sshelljusthavetoplaypietegulesalone鈥
鈥淣egulesisgoingtoplayher鈥
鈥淵es,didntitellyousheedtoplaythetifyoureafraid鈥︹€鈥淎fraidborislnikovafraid鈥hisvoiceatchtotakeplace鈥鈥淪hethoughtperhapsfridaynightthelastnightout鈥borisinikovhinkinghard鈥淭hebesttofthree鈥鈥淣oonlyonega鈥
鈥淔ortenthousanddollars鈥
鈥淭hatisrrect鈥
therussiansighed鈥淚donothavethatchcashe鈥鈥淣oproble鈥jeffassuredhi鈥淎llssneyreallyelnikovifyoulose,yougiveherapersonallyautographedpictureifyoutenthousanddollars鈥鈥淲hoholdsthestakes鈥thereeofsuspicioninhisvoice鈥淭heshipspurser鈥
鈥淰eryptly鈥
鈥淪hellbesopleased,鈥jeffassuredhi
thefollooingjeffnasiuen
鈥淪hesanarican鈥pietegulessaid鈥淚shouldhaveknoericansarecuckoo鈥鈥淪hesagreatchessplayer鈥
pietegulesadeagestureofntet鈥淕reatisnotgoodenoughbestisthebest鈥鈥淭hatsoplayagainstyouifyoulose,yougiveheranautographedpictureifyoutenthousanddollarsincash鈥︹€鈥淣egulesdoesnotplayateurs鈥
鈥溾€epositedinanyuntryyoulike鈥
鈥淥utofthequestion鈥
鈥淲ell,then,iguessshellhavetoplayonlyborislnikov鈥鈥淲hatareyousayinglnikovhasagreedtoplayagainstthisan鈥鈥淥fursebutsheoplayyoubothatonce鈥
鈥淚veneverheardofanythingso鈥so鈥斺€negutessputtered,atalossforastersintheusthaveeselunaticasylu鈥鈥淪hesalittleerratic,鈥jeffnfessed,鈥渂utheeyisgoodallcash鈥鈥淵ousaidtenthousanddollarsfordefeatingher鈥鈥淭hatsright鈥
鈥淎ndborisinikovgetsthesaaunt鈥
鈥淚fhedefeatsher鈥
pietegulesgrinned鈥淥h,heherandsowilli鈥鈥淛ustbetbeabitsurprised鈥
鈥淲hohestakes鈥
鈥淭heshipspurser鈥
oneyfrohisanthoughtpietegutes
鈥淢yfriend,youhaveadealwhereandwhen鈥
鈥淔ridaynightteno鈥
pietegulessledhere鈥
鈥淵ouantheyagreed鈥tracycried
鈥淭hatsright鈥
鈥淚oingtobesick鈥
鈥淚llgetyoualdtowel鈥
jeffhurriedintothebathrooftracyssuite,ranlderonatoitbacktohershehechaiselongueheplacedthetohatfeel鈥鈥淭erribleithinkihaveagraine鈥
鈥淗aveyoueverhadagrainebefore鈥
鈥淣o鈥
鈥淭henyoudonthaveonenoe,traethinglikethis鈥sheleaptupandflungdoethinglikethistheresneverbeenanythinglikethisilayingtasterchessplayersyouand鈥斺€鈥淭edher鈥淵ouhaveanaturaltalentforchess鈥鈥淢ygod,eintothis鈥
鈥淏eoney鈥
鈥淚dontakealotofney,鈥tracythisboattosinkthisbethetitanic鈥鈥淣o,鈥jeffsaidsoothingly鈥淚tsgoingtobe鈥斺€鈥淚tsgoingtobeadisastereveryoneonthisshipisgoingtobeching鈥鈥淭hatsexaed
jeffhaddeallthearrangentstosetuptatchesuallygoingtotakeplace鈥淎bsolutely,鈥jeffassuredallissneybelievesshecan,shesbettingonit鈥鈥淚ightplaceasllbet鈥
鈥淐ertainlyasissneyisaskingonlytentooneodds鈥alliontooneoddsaderesensefrohentthefirstbetedthateveryoneonboard,infivedollarstofivethousanddollarsandeverysinglebetanianthesuspipedenearlyallthepassengershaveplacedustbeholdingthousanddollarsinbets鈥theisseti鈥
鈥淵es,captain鈥
鈥淗aveyouverifiedthatthetenarereallypietegulesandborislnikov鈥鈥淥h,yes,ofurse,sir鈥
鈥淭heresnochancetheye,isthere鈥
鈥淣otan,thatsprobablyexactlye鈥
thecaptainranhisfingersthroughhishair,apuzzledfroissrstevens鈥鈥淣otathing,sirasfarasicandetee,theyretravelingseparately鈥theellslikesokindofnga,andordinarilyiyself,andifthereylifeon,itsthefaasters鈥by9:00fridayeveningthequeensrooirsteersoftheentoable,andtheothertables鈥淪othattheplayersarentdistractedbyeachother,鈥jeffexplained鈥淎ndainintheychoose鈥velvetropeshadbeenplacedaroundthetablestokeepthecrowdsb
