"Jack Dann - Blind Shemmy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dann Jack)

"What do you mean?"
"We-the house-will be observing you. Our games master will be telepathically hooked in, but, I
assure you, you will not sense his presence in the least. If anything should go wrong, or look as
if it might go wrong, then pfft, we intercede. Of course, we make no promises, and there have been
cases where-"
"But anything that could go wrong would be because of the cerebral hook-in."
"Perhaps this isn't the game for you, sir."
"You must have enough privileged information on everyone who has ever played here to make book,"
Pfeiffer said.
"The hook-in doesn't work that way at all. And besides, we are contract-bound to protect our
clients."
"And yourselves."
"Most certainly." The casino captain looked impatient.
"If both players can read each other's mind," Pfeiffer said to the captain, "then there can be no
blind cards."
"Aha, now you have it, monsieur." At that, the tension between Pfeiffer and the desk captain
seemed to dissolve.
"And, indeed," the captain continued, "we have a modified version of chemin de fer, which we call
blind shemmy. All the cards are played face down. It is a game of control (and, of course,
chance), for you must block out certain thoughts from your mind, while, at the same time, tricking
your opponent into revealing his cards. And that is why it would be advantageous for you to let
your friend here connect with you."
Pfeiffer glanced toward Joan and said, "Please clarify that."
"Quite simply, while you are playing, your friend could help block your thoughts from your
opponent with her own," said the captain. "But it does take some practice. Perhaps, it would be
better if you tried a hook-in in one of our other rooms, where the stakes are not quite so high."
Then the captain lowered his eyes, as if in deference, but in actuality he was looking at the CeeR
screen of the terminal set into the antique desk.
Joan could see Pfeiffer's nostrils flare slightly. The poor sonofabitch is caught, she thought.
"Come on, Carl, let's get out of here now."
"Perhaps you should listen to Miss Otur," the captain said, but the man must have known that he
had Pfeiffer.
"I wish to play blind shemmy," Pfeiffer said, turning toward Joan, glaring at her. She caught her
breath: If he lost, then she knew he would make certain that Joan lost something, too.
"I have a game of nine in progress," the captain said. "There are nine people playing and nine
others playing interference. But you'll have to wait for a space. It will be quite expensive, as
the players are tired and will demand some of your points for themselves above the casino charge
for the play."
"How long will I have to wait?"
The captain shrugged, then said, "I have another man waiting, who is ahead of you. He would be
willing to play a game of doubles. I would recommend you play him rather than wait. Like you, he
is an amateur, but his wife, who will be connected with him, is not. Of course, if you wish to
wait for the other . . ."
Pfeiffer accepted, and while he and Joan gave their
prints to the various forms, the captain explained that
there was no statue of limitations on the contract signed
by all parties, and that it would be honored even by those
governments that disapprove of this particular form of
gambling. -
Then the furry boy appeared like an apparition to take them to their room where they would be