“You’re trained. You also don’t need to be in any extra danger, just for the thrill of it all.”
“I’d argue—or at least let Kyle keep on arguing—because I’ve missed this for the past three months, but we need to get moving. Don’t worry, Kyle. It took years for your big brother to let me do things without his worrying.”
Kyle snorted. “DeeDee, didn’t I tell you what he was like while you were…on assignment? He’s like that from the moment you’re out of his reach until the moment you’re back.”
Roy looked embarrassed and worried, but at least the potential argument seemed averted. “Fine, whatever. I still think this is a really bad idea.”
“I don’t. I spent three months with them. And that was my fourth visit. I understand how the Royal Family thinks.”
“But if we do what you want,” Roy protested, “then we’ll screw up their payouts, too.” That the Royal Family had retainers placing the same bets we did was a no-brainer guess.
“You worry too much.”
We left the ship and went through the same robotic docking check as before. I’d shifted to look like a Polliwog while Roy and Kyle were arguing, so it appeared we were still a team of two Earthers and one big, walking toad.
The robot passed us through, and we headed for our final destination. We reached the Jewel in a few minutes, during which time I had to resist the strong urge to catch and eat every flying insect around. Roulette had a good share of them, too. But most Polliwogs “ate” in private when they were off their own world. Besides, regardless of form, I found insects to be unpleasant coming in, going down, and coming out.
We went inside, and I stepped into the first bathroom we came to.
Bathrooms weren’t allowed to have surveillance in them, for a variety of reasons, all related to personal privacy. That daintiness didn’t apply to exits and entrances, so I took care to be in a stall that didn’t provide a clear shot from the door. I shifted again, then hung out for a while, until another Polliwog came in.
Fortunately, they liked to gamble and their home world was close by. I saw some webbed feet in the next stall, and I exited, looking human. I checked in the mirror. I was back to being Princess Olivia, with a few key differences.
I glided out of the bathroom and headed for the betting cages. No one appeared to take an interest in me, possibly because I still had the cloak on and the hood up. I didn’t want to draw a crowd until I had our money in my hands, so I waited to take the hood off until I reached the head of the line at the payout cage. Like most of the other casinos, the line was long.
Bettor’s ticket passed through, no reaction from the Arachnidan behind the counter. Oh well, I’d planned for that. I counted the payout. Exact, no issues. I turned and left the cage.
The Jewel was the biggest and busiest casino on Roulette. I preferred the Palace, but I was biased toward owners I didn’t loathe. The Diamante Families did casinos right, though.
The Jewel glittered. Every surface the decorators could put something shiny and reflective on was so adorned. It wasn’t the kind of look anyone should have in their home, but for a place that carried the tagline of “You’ll Go Home Be-Jeweled” it worked.
It was one of the more crowded casinos, not just in terms of beings inside, but in terms of available floor space. The only areas with plenty of room around them were the cashiers’ cages. There wasn’t a lot of flash around these cages, either.
I wasn’t sure if this was to discourage gamblers from cashing out, or because the flashiness would distract from the surveillance focused on the money. I bet on them both, but I was cautious that way.
Kyle raced up to me, looking excited. “Oh my Gods!” he shouted. “You’re that dead princess!”
The sounds around us changed a little. Not everyone had stopped gambling, talking, or drinking, but some had, because the noise level