Vol 3 Chapter 10 (1/2)

Chapter 10

MANIFOLD

01

“I can’t tell,” re the screens, “which of them is the mark” He slumped down

into his fake leather chair

The control rooht of countless screens set into its walls The roomwasn’t made

for a large number of staff—it was for this man alone

Behind thewith anxiety and fear

“Look at this,” said thetoyed with You’re the floor er—if

you had to say which one of theo with?”

“W-well, Chief, it seeht be Marlowe?”

“Yes, I agree With the incidents in the poker room and at the roulette tables, how many people are

going to have to be fired today?”

The floor ement of the dealers was his responsibility, and to him, there was

nothing as chilling as a runaway dealer

“Well, it’s no use,” sighed the chief, running his finger along a shi+ny black moustache “Run a

graphical search for any iuests”

“S-so, you’re saying they’re cheats, Chief?”

“No, we can’t tell just from these screens All I need to have is an excuse ready for the boss, if it

comes down to it Say they’re later found to be cheats, and we haven’t done anything about it You and me

and Marlowe, all three of us will get to be real swell pals, just three more dupes on the next bus to the

eency”

“R-right So, how many people do you want on this?”

“Just you will be enough Get twenty or so videos, send theo to sleep But make it look

like a few dozen others worked on it Got it?”

“R-right But, do you…when you say I can just sleep…”

“Once you’ve done what I’ve said, I’ll have my excuse, if it comes down to it You, on the other

hand…”

He er across his neck

The floor ure appeared before him He

took a misstep and froze in place

A frantic voice ca for me when I’m in the middle of

important business?”

The voice’s owner had swarthy skin and wore Chalasses the turquoise color of a robin’s

egg

“What’s going on? House Leader? Chief? Special Consultant?”

All of those titles belonged to the man seated in the fake leather chair—the question seemed to ask,

“Which do you prefer being called?”

Not responding to the rapid-fire bluster, the chief turned to Shell-Septinos, slowly pushed two palms

in the air, then looked at the floor er and said, “You called for him?”

“Y-yes Th-that’s what the regulations say to do”

“Yes, that’s right,” said the chief, as if condescendingly praising a little child “That’s the

regulations”

The floor ht between the chief and the owner, scrunched down his shoulders, as if he

were shrinking into himself

Shell barged into the control roo at the two

like crazy, and that’s got your spines all bent out of shape?”

“So Not that he’s a show-off prick because he has a girl with him

What I’ to say is, he’s a show-off prick Word fromthe floor is they’re uncle and niece”

“What’s their winning percentage?”

Shrugging his shoulders as if it were nothing, the chief answered, “A little more than sixty percent”

Shell took off his sunglasses, and his Ee

“Sixty percent? Over how ames?”

“Last time I checked, two hundred sixteen”

“What’s their method?”

“We don’t have any theories We don’t know They use the basics, sometimes They don’t seem like

anythingtheir chips around”

“I see Like so their chips around, turns one hundred dollars into more than

seven”

“Well, it can happen sometimes”

“I suppose I’ve seen it myself But what are the chances someone can randomly throw chips around

and win more than sixty percent of the time?”

The chief, as if the motion were ht

pointer finger and thu, but the space between his two fingers carried

his silent e

Shell nodded “Right Not one in thousands”

“But not zero, either”

Shell bellowed, “Are you trying to be funny with me, Ashley?”

The floor er trembled, but the chief, like a scolded child unrepentant, simply scratched his

cheek

“Take care of them,” Shell continued “As if they were pros who came with clear plans That’s an

order”

“Pros, you say… They don’t look like pros to me”

“I’mthe one ill decide that Show himto me, that show-off prick”

Shell leaned forward, looking over the chief ’s shoulder at the screens on the wall With a shocked

expression, he said, “I see That is one show-off prick Like so dress-up as a

hustler You’re right, a pro co as stupid as that, that would be…”

His voice trailed off into silence

For aelectronics was the only sound in the room

The floor er, unable to withstand the silence, asked, “Boss?”

But just then, Shell exploded, “What the fuck is this?!”

The floor er juazed at Shell

Shell was staring at the screen with a dumbstruck expression, his face pale

“What the fuck! What the fuck are they doing here?”

“What, you know them?” the chief deadpanned

Shell, his face tense, as if a loaded gun were pointed at his head and the safety had just flipped, stared

down at the chief and said, “Ashley, kill them Chop themup with your cards Give themyour usual”

“What? You mean, kill themdead, kill them?”

The chief forer at the screen and

of the trigger

Shell shook his head condescendingly “That isn’t your job I’ally With cards There’s no

need to take their lives here” He straightened his posture and took a deep breath to calmhimself

His voice dropped to a whisper “They came here to completely waste my time Time is vital And

I’rettable wastefulness of the passage of time Time is dreadful Because time

that’s passed affects the time that’s left”

The chief lazily tilted his head

“Don’t you understand?” Shell continued “I’ from time’s curse That’s how I’ve been able

to climb this far But my method isn’t perfect That’s how I end up in situations like this Things I’m

supposed to have forgotten flash back Flashbacks—this world’s foulest curse And I hire men like you to

cast themaway Men like the card killer Do you understand?”

“Yes, well, sort of,” the chief , he said, “By the way, Boss,

about the people we had to let go today—”

“You mean the mechanic in the poker room?”

“No, no, who gives a damn about a little twerp like that? But down in the roulette area, someone else

was fired”

Shell nodded curtly “What about her?”

“For a casino around these parts to fire Bell Wing? That’s unbelievable”

“Get to the point”

“Couldn’t you let her stay? I’ as a representative for the employees here”

Shell aimed a scornful smile at the chief “And what kind of representative are you?”

“One who’s loyal to his boss, of course”

“Good I’ll consider it But only once you’ve coreet the partners

in one, do your job To the fullest of your abilities

That’s why I pay you so well”

“Understood, Boss”

The chief bowed respectfully Without getting up fromhis chair, of course

“That’s an order, Ashley Don’t let themany closer to me”

Shell put his sunglasses back on and stormed out of the room with such force that, had the door been

closed, he would have kicked it right down

The chief er’s being pulled on me” He

turned to the still-cowering floorthe plan”

“H-how so?

“Split the files into two thousand pieces and mobilize all the dealers currently on break Track all of

their movements since thedirectly to my

ears”

In time with the last tords, the chief tapped his headset

“I’ll be with you Don’t let themleave here alive”

The floor iven orders to launch the assault in

a battle where victory is assured

“Yes, sir!”

He swiftly did an about-face and left at full speed, not stopping to look over his shoulder

“What’s with those two?” the chief gru its tail, and the other’s the tail

wagging its dog How insipid”

He leaned back into the chair and returned his attention to thein the

picture, he touched his finger to the screen The ConsoleView, responding to his touch, froze the ie

He slid his finger right, and the playback rewound

“Ah, that’s too far back”

This tie moved forward frame by frame

The chief stared at the screen On the other displays were playbacks fromother, randompoints in time

As he looked fro on the scent

“So she’s left-handed”

But the girl on the ht hand Not just any chip, but one of the

most valuable chips in the casino—in all of Mardock City, even

“H His eyes were affixed to her left hand

“I don’t knohat your trick is…” he loves are well made”

The chief—Ashley Harvest—hauled himself up out of his chair and slid his feet out the door of the

control room

≡

Shell dashed into his office and, like the fleeing heroine of a horrorherself in a room,

closed the door with the slightest of sounds

With one hand he snatched a microphone and into it shouted orders to his staff to take over his hosting

duties, and with the other hand he mashed the redial button on his cellular phone

Finally the line connected, and a low voice came over the phone—the steadfast voice of a man

charged with erasing Shell’s flashbacks

–It’s me Weren’t you supposed to be in the middle of a deal, Mr Shell?

“Boiled! It’s awful! Where the hell are you?”

–I’?

“Investigating? Investigating? What are you talking about? They’re here, right now!”

Boiled was silent

“They’re here, all dressed up, like they’re going to a party!”

–I see I thought so, Boiled said under his breath

Now Shell was silent

–I’ve been searching for them in your casinos Of the four, I just finished up at the second You’re

at Eggnog Blue, right? I’ll head over immediately

“Y-you knew? That they would come to one of my casinos?”

–I found a card game crib sheet in their hotel room

With a trelasses His eyes ith the dawning

realization of his current situation

–Are you there? Boiled asked, and Shell jolted back to attention Please answer me this Whatever is

involved with your business deal—is it there or not? That’s all I’

Shell’s ain, and finally, he took a deep breath and said,

almost in a moan, “This is where ins

here”

After a brief pause, Boiled said, –I will be there within an hour I will take them down My

usefulness will prove that you’ve made the best decision

Boiled disconnected

For a tile word

“Usefulness…”

A bold smile spread fromcheek to cheek

“Yes,” he whispered “Your existence is indispensable You’re the hammer of God, and you’ll shatter

that filthy rotten egg”

He put his Chalasses back on The lenses had turned a harsh red color

≡

“Isn’t it a little early to leave?”

Just as Bell Wing had finished packing up her things in the anteroom, Ashley called out to stop her He

was rugged, well built ide shoulders An oddly char expression spread across his normally

stern face

He coolly looked at Bell

“I didn’t know Ashley Harvest was the kind of ot canned”

“You know, I’d like nothing one” Ashley

“But you’re a renowned croupier in the industry You attract customers, and

besides, isn’t there such a thing as duty in this business? Are you going to leave without training a

successor?”

“I don’t knohen you decided to start acting like a er, nor do I care I’ll have you know, I’m

not particularly unhappy with my dismissal”

“Oh, that’s the first I’ve heard that”

“Well, it’s true This is by ht to criticize it Who said I was going to

retire fromthe business, anyway?”

“I’ it But the rookie croupiers, they say you’ve chosen your own successor, and they’re

pretty upset about it”

“Ah Yes, it’s true That girl…” Bell gave a heartfelt nod “The rookies here are considered first

class, but she had talent to surpass the the rookies are bad, either It’s just what I saw

with my own eyes”

“For those ant to be seen by your eyes, that’s a bitter pill So what? You’re going to leave here

to nurture that girl?”

“Heavens, no I don’t think she’d be interested I’ll just keep throwing roulette balls Sometimes, I

the whole time…maybe she’ll come…”

“Then couldn’t you stay here a bit longer?”

Bell shook her head coldly

“Even if, as a representative of the employees, I can turn the odds between me and the owner in my

favor?”

“I don’t see why I owe you anything What, you want my recommendation to the Casino Society for

you to run your own place?” Bell asked

“No, no You’re a gah, aren’t you? Or a loan shark,to find

the le one of ambler”

Ashley lifted his hands, raising his pointer fingers Speaking in hushed tones, he continued “We don’t

know the true nature of our opponent She’s going by a pattern we’ve never seen before She’s using some

syste on an analysis, but by the time our staff finishes the

raphical search, she may already have passed the finish”

“She’s that good?”

“She’s playing blackjack, and she’s called for a million-dollar chip”

Bell frowned and looked at Ashley as if she’d misheard him

“And she’s asked the chips at the table”

“To think so” Her eyes turned to the corridor leading to the

casino floor

Ashley broke into a smile “You want to see it for yourself, don’t you?”

Glaring at him from the corner of her eye, Bell said, “I’ll decide when I see her If I don’t find her

interesting, I’ll leave, then and there”

She started down the corridor

With a slight shrug, Ashley followed after her

As they walked, she said, “So this opponent is so good you think someone will be needed to check for

the next ones with the same tricks?”

“Yeah, basically If whatever she’s got is good enough to get a million-dollar chip, copycats may

appear at all the other casinos too”

“If you devise any counterainst her system, ill you tell it to? The boss?”

“Don’t be stupid, Bell” Ashley waved his hand as if he were shooing away a fly “I’ve got a

connection at the top of the Society If et used by all the casinos in the Society, it’ll

mean a lot of money Then I wouldn’t have to work for that fool of a boss any longer”

“Don’t you like it here?”

“I overlooked it for a while, since there’s little trouble and the pay is good But I can’t take it any

longer Our boss had a fifteen-year-old girl living with hiuardian, if you

follow—but even worse, he’s so crazed he tried to kill her by blowing up his car engine For the life of

me, I can’t understand why the Society still lets himhave a job”

“Yeah, that’s a mystery I don’t even want to knohat his real job is Look, I’ve got too few years

left ininvolved in all this,” Bell said “Anyway, if this opponent of yours isn’t

interesting, I’h to support the

in this place is just to lend soed existence”

As if presenting to her that , Ashley led her into the VIP room, pointed, and said, “That table”

Bell froze

“Her…”

“Her?” Ashley tilted his head

He looked at Bell and, putting more force into his voice, repeated, “Her?”

Bell nodded She stared at the girl She stared at the girl seated at the VIP table, as intently

focused on the dealer’s shuffle

“Her? She’s the one you decided would be your successor? Oh, she’s trouble” He snapped his fingers

enthusiastically

But Bell’s soleed, intently focused on so She didn’t even

respond as Ashley goaded her, saying, “So nohat? Are you going straight back to the bus to take you

home?”

She only ine… So that’s it That’s her

purpose When you stand in her way, to her, it’s like a test bestowed upon her by the Holy Ghost And

everything has led me here”

Ashley, so’s face “Have you had some revelation? You

quit your job as a croupier, and now you’re a prophet?”

“I wish you had a little ht me here But I’m just

here to observe I won’t try to interfere If I do anything to help, it’ll be after this is over”

“That’s fine As long as you’ll be my witness, the Society will understand But Bell…what do you

know about them?”

“Nothing Nothing at all Just the girl’s name”

Ashley shrugged his shoulders to say, That’s fine, so tell me

“Rune-Balot,” Bell stated with a sole

name”

02

“Marlowe John Fever”

At the sound of the harsh, chiding voice, the dealer’s hands froze, and his face went cold The dealer,

having surrendered the first of his crop at the end of a long, brutal cat-and-ame, had stopped,

completely motionless, in the middle of his shuffle Marlowe turned to look at the speaker and found a

sainst his chest

“Here’s a reference letter,” Ashley continued “Maybe you can use it to find work someplace else”

The dealer felt as helpless and huunpoint

“It’s not addressed to anyone It just has nature Make as many copies as you’d like Just take it

and get on the next bus before the owner finds you You weren’t able to become a star here, but you can

still try somewhere else”

Marlowe hung his head in utter shame His expression was so dejected that one could scarcely believe

it was the same face that had been so passionate when he had been shuffling the cards Heartbroken, his

shoulders sagging as if carrying a heavy weight, he slunk off the floor The word defeated had never been

so fitting

“That’s quite different fro at his side “And I’m not

sure if I believe you actually signed that”

Balot didn’t watch the retreating Marlowe, nor did she look at the man, dressed as a dealer, who had

just disure of the old woman

“Good evening Miss Sir” Ashley stepped up to the table and bowed gracefully “It see

with you, but we have rules here Now, if

you don’t mind, I’ll switch out the cards with new decks”

Not to be topped, the Doctor graciously replied that it wouldn’t be an issue Ashley nodded and tossed

the used cards into the proper slot beneath the table He withdrew six fresh decks, cleanly removed their

seals, and displayed the cards The Doctor nodded his approval, and Ashley began carefully shuffling the

decks

Balot looked at Bell Since Bell had been staring at her the whole time, their eyes naturally met The

old woman didn’t smile, but she spoke with a certain fondness

“Good evening, Rune-Balot We ain”

–Yes, Bell Wing We do at that

Without realizing it, Balot had broken into a grin More than wondering why Bell had come, she was

happy to see the woain

A curious sense of security ca the old woman out of her

croupier’s uniform Bell’s appearance made it clear that she had indeed been dismissed from her job

Strangely, Balot felt no reirl knew that the battle between her and Bell was already in the

past

“So you really were after so, weren’t you?” Bell spoke in a tone clear of any clouds of

hostility or regret

–I’

“You seeot that kind of face”

Bell turned her eyes to the shuffle, as if to tell Balot, You should be watching too But it didn’t matter

—even if Balot wasn’t looking, she could still sense each and every slightest movement of this new

dealer’s shuffle He shuffled carefully and with no wastedhis motions smooth

wouldn’t quite be right—they seemed completely natural In contrast to the previous dealer, who showed

off his s his job

–Do you play blackjack too?

Bell, keeping her attention on the shuffle, answered, “No, this man just persuaded me to come watch”

–Do you know each other?

“His nauard for this kind of business For him to

show up, this must be no ordinary matter So I’mhere to see hoell you can stand up to his skills”

Ashley glanced at Balot “She’s here to make sure we have a fair match So please don’t be

concerned”

Even if he didn’t exude the sa spirit as the previous dealer had, he seemed even more

indo, even

“This man’s luck doesn’t spin counterclockwise like mine He has no weaknesses Remember that”

–I will

“I’ll be watching over you Over the whole game You don’t have a problem, do you, Ashley?”

Taking it as a signal to begin, Ashley nodded and calmly assembled the cards into a neat stack He

spoke softly, but his voice carried

“Right From this point on, this table is reserved for you two only Think of it as a esture of

appreciation for retiring that ht here, and the fine young dealer

who sat at this table”

He ht as well have just come out and said, I knohat you’ve been up to After that near

declaration of war, Oeufcoque commented,

–We anticipated this would happen Don’t take his bait Let the Doctor handle him

Dr Easter, as if on cue, spread his ar quite pleased, said, “Our very own

private table! Why, that is quite the luxury!”

Ashley raised a finger and, bea a smile as if he were their accomplice, said, “That should make it

easier for you to win, right?”

His candidness was startling—indeed, a sustained nu

to be effective

“If it’s all right,” said the dealer, “the minimumwill be ten thousand dollars”

“Is that a table rule?” The Doctor crossed his ar over

vegetables at the market, shook his head “Maybe I want to try my hand at another table, then”

Ashley replied without hesitation “Fine, we’ll go with a ten-dollar minimum bet” He pointed at

Balot’s chip “That way you’ll be able to play a hundred thousand gale chip”

“Then we’re agreed,” said the Doctor “Ten dollars it is”

Ashley nodded and set the transparent red card on the table, inviting either Balot or the Doctor to

place it in the deck

Reaching for the card, the Doctor said, “You’re quite the unusual dealer, aren’t you? I’er to see

you deliver on what you seemto promise”

He casually inserted the red card into the stack of cards

Ashley shrugged and effortlessly cut the deck He then inserted the cards into the shoe and placed his

rough but eraceful hands on top of it

Balot and the Doctor placed their chips Ashley drew the first card The gaun Their last

game—the one they had to survive

≡

“We have a push,” Ashley said

The cards disappeared With just a wave of his hand, the dealer had returned all the cards on the table

to the discard pile

Nothing else moved Not their chips Not their determination Not their tactics

All that passed by were time and cards

The Doctor blinked twice and placed his chips on the table

Balot stared blankly at hers

The cards were distributed Ashley’s upcard was a 7

The Doctor had a 9 and a jack, totaling nineteen—stay

Balot had a 7 and a 3—hit A 9 card came, and with nineteen, she stayed A decent hand But Balot

and the Doctor were in no position to ments

The dealer revealed his hole card—9 Thatthe rules, he drew another card—

3 Ashley surveyed the table

“We have a push”

The watching crowd let out a collective gasp It was formless, not quite wonder, not quite amazement

Since the first card Ashley drew, this was the sixteenth hand

They hadn’t won a single hand

They hadn’t lost a single chip

Both Balot and the Doctor had lost nothing

Sixteen tied hands, with only the value of the count changing

Placing his chips on the table, the Doctor cleared his throat and gru

There’s not even the slightest movement”

With a serious expression and a tone of admiration, Ashley responded, “Just proof that your fortune is

an even h opponent I’mriveted”

–What kind of uy?

–I can’t read him

Oeufcoque’s unexpected answer terrified her

–I don’t understand What’s he after? Is he enjoying this? Is he angry? Is he sad when you draw a

card? I can’t tell It’s all ether What kind of scent is this?

Oeufcoque was nearly shrieking, but then, as if realizing he was onlyher more afraid, he

suddenly stopped himself

–For noe analyze We’ll hold him of with our best tactics It’s not like we can’t keep on

counting the cards

Balot pulled herself together and signaled that she understood She lightly squeezed her left hand over

her leg

There was a strange tension in the air The seventeenth hand was also a tie

Fatigue was setting in, a nameless weariness

Blackjack de path

Over the long path, there are ups and downs—the road is never flat But this—this was like trudging

through a barren desert There was no path to be seen; the scenery shi+fted from moment to moment, but in

the end, nothing changed All you saas the flat, boundless horizon

At the twenty-second hand, so different happened The Doctor had an ace and a queen Balot

had a 5 and a 6 and hit to draw a king Tenty-ones, side by side

Ashley’s upcard was a 2 For the first time in the match, Ashley spoke

“This is easy Not having to do anything I don’t have to entertain you, and I don’t have to trick you

either You both play with precise tactics That way, I don’t even have to think about anything”

He reached for his hole card A bad premonition ran down Balot’s spine

It was a 4 The 2 and 4 made six He drew a card: 4 Another: 5