War Games Read Online Free Page B

can’t find any force generator on my person. Why don’t you save some time and turn the table back on so I can resume winning? My luck won’t last forever. Maybe I’ll lose on my next roll.”
    The crowd muttered. They knew the sailor was right. They didn’t like having their fun interfered with. Most of them had been betting on the sailor.
    “Nonsense,” the manager said. “A circuit’s shorted. Or a diode’s burned out. My technicians will have it fixed in no time. Meanwhile, here’s a chit for your present winnings and a room key, on the house, so you can refresh yourself while the table is being serviced.”
    She tossed a platinum token and a sonic key to the sailor. He caught them both with one hand. Then he looked carefully at the manager. He suddenly seemed to recognize her. The chit he placed in his cape pocket. He threw the key back to the manager. “You’d like me to go to that room, wouldn’t you, Kramr? Make your job that much easier.” His lips were pulled tight across his teeth. “Are you sure you’ve got enough? Three is all? Not very good odds for the house. Besides, the other one is here too.” He seemed to look at me when he said that. I wondered what he meant,
    Servants appeared, carrying trays loaded with intoxicants. They began plying the crowd, offering their wares. Soon laughter wafted from the crowd. It wasn’t long before they forgot the sailor.
    The woman I was following had made her way to the sailor and now stood beside him. She put her arm around him, pressing her body close to his. He didn’t notice. He was examining the back of his hand, staring into his ring. She leaned close, whispering, and then stuck her tongue into his ear. He pushed her aside, as though she was just a minor irritation. He turned suddenly and bulled his way through the crowd. Clinging hands reached for him. He shook them off, revealing surprising strength in his lean frame. All eyes watched him,
    That meant they weren’t watching me. It was time for me to make my move. Past time. I followed in the sailor’s wake, unnoticed. I slipped out the door of the casino without difficulty, ducked into a public toilet, and got rid of the bellhop uniform. I was safe. I should have holed up with my loot. But I didn’t.
    Something still bothered me.
    Something about the sailor.
    When I came out of the restroom, I could still see him. He was just ahead, aimlessly walking down the street. He seemed to be muttering to himself. Every once in a while he would look at his ring. I could just glimpse his eyes then. A strange fire was reflected from their depths.
    I followed him.
    He was easy to trail. I could have tailed him for days. But it was so easy, I got sloppy. The next thing I knew, he was running and dodging down side corridors. All of a sudden, following him wasn’t so easy. Those damn hybrids were fast. The only thing that allowed me to keep pace was that it was easy for me to weave through the crowds. I’d had lots of practice doing that. I tried to keep him in sight, but he changed corridors enough to make it difficult. He steadily widened the gap between us. I didn’t think he was running away from me. That would be ludicrous. I was unarmed and alone. He could have broken my neck with one hand. Besides, he had a knife. I slowed down a little, thinking. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t sucked into a trap.
    Far ahead, the sailor darted into another connecting corridor. By the time I reached it, he was nowhere to be seen. The corridor was deserted. A dozen others opened into it; the sailor could have ducked into any of them. He had given me the slip, all right. Then I paused. Sweat beaded along my spine. I smelled a trap. He was probably waiting for me, hiding in one of the corridors, ready to jump me from behind. If I was smart, I’d turn back. No sense taking needless chances. But then I wasn’t smart, was I?
    I heard something that made me sweat even more—the soft hum of an open sonic knife. No, an