"That's the third ace in a row!" Yelled Broderik Retchgut. My luck was clearly aggrivating him.
"Hand it over, 2 more copper pieces." I replied, trying not to laugh.
"Choke on it!" Broderik muttered and left the table. With the card game over I decided to get another cup of mead and return to glorious oblivion for the rest of the evening.
"Good business tonight!" Smiled Robert Tilley the barman.
"Yup, 60/40 split as always?" I grinned.
"Indeed." Bob said, "Your reputation has spread, people come from all over town to play you."
"You spread it well, Handy, pay the man!" I said. Handy's quick digits sorted out 10 copper peices.
"Do you have to bring that.... thing in here?" Bob said frowning.
"Sure, he's my bookeeper. He keeps an eye on things when I get too drunk too!"
Bob muttered under his breath a wandered off to serve another customer. I liked old Bob, he was about the only one in town who didn't hate or fear me. His brothers, Seth and Frederick offered me good protection in my card games too. If someone got out of hand, they got out of the bar. The Flaming Dragon pub had been open peacefully for many years under this arrangement. Most of the time....
The door creaked open and 4 men walked in.
"Aw hell!" Bob moaned, "Toenailers!"
"Hey Billy! Where the hell..."
"Down here!" I whispered from under the bar. "I'm not playing with those buggers!"
"They're gonna ba annoyed..." Bob replied.
"Tough! I've had it with them. Remember what happened last time I fleeced them?"
"Yeah, that fight cost a fortune."
The 'toenail gang' were aptly named. They were the closest thing to organised crime in the town. Thieves and cutthroats to a man. They took great delight in pulling off thier victim's toenails with pliers to get information on where their money was. After the screaming victim told them they'd just pull out the rest for kicks. Every memeber was ranked on how many big toenails they had in their collection. Their leader, Herman Thossik, was rumoured to have a collection of over 350! Some with the toe still attached.....
"Where's weirdo Will?" yelled one of the toenailers, "I want to play him again!"
"Who knows?" Stammered Bob. A noticible sweat was building on his forehead.
"Well how about you find 'im then? Before we get bored and er... redecorate this pit!"
"Crap!" Whispered Bob to me. "They'll tear this place apart! The customers are already leaving."
Heaving a great sigh I got up and went over to the card table to the jeers and laughter of the toenailers. I had to protect my livelihood too. If these idiots burned the pub down I would be out on the streets.
One thing, I would have to lose. I didn't like losing very much but it would make them happy. Bob would reimburse me for the losses anyway. And saving the bar of course. The toenailers would slip back off into the night and we'd all be fine. The world worked like that I guess.
I seated myself at the card table. Bob plonked down a bug mug of mead next to me and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then he ran.
I took a LARGE swig of mead to steady myself.
"Allright boys. Step up!" I called to them. Another evening down the toilet....
