Page 73 of Tiger's Trek
Nik paused in the middle of the deal. “You’re sayingMamakeeps you here?”
“That’s right. She forces me to relive all the horrible things I’ve done, over and over in some sort of countervenge.”
“Then why do you want her box?”
“Ah!” the ghost replied. “Because that’s the ticket out. You see, my wife was something of a witchy woman. A long time ago, she told me that the tin holds a spell—her greatest one, in fact. I once overheard her tell our children that the one who inherited it would be a lucky soul indeed, for whoever did would obtain their true heart’s desire. And my heart’s desire, my boy, is to live again. Why? So I can leave this place once and for all. I want to start over and forget my old life, these children, my wife, this town, everything. The only way to do that is to open that box.”
Nik nodded thoughtfully and picked up his hand.
Eldar turned over the first card in the stack. Queen of Hearts. “I attack first,” he said.
When half the round was played, Nik said, “I still don’t understand why you had to kill your children. I know you abused your wife, and she killed herself. Then you wanted to cover it up and remarry. Did you do it because you couldn’t find another wife?”
“I did find another wife, and a third after that. The problem was, each wife went crazy. Driven that way by my first wife’s ghostly visits. The second lasted just two years and the third only eight months. The townspeople started suspecting things after that. My first wife cursed me.
“After my third wife’s death, I lost the respect of the town and my position, especially after seeing the bruises on her wrists when she was buried. I told them I had no choice but to tie her up, to protect her from herself. They saw how she caused her own death by throwing herself out the upstairs window. I was even telling the truth that time, but I could see they didn’t believe me. I knew it was just a matter of time before they came for me.”
“I might believe the window, but I don’t believe the wrists. I’ve seen the show, Yuri. I know you abuse women.” Nik defended two attacks, then played his own. “How did the kids end up chained under the house?”
“The crying wouldn’t stop. It started off with me just trying to scare them silent. Then it got so quiet I forgot about them. Two of them died from no water. After that, I knew it was over for me. The town would never let me go free after that. I chained them up and waited for them all to go. My oldest was the last. Couldn’t bear to do the deed myself. Would have been kinder. Least they all had each other in the end. Then I hanged myself from the same tree where I found my first wife dead. Only one of the children survived. I never could remember how many I had. Apparently, he hid.”
Nik continued to play, thinking about the dead man’s story. It wasn’t that much different from his own. He, too, had feared being discovered. True, he hadn’t been the person doing the abusing, but he had committed murder, accidental or not. Just like this man, he had killed innocents. He was no better than this ghost. Weight pressed down on him, and he remembered how the little man he’d met, Pasha, had told him he carried a sorrow on his back. He imagined it was fairly huge at present.
After a few more attacks, Nik said, “Well, at least we know the stakes. It seems we’re playing for our lives, Eldar. He needs one of us to open the box. Best of luck.”
The big man nodded. As he played, he alternated holding his cards in one hand and wiping his sticky palm on his pant leg with the other.
Soon the ghost played his last card. “I’m out, boys. Let’s see which one of you gets to live.”
Nik set down his cards. “I forfeit. It should be your kin,” he said. “If you really want a fresh start, then try doing a kindness to your kinfolk. And while I got a say, I’d like to raise the stakes.”
“You would, would you?” the ghost said.
“Yes. No matter what you do, or who wins, let us bury those poor kids first. Mama wants it done. It won’t hurt you none.”
“If you’re thinking that once you’re out in the yard I’ll have no power over you, you’re wrong. I can kill the two of you faster than the time it would take for you to reach the tree. You’d be dead before your body even hit the ground. I owned this town and this land. My roots run deep.”
Eldar whimpered and began sweating profusely.
“I wasn’t thinking of escape,” Nik said smoothly. “Were you, Eldar?”
The other man shook his head and squirmed. He looked like he was about to faint.
“Good,” the ghost replied. “Is that all, then? Is there anything else you want to add?”
“No. That’s it,” Nik answered.
“Very well. I’ll agree to your terms.”
“Otlichno.” Nik relaxed in his chair and continued playing. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the fire burn just a little brighter for a few seconds and imagined his gesture had made Mama happy.
“But I want you to finish the game first. No forfeits allowed.”
“Fine. Just so long as you know that Eldar wins in the end.”
“Didn’t I just say no forfeits?”
Nik scowled.
