Вилорп

→"You lost two hundred and thirty gurans in one hand!" hisses Cicerius. "It was far too adventurous. Have you forgotten what this game means to Turai?"

→Acarius shrugs, and the players rise from the table. I attempt to follow them to the bar but I'm immediately surrounded by a gaggle of concerned Turanian citizens, demanding to know what I'm doing throwing my money away in such a rash manner.

→"It's time for a break."

→The Deputy Consul shoots him a serious look.

→"Time for a break? We've hardly got started."

→General Acarius looks up sharply.

→"Time for a break, gentlemen," he says. "There are refreshments at the bar."

→Cicerius approaches the table.

→I'm seething inside though I don't let it show.

→"My game, I believe," he says, and scoops up his money like a man who's never seen a few hundred gurans before.

→I can either call Glixius, or raise him further. I'm fairly confident I've got the hand won and I'd like to raise him but I'm aware that I don't have all that much room for error. Two hundred and thirty gurans is a hefty chunk out of my capital. I'd risk it for myself, but there's Makri to think of. I utter a silent curse. Now I'm having to think about Makri it's interfering with my normal aggressive style. I put in a hundred gurans and call Glixius, then lay down my three queens for all to see. Glixius turns over a run of 6, 7, 8, 9, all green. A straight flush which beats my three queens. And then he actually laughs, which is a very low-class thing to do at the card table.

→Ravenius shrugs. He hands his cards back to Moolifi, taking care not to let them turn over. Even when you're dropping out of a hand, you don't want your opponents to see what cards you were holding. It might give them some clues as to your strategy.

→When my next card arrives it's a nine. I'm disappointed, but three queens is still a good hand. It's Glixius to bet. He muses on his cards briefly, then counts out another hundred gurans and places it firmly in the middle of the table. A little too firmly, maybe. I get the impression he might be bluffing.

→There's a lot of money riding on this hand and Horm isn't even involved. So far he hasn't made any sort of substantial wager. If I win this I'll go well ahead of him. If I lose, I'll be a long way behind.

→Ravenius considers for a few moments, then tosses his cards back to Moolifi, dropping out of the hand. General Acarius immediately folds as well. Praetor Capatius, however, confidently pushes forward his hundred gurans.

→"I'll cover your hundred."

→When the third card arrives it's another queen. I now have three queens and that's a good hand. I take a brief look at the archaically dressed ladies on the cards, put them back face down in front of me, and wait for Glixius to make his bet. He slides a hundred gurans across the table. I'm next to bet.

→So far Moolifi has dealt me nothing worth gambling on. It means I haven't made any serious losses but I haven't been able to get into the game either. I'm just starting to feel slightly twitchy when she sends me two queens in the first deal, giving me some hope that I might finally be on to something. When everyone has their first two cards, Glixius pushes thirty gurans into the centre of the table. The bet is covered by Ravenius. I slide thirty gurans across too. Acarius and Capatius do likewise. I sip my beer.

→No one is really that concerned. It would be unlucky to have a player actually die at the table, but apart from that, everyone is keen to get on with the game. Matters proceed quietly enough apart from a brief moment of excitement when Ravenius takes a large pot, beating Casax's three dragons with four sixes. Casax loses a lot on the hand but, like the cool gambler he is, he masks his disappointment.

→"He'll be fine. There's a healer giving him some medicine right now."