Vol 2 Chapter 8 (1/2)
Chapter 8
EXPLOSION
01
Balot now adopted a different strategy She started ai for the lower payouts, bets that would
double or triple her stake
She was currently going after the even money bets that ran down the side of the numbers on the layout
There were three types of bets Low/high—that is, 1-18 or 19-36 Odds/evens Black/red
Each resulted in a doubling of the original stake Balot was h as she took in
the sensations of the wheel, the ball, and Bell Wing’s fingertips
There were a number of points she was to take note of, and Oeufcoque conveyed what these were by
writing on her left hand The angle of the bowl’s incline, the shape and number of the metal pins, and the
slope of the dome inside the wheel On top of that she also had to pay attention to the depth of the pockets
and note whether they were cushi+oned or not
The bias in how the ball landed was determined by the wheel and hoas spun If the boere
shallow, the ball wouldn’t bounce as much on its way down The metallic pins were easier to read when
they were shaped like rods, and the fewer of them there were, the easier it was to predict the path of the
ball as it ricocheted off them The steeper the incline on the dome, the more likely the ball was to fall
straight down; the deeper the pockets—and thethey had—the less likely the ball was to
bounce back out of the pocket
The table that Balot was currently sitting at passed muster on all these points The wheel was level,
and the boasn’t too deep There were four cylindrical rods, four diale of
the dorees exactly The pockets were a little over five
millimeters deep
If the wheel had been less ideal then Balot had planned on giving up ireener
pastures elsewhere But instead she found herself fired up, ready for a challenge
In response to her newfound deter disappeared from her hand to be
replaced with so useful: the number of rotations
The number of times the ball went around and the number of times the wheel went around
All the while Balot’s bets were progressing steadily from bets that paid double her stake to those that
paid triple
Colu one of the three lines of nu the 0 and the 00
Douzaine bets: choosing one of 1-12, 13-24, or 25-36 This also paid out triple her original stake
Weaving backward and forward froradually
started piecing together a picture of how the croupier spun both the wheel and the ball
The ball would alhteen and twenty rotations In particular, whenever the
croupier focused on the spin, it would be closer to eighteen full rotations Oeufcoque calculated the
amount of time it took fro, all the while co the
odds that it would hit a particular pin and the angle at which it was most likely to hit the bowl
There were three key factors involved in the spin Three states: the numbers were easily visible, or
they could just bethem around, or they were blurred beyond perception After
watching a number of full spins, Balot and Oeufcoque found they could work out the point at which one
state transitioned to another
It wasn’t an easy task to pinpoint it exactly—but it was absolutely essential if Oeufcoque and Balot
were to stand a chance in predicting the croupier’s habits
All the while, nuht hand
Oeufcoque’s ic numbers
The nu to the positions
of the pins Each segiven a name, and the idea was to accurately predict the path of the ball as
it bounced froment to another
First there was North Side: 25-29-12-8
Then North East: 19-31-18-6-21
Followed by East Side: 14-2-0-28-9,
South East: 14-2-0-28-9,
South Side: 26-30-11-7,
South West: 20-32-17-5-22,
West Side: 34-15-3-24-36,
and North West: 13-1-00-27-10
There was a fine line between success and total failure, and the difference would come down to
whether they were able to deter for
This here Oeufcoque really came into his own
Every timent it would hit
Further Any player was allowed to have a crib sheet at the table with
theement of the numbers Indeed, it was fair to say it was standard practice a
regulars
You could even buy official guide sheets containing such information—and much more besides—at the
casino’s own kiosks or in the hotel lobby
The question was not whether you were allowed this information, but whether you could you use it
quickly and accurately enough for it to be useful
And could you then go on to use that inforle of the ball—as it
ricocheted off the pins—would vary according to when and how the ball and wheel were spun
The table was divided into four blocks, and if, for example, 00 (in block A) was at position B when
the ball started to fall, you were talking about a spin of roughly ninety degrees, or one quarter of a full
rotation of the wheel
Oeufcoque was able to perform complex calculations to cut out the intermediary steps and focus on
just the crucial factor: the point in the rotation at which the ball would fall into the wheel
When Bell Wing put her rees Otherwise, it
was alree mark
There were some variations in results, of course But these outco was
deliberatelythe spin Oeufcoque could tell this because these were the only times when the
ball seemed to move with a different sort ofto deliberately inject
soures
The better the croupier, the more constant the spin and therefore the easier it was for the numbers to
start falling into a predictable pattern That hy the croupiers were under strict orders fromthe house
to ensure that there were deliberate variations in the number of rotations, the speed of the wheel, and the
angle at which the ball hit the wheel
Hardly any croupiers were skilled enough to do this with 100 percent accuracy when customers were
around and the chips were down Still, Bell Wing was exceedingly precise Balot found it somewhat
ironic, therefore, that it was the croupier’s very accuracy and precision that allowed Oeufcoque to pick
up on her movements and intentions In other words, it was precisely because Bell Wing was so skilled
that Oeufcoque was able to get the ame so quickly
Normally it would have taken even the most experienced professional many hours and tens of
thousands of dollars in bets before they had a chance of working out what Balot and Oeufcoque had
already ed to learn
Balot succeeded because of the intense training she’d had fromthe Doctor and of course because she
had Oeufcoque in hand It took her less than an hour and less than ten grand in bets With this minimal
outlay of time and funds, Balot had learned all the biases of the wheel, the unconscious habits of the
croupier, and even the nature of the house orders—the fiat froh that compelled croupiers to mix
things up a little
Balot felt all this through her skin
Step by step she raised the stakes and started betting on longer and longer odds
She bet on the line—placing her chips over one of the lines on the layout, signifying a bet on all six
numbers down the line, with a payout of 5:1 when she won
She placed a five-number bet on 0, 00, and numbers 1-3, payout 6:1
She placed a corner bet; her chips dohere four numbers intersected Payout 8:1
She bet on the street: three numbers—payout 11:1
She went further, betting on longer and longer odds even if she didn’t win
Split: betting on two numbers, payout 17:1
Then back to the straight bet, the single number, payout 35:1
She didn’t win these bets—they were reliant e They were feints, for
the benefit of the croupier and the other punters
On top of that there were other ways of betting Regional variations to the rules, as seen in some
Continental casinos Within Eggnog Blue, however, this particular table was the only place the variations
were seen—Bell Wing had no doubt persuaded the house to permit themat her table
The permitted variations were threefold One was finaal—a bet on the last digit So, if the player
called “finaal plein three,” infor a hundred
dollars on numbers 3, 13, 23, and 33 This bet had a payout of between 8:1 and 11:1
There was also the jeu zero Playing on and around the 0, as the naested, this bet involved the
three nu six, on either side: 35-14-2-0-28-9-26 Four hundred-dollar chips would pay out
thirty of the same if the ball landed on the 26, or if it landed on any of the other nuh,
was much more relevant on the Continental wheel layout and not much use here unless you were
particularly paranoid about the dealer ai for the 0
The third variation on standard rules was the en prison rule on evens bets, where a 0 would cause all
evens bets to be frozen rather than simply lost The player would then have the option of either having half
their original bet back or letting it ride through to the next spin
Balot exploited this rule to the fullest, and whenever she aimed for the 0 she also placed an evens bet
at the same time
She did so to keep her losses to a ressive style of play, but
et some real clues as to the croupier’s mindset
–Really impressive
Suddenly, and for the first time since they had sat down at the table, Oeufcoque communicated in
words other than simple instructions
–What is?
–You are
–I am?
–I do believe we really have a chance We could even end up with the money we need to move on to
the next level
–That’s what I was ai of me?
Balot felt rather insecure all of a sudden, but Oeufcoque assuaged her feelings
–No, just carry on the best you can There’s not e
Balot felt soain
–I just have this feeling that I knohere the ball is going to land
–You can predict it?
–More of a gut feeling
Just then: “Is this your first ti lady?” The voice came as one of the dealers was
distributing the table’s winnings after a spin
Balot looked up at the speaker
This ti stared at her intently
–Yes, lanced at Balot’s electronic voicebox around
her neck, she said nothing about it
Instead, Bell Wing continued in a different vein “Your eyes are sparkling As if everything is new to
you I can see that you’re enjoying watching the ball as it spins around”
Balot nodded This was how she actually felt, after all She was genuinely getting into the game But
there was another factor
–I’ame because you’re the croupier
Bell Wing gave a senerous gesture
“Still, you’re planning soot soainst
this casino? A grudge?”
–Why do you saythat?
“It’s notit It’s your chips”
Reflexively Balot shot a glance down at her chips Then she peered back up at Bell Wing Balot
realized she had goose bu and the table, Bell Wing had been
reading her
How , no doubt Balot’s betting patterns, habits, personality
Balot realized this and tried not to show it on her face
“It’s the croupier’s job to read her customers’ minds by the way they bet”
–It’s nothing personal against you, ma’am
Balot’s reply was instant, and Bell Wing’s lips rose in a smile for the first time “So why did you
choose my table?”
–Because I thought you were cool Another immediate reply
Bell Wing said nothing more and turned her hand back to the wheel
Her eyes flashed
Balot sensed that the croupier’s whole body wanted to le
point That single point was a nu for next spin
Two black The first number that Balot had placed a chip on, and the win that she had been allowed
Bell Wing’s hand moved for the ball Balot’s hand moved in response Balot’s chips came down as
the wheel was spun
The ball was released, and it sped into the bowl in a smooth movement The numbers melted into one,
and Balot realized that the angle of descent was going to be steeper than she had originally anticipated
Hastily Balot grabbed another chip to follow the ball, but the moment had passed
“No nified voice stayed Balot’s hand
Before long the wheel sed the ball The rotation slowed down and then stopped completely
“Three red,” Bell Wing called out calmly
The dolly was placed on the layout, and chips were collected and distributed against the rustling
backdrop
Balot’s five-hundred-dollar stake ed up by the ocean of chips
Again, Balot felt Bell Wing notice her, even if the croupier didn’t actually look at her this time
Balot pursed her lips to show her disappoint, of course She did feel
disappointed, but it was hard to tell as really the cause of her scowl
Bell Wing’s movements had been a feint She had noticed Balot’s observations and drawn her into
betting on the wrong number—a sophisticated ploy
Bell Wing stood there calmly and asked Balot a question She asked whether Balot still thought she
was “cool,” even after pulling a stunt such as this one Balot couldn’t help s back
Bell Wing responded to Balot’s saze “This is my job, you know”
–I understand
“There’s such a thing as a crafts your job properly I have it I also have a duty
So I’a kind to you I
was just doing my job Now that you know all this, don’t you think you’d be better off at another table?”
It washad her number, completely, and didn’t care who
knew it She hadyou win any more at this table
and will do everything I can to stop you
Balot touched her choker with her hand to release her voice
–I’d like to stay here and play a little longer, if that’s all right with you
“Do you think that I’ to help you?”
–A ga
“Learn fromme?”
Balot nodded She found her own articulateness a little unexpected, but she continued
–Yes I don’t knohat exactly But I have a feeling that I’ll be able to pick up so
useful
Bell Wing nodded “Fine If it means that much to you, I won’t try and stop you But don’t say I didn’t
warn you If your luck turns sinister, don’t expect any mercy”
–Sinister?
But Bell Wing didn’t answer
She turned back to the wheel and touched the bowl
This wo Balot was suddenly overwhelmed
by emotion It was unstoppable She had no idea where it would lead her
–Take care, Balot, Oeufcoque warned her For a ht try
and stop her, and she snarced hiorously
–I’ to play at this table and win This is what I want
–Your opponent is well attuned to your feelings at the ression She’s
completely prepared for you
–Aggression?
It was only when Oeufcoque spelled it out in so ression was,
indeed, the e
She let go and saw her feelings dissipate into the ether Bell Wing would have been able to use
Balot’s aggression to her advantage—just like she had with the 3 red a o—and Balot knew it
What Balot needed noas not aggression but certainty Knohere the ball would land with
certainty
–I want to win this game I won’t cause you anytrouble, I promise Please Let me do this
–Our opponent’s feelings are dif icult to read She s But I
can’t tell what
–I think I knohat she’s sure of
–What?
–She’s sure of the ball spinning
Oeufcoque seemed bewildered
–But I know the ball is spinning too…
The words rose up in Balot’s hands Balot smiled
Bell Wing turned the wheel of fortune and sent the ball forth like an arrow
Balot felt like she had beco out the fateful numbers with her chips
would be just like honing in on her target in shooting practice If her aim was off, she could adjust, take
stock, recalibrate, fire again, realigning froet
Balot placed her bets on North West: 13-1-00-27-10 Five hundred dollars on each number
On top of that she placed another five hundred dollars on black
The boed the ball: 29 black
Two places off
Balot received her winnings on the five hundred she had on black and plowed this straight back into
the next hand
For the next hand she bet on the North Side: 25-29-12-8, another five hundred dollars each She also
placed five hundred each on tay splits on 25-26, 29-30, and 11-12 And five hundred on red
“Thirty red,” called Bell Wing
A 17:1 payout on the split, and doubles on the red—Balot was looking at a total return of nine
thousand dollars She was now up by over 2,200 She’d guessed the ball would be sent the other way
and had bet accordingly
Balot watched the wheel as it spun around She felt the difference in speed and angle with her skin
Balot watched Bell Wing’s every htly in her hand
The wheel was spun in the opposite direction to the previous spin and likewise the ball
Balot’s hands moved
Five hundred dollars each, speedily, on the South Side: 26-30-11-7
Then another five hundred each on 28, 9, 20, and 32
At this point the ball was on its fifth lap of the wheel There was still over a ame
would be over
The ball went around another ten times, then fell into the bohen the wheel slowed down
Bell Wing’s eyes narrowed in an instant
“Seventeen black”
Four thousand dollars’ worth of Balot’s chips were shole by the table
The crowd around the table was now starting to heat up Any table would have done the same in the
face of such high stakes flying back and forth
Bell Wing remained cool amid the excitement She looked at the number Balot had bet on, and then
back at the roulette wheel
Seventeen black was right next to 32 red—the last number that Balot had bet on
Balot felt that she had just experienced Bell Wing’s skill at yet another level Bell Wing had taken into
account the bias on the wheel and caused the ball to land right outside Balot’s chosen numbers
Balot had no proof of this, of course, but she felt it—with certainty
The ball was released It was poetry in motion, sheer beauty, all of it: the form of the wheel, its build,
the angles, the elegant curvature of Bell Wing’s fingers, the rotating ball, the nu on the
wheel
Balot lined her chips up with her fingers
She placed five hundred dollars each on 14-2-0
She didn’t feel the need to place any more
The ball spun round, smooth, violent
Bell Wing’s gaze followed Balot’s every ers in her eyes
The ball bounced off against a pin and fell
The wheel spun around, and by and by it showed the fateful number
“Zero”
The table erupted Balot was the only person to have bet on 0 Everyone else either lost their stakes or
found themen prison
Balot’s winnings, at 35:1, were stacked in front of her Over fifteen thousand dollars’ worth
“Your chips look like a giant pile of wood shavings, don’t they?” Bell Wing asked quietly
Balot orried that Bell Wingwas no such
thing she smiled at her
“So, think you’ve got the measure of the wheel?”
Balot nodded
–It’s verylevel
“Yes Yes, it is Too level, in fact Its only bias is luck”
–Luck?
“To put it in terms of probability, it’s unlikely in the extreme that the ball will continue to fall in any
sort of predictable way, over tie distribution It’s a struggle
Fighting against Fortuna herself” Bell Wing see her chin from left to
right “To a greater or lesser extent, all croupiers enjoy watching their customers crash and burn Whether
they’re old or young, male or female, all people have this desire to dominate others With croupiers, it’s a
particularly cunning sort of desire” Bell Wing continued in a disinterested tone, yet her words seemed to
affect Balot deeply
But your voice is so clear, Balot thought How can you speak such depressing thoughts with such a
clear tone?
–Why does someone like you work in a casino like this?
Balot hadn’t meant to vocalize this, but the words had come out anyway
“What do you know about this casino?”
Balot was silent She wasn’t ready to pour her heart out and explain what she and Oeufcoque and the
Doctor were all doing at the casino, and she certainly didn’t want to talk about Shell and OctoberCorp
“I see… You have a grudge against the boss” Bell Wing’s eyes creased at the corners as she spoke
Balot’s eyes, on the other hand, flew open
“The er of this casino doesn’t concern me I needed money, so I took a job My husband was ill,
you see He wasn’t of our world—he was an honest man Not that he wasn’t like me in many respects; he
had a cunning and greedy streak Even so, all his children were left hen he died were his teachings
—and each other He did well on that point, at least, taught the the
money in”
Bell Wing see the conversation to an end But then, whether she
changed herfor the two dealers to finish distributing the chips,
she continued “Aftera turn for the sinister So I did
what I had to in order to find a way of turning right That’s why I ended up staying here, rolling the ball”
–Sinister?
Balot asked the same question she had before
Bell Wing averted her eyes fro to refuse to answer again, but
Bell Wing did speak, with her eyes fixed to the roulette wheel “The wheel of fortune can spin tays
When it spins counterclockwise, to the left, it’s sinister It brings bad luck Clockwise, to the right, brings
joy My life now is about trying to find what happiness I can by calling up the right”
She sounded al to the wheel
Then she touched the wheel She spun the numbers for another battle, and released the ball The wheel
spun to the left, the ball to the right
Balot picked up on the rabbed her chips She was ready to place her thousand-dollar
chips down, and she thought to herself that this was so that she had decided on for herself
Oeufcoque had suggested they switch tables, and even Bell Wing had warned her to leave Yet Balot had
stayed—it hat she wanted and what she valued
It was just like when she was back at Paradise, when she took on the giant pool and all its attendant
risks in order to determine the whereabouts of Shell’s lost memories Her choice
Balot’s chips were placed on North West 13-1
Straight bets, one thousand dollars on each
Bell Wing looked at the ball as it spun around the circumference of the wheel, then closed her eyes
“My luck seeain,” she said, her voice detached “No more bets,”
she called out, her voice as clear and soft as ever
The ball touched a pin, then fell to the right
It hit the bowl that was spinning counterclockwise, slid over the dome, and was sucked in
The atmosphere at the table was electric The dealers could only stop and stare They were like
a riot, watching their shops being looted bare by the
angry crowds
Bell Wing picked up the crystal “One red,” she called
The chips on the table seele location: right
in front of Balot A total of thirty-four thousand dollars after deductions
Bell Wing watched the pile of chips with silent eyes
–Could you please spin the wheel clockwise this time, ma’am?
Balot spoke
Bell Wing lifted her gaze fromthe mountain of chips to Balot’s face
–I’ll try and win again
Balot spoke without arrogance, without pride Just matter of fact One of the dealers turned to Bell
Wing with a jolt when he heard this
Bell Wing just stood up straight “What’s your name?”
–Rune-Balot, ma’am
“I’ll take note of it I’”
Balot nodded
“I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a granddaughter just like you All randchildren
are boys, you see”
Balot was a little surprised at this sudden revelation So, it seemed, were the other dealers at the
table
Bell Wing continued “If you ever feel like spinning the wheel for yourself, come and see me
Whatever casino you like—just head for the best croupier there and say you want to beco’s
apprentice With a little bit of luck youI know”
No doubt the dealers orking the table with her had never heard such words from her
before They just stood there, slack-jawed, looking fro’s face back to Balot’s
–Thank you
Balot answered, and Bell Wing’s eyes narrowed
“Now, I’ll spin to the right” Bell Wing waited for the previous round’s chips to be fully distributed,
then touched the wheel with the opposite hand frombefore
That was the cue for the table to quiet down again Bell Wing’s fingertips spun the cylinder ever so
softly Clockwise, to the right Balot watched,
Bell Wing did her job with ato the stage
And, in fact, this would be the last ti would performat this casino
“I’m just a Continental croupier, born and raised From one of those small tohere everyone
worked either at the casino, the golf course, or the whiskey distillery” Bell Wing wasnow
“And do you knohat? I think I’d like to carry on plying my trade for some time to come Maybe in a
casino with a better atmosphere”
Balot placed her chips as she listened to the words being spoken All on one number She felt no
inclination to bet on any other number or add any more chips to the pile The crowd around the table
responded immediately to the ten thousand dollar bet she had placed The number she had laid her bet on
was inundated with various hues of chips, like ants to sugar
“Rune-Balot,” Bell Wing called
–Yes, ma’am
“Keep on striving to ensure your luck turns to the right”
–Yes, ma’am
“Don’t fret tootoomanhood”
–What do I need to do?
“Be where you need to be, when you need to be there Wear the clothes you need to wear, say the
words you need to say, have the right hairstyle, the right jewelry Womanhood and luck are essentially the