner was actually kind of fun. For one thing, Arnold had a strict rule: no bridge talk between sessions. He said it was important to give your mind a break.
I found out that Carl, Lucy's husband, was a retired judge. He had Toni and me laughing at all the stupid things that defendants, and lawyers, had done and said in his courtroom.
I held my head in such a way that I didn't look at Deborah. It had nothing to do with my stiff neck. It was just that every time I saw her, I couldn't help but imagine her coming out of that closet "in all my glory." Worse, even though the closet story had occurred when she was in her twenties, it was the present-day version of Deborah that I kept imagining.
When we returned to the playing area, Arnold checked the top hundred, starting at the bottom and working his way up. He and Lucy were sixty-ninth.
I started at the top and worked my way down. Finnick and Trapp were in ninth place. I wondered how big a game they would need to move to the head of the pack.
I noticed Lucy noticing me. "Syd Fox is in second place," I said, glad to be able to use him as my excuse. "Toni and I went to his lecture."
Our table assignment for the final session was A-5, East-West. I sat West. Arnold and Lucy were in our section, also sitting East-West, at A-12. At least we wouldn't have to play against them, but I knew they were sure to see the names of Annabel Finnick and Lester Trapp when the results were posted. I also noticed that Syd Fox was in our section, sitting North at table nine.
When the game got under way, I could actually feel a change in the level of intensity. Even Trapp's voice seemed to have an edge to it as he told me what cards to play. I doubted there would be any more winks from Annabel.
We played against Syd Fox in the fourth round.
"Hi," T
oni brightly greeted him when we sat down. "We went to your lecture the other day."
"I hope it wasn't too boring," he said.
"No, it was great," she assured him. "Alton got his head chopped off three times."
"But on the fourth, I got to marry the princess," I said.
Syd Fox eyed Toni, then looked at me. "I think you came out ahead on the deal."
Toni blushed. "We're just bridge partners," she told him.
On our first board, Syd Fox was the declarer in four hearts, down one. One hundred for us. He didn't seem too concerned. In the post-mortem, he told his partner that it took good defense to set him, "but in this field, that should be the normal result."
On our second board, Annabel was the declarer in three no-trump, and made an overtrick for 630. When the hand was over, Syd Fox turned to Toni and said, "Next time, you should be the one giving me the lecture."
Three tables later we came across two other people I knew. (Who would have guessed I'd know so many bridge players?) They were the two women world champions that Trapp and Gloria had played against in the regional knockout. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see them here.
I didn't remember their names, but they remembered mine, and introduced themselves as Robin and Natalie. (In what other sport do you have the opportunity to play against the best players in the world? It would be like playing a round of golf and being joined by different people at each hole. "Hello, my name is Tiger, what's yours?") I introduced them to Toni. There was no point telling them she was Annabel Finnick, since they already knew I wasn't Lester Trapp.
"I noticed your uncle's name right up there among the leaders," said Robin, the younger of the two women. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if he won?"
"Yeah, it would," I agreed. Robin and Natalie must not have had a chance, or else she wouldn't have said that.
"I'm surprised we haven't seen him," said Natalie. "I guess he must have somebody else turning his cards for him."
"Yeah, a really cute guy," said Toni.
"Oh, really?" asked Robin. "And does he know you think he's so cute?"
"It's complicated," said Toni. "I've been going out with his best friend."
"A word of advice from someone who's been there," said Natalie. "You don't want to come between friends."
"Oh, I know," said Toni.
"Enough of this friendly chitchat," declared Robin as she removed her cards from the board. "Now it's war."
I didn't know what Toni was trying to do with those remarks, but it totally messed up my mind. I couldn't perceive anything from Trapp. Toni opened the bidding, 1. Robin passed, but all I could hear was "really cute guy" and "going out with his best friend."
I looked at my cards.
I knew enough to set the 1 card on the table.
Natalie passed, Toni bid 1, Robin passed, and it was back to me.
I had to choose between 1NT and 2. I think most experts would bid one no-trump, because of the scoring. You get more points in a no-trump contract than you do in a minor-suit contract. For example, you get 120 for making two no-trump, and you only get 110 for making three diamonds.
But I had something else to consider. I didn't know when my brain would settle down enough for me to hear from Trapp again. If I bid one no-trump, I'd be the declarer. In diamonds, Annabel would play the hand. I put my money on Annabel and pulled out the 2 card.
Everyone passed, and two diamonds was the final contract. As I tabled the dummy, I heard Trapp say, "Interesting bid."
At least he didn't call me a donkey. Of course I wouldn't have made that bid if I'd known I'd be hearing his voice so soon.
Either I made the right bid, or Annabel played it exceptionally well, or both, but she took ten tricks for a score of 130. In the post-mortem, Natalie and Robin agreed that the most I could have made in no-trump was 120. Those ten extra points would be the difference between an average score and perhaps a cold top.
I hoped that made up for the donkey hand.
73
The Final Table
Table four would be our final table. We had to stand aside and wait until the people there finished playing a hand from the previous round.
"Whatever happens," Toni whispered to me, "this has really been great."
I gave a half-nod in agreement, about as much as my neck would allow. "I hope Trapp and Annabel think so too," I said.
"Oh, they do," said Toni. "They've waited forty-five years for this!"
I smiled as I thought about Annabel, her wink, and the way she had purposely won a trick with the "beer card." Toni was right, I thought; Annabel was having the time of her life, although I guess that might not have been the most appropriate expression.
The people at table four were finished. They placed their cards in the slots on the board. The man sitting North recorded the score. The boards were passed to table three. The pair sitting East-West got up and moved to the next table and Toni and I took their place. A caddy collected the scores.
I removed my cards from the new board and looked at my hand. If it hadn't been for the jack of spades, I would have had a Yarborough. There was no other card higher than a nine. I had all four twos.
I remembered Trapp once telling Toni that these were the hands that separated the experts from the average players. I believe his exact words were Even Alton can win a trick with an ace or a king.
Okay, Trapp, I challenged him. It's your turn. Let's see what you can do with this one!
The guy on my right opened 1. I didn't hear anything from my uncle, but I had a pretty obvious pass, and set a green card on the table.
Our opponents had a very sophisticated bidding system. They made so many bids I actually ran out of pass cards. For my last two bids, I just pointed at one of the green cards already on the table.
I never heard from Trapp. Maybe he trusted my ability to pass.
They bid all the way up to six clubs, and I was on-lead. I waited, but still got nothing from Trapp, not even fuzzy mumbles. I chose one of my deuces.
The hand was over before it got started. After the third trick, the declarer laid his hand on the table for us to see and claimed the rest of the tricks. He took all thirteen, making his slam plus an overtrick.
North recorded the score of 1,390, but surprisingly, he wasn't happy about it. "Everyone else was probably in six no-trump," he muttered. "Or seven clubs."
"Only because she had the king of clubs," South griped. "If he'd had it, instead of her, six clubs would be the only makeable slam."
Their bidding system was so sophisticated, they knew that six clubs was cold even before I played my first card. Other pairs who weren't such expert bidders would not have known that, and probably would have tried six no-trump. That contract would have gone down if I'd held the king of clubs instead of Toni.
The pairs who had bid six no-trump got a score of 1,440. And those who had bid seven clubs scored 2,140.
In other words, we got a very good result even though we didn't take a single trick.
74
The Final Hand
Toni and I had played 103 hands, not counting the side game. These were my final thirteen cards:
I've saved the hand records from the tournament, and have been using them to help me write an accurate account. But I didn't need to look at the hand records for this one. It's a hand I will never forget.
East was the designated dealer. Toni set the 1 card on the table. South passed, and it was up to me.
I had hoped that the reason I hadn't heard from Trapp on that last hand was because he knew it wouldn't make a difference, but I still wasn't getting anything from him.
I bid my longest suit, 1.
North passed.
Toni placed the 3 bid on the table.
She could have just bid two clubs, so Annabel's jump to three clubs showed extra strength. Since I had an opening hand too, we definitely belonged in game, and possibly slam.
South passed, and it was back to me.
I could use a
little help here, I thought.
Maybe it had to do with the location of the table. Hell, for all I knew, it could have been the location of Jupiter, or the fact that the guy next to me was wearing a striped shirt, but for whatever reason, I was getting no help from my uncle.
I looked at my cards again, then at the bids on the table.
I thought about bidding three diamonds, but I was afraid Annabel might pass, and we needed to bid game. I could try four diamonds, but that would take three no-trump out of the picture. But if I bid three no-trump, we wouldn't get to explore for slam. I considered just taking a shot at six no-trump.
I wondered what Lucy had bid when she had played the hand earlier. She was also sitting in the West seat. Earlier in the session she had held these very same cards.
I decided on the safest action, and set the 3NT bid on the table. I wouldn't want to be in slam without Trapp.
North passed and it was Toni's turn again. She sat there a long time without making a bid.
I wondered what Annabel was thinking about. I wondered if it would make a difference if she knew I was her partner.
Toni reached into her bidding box and pulled out a green card.
The final contract was three no-trump, and I would have to be the declarer. North led the six of spades and Toni tabled her cards.
Opening lead: 6
It looked easy. I could win one spade trick, three heart tricks, and six diamond tricks. That's ten tricks right there. And I might even get some club tricks.
"Thank you, partner," I said, then told Toni to play the four of spades.
The next person played the Q, and I was just about to play my ace, when I suddenly realized it wasn't going to be as easy as I had first thought. I had a serious transportation problem.
My ace of spades was the only entry to my hand. All my other suits were blocked!