Masters Of The Vortex Part 12

'Overdressed? she exclaimed. 'Listen, you-I've never worn a bathing suit she exclaimed. 'Listen, you-I've never worn a bathing suit half half as skimpy as this in my whole life, and if you think I'm going to wear any as skimpy as this in my whole life, and if you think I'm going to wear any less less than this you're completely out of your mind!' than this you're completely out of your mind!'

'Oh, it isn't me!' me!' Cloud protested. 'Patrol Regs are strict that way-when in Rome you've got to be a Roman candle, you know.' Cloud protested. 'Patrol Regs are strict that way-when in Rome you've got to be a Roman candle, you know.'

'I know, but I'm a Roman candle enough right now-in fact, I feel like a flaming skyrocket. Why, this thing I've got on is scarcely more than a G-string!'

'QX-we'll let it pa.s.s-this time ...'

'Hey, you know something?' Joe interrupted him before Joan did. 'Vegia is a couple of degrees warmer than this, and they don't overdo the matter of clothes there, either. I am am going to start basking under the radiants. If I get myself cooked to a nice, golden brown, Helen-like a slice of medium-done toast-will you do Vegiaton with me?' going to start basking under the radiants. If I get myself cooked to a nice, golden brown, Helen-like a slice of medium-done toast-will you do Vegiaton with me?'

'It's a date, brother!'

As Joe and Helen shook hands to seal the agreement, the two Patrol officers and Vesta strode out.

They took a copter to the Club Elysian, the plus.h.i.+est and one of the biggest places on the planet. The resplendently decorated -in an undressed way, of course-doorman glanced at the DeLameters, but, knowing the side-arm to be the one indispensable item of the Patrol uniform wherever found, he greeted them cordially in impeccable Galactic Spanish and pa.s.sed them along.

'The second floor, I presume, sir and mesdames?' The host, a very good rule-of-thumb psychologist, cla.s.sified these visitors instantly and suggested the region where both cla.s.s and stakes were high. Also, and as promptly, he decided to escort them personally. Two Patrol officers and a Vegian-especially the Vegian-rated special attention.

The second floor was really a place. The pile of the rug was over half an inch deep. The lighting was neither too garish nor too dim. The tastefully-placed paintings and tapestries adorning the walls were neither too large nor too small, each for its place; and each was a masterpiece.

'May we use Patrol currency, or would you rather we took 130.

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chips?' Cloud asked.

'Either one, sir; just as you wish.'

'We Tellurians are all set, then, but Miss Vesta here would like to cash a few Travelers' Cheques.'

'Certainly, Miss Vesta. I'll be delighted to take care of it for you. How do you wish the money, please?'

Til want a little small stuff to get the feel of the house ... say a thousand in tens and twenties. The rest of it in fifties and hundreds, please-mostly hundreds.'

Vesta peeled off and thumb-printed ten two-thousand credit cheques and the host, bowing gracefully, hurried away.

'One thing, Vesta,' Cloud cautioned. 'Don't throw it away too fast. Save some for next time.'

'Oh, I always do, chief. This'll last me the week, easily. I run wild only when I'm in a winning streak.'

The host came up with her money; and as Vesta made a beeline for the nearest wheel: 'What do you like, Joan?' Cloud asked. 'A wheel?'

'I don't think so; not at first anyway. I've had better luck with the under-and-overs. They're over there, aren't they, sir?'

'Yes, madame. But is there anything I can do first? Refreshments of any kind-an appetizer, perhaps?'

'Not at the moment, thanks.'

'If you wish anything, at any time, just send a boy. I'll look you up from time to time, to be sure you lack nothing. Thank you very much, sir and madame.'

The host bowed himself away and the two officers strolled over to the bank of 'under-and-over' tables, which were all filled. They stood at ease for a few minutes; chatting idly, enjoying their cigarettes, gazing with interest and appreciation around the huge, but wonderfully beautiful room. There was no indication whatever that either of the two Patrolmen was the least bit interested in the fall of the cards, or that two of the keenest mathematical minds in s.p.a.ce knew exactly, before the man ahead of them got tired of losing fifty-credit chips, the denomination and the location of every card remaining in the rack.

Joan could, of course, have read either the cards, or the dealer's mind, or both; but she was not doing either-yet. This was a game-on the side, so to speak-between her and Storm. Nor was it at all unequal, for Cloud's uncanny ability to solve complex mathematical problems was of very little a.s.sistance 132.

here. This was a matter of more-or-less simple sequences; of series; of arrangements; and her years of cybernetic training more than made up for his advantage in speed.

'Your pleasure, madame or sir? Or are you together?'

'We're together, thanks. We'll take the next, for an M.' Cloud placed a one-thousand-credit note in the velvet-lined box.

Two thin stacks of cards lay on the table at the dealer's right; one pile face up, the other, face down. He took the top card from the rack, turned it over, and added it to the face-up stack. 'The ten of clubs,' he droned, sliding a one-thousand-credit bill across the table to Cloud. 'What is your pleasure, sir and madame?'

'Let it ride. Two M's in the box,' Cloud said, tossing the new bill on top of its mate. 'Throw one.'

'Discard one.' The dealer removed the next card and, holding it so that neither he nor the players could see its face, added it to the face-down pile. 'What is your pleasure, sir and madame?'

'Throw one.'

'Discard one.'

'We'll take this one,' and there were four thousand credits in the box.

Throw one take one, and there were eight thousand.

The eight became sixteen; then thirty-two; and the dealer lost his urbanity completely. He looked just plain ugly.

'Maybe that's enough for now,' Joan suggested. 'After all, we don't want to take all all the man's money.' the man's money.'

'Tightwad's trick, huh? Quit while yer ahead?' the dealer sneered. 'Why'n'cha let 'er ride just once more?'

'If you insist, we will,' Cloud said, 'but I'm warning you it'll cost you thirty-two more M's.'

'That's what you you think, Buster-I think different. Call your play!' think, Buster-I think different. Call your play!'

'We'll take it!' Cloud snapped. 'But listen, you clever-fingered jerk-I know just as well as you do that the top card is the king of clubs, and the one below it is the trey of diamonds. So, if you want to stay healthy, move slowly and be d.a.m.ned sure to lift just one card, not two, and take it off the top and not the bottom!'

Glaring in baffled fury, the dealer turned up the king of clubs and paid his loss.

At the next table the results were pretty much the same, and 133.

at the third. At the fourth table, however, instead of pyramiding, they played only single M-bills. They lost-won-lost-lost- W Won-lost-won-lost. In twenty plays they were only two thousand credits ahead.

'I think I've got it, Joan,' Cloud said then. 'Coming up- eight, six, jack, five, deuce?"

'Uh-uh. I don't think so. Eight, six, jack, three, one, I think. The trey of spades and the ace of hearts. A two-and-one s.h.i.+ft with each full cycle.'

'Urn ... m. Could be ... but do you think the guy's that smart?'

'I'm pretty sure of it, Storm. He's the best dealer they have. He's been dealing a long time. He knows cards.'

'Well, if you're done pa.s.sing out compliments, how about calling a play?' the dealer suggested.

'QX. We'll take the eight for one M ... and it is is the eight, you notice ... let it ride ... throw the six-without looking, of course ... we'll take the jack for two M's ...' the eight, you notice ... let it ride ... throw the six-without looking, of course ... we'll take the jack for two M's ...'

The host, accompanied by no less a personage than the manager himself, had come up. They stood quietly and listened as Cloud took three bills out of the box, leaving one, and went on: 'The next card is either a five or a trey. That M there is to find out which it is.'

'Are you sure of that?' the manager asked. 'Not absolutely, of course,' Cloud admitted. 'There's one chance in approximately fourteen million that both my partner and I are wrong.'

'Very good odds. But since you lose in either case, why bet?' 'Because if it's a trey, she solved your system first. If it's a five, I beat her to it.'

'I see, but that isn't necessary.' The manager took the remaining cards out of the rack, and, holding them carefully and firmly, wrapped the M-note tightly around them. Then, picking up the two small stacks of played cards, he handed the whole collection to Cloud, at the same time signalling the dealer to go ahead with his game. 'We'll be smothered in a crowd very shortly, and I would like very much to play with you myself. Will you, sir and madame, be gracious enough to continue play in private?'

'Gladly, sir,' Joan a.s.sented, at Cloud's questioning glance. 'If it would not put you out too much.'

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'I am delighted,' and, beckoning to a hovering waiter, he went on: 'We will have refreshments, of course. In uniform, you might possibly prefer soft drinks? We have some very good Tellurian ginger ale.'

'That'd be fine,' Cloud said, even while he was thinking at the Lensman in contact with his mind: 'Safe enough, don't you think? He couldn't be thinking of any rough stuff yet.'

'Perfectly safe,' Nordquist agreed. 'He's just curious. Besides, he's in no shape to handle even the Vortex Blaster Vortex Blaster alone, to say nothing of the task force he knows would be here two hours after anything happened to either of you.' alone, to say nothing of the task force he knows would be here two hours after anything happened to either of you.'

The four strolled in friendly fas.h.i.+on to the suggested private room. As soon as they were settled: 'You said the top card would be either a five or a trey,' the manager said. 'Shall we look?'

It was the trey of spades. 'Congratulations, Joanie, a mighty swell job. You really clobbered me on that one.' He shook her hand vigorously, then handed the bill to the manager. 'Here's your M-note, sir.'

'I couldn't think of it, sir. No tipping, you know ...'

'I know. Not a tip, but your winnings. I called the play, remember. Hence, I insist.'

'Very well, if you insist. But don't you want to look at the next one?'

'No. It's the ace of hearts-can't be anything else.'

'To satisfy my own curiosity, then.' The manager flipped the top card delicately. It was the ace of hearts. 'No compulsion, of course, but would you mind telling me how you can possibly possibly do what you have just done?' do what you have just done?'

'I'll be glad to,' and this was the simple truth. Cloud had to explain, before the zwilniks began to suspect that they were being taken by an organized force of Lensmen and snoopers. 'We aren't even semi-habitual gamblers. The lieutenant-commander is Doctor Joan Janowick, the Patrol's ace designer of big, highspeed electronic computers, and I am Neal Cloud, a mathematical a.n.a.lyst.'

'You are "Storm" Cloud, the Vortex Blaster,' the manager corrected him. 'A super-computer yourself. I begin to see, I think ... but go ahead, please.'

'You undoubtedly know that random numbers, which underlie all games of chance, must be just that-purely random, with 135.

nothing whatever of system or of orderliness in their distribution. Also that a stacked deck, by definition, is most decidedly not not random. We were kicking that idea around, one day, and decided to study stacked decks, to see how systematic such distributions actually were. Well-here's the new part-we learned that any dealer who stacks a deck of cards does so in some definite pattern; and that pattern, whether conscious or unconscious, is always characteristic of that one individual. The more skilled the dealer, the more complex, precise, complete, and definite the pattern. Any pattern, however complex, can be solved; and, once solved, the cards might just as well be lying face up and all in sight. random. We were kicking that idea around, one day, and decided to study stacked decks, to see how systematic such distributions actually were. Well-here's the new part-we learned that any dealer who stacks a deck of cards does so in some definite pattern; and that pattern, whether conscious or unconscious, is always characteristic of that one individual. The more skilled the dealer, the more complex, precise, complete, and definite the pattern. Any pattern, however complex, can be solved; and, once solved, the cards might just as well be lying face up and all in sight.

'On the other hand, while it is virtually impossible for any dealer to shuffle a deck into a really random condition, it can approach randomness so nearly that the patterns are short and hence very difficult to solve. Also, there are no likenesses or similarities to help. Worst of all, there is the house leverage- the sevens of hearts, diamonds, and clubs, you know-of approximately five point seven seven percent. So it is mathematically certain that she and I would lose, not win, against any dealer who was not stacking his decks.'

'I ... am ... surprised. I'm amazed,' amazed,' the manager said. He was, too; and so was the host. 'Heretofore it has always been the guest who loses by manipulation, not the house.' It is noteworthy that neither the manager nor host had at any time denied, even by implication, that their games of 'chance' were loaded. 'Thanks, immensely, for telling me ... By the way, you haven't done this very often before have you?' the manager smiled ruefully. the manager said. He was, too; and so was the host. 'Heretofore it has always been the guest who loses by manipulation, not the house.' It is noteworthy that neither the manager nor host had at any time denied, even by implication, that their games of 'chance' were loaded. 'Thanks, immensely, for telling me ... By the way, you haven't done this very often before have you?' the manager smiled ruefully.

'No.' Cloud smiled back. 'This is the first time. Why?'

'I thought I would have heard of it if you had. This of course changes my mind about wanting to deal to you myself. In fact, I'll go farther-any dealer you play with here will be doing his level best to give you a completely random distribution.'

'Fair enough. But we proved our point, which was what we were primarily interested in, anyway. What'll we do with the rest of the day, Joan-go back to the s.h.i.+p?'

'Uh-uh. This is the most comfortable place I've found since we left Tellus, and if I don't see the s.h.i.+p again for a week it'll be at least a week too soon. Why don't you send a boy out with enough money to get us a chess kit? We can engage this 136.

room for the rest of the day and work on our game.'

'No need for that-we have all such things here,' the host said quickly. 'I'll send for them at once.'

'No, no-no money, please,' the manager said. 'I am still in your debt, and as long as you will stay you are my guests ...' he paused, then went on in a strangely altered tone. 'But chess ... and Janowick ... Joan Janowick, not at all a common name ... surely not Past Grand Master Janowick? She- retired-would be a much older woman.'

'The same-I retired for lack of time, but I still play as much as I can. I'm flattered that you have heard of me." Joan smiled as though she were making a new and charming acquaintance. 'And you? I'm sorry we didn't introduce ourselves earlier.'

'Permit me to introduce Host Althagar, a.s.sistant manager. I am called Thlasoval.'

'Oh, I know of you, Master Thlasoval. I followed your game with RenG.o.don of Centralia. Your knight-and-bishop end game was a really beautiful thing.'

'Thank you. / am really really flattered that you have heard of flattered that you have heard of me. me. But Commander Cloud ...?' But Commander Cloud ...?'

'No, you haven't heard of him. Perhaps you never will, but believe me, if he had time for tournament play he'd be high on the Grand Masters list. So far on this cruise he's won one game, I've won one, and we're on the eighty-fourth move of the third.' The paraphernalia arrived and the Tellurians set the game up rapidly and unerringly, each knowing exactly where each piece and p.a.w.n belonged.

'You have each lost two p.a.w.ns, one knight, and one bishop -in eighty-three moves?' Thlasoval marveled.

'Right,' Cloud said. 'We're playing for blood. Across this board friends.h.i.+p ceases; and, when dealing with such a pure unadulterated tiger as she is, so does chivalry.'

'If I'm a tiger, I'd hate to say what he he is.' Joan glanced up with a grin. 'Just study the board, Master Thlasoval, and see for yourself who is doing what to whom. I'm just barely holding him: he's had me on the defensive for the last forty moves. Attacking him is just like trying to beat in the side of a battles.h.i.+p with your bare fist. Do you see his strategy? Perhaps not, on such short notice.' is.' Joan glanced up with a grin. 'Just study the board, Master Thlasoval, and see for yourself who is doing what to whom. I'm just barely holding him: he's had me on the defensive for the last forty moves. Attacking him is just like trying to beat in the side of a battles.h.i.+p with your bare fist. Do you see his strategy? Perhaps not, on such short notice.'

Joan was very willing to talk chess at length, because the fact that Fairchild's Chickladorian manager was a chess Master 137.

was an essential part of the Patrol's plan.

'No ... I can't say that I do.'

'You notice he's concentrating everything he can bring to bear on my left flank. Fifteen moves from now he'd've been focussed on my King's Knight's Third. Three moves after that he was going to exchange his knight for my queen and then mate in four. But, finding out what he was up to, I've just derailed his train of operations and he has to revise his whole campaign.'

'No wonder I didn't see ... I'm simply not in your cla.s.s. But would you mind if I stay and look on?"

'We'll be glad to have you, but it won't be fast. We're playing strict tournament rules and taking the full four minutes for each move.'

'That's quite all right. I really enjoy enjoy watching Grand Masters at work." watching Grand Masters at work."

Master though he was, Thlasoval had no idea at all of what a terrific game he watched. For Joan Janowick and Neal Cloud were not playing it; they merely moved the pieces. The game had been played long since. Based upon the greatest games of the greatest masters of old, it had been worked out, move by move, by chess masters working with high-speed computers.

Thus, while Joan and Storm were really concentrating, it was not upon chess.

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