Page 4 of The Gambler's Prize
This is my only hope, and I can’t mess it up. I’m trying to sound sober, pronouncing everything super-properly. Judge Draved turns and blinks at me, his eyes hazy. The number of empty glasses around him doesn’t inspire confidence.
“Of course, young man,” he says. “Have a seat.”
He’s using the same fake sober voice as me. Which also doesn’t inspire confidence. But I have to try. I perch carefully on the high barstool next to him. The room spins and I grab at the bar for balance. Stars, how many cocktails did I have? I can’t even remember. My father’s words ring in my ears.Idiot. Drunkard. Useless fool. You’ll come to a bad end.
Maybe tonight is the night his dark prophecies come true.
I swallow hard, swallow back tears. Take a deep breath. Fix my gaze on Judge Draved.
“Your Honor, this gentleman and I are having a slight disagreement,” I say.
“Oh?” the judge says.
“We were at theafitable, and we made a bet. The stakes were…er, me.” I can’t quite meet his eye as I say that.
The judge harumphs. “Son, personal matters are not my business—”
“It’s not a personal matter,” I say. “That’s the whole problem. I assumed it was. I thought this gentleman was on the same page as me. I assumed we were talking about, you know. Sexual matters.”
“And what were you talking about?” Judge Draved says curiously.
Grimes, who hasn’t said a word yet, places the contract on the bar. Draved reads it, painfully slowly, then looks up at me.
“This all seems to be in order,” he says.
The bottom falls out of my stomach. “You can’t be serious. This is ridiculous. Criminal.”
Draved leans away from my anger, looking pained. “What exactly was the wording of the bet?”
Grimes fields this one. “Florian said,what are the stakes? I saidyou. And he saiddeal.” Grimes gives me an icy smile, but his dark eyes are still fiery and focused on me with strange, fixed intent.
“Did you shake on it?” Judge Draved says.
“We shook on it,” Grimes says.
“Any witnesses?”
Grimes smiles. “The whole table.”
I hang my head. No point disputing that. There’s no need to call them over one by one to attest to my stupidity.
Draved looks at me, some sympathy in his eyes. “You got off easy. With that wording, he could’ve drawn up a contract for twenty years.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Grimes says.
My gaze flies to him. Even though I hate his guts and want nothing more than to throttle him with my bare hands, I’ve never given anyone such a pleading look in my whole life. Something flickers behind his hard eyes: a new expression. I’m not quite sure how to describe it.
“I was joking,” he says roughly. “I couldn’t stand your company for that long.”
I turn back to the judge, desperate. “You’re serious, Your Honor? There’s nothing I can do?”
He shrugs. “Come to me tomorrow and contest it officially if you like, but the answer will be the same. Indentured labor is fully legal in Galbrava.”
“You should’ve stayed in Rhennes,” Grimes says.
Fuck him. Fuck the lot of them. I forget how big he is, forget the stupid archaic laws of this place, forget everything but rage. I pull back my fist, aiming for Grime’s face. I don’t connect. Next second, both my hands are twisted up behind my back, Grimes’ hot breath is on my neck, and I gasp as pain spears through my arms.
“Outside,” Grimes says. “Now. I’m not losing my new worker to the drunk tank.”
