“What do you think of the election?” I asked, picking up my cards and fanning them out. Two pair, tens full on sixes. “You’ve got to be joking,” Adolfo said. “Cards?” “One. No, I mean it. I heard that an independent . was running against Zapilote.” I discarded and drew another ten. I opened my eyes slightly and raised the bet as well. Adolfo matched me and raised. Santos folded. Renata brought me a new drink.

“No way, and I mean no way,” Adolfo said. “Anyone runs against The Buzzard is subject to sudden heart attacks. What do you have?” “Full house.” “So do 1. Jacks high. About time I won something. I was afraid you were going to skin us, you and your winning streak. “ Me and my losing streak. The cards began to go against me and very soon all of the money in my wallet was gone.

“That’s it for me, boys,” I said, folding my last hand. “I’m skinned. Unless I dig into my traveling money.” “Up to you, Jaime,” Adolfo said casually. “Just a friendly game. But you should have a chance to win something back.” “You’re right, what the dickens. Just a friendly game.” I went over to my case, where I had placed it on the table in plain sight, and opened it. As I reached into it Santos called out to me, his voice suddenly quite rough.

“Just hold it there, Jaime, Don’t take anything out of that case sudden-like if you don’t mind. “ I looked up and saw that he had a large pistol in his hand, which he was leveling at me. And little Adolfo was doing the same thing with another gun. Just to make the scene complete, Renata had produced an equally impressive pistol from someplace, which was also pointed in my direction. I smiled, innocently I hoped, and moved my hands slowly into sight. “Say, what’s going on here?” I asked.

Santos’s only answer was to cock his pistol with a snik-click, the tinv sound loud in the silence of the ronrn

Chapter 16

“What happened to our friendly poker game?” I said.

“What happened to our friendly traveler who just wanted to play poker?” Adolfo asked.”. “What are you talking about?” “I’m talking about the fact that we have an X-ray screen tucked up under that table top. You have exactly ten seconds to tell us why you have three guns in there. Mr. Police Spy.” I laughed at this suggestion, then stopped laughing when Adolfo cocked his gun too. “Only a police spy would talk politics to a stranger,” he said grimly. “Seven seconds.” “Stop with the counting!” I said. “All right. I’ll teH you the truth. I’m a card sharper. I was just about to clean you out.” “What?” Adolfo shook his head as though to clear it. This was undoubtedly the last answer he had been expecting.

“You don’t believe me? I’ve been watching you all evening while you marked the edges of the high cards with your thumbnail. So you could separate them out of the pack, then deal from the bottom. I let you lift my bundle so I could go into my reserves, bet high, lose, double or nothing-then clean you out with one last hand. The guns are to make sure I get out of here with the winnings.” “You’re lying to save your neck,” Adolfo said, but he didn’t sound as assured now. “No one could do that to me.” “No? I will be happy to demonstrate. You just shuffled the deck that’s on the table didn’t you?” He nodded. “All right then. I’m going over to the table and pick it up, I won’t make any fast moves so try to keep those fingers cool on the triggers.” I did just that. Moving slowly, sitting down, pulling my chair forward, reaching out and picking up the deck right under their noses. They stared intently while I dealt out three hands. I sat back and clasped my hands behind my neck, the picture of relaxation, and nodded my chin down at my cards.

“There they are, Adolfo, my old card mechanic. You pick up my cards and see what land of a hand mother luck has dealt me.” His gun was lowered, forgotten, as he reached out and turned my hand over.

Four aces and a joker stared back at him.

“Five aces usually win,” I said calmly, smiling, as both men stared down at the cards. Renata leaned over so she could see too.

I shot her first, then Santos. With the needle gun I had thoughtfully tucked into the back of my collar. Adolfo jumped with surprise as his companions slumped and banged towards the floor. He started to raise his gun again but mine was already leveled right between his eyes.

“Don’t try it,” I growled, just as grimly as I could. “Lay it down and you won’t get hurt. Don’t worry about your partners, they’re just asleep. “ He was trembling as he put the gun down. I grabbed it up along with Santos’s, then threw them both onto the couch. Renata’s gun was on the carpet by her limp hand and I kicked that one away as well. Only then did I relax, put my own gun away, and take a long swig from my glass.

“Do you always X-ray your marks’ luggage?” I asked.

He nodded, still shocked by the rapidity of events, then finally got the words out. “If we can. See if they’re carrying heat, anything. Renata does it after the game starts, then signals us what’s in the bag.” “A good code. I never noticed it. Listen, if I bring your friends around do you promise no more strongarm stuff? And you can keep the money you won as a sign of good faith. “ “You mean that? Who are you? Police...?” I decided to take a chance on a measure of frankness.

“You have it the wrong way around. The main reason I jumped at a chance of a game tonight was because every policeman in town is looking for me. I didn’t think they would look here.” He whinnied and shied away. “You’re the guy on the radio! The mass murderer who killed forty-two people...” “No. I’m the guy on the radio all right, but the mass murderer is their cover story. I’m the guy who is working for the opposition to trv and eet Zanilote kicked out of office.” “You mean that?” He was excited now, his fear gone. “If you are going to take The Buzzard out, why I’m on your side. They got the rackets so sewn up that it’s hard for a grifter to make an honest living.” “One of the best reasons I have ever heard for clean government!” I extended my hand. “Put it there, Adolfo. You have just joined the political party. I can guarantee that when our man is elected that the dumbest cop on the planet will be put in charge of the bunco squad. “ We shook enthusiastically on that. Then I dug out the pressure spray hypo of antidote and gave his snoring associates a shot each, but only after I had taken the precaution of locking their guns safely away in my case.

“They’ll come around in about five minutes,” I said, as we propped them comfortably on the couch.

“I have a question,” he said. “I admit you got me. I know I shuffled that deck right. So how did you deal yourself that hand?” “I did what you weren’t expecting,” I told him, not able to keep all the pride from my voice. What joy to beat a pro at his own game! “Look at the deck.” He did, fanning the cards in a swift arc across the table. One glimpse did it. “The aces are still here-and the joker...” He gaped up at me and burst out laughing. “Palmed from the old deck.” “Exactly, I slipped them out when we discarded it. You were so busy stacking this deck that you never noticed.” “You’re really good, Jaime.” Ahh, what wonderful words! “Your hands were empty when you sat down at the table. Of course-you reached down to pull your chair close. Palmed the extra cards then. Slipped them on the bottom of the deck. Dealt your own hand from the bottom and that was that.” We kept the conversation at this professional level for quite awhile. I showed him a holdout and a pass that had never reached this planet, in exchange for a very nifty substitution. By the time Santos stirred and groaned to life we were thick as thieves. The big man muttered, licked his lips, opened his eyes-and roared with anger as he hurled himself at me. Adolfo put out his foot and tripped him so he sprawled out at our feet.