Payback Time  

By Len Morgan

  Buquan spent his evening in the one place in Erriton guaranteed to attract him like a magnet; the Bragaddo gaming house.  He had lost steadily all evening then in the final pot, he drew three ladies an unbeatable hand or so he thought.  The pot went past his bankroll.  He put in a marker to cover the shortfall.  Then his opponent revealed three kings.  He looked at his markers, ten thousand credits, he was taken to the cleaners and would be working a long time for nothing…  The house covered his markers so he was taken to the owner’s office to arrange a payment plan.  He would not have had a problem in the Alliance States, He had always honoured his markers, but here in Erriton they were not so trusting. Heddi looked into his pale unremitting eyes.  She had won the Bragaddo gaming house from one such as he, hard and fearless, ”You owe me, and I intend to have what is mine,” she said.

“I have nothing,” he said pulling out the linings of his pockets to show they were empty. 

“Who are you and where are you from, I don see you around much,” Heddi said.

“My name is Buquan, I am from the Allied States…”

“You are D’lore man, you allow vermin who kill our countrymen go free!” she spat in contempt. 

He glowered but remained silent.

“You are no good risk!  I want settlement now!” she yelled with a sneer.

“I am good for the sum, in the morning I will contact a lender and establish a line of credit, and get you your money…”

“Not good enough,. You are a transient, I want reparation now!  Tonight!  I believe you not live past morning.  Nobody lends to a dead man.” 

“Many have tried and found death themselves, I am still here,” he said in a husky whisper that sents shivers down spines. ”I have no wish to add to the sorrow that abounds in your land.  Please prevail upon hotheads to stay their hands and live on.  I am a man of peace, I uphold the law.  If you do not respect me, you should respect the office I hold.”

“You have three option!  Pay me what you owe – NOW!  Go to prison until the sum is paid, or gamble once more…” She gazed into his eyes.”

“With What?” He answered.

Her face hardened, “with your life!”

He would have resigned himself to Jail for one night, knowing his office would have extended him credit in the morning.  But, that fatal character flaw in his makeup overrode the little sense that remained in his bone head.  He smiled, “I’ll gamble.”

“You don ever know the game,” She said with evident surprise.

“You guarantee a straight game?”

“Of course,” intrigue played across her features, “most pay, some go to prison, nobody is fool enough to choose the bottles…” 

“Nobody?”

“Almost nobody.”

“Tell me about the bottles.”

.-…-. 

A steward entered the gloomy smoke filled room and placed a tray on the table before them.  The room went quiet, tension mounted, as the gamblers gathered closer to witness the spectacle. 

“Here we have five identical bottles,” the steward began.  “Their contents are colourless, odourless, and tasteless.  Two contain poison, two are harmless, and one contains the antidote for just one of the poisons, taken alone it is harmless.  The second poison has no antidote and will kill you.  You are free to choose whenever you wish; if you choose a poison you will feel a prickling sensation in your throat within 30 seconds.  If you then select the antidote the symptoms will abate within 30 seconds.  If not they will continue to increase.  You will have two minutes to drink the antidote if it is not already in your system.”

“Not so sure now are we?” Heddi smirked. “dew wanna change you mind?”

He picked up the bottles and examined them, they were all identical. 

He licked his lips nervously, then slowly and deliberately stretched out his hand.  A low buzz went around the building.  His fingers clasped the bottle farthest from him.  He broke the seal, lifted the bottle to his lips, and drank the contents in one smooth movement. 

Slowly his expression changed a small trickle of sweat drizzled down his forehead. “Shit!” He exclaimed, and reached for a second bottle, broke its seal, and drank the contents. 

Thirty seconds elapsed as he reviewed the three remaining bottles.  He made a selection and downed the draft.

Collectively, the assembly held its breath, waiting the 30 seconds.

Time ceased to have meaning…  Two bottles remained.  Unhurriedly he reached out and selected a fourth, then hesitated as his hand moved to the fifth bottle, it hovered a moment then returned to the fourth.  He broke the seal and drank.  The atmosphere solidified, time was measured by the dripping of a beer tap.  The assembly remained silently spellbound.

Outside two feline antagonists broke into audible combat.  Nervous laughter was sharply quelled by a collective voice “SHH…”

Just one bottle remained unopened.  His big hammer-like fist dashed it to the floor…

“Yes!” came the collective triumphant voice.  A broad grin covered his face, and his arms were raised in victory.

When the applause subsided, Heddi pulled his hair until he faced her, “Preddy damned impressive.  You don really care do you!”

“You’ve done it too haven’t you?” he said.

“Dat's how I won displace,” she smiled.

.-…-. 

“Too much talk; follow…” it wasn’t a request, neither did he want to say no, not tonight.  She took his beefy hand and led him, unnoticed, away from the reverie, through a hidden side door, up a creaking flight of stairs to a deceptively roomy second-floor apartment above the gaming rooms.  They passed through a glass-paneled door which she locked behind them.  It was a large circular room walled with mirrors.  A raised circular bed covered with furs and silk sheets was positioned centrally.  “It was built by my predecessor.”

“Did you…”  He was silenced by her shaking head and a finger held to her lips, for silence.  She slowly disrobed him then herself; leading him into a smaller, tiled adjoining room.  She closed the door and jerked a lever and a torrent of cold water rained down upon them.  Slowly it warmed as she began to lather him all over, rubbing more slowly around his erogenous regions, then she handed the soap to him to return the compliment.  The temperature rose from warm to hot.  Their bodies closed in for intimate contact, they caressed and stroked, kissing and kneading intimately, admiringly.  She was a nubile sultry woman, black eyes and long dark tresses, full inviting, pouting lips.  He held her firm lean body and she responded by digging her talons into his musculature.  His body was older with more than a few scars.  Scars she traced slowly with a pointed fingernail, teasing, and pinching his nipples alternately with strong white teeth.

His hands encircled her waist, and he hoisted her to his shoulder heading for the bed leaving damp patches on her expensive floor covering.

.-…-. 

Buqan left Erriton and Heddi sleeping soundly, an hour before sunup.  A dangerous lady, he thought smiling, Better leaving early than explaining why I can’t stay longer. 

Heddi’s eyes opened to the empty space where he’d slept in her embrace. She smiled; his debt had been paid with interest.

 

Copyright Len Morgan