“Then why did you let me win any hands at all the first time we met?” asked Cain.

“Because professional cardplayers are very careful about cheating professional killers,” replied Terwilliger. “Besides, I was lonely. Once word got out that I was broke, none of the amateurs would play with me—and you can’t use tricks like that on the pros.”

“And why have you let me win at gin since we took off from Port étrange?” continued Cain.

“It was just my way of keeping you in a good mood, and thanking you for saving my life.” He grinned. “Besides, it’s not as if I have any money to pay you with.”

“Well, I’ll be damned!” said Cain with a laugh. “So that’s why you wouldn’t let the computer give us random hands! All right, you little bastard. Your debt’s wiped clean.”

“I’d rather owe it to you.”

“Why?”

“I have my reasons,” said Terwilliger.

“Suit yourself,” said Cain. “I’ve got another question.”

“Ask away.”

“How the hell did someone like you manage to go two hundred thousand credits in the hole to ManMountain Bates?”

“Do you know what the odds are of a man drawing a straight flush against you when you’re sitting with four aces?” asked Terwilliger.

“Not long enough, I’d guess,” said Cain.

“You’re damned right! You know, if you play cards every day, it might happen five times before you die of old age. It was just my stupid luck that the first time it happened was against the backbreaker.”

“How did you get out with your back unbroken?”

“I waited until Bates answered a call of nature, told a couple of the other players that I was going to my room to get my bankroll so I could redeem my marker, and got the hell off the planet before anyone knew I was gone.” Terwilliger frowned. “I’d love to see that guy’s bladder preserved for science. He must have drunk six quarts before he got up!”

“Pardon an unethical question, but now that I’ve seen what you can do with a deck of cards, why didn’t you do it to him—exercising due caution, of course?”

“Have you ever seen ManMountain Bates?” said Terwilliger with a bitter laugh.

“No.”

“Well, he’s not the kind of guy you’d want to chance having mad at you, especially if he was within arm’s reach.”

“Not even for two hundred thousand credits?”

“It wasn’t worth the risk. It’d be as dangerous as you poaching on the Angel’s territory.”

“From what I hear, he’s about to start poaching on mine,” commented Cain.

“That’s different.”

“Why?”