Вилорп

→Hanama approaches silently.

→"This filthy city would make anyone sick. In my mountain kingdom, Makri will be healthy."

→Horm shrugs.

→"You can't," replies Dandelion, firmly. "She's sick and she needs to rest."

→"I want to see Makri," says Horm.

→I break free and head for the bar, where Dandelion is handing a glass of klee to Horm.

→"I got off to a bad start. Now excuse me, I have a beer to pick up."

→"Good question. He has five thousand gurans and you have three hundred and sixty."

→Lisutaris purses her lips.

→"For what? For saving the city? I had to do it. Tell the Bishop it was vital war work. You ought to be getting behind me, not giving me a hard time. Who's the one that's doing all the work here? Who's the one that's making Horm look foolish at the card table?"

→"You know you could be hanged for this?"

→"Yes. But only as part of an ongoing investigation."

→"I wish I knew what you've been doing," hisses Cicerius. "Did you really break into the church of St. Volinius and rob a tomb?"

→"I knew what I was doing."

→"That was very rash," says Lisutaris. "I told you not to risk everything before I'm ready."

→Cicerius appears at the table and says it's time we took another break. It brings complaints from the players. Praetor Capatius hasn't been doing so well for the past hour or so, and like any card player on a losing streak, he wants to carry on. Horm shrugs. He doesn't mind either way. I'd as soon carry on playing because I've got a strong suspicion that Cicerius is calling for a break so he can lecture me again, but we rise from the table anyway. I head for the bar but don't make it that far before I'm once more surrounded by the angry mob.

→Horm turns over two dragons and two kings. I turn over three 10s. My hand is superior. I scoop in the money and now I've got 360 gurans in front of me.

→"Let's see what you have."

→I turn my head slightly, and notice Lisutaris shaking her head discreetly. A signal that she has not yet found a counter spell to attack Horm, and doesn't want me to risk losing yet. I turn back to my cards, and push all my money into the centre of the table.

→Horm the Dead laughs. He's enjoying himself. He's still well ahead of me and he's no doubt expecting to be leaving the city with Makri in tow. I'll show him. By three in the morning there are only four people left at the table—Praetor Capatius, Horm the Dead, Casax, and me. Each of them has several thousand gurans in front of them. I have 180. Horm decides that it's time to force me off the table. When I raise a cautious ten gurans on a hand, he calmly looks over at the money in front of me, counts out 180 gurans, and pushes it into the centre of the table. If I cover his bet it will cost me everything I have, and I'll be out of the game if I lose.