‘It ain’t over yet, mate,’ said Marjorie.

‘It would be a miracle to come back from here,’ said Lucky.

‘Miracles happen on this show,’ said Marjorie. ‘Next up: young Franco.’

Franco eyed the wheel, looking for the dangers. The answer to Book and Author, which he offered after two spins, was The Tree of Man, Patrick White.

Mel solved the next puzzle on $2100. After three spins she nailed the category Things: Three wishes.

‘And there we have it, boys and girls!’ said Marjorie. ‘Mel the childcare worker from Adelaide wins today’s game and goes through to the bonus round. Before we take a quick break I’ll say so long to our other contestants. Goodbye, Franco. And here’s the biggest cheers to the magnificent Lucky. Awful to see you hit a critical Bankrupt on Day of Fortune, but I have good memories of those restaurants, if that means anything to you.’

‘It does,’ said Lucky.

‘And I promise to be your first customer if you do open that new restaurant.’

‘I’ll keep you posted,’ said Lucky, his voice and expression bare of affect.

Marjorie threw her cards in the air. None of the contestants shook hands. The Wheel of Fortune rigger turned the confetti cannon away from Lucky and towards the applauding audience.

Chapter 26: 2002

2002

1.

Within the next month all the prizes would arrive: the bonus-round takeaways, the consolation gifts. What would he do with a SkyBound Stratos trampoline? At this time Sophia did not have a backyard. A new microwave was coming: he could use it to defrost Louis’ mice. The Never Out Of Bed sheet set was on its way. Two boxes of Tasmanian wine, all bubbly, arrived that morning. The day after the Day of Fortune. Emily was coming over and her questions were frightening, unavoidable. Lucky needed to change his shirt before she arrived, the perspiration like a sign of acceptance: he’d run out of artifice, energy, pride, restraint, fear. He was finished, finally, with the feeling of defeat. He did have time for changes. The afternoon sunlight cast a glazed orange dinge over the street.

The snake was wriggling around somewhere in the apartment, he told Emily as she sat on the couch. The last time Lucky saw him, Louis II had been curled like a bowline in the sink of the laundry closet, doing whatever snakes did after a meal on a hot day. The snake diet was an atrocity. Lucky switched up the speed of the ceiling fan and told her about the Wheel of Fortune experience, all of it: the four slots he’d won, the Day of Fortune, the manipulations of Dan and Marjorie. Emily wrote in shorthand in her notebook.

‘Will they run that lame package about the Third of April?’ she asked.

‘Couldn’t get a definite yes or no there.’