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“I can’t believe she’d do that! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”
Inez is raging, her face so crimson that it looks like a child has coloured her in with a big red crayon. She’s on her feet and kicking the back of the couch as she rants, absolutely livid.
From what I was able to gather before she went ballistic, Baba Jen is one of the thesps. Inez had been counting on her help, and the actress was the main reason she hooked up with the group, but Baba Jen gambled with the empress of Suanpan and lost, and is now her prisoner.
“How long does your friend have to serve the empress?” I ask Dermot as Inez shouts and curses.
Dermot sighs. “The foolish girl went all in.”
Maiko sees that I don’t understand. “Baba Jen bet everything,” she explains. “She has to serve Urszula for the rest of her life here in the Merge.”
Inez stops kicking the couch and stares at Maiko and Dermot. “She went all in?” She’s so astonished that the rage drains from her in an instant.
Oleg clears his throat. “Permit me to shed some light on the subject, which might also explain why she gambled in the first place.” He crosses his legs and adopts a faraway look, actorly instincts kicking in, unable to avoid dramatising the moment. “I was with Jen. Urszula had come to see her a couple of days earlier. They know each other from way back, and the empress asked if she had any interest in working for her. Jen sneered and said Urszula was the last person she’d ever work for — you know what Jen is like, not a diplomatic bone in her body.
“We thought no more of it. Then, on the day in question, we were in a bar. I was enjoying a fine glass of port, while Jen was on the milk as usual. A few of Urszula’s guards accosted us and accused Jen of being disrespectful to their empress. There was some shoving and pushing, nothing serious. We laughed it off when they left, and finished our drinks. Then, as I was ordering another round, Jen hopped down and stormed off to the Spin Zone to challenge Urszula.”
The colour is fading from Inez’s cheeks and she sits on the couch again. “They spiked her drink,” she croaks.
“We have no proof,” Oleg says, “but it looks that way to me. Urszula acquired a famed herbalist last year, and I guess he was able to concoct a potion that could turn a person’s thoughts.”
Inez groans. “Poor Jen. I shouldn’t have said such horrible things about her.”
“Don’t feel guilty,” Maiko says. “We should have explained it more clearly.”
“Damn Urszula,” Inez growls. “This would have been an outrage any time, but to happen now, when I need Jen so badly...”
Dermot and Maiko glance at one another.
“About that...” Maiko says.
“We never lightly abandon any of our people,” Dermot says, “but since our hands are tied, under normal circumstances we’d just leave Jen behind.”
“But we know how important she is to your mission,” Maiko says.
“Which is why they approached me,” Oleg says, and although he’s smiling, it’s a strained smile.
“We discussed our options,” Dermot says to Inez. “We couldn’t think of a way to break her out, plus it’s too risky — if Urszula got wind of it before we escaped the city, she’d crush us.”
“So we decided to try and win her freedom instead,” Maiko says.
Inez frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Urszula never rejects a challenge in the Spin Zone,” Dermot says, “and she always honours the terms if she loses.”
“Not that she often does,” Maiko adds gloomily.
“So I’m going to play her,” Oleg says, maintaining his shaky smile. “If I win, we both walk free. If I lose, she’ll add me to her team of entertainers and I’ll perform here for the rest of my days.”
Inez stares at the actor, momentarily lost for words.
“You can’t,” she finally whispers.
“I shouldn’t,” Oleg chuckles, “but I can.”
Inez shakes her head. “The odds against you...”
“High, I’ll admit,” Oleg shrugs, “but Dermot and Maiko told me what’s at stake. I don’t understand why Jen is so pivotal – and it’s best that I don’t know – but since she is, I’ll do whatever I can to free her.”
A humbled Inez leans across and touches his hand with gratitude, then looks at Dermot. “Why Oleg?”
“He’s an experienced gambler,” Dermot says.
“I gambled to excess in the Born,” Oleg laughs. “That’s why I was murdered — I won a sizeable sum from a sour loser.”
“Oleg has played Urszula a couple of times and won,” Maiko says.
“Minor bets,” Oleg says dismissively. “Urszula often loses when the stakes are small, either because she isn’t focused or because she deliberately throws games, to let the rest of us believe she can be beaten.”
“You think she cheats?” Dermot asks.
Oleg makes a humming noise.
“Do you think you have a chance?” Inez asks.
Again, he hums.
“I should be the one to face her,” Inez growls.
“Don’t be foolish,” Dermot snaps. “If you lost and wound up her prisoner, what use would you be to the Sapphirites then?”
“You mustn’t even show your face,” Maiko says. “You’d be recognised. Word of your mission has spread, so you’ll have to disguise yourself.”
“You should have really done that before you entered Suanpan,” Dermot says, admonishing Inez gently.
“I meant to,” Inez grimaces, “but I forgot. I’ll wrap a scarf around my face when we present ourselves to Urszula.”
“It would be better if you didn’t come at all,” Maiko says, but Inez immediately shakes her head.
“I’m coming,” she says firmly. “Oleg’s risking his freedom to help me, so I want to be there to provide support.”
“I’d prefer if you could provide me with insider tips,” Oleg laughs wryly.
“I wish I could,” Inez says glumly. “I’ve watched Urszula in action lots of times, but I’ve no idea how she wins so often.”
“We’re all in the dark,” Oleg says, then stands and rotates his head left then right, working out the creaks. “Well, I’m ready if you are.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” Inez checks one last time, and although he hesitates and gulps, Oleg nods bravely. “Then let’s go.”
And off we set for our showdown with the foreboding ruler of the city.