this, but there are all sorts of responsibilities. One of the ones that I’ve learned about from you is the responsibility to one’s friends: helping them out when they’re in trouble, and letting them help you in return. I haven’t forgotten how you came into a strange dimension to bust me out of prison after I’d refused your help in the first place; or how you signed us on to play in the Big Game to bail Tananda out after she was caught thieving; or how you insisted that Don Bruce assign Guido and Nunzio here to you when they were in line for disciplinary action after botching their assignment for the Mob. I haven’t forgotten it, and I’ll bet they haven’t either, even if you have. Now, I suggest you shut up about job descriptions and let your friends help you .. . partner.”
“A-bloody-men.” Chumley nodded.
“You could have left me with the Geek for the slavers,” Markie said thoughtfully, in a surprisingly adult voice.
“So, now that that’s settled,” my partner said, rubbing his hands together, “let’s get to work. My buddy Guido here has raised a good point. How do we defend Skeeve when we don’t know how or when the Ax will strike?”
We hadn’t really settled it, and Aahz wasn’t about to give me a chance to point it out. I was just as glad, though, since I really didn’t know what to say.
“All we can do is be on the lookout for anyone or anything strange showing up.” Tananda shrugged.
“Like a showdown match of dragon poker with the Sen-Sen Ante Kid,” Chumley said, staring into the distance.
“What’s that?”
“You missed it, little sister. It seems that our boy Skeeve has drawn the attention of the king of dragon poker. He wants a head-to-head showdown match, and he wants it soon.”
“Don’t look at me like that, Chumley.” Aahz grimaced. “I’m changing my vote. If we want to preserve Skeeve’s reputation, there’s no way he can refuse the challenge. Now I’m willing to admit it’ll be money well spent.”
“My daddy can beat anybody at dragon poker,” Markie declared loyally.
“Your daddy can get his brains beaten out royally,” my partner corrected gently. “I just hope we can teach him enough between now and game time that he can lose gracefully.”
“I don’t like it,” Tananda growled. “It’s too convenient. Somehow this game has the Ax’s fingerprints all over it.”
“You’re probably right,” Aahz sighed. “But there’s not much else we can do except accept the challenge and try to make the best of a bad situation.”
“Bite the bullet and play the cards we’re dealt. Eh, Aahz?” I murmured.
I thought I had spoken quietly, but everyone around the table winced, including Markie. They might be loyal enough to risk their lives and careers defending me, but they weren’t going to laugh at my jokes.
“Wait a minute!” Nunzio squeaked. “Do you think there’s a chance that the Kid is actually the Ax?”
“Low probability,” Bunny said, speaking for the first time in the meeting. “Someone like the Ax has to work a low profile. The Sen-Sen Ante Kid is too noticeable. If he were a character assassin, people would notice in no time flat. Besides, when he wins, nobody thinks it’s because his opponents are disreputable ... it’s because the Kid is good. No, I figure the Ax has got to be like the purloined letter ... he can hide in plain sight. Figure the last person you’d suspect, and you’ll be getting close to his real identity.”
The conversation swirled on around me, but I didn’t listen very closely. For some reason, a thought had occurred to me while Bunny was talking. We had all been referring to the Ax as a “he,” but if no one knew his real identity, he could just as easily be a “she.” If anything, men were much less defensive and more inclined to brag about the details of their careers when they were with a woman.
Bunny was a woman. She had also appeared suddenly on our doorstep right around the time
“A-bloody-men.” Chumley nodded.
“You could have left me with the Geek for the slavers,” Markie said thoughtfully, in a surprisingly adult voice.
“So, now that that’s settled,” my partner said, rubbing his hands together, “let’s get to work. My buddy Guido here has raised a good point. How do we defend Skeeve when we don’t know how or when the Ax will strike?”
We hadn’t really settled it, and Aahz wasn’t about to give me a chance to point it out. I was just as glad, though, since I really didn’t know what to say.
“All we can do is be on the lookout for anyone or anything strange showing up.” Tananda shrugged.
“Like a showdown match of dragon poker with the Sen-Sen Ante Kid,” Chumley said, staring into the distance.
“What’s that?”
“You missed it, little sister. It seems that our boy Skeeve has drawn the attention of the king of dragon poker. He wants a head-to-head showdown match, and he wants it soon.”
“Don’t look at me like that, Chumley.” Aahz grimaced. “I’m changing my vote. If we want to preserve Skeeve’s reputation, there’s no way he can refuse the challenge. Now I’m willing to admit it’ll be money well spent.”
“My daddy can beat anybody at dragon poker,” Markie declared loyally.
“Your daddy can get his brains beaten out royally,” my partner corrected gently. “I just hope we can teach him enough between now and game time that he can lose gracefully.”
“I don’t like it,” Tananda growled. “It’s too convenient. Somehow this game has the Ax’s fingerprints all over it.”
“You’re probably right,” Aahz sighed. “But there’s not much else we can do except accept the challenge and try to make the best of a bad situation.”
“Bite the bullet and play the cards we’re dealt. Eh, Aahz?” I murmured.
I thought I had spoken quietly, but everyone around the table winced, including Markie. They might be loyal enough to risk their lives and careers defending me, but they weren’t going to laugh at my jokes.
“Wait a minute!” Nunzio squeaked. “Do you think there’s a chance that the Kid is actually the Ax?”
“Low probability,” Bunny said, speaking for the first time in the meeting. “Someone like the Ax has to work a low profile. The Sen-Sen Ante Kid is too noticeable. If he were a character assassin, people would notice in no time flat. Besides, when he wins, nobody thinks it’s because his opponents are disreputable ... it’s because the Kid is good. No, I figure the Ax has got to be like the purloined letter ... he can hide in plain sight. Figure the last person you’d suspect, and you’ll be getting close to his real identity.”
The conversation swirled on around me, but I didn’t listen very closely. For some reason, a thought had occurred to me while Bunny was talking. We had all been referring to the Ax as a “he,” but if no one knew his real identity, he could just as easily be a “she.” If anything, men were much less defensive and more inclined to brag about the details of their careers when they were with a woman.
Bunny was a woman. She had also appeared suddenly on our doorstep right around the time
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