Partida Rol por web

Nice quiet town. Nice town to live in. They got no railhead, no digging up in the hills, no reason to grow fat. This town eats because Vincent Bronson puts their bread on the table. He owns the town. He owns the county. People around here owe him. - Cotton Ryan, Sabbath Marshal.

Mayer had checked in at the Broken Lance hotel on the main street of Sabbath. It took him a few days to get used to the town, to know some locals. In the last week, he had visited the saloon, and he was eager to go to the brothel Lucas Decroux owned. He had seen the old gambler from the distance, sitting on his rocking chair with a funny hat and nice suit. But he reckoned Lucas had not recognized him. It had been a long time, and Mayer looked somewhat different know. The brothel was on one of the side streets, and it was a two storey building. As the night fell, they music started playing and locals crossed the street from the saloons of the main street or from their homes to visit Lucas. Amongst those men, so far Mayer had noticed the town mayor Sam Bolden, and the veteran marshal Cotton Ryan as regulars.

Mayer checked the mirror one last time. This evening he was going to visit Lucas and his saloon. He was not sure what to expect, but the sooner he found out the better.

He crossed the half-empty street and entered the saloon. The piano was playing already, and some locals had come to drink and have a good time.

Lucas was sitting on what looked to be his own table, holding a deck of cards.

A gambling wheel and a skull on the table, and the high arm chair made it clear. This was Lucas´ table, and this was his home. The veteran gambler was playing solitaire, and did not seem to acknowledge Mayer´s entry.

I put my hand in the skull, like if it were some kind of a sinister kid. I stared at Lucas, and said nothing. He took his eyes off the table and looked at me.

-Is this how you treat your opponents now when they try to cheat? -I looked at the cards in the table- You better win that game, old cheatin' bastard -obviously, I was just joking. He was a good friend.
 

Lucas Decroux looked up from his cards, amused by the comment. The voice sounded familiar, but he did not immediately recognize the person standing in front of him.

-Ahh, now I remember. The "Bandit". Have a seat, he said calmly and started laying the cards on the table again. -What brings you to Sabbath?

-That's all you've gotta say to an old friend? Are good manners dissapearing even between gamblers? -I took a sit near the skull and put away my hat with a hand, offering the other one to Lucas, smiling. Maybe that reaction wasn't what I was expecting.

-I don´t often get to see any old friends, Lucas said with a certain sadness in his words. -Not too many left, and those that are still around have better things to do than to visit an old cripple like myself.

Mayer noticed a pair of crutches next to the arm chair. As Mayer sat down, Lucas took the hand he offered and greeted him with a broader smile. -But I am happy to see you, myfriend. So I can show you this little place of mine I´ve opened here in Sabbath. I know it ain´t too fancy, but I like it here. No rail roads, no power hungry sheriffs, not too many drunken outlaws. I bring the girls and the entertainment to the townsfolk. And even get to do some gambling every now and then.

Lucas deals the cards as simple warm up.

-For a moment I was worried you came to wreck havoc here in Sabbath, and I got worried. But I can see that´s not the case.

-Not anymore, feller. The old outlaw you knew it's gone for good -I said, smiling-. Oh, don't worry. I haven't changed that much. I still want money, liquor and pussy, I just changed guns for cards. Keepin' it legal, you know.

I looked at the table and took some cards. My fingertips felt nice with them in my hands.

-What do you say? For old times? -I was offering a game. I wasn't sure if I was able to win my 'master', but definitely wanted to try- I could spend a nice time with one of those girls of you...

-Law is overrated, Lucas said laughing. -But you are in luck, the girls and entertainment here have the blessing of the local major and sheriff, he added with a wink. -A game? Hmm, I have an idea. We play whatever game you wish. If you win, you get free access to my girls and liquor for a week. If I win, you work for me for no pay for one month. You would still get free access to the girls, by the way. So it is really a win-win situation for you, no?

Lucas looked at his old friend. He could really do with a hand around here. The local sheriff was a good customer but nobody really took him seriously anymore.

-I know you never lose, Lucas -I said-. I don't know what the hell are you hiding, but you know what? I really don't give a shit. Let's do it. Poker?

-Winning or losing is often a matter of perspective, my friend, Lucas replied. –For the record, I´m not hiding anything, he added extending his hands to his side as to show there were no cards up his sleeves. –I´ve played my hand in this life, maybe too many hands… Now I just want to lay back and watch the scenery, in a quiet and peaceful town away from noise of Dodge City, Claremont, Canyon City, San Acoma. Sabbath is a great place for that, not much happens around here. And the good people of the town have welcomed me open-armed. But as I said, it would be nice to have someone with me around here, to keep an eye, to help with the games… Someone not as old as me, not as tired as me… Someone not as crippled as me.

It seemed Lucas had laid his cards on the table, figuratively. –Poker? Hmm, maybe one day we play. But I´d prefer something more based on pure luck. Roll of a dice, toss of a coin. That´s what life is, after all. Maybe a quick game of Craps, Chuck-A-Luck, High Dice or Under and Over?

-Luck -I smiled-. Guess I ran out of that a long time ago, you know, fortune's a bitch, but let's try. High dice sounds nice for me -I said.

-High Dice it is then. Best of three. Lady Luck can really mess you up, I agree. But remember that what goes around comes around, and all you need is to grab that lucky streak, and start winning again. Who knows, maybe your luck is about to change.

And with that, Lucas started rolling the dice. Pair of threes...

-Your turn, Mayer.

-There we go -I said, rollin' the dices fast, smiling. 

I looked at the results and the smile was washed away from my face. Damn, I'm really running out of luck.

Mayer lost the first hand. Now it was his turn to be the dealer. Lucas handed him the die, and nodded in silence.

The simple game of High Dice had attracted some attention. A few local businessmen had approached the table, and two saloon girls were keeping them company but at the same time they also wanted to see the outcome. Also the young and tough looking gambler had caught their eye and they wanted to find out more of the new gun in town.

Damn. 

-Guess ain't my lucky day.

Perfect: I didn't want to attract attention, and then the whole goddamn saloon was watching.

Lucas was shaking the dice cup and looking at Mayer. He understood the frustration of the young gambler. Sometimes, things just did not work out as they should.

-No hard feelings, he said put the cup on the table. Somehow he knew. He just knew that he had won. And as he lifted the cup, there were indeed a pair of threes.