Chapter 33. A Mortal Game
08/15/07 • -1 min
The tiered seating of the amphitheater was packed with people, to the point that they flowed out onto the steps that led down to the floor of the arena below. It was a challenge for Max to follow Perske without touching any of the audience members, which was something he wanted to avoid for fear that the visions that he would inevitably experience with even a brief contact would distract him from his mission.
Listen to the Chapter 33 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
Rows of tables filled the center of the arena where he had first met Neumann. Pairs of people sat at each table concentrating intently on chess boards. Based on the crowd, Max assumed it was a major tournament of some kind, although the patrons didn’t appear to be paying much attention to the competition, or anything else for that matter. They were as blithely distracted as the people he and Linda had encountered on their way to the courtyard where she had met her violent end.
Perske led him past the competitors to a roped off section that comprised the front row and six or sevens rows back. Unlike the rest of the audience, the people in the VIP section were intently focused on the tournament -- taking notes and talking among themselves in whispers and occasional animated exchanges.
Max stopped at the arena’s edge while Perske climbed up a step to one of two empty spaces in the front row.
“I understand that you want to make a trade,” she said.
“That’s right.” He held out his hand and let the pendant dangle from his wrist. “It’s too late for Linda, but there’s something else I want from you.”
She motioned for him to continue.
“Here’s the deal,” he said, his voice cracking despite the fact that he had rehearsed the words to himself over and over in his final hours at the Freedom Club. “I want you to leave me alone. I’m quitting the university and going away where you won’t hear from me again. I’ve had enough.”
“I see,” said Perske.
“And another thing,” he let his hand drop to his side. “I want Betty back.”
Perske smiled in a way that looked more sad and pitying than anything else.
“All that,” she said, “in exchange for a piece of costume jewelry.”
Max shook his head. “It’s no doomsday device, but it’s a lot more than a necklace. I’ve seen it in action.”
“You’re wrong. That thing is junk.”
She pointed to the distance and Max turned to see Spencer carrying Linus under one arm and dragging a robed figure across the arena floor with the other. He instantly recognized the aluminum skull cap.
“Joel?”
Spencer deposited the lunatic unceremoniously at Max’s feet, and continued by to take the seat beside Perske. He leaned over and set Linus on the ground where the penguin fluttered his stubby wings and preened his belly.
“Max Caine, I presume,” said Joel, lifting himself onto his hands and knees. “Funny meeting you here.”
Max’s head swam as he tried to put all the pieces together. He thrust the pendant in Joel’s face.
“Tell them what this thing can do.”
Joel sat back on his heels and inspected the jewel as though he were appraising its resale value for a pawn shop.
“Not much really, other than broadcast its IP address every few milliseconds.”
“What?”
“It’s just a tracking device.”
Spencer stood up, sneering as he displayed a necklace and pendant that was virtually identical to the one in Max’s hand.
“I presume this is the one you were thinking of,” he said. “I took it off of our mutual friend Joel there.”
A lump rose in Max’s throat. His one bargaining chip was lost.
“Linda lied to me?”
Joel shook his head. “She didn’t know about the switch. I told her you were conning us, but she didn’t believe me. It appears,” said Joel as he pushed his cap back on his head, “that her intuition was wrong.”
Max’s nostrils flared as he pointed the rifle at Joel. All that was left was to go down in a flurry of destruction. First Joel, then Spencer, then Perske and anyone else he could take out before they stopped him.
He wrapped his finger over the trigger. But the futility of the situation overwhelmed him. He threw the rifle at Perske’s feet.
“You win. You have what you want,” he shouted. “Now let me go!”
Spencer stepped down and retrieved the weapon, handing it to Perske. He walked forward, holding out the pendant.
“What are you talking about? This little thing?”
He tugged on the jewel and threw it past Max over the arena floor. It burst in mid air, incinerating the bulk of...
Listen to the Chapter 33 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
Rows of tables filled the center of the arena where he had first met Neumann. Pairs of people sat at each table concentrating intently on chess boards. Based on the crowd, Max assumed it was a major tournament of some kind, although the patrons didn’t appear to be paying much attention to the competition, or anything else for that matter. They were as blithely distracted as the people he and Linda had encountered on their way to the courtyard where she had met her violent end.
Perske led him past the competitors to a roped off section that comprised the front row and six or sevens rows back. Unlike the rest of the audience, the people in the VIP section were intently focused on the tournament -- taking notes and talking among themselves in whispers and occasional animated exchanges.
Max stopped at the arena’s edge while Perske climbed up a step to one of two empty spaces in the front row.
“I understand that you want to make a trade,” she said.
“That’s right.” He held out his hand and let the pendant dangle from his wrist. “It’s too late for Linda, but there’s something else I want from you.”
She motioned for him to continue.
“Here’s the deal,” he said, his voice cracking despite the fact that he had rehearsed the words to himself over and over in his final hours at the Freedom Club. “I want you to leave me alone. I’m quitting the university and going away where you won’t hear from me again. I’ve had enough.”
“I see,” said Perske.
“And another thing,” he let his hand drop to his side. “I want Betty back.”
Perske smiled in a way that looked more sad and pitying than anything else.
“All that,” she said, “in exchange for a piece of costume jewelry.”
Max shook his head. “It’s no doomsday device, but it’s a lot more than a necklace. I’ve seen it in action.”
“You’re wrong. That thing is junk.”
She pointed to the distance and Max turned to see Spencer carrying Linus under one arm and dragging a robed figure across the arena floor with the other. He instantly recognized the aluminum skull cap.
“Joel?”
Spencer deposited the lunatic unceremoniously at Max’s feet, and continued by to take the seat beside Perske. He leaned over and set Linus on the ground where the penguin fluttered his stubby wings and preened his belly.
“Max Caine, I presume,” said Joel, lifting himself onto his hands and knees. “Funny meeting you here.”
Max’s head swam as he tried to put all the pieces together. He thrust the pendant in Joel’s face.
“Tell them what this thing can do.”
Joel sat back on his heels and inspected the jewel as though he were appraising its resale value for a pawn shop.
“Not much really, other than broadcast its IP address every few milliseconds.”
“What?”
“It’s just a tracking device.”
Spencer stood up, sneering as he displayed a necklace and pendant that was virtually identical to the one in Max’s hand.
“I presume this is the one you were thinking of,” he said. “I took it off of our mutual friend Joel there.”
A lump rose in Max’s throat. His one bargaining chip was lost.
“Linda lied to me?”
Joel shook his head. “She didn’t know about the switch. I told her you were conning us, but she didn’t believe me. It appears,” said Joel as he pushed his cap back on his head, “that her intuition was wrong.”
Max’s nostrils flared as he pointed the rifle at Joel. All that was left was to go down in a flurry of destruction. First Joel, then Spencer, then Perske and anyone else he could take out before they stopped him.
He wrapped his finger over the trigger. But the futility of the situation overwhelmed him. He threw the rifle at Perske’s feet.
“You win. You have what you want,” he shouted. “Now let me go!”
Spencer stepped down and retrieved the weapon, handing it to Perske. He walked forward, holding out the pendant.
“What are you talking about? This little thing?”
He tugged on the jewel and threw it past Max over the arena floor. It burst in mid air, incinerating the bulk of...
The tiered seating of the amphitheater was packed with people, to the point that they flowed out onto the steps that led down to the floor of the arena below. It was a challenge for Max to follow Perske without touching any of the audience members, which was something he wanted to avoid for fear that the visions that he would inevitably experience with even a brief contact would distract him from his mission.
Listen to the Chapter 33 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
Rows of tables filled the center of the arena where he had first met Neumann. Pairs of people sat at each table concentrating intently on chess boards. Based on the crowd, Max assumed it was a major tournament of some kind, although the patrons didn’t appear to be paying much attention to the competition, or anything else for that matter. They were as blithely distracted as the people he and Linda had encountered on their way to the courtyard where she had met her violent end.
Perske led him past the competitors to a roped off section that comprised the front row and six or sevens rows back. Unlike the rest of the audience, the people in the VIP section were intently focused on the tournament -- taking notes and talking among themselves in whispers and occasional animated exchanges.
Max stopped at the arena’s edge while Perske climbed up a step to one of two empty spaces in the front row.
“I understand that you want to make a trade,” she said.
“That’s right.” He held out his hand and let the pendant dangle from his wrist. “It’s too late for Linda, but there’s something else I want from you.”
She motioned for him to continue.
“Here’s the deal,” he said, his voice cracking despite the fact that he had rehearsed the words to himself over and over in his final hours at the Freedom Club. “I want you to leave me alone. I’m quitting the university and going away where you won’t hear from me again. I’ve had enough.”
“I see,” said Perske.
“And another thing,” he let his hand drop to his side. “I want Betty back.”
Perske smiled in a way that looked more sad and pitying than anything else.
“All that,” she said, “in exchange for a piece of costume jewelry.”
Max shook his head. “It’s no doomsday device, but it’s a lot more than a necklace. I’ve seen it in action.”
“You’re wrong. That thing is junk.”
She pointed to the distance and Max turned to see Spencer carrying Linus under one arm and dragging a robed figure across the arena floor with the other. He instantly recognized the aluminum skull cap.
“Joel?”
Spencer deposited the lunatic unceremoniously at Max’s feet, and continued by to take the seat beside Perske. He leaned over and set Linus on the ground where the penguin fluttered his stubby wings and preened his belly.
“Max Caine, I presume,” said Joel, lifting himself onto his hands and knees. “Funny meeting you here.”
Max’s head swam as he tried to put all the pieces together. He thrust the pendant in Joel’s face.
“Tell them what this thing can do.”
Joel sat back on his heels and inspected the jewel as though he were appraising its resale value for a pawn shop.
“Not much really, other than broadcast its IP address every few milliseconds.”
“What?”
“It’s just a tracking device.”
Spencer stood up, sneering as he displayed a necklace and pendant that was virtually identical to the one in Max’s hand.
“I presume this is the one you were thinking of,” he said. “I took it off of our mutual friend Joel there.”
A lump rose in Max’s throat. His one bargaining chip was lost.
“Linda lied to me?”
Joel shook his head. “She didn’t know about the switch. I told her you were conning us, but she didn’t believe me. It appears,” said Joel as he pushed his cap back on his head, “that her intuition was wrong.”
Max’s nostrils flared as he pointed the rifle at Joel. All that was left was to go down in a flurry of destruction. First Joel, then Spencer, then Perske and anyone else he could take out before they stopped him.
He wrapped his finger over the trigger. But the futility of the situation overwhelmed him. He threw the rifle at Perske’s feet.
“You win. You have what you want,” he shouted. “Now let me go!”
Spencer stepped down and retrieved the weapon, handing it to Perske. He walked forward, holding out the pendant.
“What are you talking about? This little thing?”
He tugged on the jewel and threw it past Max over the arena floor. It burst in mid air, incinerating the bulk of...
Listen to the Chapter 33 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
Rows of tables filled the center of the arena where he had first met Neumann. Pairs of people sat at each table concentrating intently on chess boards. Based on the crowd, Max assumed it was a major tournament of some kind, although the patrons didn’t appear to be paying much attention to the competition, or anything else for that matter. They were as blithely distracted as the people he and Linda had encountered on their way to the courtyard where she had met her violent end.
Perske led him past the competitors to a roped off section that comprised the front row and six or sevens rows back. Unlike the rest of the audience, the people in the VIP section were intently focused on the tournament -- taking notes and talking among themselves in whispers and occasional animated exchanges.
Max stopped at the arena’s edge while Perske climbed up a step to one of two empty spaces in the front row.
“I understand that you want to make a trade,” she said.
“That’s right.” He held out his hand and let the pendant dangle from his wrist. “It’s too late for Linda, but there’s something else I want from you.”
She motioned for him to continue.
“Here’s the deal,” he said, his voice cracking despite the fact that he had rehearsed the words to himself over and over in his final hours at the Freedom Club. “I want you to leave me alone. I’m quitting the university and going away where you won’t hear from me again. I’ve had enough.”
“I see,” said Perske.
“And another thing,” he let his hand drop to his side. “I want Betty back.”
Perske smiled in a way that looked more sad and pitying than anything else.
“All that,” she said, “in exchange for a piece of costume jewelry.”
Max shook his head. “It’s no doomsday device, but it’s a lot more than a necklace. I’ve seen it in action.”
“You’re wrong. That thing is junk.”
She pointed to the distance and Max turned to see Spencer carrying Linus under one arm and dragging a robed figure across the arena floor with the other. He instantly recognized the aluminum skull cap.
“Joel?”
Spencer deposited the lunatic unceremoniously at Max’s feet, and continued by to take the seat beside Perske. He leaned over and set Linus on the ground where the penguin fluttered his stubby wings and preened his belly.
“Max Caine, I presume,” said Joel, lifting himself onto his hands and knees. “Funny meeting you here.”
Max’s head swam as he tried to put all the pieces together. He thrust the pendant in Joel’s face.
“Tell them what this thing can do.”
Joel sat back on his heels and inspected the jewel as though he were appraising its resale value for a pawn shop.
“Not much really, other than broadcast its IP address every few milliseconds.”
“What?”
“It’s just a tracking device.”
Spencer stood up, sneering as he displayed a necklace and pendant that was virtually identical to the one in Max’s hand.
“I presume this is the one you were thinking of,” he said. “I took it off of our mutual friend Joel there.”
A lump rose in Max’s throat. His one bargaining chip was lost.
“Linda lied to me?”
Joel shook his head. “She didn’t know about the switch. I told her you were conning us, but she didn’t believe me. It appears,” said Joel as he pushed his cap back on his head, “that her intuition was wrong.”
Max’s nostrils flared as he pointed the rifle at Joel. All that was left was to go down in a flurry of destruction. First Joel, then Spencer, then Perske and anyone else he could take out before they stopped him.
He wrapped his finger over the trigger. But the futility of the situation overwhelmed him. He threw the rifle at Perske’s feet.
“You win. You have what you want,” he shouted. “Now let me go!”
Spencer stepped down and retrieved the weapon, handing it to Perske. He walked forward, holding out the pendant.
“What are you talking about? This little thing?”
He tugged on the jewel and threw it past Max over the arena floor. It burst in mid air, incinerating the bulk of...
Previous Episode
Chapter 32. The Bargain
Linda stirred slightly, to Max’s relief. For a moment he thought he might have killed her despite the fact that his rifle had been set to pause. He slipped her weapon out of her hand and placed it behind him so that it would be out of her reach should she come around suddenly.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Spencer take a tentative step forward.
“Against the wall,” he said firmly. Spencer backed up and readjusted his glasses.
Listen to the Chapter 32 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
Max rolled Linda onto her back and unhooked the latch on the chain of her pendant. As he wrapped the necklace around his fist he saw a subtle ripple approaching in the grass a few yards off. He leapt to his feet.
“Call them off Spencer.”
“Them? Them who?”
Max flicked the setting on his rifle to kill and fired a shot into the wall a few feet to Spencer’s left. Chips erupted from the stone, leaving a ragged divot behind.
“Call them off.”
“Oh them,” Spencer yelped. “Eddie! Bob! Back away.”
The ripple halted, and then reversed direction for a few meters. It began to grow, like a bubble of turf rising out of the ground. It transformed into a humanoid shape and lifted one foot after the other with moist pops as they separated from the grass. A shifty glance from Spencer caused Max to look over his shoulder to see another human shape separating itself from one of the trees behind him.
“Over there,” said Max, waving his rifle in Spencer’s direction. The tree man blinked his little knothole eyes and plodded over to take his place.
“You too,” Max said to the turf man, who was inspecting his torso and occasionally picking out what appeared to be bits of dandelion weeds on his chest.
“Hmm? Oh sure,” said the turf man before obediently taking his place with Spencer and the tree man.
Max took a deep breath. It was good to have the upper hand over Spencer for a change. He wanted to take a few moments to enjoy it, but he wasn’t sure how long it would last. He’d have to get the deal done fast, before reinforcements arrived or Linda came to her senses. He didn’t want to hit her again in the event that it might do permanent damage.
“Are you surprised to see me?” he asked Spencer.
“A bit, at least under these circumstances. Frankly, we had planned to get you back one way or another.”
Max nodded. “I thought as much.”
“Nice of you to save us the trouble. What brings you here?”
“I’ve got something for you. It’s not what you’re after, but it’s the best I can do.” Max held up his hand and let the iridescent pendant dangle. “There's no such thing as a doomsday device you know.”
Spencer shrugged. “So some people say.”
“Everyone who isn’t a paranoid nut bag,” said Max. “This is pretty effective though, at least at short range. It’s yours, under a few conditions.”
Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“First, you set Linda here free. She doesn’t know the way out on her own so she’ll need some help.”
Spencer nodded thoughtfully.
“Bob,” he said to the turf man, “is that something you can handle?”
“Yes,” replied the tree man curtly, apparently miffed at the misidentification. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“What's second?” asked Spencer.
“I want to see Perske.”
“Now that’s a bit trickier. She has a pretty full calendar.”
Max aimed the rifle at Spencer’s belly.
Spencer swallowed hard. “I imagine we can squeeze you in.”
“Great,” said Max.
Linda groaned and Max realized it wouldn’t be long before she was fully alert, and likely very peeved.
“Bob?” he said to the tree man, who raised a wooden hand in acknowledgment. “You’d better get her now or we’ll have some trouble.”
Bob made his lumbering way to Linda, gently lifted her from the ground like a wooden Frankenstein monster carrying off the maiden in an old horror film, and headed toward the courtyard gates.
“That way is blocked,” said Max. “Denial of service.”
“Not a problem,” said Bob over his shoulder. “Those don’t last long.”
Max turned back to Spencer. “So, I guess we better go talk to Perske and explain the deal.”
Spencer and Eddie stepped away from the wall and followed after Bob. The tree man was nearing the edge of the pool when Linda began to struggle.
“Max!” she called out. “You bastard!”
She twisted in Bob’s wooden arms and Max saw the panic on her face. She clawed at the tree man’s arm and twisted until she slipped to the groun...
Next Episode
Chapter 34. Bitter Reward
“Very disappointing,” said Neumann as he knelt down and sprinkled a handful of sand onto Linus. “A draw is so anticlimactic.”
Max flexed his injured leg. The fact that the blow from Minus’ chain had not sparked the seizure that should have kicked him out of the virtual world worried him.
Listen to the Chapter 34 podcast with roboreader Sangeeta.
“I’m still alive. According to your rules,” said Max, “I win.”
“No. Minus resigned.”
Max shrugged. “I don’t see a difference.”
“The difference is that you were to amuse me. Of the two of you, Minus did a much better job. If anyone deserves the prize, it’s him.”
Neumann picked up Linus and cradled him in his arms like a baby.
“In fact, I should punish you for what happened to my little backgammon buddy.”
“I did all I could to save him. If anyone had the opportunity to intervene, it was you.”
Neumann stroked the glossy feathers of the penguin’s head.
“It was your fight. I chose not to break my own rules.”
“Exactly,” said Max., struggling to keep the nervous tremble out of his voice. “And according to your rules, I get Betty and you turn us free.”
Neumann’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t be clever, little flea. I promised you Betty. That’s all. I haven’t decided what comes next.” He set Linus down gently. “Don’t risk annoying me more.”
It was clear to Max that Neumann either didn’t know about his epileptic escape plan, or that the plan itself was flawed. But there was nothing he could do about it at the moment.
“I don’t mean any disrespect,” said Max. “I only ask for my just reward.”
“Ah, justice,” Neumann smiled. “You’ll certainly get what you deserve. Come,” he said, holding out his hand, “see if you’re happy with your prize.”
Max hesitantly reached for Neumann’s hand. The instant they touched, the mournful voices of the crowd filled his head. The cacophony was mercifully brief, as the two of them seemed to sail into the sky and the arena dropped away below. It didn’t feel to Max like flying so much as simply zooming out to view more of the terrain. The landscape opened up, but even from the immense height, the town extended as far as he could see.
They paused for a moment. The network of streets and buildings shifted. After another pause, the view zoomed in with a disorienting rush, centered on a modest house at the end of a cul-de-sac. Max suddenly found himself standing next to Neumann in front of the little house, as Betty 3.5 rocked gently back and forth in a porch swing. She was oddly out of place, with her severely spiked short hair, tight leather pants and jacket, and heavy black boots.
She sneered at them. It was the very expression he recalled from the first time Betty burst into Herman’s environment, on a day so long ago that Max had begun to doubt that it ever happened.
“There it is,” said Neumann, “you’re reward.”
“What do you two pricks want?” said Betty.
Neumann walked up the steps onto the porch.
“Hey boy,” Betty said to Neumann, “you should put on some clothes.”
Neumann beckoned to Max to follow, paying no attention to Betty’s remark.
“Now, do what you came here for.”
Betty spat at Neumann. “If either of you touches me, I’ll rip your balls off.”
“What I came here for?” said Max. “What are you talking about?”
Neumann grabbed Betty by the wrist and with one swift motion, flung her out of her seat and onto the white wooden porch floor.
“You know what you want,” said Neumann. “Take her.”
“No, no. . .” Max stammered. “I don’t know what you thought.”
Betty scrambled to her feet and Neumann struck her across the face with the back of his hand, sending her halfway over the porch rail. He wrenched one of her arms behind her and pushed the back of her head until she was bent nearly double.
“Do you prefer it like this?” said Neumann as he grinded his hips against her buttocks. Betty reached back and raked at his face and neck with the nails of her free hand, snarling like an animal.
“Or are you more traditional?”
He spun her around, jammed her back against the rail, and pinned her arms to her side.
“Get off of me boy!” she shrieked.
“Stop it,” said Max, hobbling up the steps. “That’s not at all what I want.”
Neumann ripped open Betty’s jacket and pushed it down, immobilizing her arms, then turned her to face Max. He reached around her waist and unzipped her pants.
“Be honest. This is every man’s desire,” said Neumann. “I see them. That...
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