As he lifted the ashtray there was a concerted gasp from all sides. The dice were sticking there, upside down, box cars showing. "Are these what you call honest dice?" he asked.
The man who had thrown out the dice reached quickly for his hip pocket. Jason was the only one who saw what happened next. He was watching that hand closely, his own fingers near his gun butt. As the man dived into his pocket a hand reached out of the crowd behind him. From its square-cut size it could have belonged to only one person. The thick thumb and index finger clamped swiftly around the house man's wrist, then they were gone. The man screamed shrilly and held up his arm, his hand dangling limp as a glove from the broken wrist bones.
With his flank well protected, Jason could go on with the game. "The old dice if you don't mind," he said quietly.
Dazedly the stick man pushed them over. Jason shook quickly and rolled. Before they hit the table he realized he couldn't control them--the transient psi power had gone.
End over end they turned. And faced up seven.
Counting the chips as they were pushed over to him he added up a bit under two billion credits. They would be winning that much if he left the game now--but it wasn't the three billion that Kerk needed. Well, it would have to be enough. As he reached for the chips he caught Kerk's eye across the table and the other man shook his head in a steady no.
"Let it ride," Jason said wearily, "one more roll."
He breathed on the dice, polished them on his cuff, and wondered how he had ever gotten into this spot. Billions riding on a pair of dice. That was as much as the annual income of some planets. The only reason there could be stakes like that was because the planetary government had a stake in the Casino. He shook as long as he could, reaching for the control that wasn't there--then let fly.
Everything else had stopped in the Casino and people were standing on tables and chairs to watch. There wasn't a sound from that large crowd. The dice bounced back from the board with a clatter loud in the silence and tumbled over the cloth.
A five and a one. Six. He still had to make his point. Scooping up the dice Jason talked to them, mumbled the ancient oaths that brought luck and threw again.
It took five throws before he made the six.
The crowd echoed his sigh and their voices rose quickly. He wanted to stop, take a deep breath, but he knew he couldn't. Winning the money was only part of the job--they now had to get away with it. It had to look casual. A waiter was passing with a tray of drinks. Jason stopped him and tucked a hundred-credit note in his pocket.
"Drinks are on me," he shouted while he pried the tray out of the waiter's hands. Well-wishers cleared the filled glasses away quickly and Jason piled the chips onto the tray. They more than loaded it, but Kerk appeared that moment with a second tray.
"I'll be glad to help you, sir, if you will permit me," he said.
Jason looked at him, and laughed permission. It was the first time he had a clear look at Kerk in the Casino. He was wearing loose, purple evening pajamas over what must have been a false stomach. The sleeves were long and baggy so he looked fat rather than muscular. It was a simple but effective disguise.
Carefully carrying the loaded trays, surrounded by a crowd of excited patrons, they made their way to the cashier's window. The manager himself was there, wearing a sickly grin. Even the grin faded when he counted the chips.
5
"Could you come back in the morning," he said, "I'm afraid we don't have that kind of money on hand."
"What's the matter," Kerk shouted, "trying to get out of paying him? You took my money easy enough when I lost--it works both ways!"
The onlookers, always happy to see the house lose, growled their disagreement. Jason finished the matter in a loud voice. "I'll be reasonable, give me what cash you have and I'll take a check for the balance."
There was no way out. Under the watchful eye of the gleeful crowd the manager packed an envelope with bills and wrote a check. Jason took a quick glimpse at it, then stuffed it into an inside pocket. With the envelope under one arm he followed Kerk towards the door.
Because of the onlookers there was no trouble in the main room, but just as they reached the side entrance two men moved in, blocking the way.
"Just a moment--" one said. He never finished the sentence. Kerk walked into them without slowing and they bounced away like tenpins. Then Kerk and Jason were out of the building and walking fast.
"Into the parking lot," Kerk said. "I have a car there."
When they rounded the corner there was a car bearing down on them. Before Jason could get his gun clear of the holster Kerk was in front of him. His arm came up and his big ugly gun burst through the cloth of his sleeve and jumped into his hand. A single shot killed the driver and the car swerved and crashed. The other two men in the car died coming out of the door, their guns dropping from their hands.
After that they had no trouble. Kerk drove at top speed away from the Casino, the torn sleeve of his pajamas whipping in the breeze, giving glimpses of the big gun back in the holster.
"When you get the chance," Jason said, "you'll have to show me how that trick holster works." "When we get the chance," Kerk answered as he dived the car into the city access tube.
III.
The building they stopped at was one of the finer residences in Cassylia. As they had driven, Jason counted the money and separated his share. Almost sixteen million credits. It still didn't seem quite real. When they got out in front of the building he gave Kerk the rest.
"Here's your three billion, don't think it was easy," he said. "It could have been worse," was his only answer.
The recorded voice scratched in the speaker over the door.
"Sire Ellus has retired for the night, would you please call again in the morning. All appointments are made in advan--"
The voice broke off as Kerk pushed the door open. He did it almost effortlessly with the flat of his hand. As they went in Jason looked at the remnants of torn and twisted metal that hung in the lock and wondered again about his companion.
Strength--more than physical strength--he's like an elemental force. I have the feeling that nothing can stop him.
It made him angry--and at the same time fascinated him. He didn't want out of the deal until he found out more about Kerk and his planet. And "they" who had died for the money he gambled.
Sire Ellus was old, balding and angry, not at all used to having his rest disturbed. His complaints stopped suddenly when Kerk threw the money down on the table.
6
"Is the ship being loaded yet, Ellus? Here's the balance due." Ellus only fumbled the bills for a moment before he could answer
Kerk's question.
"The ship--but, of course. We began loading when you gave us the deposit. You'll have to excuse my confusion, this is a little ir-regular. We never handle transactions of this size in cash."
"That's the way I like to do business," Kerk answered him, "I've canceled the deposit, this is the total sum. Now how about a receipt."
Ellus had made out the receipt before his senses returned. He held it tightly while he looked uncomfortably at the three billion spread out before him.
"Wait--I can't take it now, you'll have to return in the morning, to the bank. In normal business fashion," Ellus decided firmly. Kerk reached over and gently drew the paper out of Ellus' hand.
"Thanks for the receipt," he said. "I won't be here in the morning so this will be satisfactory. And if you're worried about the money
I suggest you get in touch with some of your plant guards or private police. You'll feel a lot safer."
When they left through the shattered door Ellus was frantically dialing numbers on his screen. Kerk answered Jason's next question before he could ask it.
"I imagine you would like to live to spend that money in your pocket, so I've booked two seats on an