-8- Sleight of Hand (Pt. 2)

A small lantern hung from the center support pole of the tent. A tall man with a pointed moustache sat across from Dagon, who crouched to meet him eye to socket. Bosch took a seat on the small crate which was nearby, watching as the man began to set up his table. "Branam must think highly of you two to offer you admittance. I am Suglios the game leader, and I am here for your amusement" he said as he dusted off the table and smiled. Reaching from beneath the table, he pulled out three tortoise shells and a small ball of string which he placed in front of them. "The game is simple: I will shuffle the ball beneath one of the shells, and when I am done, you tell me where it is. If you guess correctly, I will offer you my help. If not, then you will offer me your platinum." Suglios smiled and covered the ball with one of the shells. "And despite our hospitality, we do not take kindly to those who try to skip out on a deal. So what do you guys say?" Bosch stood up, but Dagon quickly pulled him back down. "I can do this Bosch," he said. Though Bosch knew this was a scam, he also wanted to trust Dagon, and reluctantly agreed to the terms. "Very well gentlemen!" Suglios said as he began to shuffle the shells about. "Watch the ball carefully as it moves from one end of the table to another..." Suglios began to ramble as Dagon watched his movements intently. Bosch paid little attention as he sat there rather unimpressed at the display. After what seemed like a long time, Suglios stopped moving the shells and leaned back proclaiming, "Now tell me which shell the ball is hiding." "The middle shell," Bosch whispered to Dagon. "I saw him put it under the shell with that chip at the bottom." Dagon shook his head. "No, the middle is too obvious. It is not the middle shell." Bosch sighed. "How much platinum do you have on you Dagon?" he asked. "Just a few platinum bearings in my waist. Why do you ask?" "Well, I sure as hell am not paying for your wrong guess. You had better not need those bearings." Dagon let out a puff of smoke. "Well gentlemen? Have you made a decision?" Suglios asked. "Yes. I would like to tell you where your ball is." Dagon replied. Bosch covered his face. "Go on then my metal friend." "The middle shell would be too obvious a choice, so I would then guess it is either to your left or right. Seeing as how you are left handed, I can assume you would pull the heavier shell, and thus the shell with the ball, towards your strong arm, but you made twice as many moves to the right as you did to the left. That leaves the right shell. But on the other hand, is your left hand, which was too busy holding the ball to pull the shells any more than necessary to keep the ball hidden." "I beg your pardon?" Suglios asked in astonishment. "Your left hand, where the ball of string is conveniently tied. You pulled it right out from beneath the shell in the first move to the right. That is where your ball is located." Dagon proclaimed with satisfaction. Bosch looked up to see the troubled face of Suglios searching the face of the podrikev which had no expression to give. With a sigh, the man opened his left hand to reveal the ball of string. Bosch could do nothing but laugh. "You two are the first to beat me in seven months. I am humbled to say the least." Suglios cleared the table and leaned forward with his hands folded together. "As I am a man of my word, tell me what you need of me and it will be done." Dagon began to explain their situation and how they needed to reach Mirabar within a few days--something that both knew was near impossible. Suglios nodded with a smile, "Say no more, for I have the answer you need." Reaching over, Suglios produced a jewel-encrusted box. He placed it on the table and unlatched it, turning it towards them. "There is your answer," he said as Bosch pulled forth a golden horn from within the box. "What is this," he asked. "It is a unicorn's horn. Wizards such as yourselves would know what to do with such a rare and valuable thing. Cast your gate spell while holding it and you will not fail." Bosch and Dagon thanked Suglios and Branam for their hospitality and entertainment. With the unicorn's horn, they would reach their destination before the coming of the next day, bringing the Keepers that much closer to finding a place for their cause.