Read Online Zombie Lover by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Piers Anthony
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Probably Com Passion could make her solid, but illusion was more energy efficient. Soon they had a pack of cards on the table, with a picture of Com Passion on the back, and the suit designs on the front: shovels, little beating hearts, scintillating diamond gems, and cudgels. Mare Imbri evidently served as the model for the queens, and a faun Breanna didn't recognize stood for the kings, while the jacks had black faces and looked like Breanna. They were ready to play.
"I know only three solitaire games," Breanna said. "But they're pretty good. First there's Klondike. Deal out seven cards in a row, with only the first one face up." Terian did so. "Then six more, starting with the second row, only the first face up. And so on, until there are seven face-up cards. Now you try to find aces and set them above, and build on them by suit right up to the king. You can build down from any card in the tableau, like putting that red four on that black five." Breanna continued her instructions, and found that Com Passion was a very quick study; nothing needed to be repeated.
"Now you just keep playing, until it stalls out," Breanna concluded. "Which it usually does, after a while. It's hard to win unless you cheat."
"Cheat?"
"Break the rules."
"But how can it be a game with no rules?"
Breanna realized that the machine was wired to be honest, and didn't understand dishonesty. "It can't be," she said. "So go ahead and play."
There was a pause. "My mistress is not an original thinker," Terian said after a moment. It seemed that she had direct communication with the machine. "And I lack the intellect on my own. You will have to direct the play."
"But it's easy to play," Breanna said. "Just not easy to win."
"Perhaps if you direct a game through to victory, my mistress will then have a sufficient sense of the whole so as to be able to play variations herself."
"Well, I'll try, but it will probably take several games."
"Shall we say that when you have played a game through to com-
ZOMBIF LpvfcR 55
pletion, your service is completed?" Terian inquired. "Then I will give you the spell, and you may proceed on your way." "Okay." It seemed a fair bargain.
So they played several games, with Breanna directing them. But every one blocked up before victory. She wished she had chosen an easier game to win.
Finally she broached the matter. "Suppose I teach you another card game, one that's more winnable? Would that be all right?" "That would be satisfactory," Terian agreed. "Okay. Here's one I learned off my computer in Mundania." She paused, realizing that Com Passion was a computer. So this should be good. "It's called Free Cell. It's a little like Klondike, and a little different. Deal out eight rows of cards, face up, and keep dealing more, overlapping them until they are all there. You want to build up on the four aces, same as in Klondike, and you can build down with alternating colors too. You have four free cells where you can park cards." She continued, and Terian laid out the cards and played according to directions. "Every game is supposed to be winnable, if you play right, but it's usually too complicated for me. But maybe you, with your logical mind—"
"We must see a game played through to victory first," Terian reminded her.
So Breanna tried, but game after game blocked up. She knew she was making misplays, but couldn't help it. In fact, as time wore on, she was getting worse. She wanted to quit—except for the zombies outside.
"Suppose I teach you another game?" she suggested desperately. The night was passing, and she was getting nowhere swiftly.
"That would be satisfactory," Terian agreed, exactly as she had before. Breanna could see that it really was true that this computer and mouse set lacked originality.
So she proceeded to her third and last game. "This one's called Accordion. It's pretty simple to play, but almost
"I know only three solitaire games," Breanna said. "But they're pretty good. First there's Klondike. Deal out seven cards in a row, with only the first one face up." Terian did so. "Then six more, starting with the second row, only the first face up. And so on, until there are seven face-up cards. Now you try to find aces and set them above, and build on them by suit right up to the king. You can build down from any card in the tableau, like putting that red four on that black five." Breanna continued her instructions, and found that Com Passion was a very quick study; nothing needed to be repeated.
"Now you just keep playing, until it stalls out," Breanna concluded. "Which it usually does, after a while. It's hard to win unless you cheat."
"Cheat?"
"Break the rules."
"But how can it be a game with no rules?"
Breanna realized that the machine was wired to be honest, and didn't understand dishonesty. "It can't be," she said. "So go ahead and play."
There was a pause. "My mistress is not an original thinker," Terian said after a moment. It seemed that she had direct communication with the machine. "And I lack the intellect on my own. You will have to direct the play."
"But it's easy to play," Breanna said. "Just not easy to win."
"Perhaps if you direct a game through to victory, my mistress will then have a sufficient sense of the whole so as to be able to play variations herself."
"Well, I'll try, but it will probably take several games."
"Shall we say that when you have played a game through to com-
ZOMBIF LpvfcR 55
pletion, your service is completed?" Terian inquired. "Then I will give you the spell, and you may proceed on your way." "Okay." It seemed a fair bargain.
So they played several games, with Breanna directing them. But every one blocked up before victory. She wished she had chosen an easier game to win.
Finally she broached the matter. "Suppose I teach you another card game, one that's more winnable? Would that be all right?" "That would be satisfactory," Terian agreed. "Okay. Here's one I learned off my computer in Mundania." She paused, realizing that Com Passion was a computer. So this should be good. "It's called Free Cell. It's a little like Klondike, and a little different. Deal out eight rows of cards, face up, and keep dealing more, overlapping them until they are all there. You want to build up on the four aces, same as in Klondike, and you can build down with alternating colors too. You have four free cells where you can park cards." She continued, and Terian laid out the cards and played according to directions. "Every game is supposed to be winnable, if you play right, but it's usually too complicated for me. But maybe you, with your logical mind—"
"We must see a game played through to victory first," Terian reminded her.
So Breanna tried, but game after game blocked up. She knew she was making misplays, but couldn't help it. In fact, as time wore on, she was getting worse. She wanted to quit—except for the zombies outside.
"Suppose I teach you another game?" she suggested desperately. The night was passing, and she was getting nowhere swiftly.
"That would be satisfactory," Terian agreed, exactly as she had before. Breanna could see that it really was true that this computer and mouse set lacked originality.
So she proceeded to her third and last game. "This one's called Accordion. It's pretty simple to play, but almost
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