56 BLESSINGS AND BETTINGS (1/2)
”Hey, empty hands won't win you the game. Take some food.” Some audiences suggested Lirzod in a not-so-smooth of a tone. After all, he now was their silver dream—a silvery silhouette that could drag them out of the darkness and bring them at least fleeting comfort.
”Handling a cat is kids' stuff,” Lirzod casually replied while standing in the ring, showing comfort through words, ”I don't need food or even a rat's tail for that matter.”
”Stop being so thoughtless and take the damn food already,” a man with an elongated face tossed a small bottle of milk to Lirzod, startling him. ”You can thank me later.”
”Oh, thanks,” Lirzod opened the lid and began to gulp down the milk.
”That wasn't for you!” some of the audiences shouted, but their voices were ineffective, for Lirzod didn't stop until he finished drinking half a liter in one go, thereby emptying the bottle.
”Weird but sweet,” Lirzod cast the bottle away, and he appeared to be somewhat pleased from the milk.
”Of course, that's mountain goat milk,” the man with an elongated face bore his gaze down on Lirzod. ”It was meant for the cat. Give me my milk back.”
”U-Uh,” Lirzod didn't know what to say. ”I drank it. Didn't you see?”
”You…” the man with an elongated face wanted to step forward and put his fists to work. ”I can't believe you are the one who demeaned Hardy Brothers and climbed another deck to circulate the tale.” If it weren't for that news, he'd have long jumped into the ring and would have ended the conflict with a couple of blows.
A nearby member among the audiences asked the man with an elongated face, ”What do you think about the story he claimed about those brothers? You think that's true?” The man's voice carried waves of tension through the air.
”It's obviously a cock and bull story, but the brothers will probably get roasted for years because of it,” the man with an elongated face said, his voice hitting other's ears like a rough melody. ”Still, since he dared to skirmish with hardmen such as Hardy Brothers, I bet fifty copper in his favor and even gave him goat milk, but now, I feel like he's too rash for his own good.”
”Yeah, I'm thinking the same as well,” the man's lips pressed together in a slight grimace, ”I bet five silver on this boy. With odds as they are, I hoped to make half a gold and get better armor, but I'm not so sure anymore.”
”Guess we let our greed guide us,” the man with an elongated face had a slumped posture. ”I should have bet on seeing a single gesture, but now I can only hope I won't lose again.”
Any bet less than a silver had 1:3 ratio earnings; any bet more than one silver but less than one gold had 1:10 ratio earnings; any bet more than a gold had 1:20 ratio earnings. In some rural regions of the world, it took almost a year or two to earn one silver. Many people in the hall could be seen betting in copper, but a decent number of men also bet in silver. No one placed a bet in faces, for many traders on the ship didn't accept the face coin.
Upon seeing the high-range bet amounts, Burton had a hard time to breathe normally even though those betting odds were only for the win or loss category. The stakes for the gestures were different, and the odds rose through to the roof—1:10 for a copper-grade bet, 1:15 for a silver-grade bet, and 1:30 for a golden-grade bet.
”Look at them sheeple betting for naught.” Burton approached Sariyu in a tight mouth as if he tasted something bad. ”Their lust for coins will lead them astray. I would be embarrassed if I were in their shoes.”
”At least their passion is more so in their pockets than in their pants, unlike the donkey owner,” she had an air of readiness around her.
”Maybe,” Burton's forehead wrinkled just a bit, ”but it doesn't change the chance of all the money going down the referee's pockets, I mean, down his superior's pockets.”
”Only if Lirzod loses,” Sariyu replied and gave him an easy nod.
”Well, yes, but do you honestly think he'll pass in his first attempt itself?”
Sariyu paused a moment before her lips slightly parted. ”I guess I'm a sheeple, too,” she bounced the two silver coins in her hand and was about to step onward.
”I didn't mean it for you,” Burton blocked her path with his arm. ”You know that, right?”
Sariyu didn't reply but looked elsewhere in an unfocused gaze.
”I just don't want you to get this betting habit, too, that's all,” Burton said, feeling a tightness in the chest. ”'Never fall in love with money.' You still remember this line, don't you?”
Sariyu's eyes expanded and brows rose a notch, but she was quick to contain her expression.
”All I'm saying is,” Burton continued, placing his hands on the hips, ”you know that Lirzod hates losing, but you can never know how he's going to try and catch the cat. So I don't see any substantial reason to risk a bet. If you are still going to bet anyway, at least don't bet on gestures.”
Sariyu looked in his eyes for a brief moment. ”Thanks for your unwonted concern toward my capital.”Saying that she walked in the direction of the betting spot.
Burton folded his hands and mused to himself. ”Why's she in a temper when I was only trying to tell her to think a bit before betting?” He glanced toward the long-nosed man who was standing by the side, holding onto a copper coin. ”Are you betting as well?”
”Yeah, I'm thinking to bet—but I can only spare this much and not suffer from cold,” the long-nosed man said with an awkward expression because was amount was too low compared to that of Sariyu.
In the meantime, as Sariyu was heading toward the betting counter, she remembered the words that Burton had told her moments ago—never fall in love with money. It made her remember acustomary song played during special occasions in their clan's schools, for she attended different schools in the past.
”Never fall in love with money
For it will break your heart apart
Like gold does to hundred silvers
Silver to hundred coppers
And copper to twenty faces
The said pieces when put together
Never add up to the necessary.”
It had been quite some time since she last thought back about the song, and the memory brought a faint yet friendly smile on her face. ”This betting isn't solely based on my interests. Win or loss, I intend to take it the same way.”
Later, Sariyu bet two silver that Lirzod would win, surprising Jehez as two silver wasn't a small amount, and because she also seemed to be acquainted with Lirzod, he couldn't help but frown on the inside at the possibility of Lirzod winning the test. Given the number of bets in Lirzod's favor, if he were to win, Jehez would not only not earn any profit, but his job might also be in jeopardy. He started to have forebodings about the upcoming test and just realized that his blood had long begun to run cold from dread.
The long-nosed man soon came to the betting counter, but Jehez refused to take his money. ”Sorry, mate. You just came a tad bit late,” he told him that after enough number of bettings were made, the referee could close down further bettings. The single copper coin in the hands of the long-nosed man didn't quite help change the referee's mind either.
Jehez then signaled—with a whistle and a hand gesture combined—to Lirzod to come to him.
Lirzod quickly came over to the betting counter, and Jehez promptly checked him to make sure that he wasn't carrying any weapon or anything of the sorts. Usually, Jehez didn't have to do this procedure, but considering the bettings, now he had to be twice as sure.
At the moment, just the two of them were present near the betting counter.
While checking Lirzod's pockets, Jehez said in a soft voice, loud enough only to reach Lirzod's ears, ”As a referee, I have my connections on this belt. If you lose, I'll make the ship-climbing easier for you.” He didn't even make steady eye contact with Lirzod. ”What do you say?”
”Are you done?” Lirzod asked, startling the referee, ”With the searching I mean.”
”Y-Yeah,” Jehez's heartbeat wasn't under his control, but he had enough heart to now make steady eye contact. ”Do you agree to my proposal or not?”
”I'm afraid I can't,” Lirzod said, a vague smile tugging his lips. ”There is only one test per deck. Though we can participate over and over again, I don't like to waste any first opportunity where every experience is fresh if not fruitful. In any case, if I let this chance wilfully slip away, I'll have betrayed other's trust.” Lirzod's words hardened Jehez's expression.