Chapter 56

“TROUNCED!” David said. Mike McGaha just looked hurt. They both laid a buck on the table.

I tried to push mine to Frank.

“No ... no ... that’s yours,” he said. Then... “Wait a minute ... gimme that.”

He called out to his great grandson, “JR ... bring me The Special Sharpie.”

There was a bit of fumbling and searching by young Frank and then he held up the requested.

“Yeah ... that one,” said Senior. He was pretty loud and we had the attention of the place ... Ernie even stood in the kitchen door.

The special instrument presented, he gave me a conspiratorial wink and wrote, ‘First Game, First Win. Tyche’,

“What is your middle name, girl?”

“Selene.”

‘Selene Flintkote.’

He dated it ... signed it ... made David and Mike sign the dollar and called to Ernie,

“Ernie ... bring me one of those special dollar frames.”

The dollar ... safely behind glass ... was placed over the cash register next to the framed ‘First Dollar’ presented back in the early days of Pentwater. USA currency, it was larger and a darker green than dollars printed after the Depression. My dollar had the Island on the back and the engraved portrait of Wendolyn Elizabeth Wanzor Austin ... Too ... as she appears on the Princessapality flag ... printed on the face.

The ‘special pen’ was Metallic Gold. I thought it was a little too much ... David and Mike were embarrassed. But there it is ... Seven said it was there when the Antler sold ... in 2222.

We played until Surprise came in the door ... followed by Nicholas. I was up three dollars.

“Gambling! Tyche Selene Flintkote! Haven’t I taught you better than that!”

Frank pointed at the framed buck.

“You won?” She snapped her fingers and Frank laid the demanded article in her hand ... She read it out loud ... David blushed and Mike got up and left. Something about an appointment to look at a house.

“Oh ... the shame of it all ... beaten by a fifteen year old playing her very first game of cards,” said Surprise.

David got up and left.

Surprise grabbed me by the ear and marched me out the door.

“Nick knows. Take him home. You have tests tomorrow.” Surprise said. She kissed Nick and said...”Seven is going to bring you back.”

The second kiss wasn’t a good bye kiss ... it was a hurry back kiss. Made a tent is his shorts.

Surprise surprised me.

Nick took my hand ... I depressed the stem and we were back in Austin ... behind the bar. Seven popped in, grabbed Nick and they were gone.

I headed for my bike, still locked to the table, and rode to the shipping containers at Bud Field.

Wow ... they were set on 18 inch piers with enough room between them to turn my Spad. The concrete pad was huge.

“The canopy folks will be here in the morning,” Bud said. “I put your foam mattress and your luggage in the red one.”

“Oh ... before I forget, Colonel Joe called ... he said Yes ... they were. They’re not now. It was great fun emptying them.”

Alice met me at the George I. Sánchez Building Testing Center. I got the impression she didn’t get any sleep ... but she sure was happy.

One of these days I might find out about the happy.

I was through all the available tests by Four o’clock. Alice took until the last second ... it was dark in the building when she handed her papers in.

“Grab your bike, Alice. Let’s go.” We took the 18 to the last stop, thanked the driver and watched her turn around. When she was far enough away ... I pushed the Fiji destination on the watch and we were on the deck of the Flint. Very early in the morning. Everyone was waking up ... we went to bed. This timing thing is tiring. We were gone three days ... but only a blink of the eye in Fiji.