harm to play a
few games to stop them getting angry. She could lose her - their -
money and get back before Cook came looking.
Everyone had four cards. Scarface started by
turning the top card from the deck face up. A nine. She watched
carefully as they dealt new cards or swapped with cards in their
hands. Then the betting started. Avoiding their stares, she pushed
one of her coins forward, matching the bet. She found it easy to
track what cards the men held, even though the men hurriedly
slapped down cards and snatched up others. Though the beer smelled
stale, it was a huge relief that they weren't sucking that
disgusting brown stuff. After a few hands, she was convinced she
knew every card that all six men held. Her lips spread into a small
smile.
When the youngest man, Seben, replaced his
prince card with a galleon, she yelped and cried "Bandit," then
grabbed the prince and laid her cards face up. The men threw down
their own, grumbled, sniffed, and chugged their beer.
"Lucky beggar," Grad said, his grin full of
gaps in his teeth. His eyes narrowed toward her. "Go on, girl, take
yer loot."
Eyes wide, she glanced around the table. That
was stupid. Winning was bound to make them mad.
Seben rolled his eyes and pushed the pile of
coins in front of her. He scooped up the cards, shuffled, and
dealt. She made sure to lose the next two rounds, but it felt wrong
not to do her best. By betting high, she tried to appear in control
but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Once she had a mental picture
of their cards, she found it impossible to lose, and won the next
four games.
Grad swallowed the last of his beer and eyed
her heap of coins.
"I think we've a robber among us, lads."
She tensed for flight. Grad roared with
laughter, and patted her hand roughly.
"We got beaten fair and square, don't you
worry, girl." He combed his beard with his fingers. "Never seen no
one play like that, 'specially a girl."
She slid her hand forward to scoop up her
money, but he slapped his hand down on top. She squealed and tried
to withdraw her hand, her wide eyes locked with his.
"There's one condition to you walking away
with our money," he said. "Don't tell no one you beat us. Got it?"
His fetid breath was hot on her face. Crumbs and chunks of bread
were mashed into his beard.
She nodded vigorously. "I won't tell, honest
I won't."
He removed his hand, letting her sweep the
coins into her skirt pocket. Her heart pounded. She'd never owned
so much money.
"I've got to go," she said, standing
again.
Something to her left made a loud half growl,
half coughing noise. She turned, and cried out as the pair of
luminous green eyes hurtled out of the darkness toward her.
Stepping away, she backed into a post. The hideous creature came
into view; a bulky, squat body about four feet long, with a
lizard-like head bobbing on the end of a long neck. It bounded
forward on four powerful legs. Again, it growl-coughed, a noise
that seemed to emanate from deep within.
She turned to flee, but Seben grabbed her
arm.
"Don't startle it."
She glanced at him, open-mouthed. Her heart
raced and she cringed when the creature skidded to a stop right in
front of her, as tall as her waist. A serrated-edged horn protruded
from between its eyes. Fangs were visible in its mouth, from which
a dog-like tongue lolled.
"What is it?" she whimpered.
"It's a Zrak," Grad said. He held out his
hand and the tongue slithered out of its mouth and wrapped itself
fully around his forearm. Slime splashed everywhere.
"Yuck! What's it doing?"
"That means he likes me," Grad said. "Hold
out your arm. Slowly."
"Do I have to?" She cringed and scrunched her
face in disgust.
The men laughed.
She gingerly extended her arm. The creature
unfurled its tongue from Grad's arm and coiled it back inside its
mouth. Its eyes flared and it uttered a low, rumbling growl.
"What's it doing now?" she whispered.
Grad stepped in front of the creature and, at
the same time, Seben pushed her behind
few games to stop them getting angry. She could lose her - their -
money and get back before Cook came looking.
Everyone had four cards. Scarface started by
turning the top card from the deck face up. A nine. She watched
carefully as they dealt new cards or swapped with cards in their
hands. Then the betting started. Avoiding their stares, she pushed
one of her coins forward, matching the bet. She found it easy to
track what cards the men held, even though the men hurriedly
slapped down cards and snatched up others. Though the beer smelled
stale, it was a huge relief that they weren't sucking that
disgusting brown stuff. After a few hands, she was convinced she
knew every card that all six men held. Her lips spread into a small
smile.
When the youngest man, Seben, replaced his
prince card with a galleon, she yelped and cried "Bandit," then
grabbed the prince and laid her cards face up. The men threw down
their own, grumbled, sniffed, and chugged their beer.
"Lucky beggar," Grad said, his grin full of
gaps in his teeth. His eyes narrowed toward her. "Go on, girl, take
yer loot."
Eyes wide, she glanced around the table. That
was stupid. Winning was bound to make them mad.
Seben rolled his eyes and pushed the pile of
coins in front of her. He scooped up the cards, shuffled, and
dealt. She made sure to lose the next two rounds, but it felt wrong
not to do her best. By betting high, she tried to appear in control
but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Once she had a mental picture
of their cards, she found it impossible to lose, and won the next
four games.
Grad swallowed the last of his beer and eyed
her heap of coins.
"I think we've a robber among us, lads."
She tensed for flight. Grad roared with
laughter, and patted her hand roughly.
"We got beaten fair and square, don't you
worry, girl." He combed his beard with his fingers. "Never seen no
one play like that, 'specially a girl."
She slid her hand forward to scoop up her
money, but he slapped his hand down on top. She squealed and tried
to withdraw her hand, her wide eyes locked with his.
"There's one condition to you walking away
with our money," he said. "Don't tell no one you beat us. Got it?"
His fetid breath was hot on her face. Crumbs and chunks of bread
were mashed into his beard.
She nodded vigorously. "I won't tell, honest
I won't."
He removed his hand, letting her sweep the
coins into her skirt pocket. Her heart pounded. She'd never owned
so much money.
"I've got to go," she said, standing
again.
Something to her left made a loud half growl,
half coughing noise. She turned, and cried out as the pair of
luminous green eyes hurtled out of the darkness toward her.
Stepping away, she backed into a post. The hideous creature came
into view; a bulky, squat body about four feet long, with a
lizard-like head bobbing on the end of a long neck. It bounded
forward on four powerful legs. Again, it growl-coughed, a noise
that seemed to emanate from deep within.
She turned to flee, but Seben grabbed her
arm.
"Don't startle it."
She glanced at him, open-mouthed. Her heart
raced and she cringed when the creature skidded to a stop right in
front of her, as tall as her waist. A serrated-edged horn protruded
from between its eyes. Fangs were visible in its mouth, from which
a dog-like tongue lolled.
"What is it?" she whimpered.
"It's a Zrak," Grad said. He held out his
hand and the tongue slithered out of its mouth and wrapped itself
fully around his forearm. Slime splashed everywhere.
"Yuck! What's it doing?"
"That means he likes me," Grad said. "Hold
out your arm. Slowly."
"Do I have to?" She cringed and scrunched her
face in disgust.
The men laughed.
She gingerly extended her arm. The creature
unfurled its tongue from Grad's arm and coiled it back inside its
mouth. Its eyes flared and it uttered a low, rumbling growl.
"What's it doing now?" she whispered.
Grad stepped in front of the creature and, at
the same time, Seben pushed her behind
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