The shill led the way to an eight-foot tower mounted on gimbals. Two
perspiring men in trade-class pullovers gripped two of the levers that
controlled the tilt of the tower. A white ball lay in a hollow in the
thick glass platform at the top. From the center, an intricate pattern
of grooves led out to the edge of the glass. Retief and Magnan took
chairs before the two free levers.
"When the light goes on, gents, work the lever to jack the tower. You
got three gears. Takes a good arm to work top gear. That's this button
here. The little knob controls what way you're goin'. May the best team
win. I'll take the hundred credits now."
* * * * *
Retief handed over the money. A red light flashed on, and Retief tried
the lever.
It moved easily, with a ratcheting sound. The tower trembled, slowly
tilted toward the two perspiring workmen pumping frantically at their
levers. Magnan started slowly, accelerated as he saw the direction the
tower was taking.
"Faster, Retief," he said. "They're winning."
"This is against the clock, gents," the bullet-headed man said. "If
nobody wins when the light goes off, the house takes all."
"Crank it over to the left," Retief said.
"I'm getting tired."
"Shift to a lower gear."
The tower leaned. The ball stirred, rolled into a concentric channel.
Retief shifted to middle gear, worked the lever. The tower creaked to a
stop, started back upright.
"There isn't any lower gear," Magnan gasped. One of the two on the other
side of the tower shifted to middle gear; the other followed suit. They
worked harder now, heaving against the stiff levers. The tower quivered,
moved slowly toward their side.
"I'm exhausted," Magnan gasped. He dropped the lever, lolled back in the
chair, gulping air. Retief shifted position, took Magnan's lever with
his left hand.
"Shift it to middle gear," Retief said. Magnan gulped, punched the
button and slumped back, panting.
"My arm," he said. "I've injured myself."
The two men in pullovers conferred hurriedly as they cranked their
levers; then one punched a button and the other reached across, using
his left arm to help.
"They've shifted to high," Magnan said. "Give up, it's hopeless."
"Shift me to high," Retief said. "Both buttons!"
Magnan complied. Retief's shoulders bulged. He brought one lever down,
then the other, alternately, slowly at first, then faster. The tower
jerked, tilted toward him, farther.... The ball rolled in the channel,
found an outlet--
Abruptly, both Retief's levers froze.
The tower trembled, wavered and moved back. Retief heaved. One lever
folded at the base, bent down and snapped off short. Retief braced his
feet, took the other lever with both hands and pulled.
There was a rasp of metal friction, and a loud twang. The lever came
free, a length of broken cable flopping into view. The tower fell over
as the two on the other side scrambled aside.
"Hey!" Bullet-head yelled. "You wrecked my equipment!"
Retief got up and faced him.
"Does Zorn know you've got your tower rigged for suckers?"
"You tryin' to call me a cheat or something?"
The crowd had fallen back, ringing the two men. Bullet-head glanced
around. With a lightning motion, he plucked a knife from somewhere.
"That'll be five hundred credits for the equipment," he said. "Nobody
calls Kippy a cheat."
* * * * *
Retief picked up the broken lever.
"Don't make me hit you with this, you cheap chiseler."
Kippy looked at the bar.
"Comin' in here," he said indignantly, looking to the crowd for support.
"Bustin' up my rig, callin' names...."
"I want a hundred credits," Retief said. "Now."
"Highway robbery!" Kippy yelled.
"Better pay up," somebody called.
"Hit him, mister," someone else said.
A broad-shouldered man with graying hair pushed through the crowd and
looked around. "You heard 'em, Kippy. Give," he said.
The shill growled but tucked his knife away. Reluctantly he peeled a
bill from a fat roll and handed it over.
The newcomer looked from Retief to Magnan.
"Pick another game, strangers," he said. "Kippy made a little mistake."
"This is small-time stuff," Retief said. "I'm interested in something
big."
The broad-shouldered man lit a perfumed dope stick. "What would you call
big?" he said softly.
"What's the biggest you've got?"