A Game of Chance

In which Falcone, Belpaire and Antioch share cigars, cognac and a game of chance with a Bayernese officer.

Despite the relatively early hour, the Smoking Room already hosts a lively game of whist.  Four players are puffing on pipes or cigars, trading barbs, and slapping cards down, with many cheerful onlookers observing the game.  Other gentlemen are quietly enjoying a good smoke, by themselves or in small groups, sitting in deep armshairs upholstered in rich green leather.  Unobtrusive waiters are ferrying digestive drinks.  All in all, a good way to end a good meal...

Antioch steps into the room and reaches for his case.  He moves toward the whist game and watches that, joining in the game if given the chance.  He toys with the idea of moving to the showroom and watching the magic act once he is finished with the cigar.  Magic, or illusion, holds no real fasination, however, so he feels little compulsion to go watch the show.  He would just as soon stay in the lounge if suitable company can be found.  Of course, the prospect of female company would be much greater is he checked out the show...

Antioch has barely finished drawing on his cigar and is moving towards the whist game, when two more people enter the Smoking Room.  Antioch recognises his table companion from the night before, Belpaire, although he has not been introduced to the dapper man who accompanies the artist.

"My dear Falcone, you can see we have only the embarrassment of choice!" Belpaire is saying as they enter.  "Cards, cigars, and that excellent cognac I tried yesterday..."

Falcone nods in a genial way to his companion's suggestion for cognac, "Most excellent of you to suggest it, sir. I shall order two for the both of us, eh?"

Falcone proceeds to speak to the attendant quickly and returns his attention to the others gathered in the room.  Perhaps someone is at a game already.  He moves his head slowly, not turning away from his companion. His eyes sweep faces, look for movements, and also for someone measuring him as well.  "I was curious, perhaps as you, about the ladies at the Dragonlord's table.  One was quite fetching, no? And the fellow had them all to himself.  Impossible!" A smile spreads openly and easily across Falcone's face.  He faces Belpaire squarely, taking a full measure of his response.

After a moment, Falcone eases back a half step, again eyes look past his companion toward the card tables.  "Perhaps we should look to the other games as well, hm, yes?"

Hearing this, Belpaire cannot resist a smile. He expected to hear a proposition like this in one of those paris bars that are favored by the younger impression painters. But here... He takes another look at Mateo Falcone. Suddenly, the Italian seems a lot more familiar to him...  "Hmm, of course. And since we're on an airschip, I would say that in this case the sky is the limit..."

"Aach, Falcone, please welcome in our round master Antioch of Stockholm; Antioch, may I present to you Capitano Mateo Falcone, hussar... Please join in. we were just about to order some of the magnificent cognac we had yesterday"

"Yes", Belpaire thinks, "Good company, good drinks, and a nice ...ehum... atmosphere... around. What else is there to live for?  I'm aboard a luxury airship liner between faerie lords, dragons, ambassadors and writers, I just had a splendid meal, I'm going to have a marvelous evening, and all my expenses are paid by Hetzel publishers.
Saving the world can wait untill tomorrow, tonight I'm going to enjoy..."

The introduction passed, Belpaire signals to one of the waiters and orders three glasses of cognac, then turns to his companions again.  "Antioch, Monsieur Falcone and I, we were just about to go over to the gaming tables, but as Matteo suggested, with such interesting persons like these around, perhaps we should look for the ehum...other games... ahum... as well....?"

Falcone nods.  "A cognac? Yes, Mr.  Antioch, you must join us with the cognac, indeed.  My card."  With a simple presentation, Falcone offers his card to the dwarf, then turns a moment to signal the attendant for three cognacs.  His return gaze notes new arrivals in the room, the dispositions at the gaming tables, and, perhaps, the attractive figure of a lady present.  Ah, this Belpaire invites the memories of barrack camaraderie!

The Dwarf engineer beams.  "Cognac? Of course, good sirs! I drink to your continued good health and good fortunes." Antioch drains half his glass and reaches into his pocket for a card. Handing one of his metallic cards to each of the gentlemen, he inhales deeply.

"I can't say that I thought of anything as lofty as saving the world, but you seem to have something afoot or, at least, in mind." Antioch winks and smiles broadly. "Please count me in. Games of chance, whatever the form, are always enjoyable to me."

"As to the marvels of technology that surround us, well I must admit that there are things aboard that even I don't completely understand and I've been studying technology since before I could reach my father's workbench.  It is truly a marvel." Antioch finishes his cognac and signals for another.  "Please, gentlemen, drink up. The evening, and its diversions, await."

"Saving the world, great miracles of paradise!  Of what are you speaking, my dear Antioch?"  Falcone  whispers conspiratorially with smiling eyes and an expression full of amusement, leaning slightly toward this new companion and awaiting his reply.

After a moment or two with Antioch, Falcone addresses the other.  "So, my dear Belpaire, I am fascinated with the airship, but I am most uncomfortable with technology such as this.  It is larger than one can hold in one hand, like a sword or a pistol, and it is so that I lose my comprehension of its power and marvel.  I am left, however, with a great satisfaction for its ambiance and accommodation."

Antioch, Belpaire and Falcone stake out a card table for themselves, order more drinks and cigars, and obtain fresh decks of cards and stacks of tokens from a steward.  Since there is only three of them for the moment, bridge is pretty much out and whist is a little tricky, requiring special rules and a "dead man".  They can also play canasta, or, if they feel roguish, poker.

However, the decision becomes easy to make when a young man in the uniform of an officer of the Koeniglich Bayerisch Aerokriegsmarine approaches them.  "Good evening, gentlemen," he greets the three.  "Herr Belpaire, Herr Antioch," he shakes their hands in turn, then smiles at Mateo and offers his hand.  "I am Lieutenant Wilhem von Locke, First Officer of the Parsifal.  If I may be of any service to you during your stay, please feel free to call upon me."

He smiles pleasantly and continues: "I have noticed that there is only three of you to keep company to this deck of cards, and was wondering whether I could be so bold as to intrude and perhaps be allowed to join in a game of bridge."

The three passengers agree readily and everyone sits down around the table.  Mateo pours some port for the lieutenant.

Antioch is certainly agreeable to allowing the good officer to play.  Bridge would be a welcome diversion, but in truth he is more interested in the cigars and the company.  A novice at bridge, he would do better with an experienced player.

Mateo, intrigued by the newcomer von Locke, makes him a partner for bridge.  A few quick rounds pass as pleasantly as possible.   Mateo learns the bidding habits of his partner and he also notes some personal details as well.   To his dismay, his opportunities for lead dwindle on the weakness of his own hand and he must play the dummy more than once.  Of course this means that von Locke must play out the hand, but the time passes along nicely as Mateo has the moment to observe the play on the table and about the room.

Upon noticing several persons departing after checking their watches, Mateo remembers the dance is soon to commence.   If no other cause for relief appears, he must excuse himself to partake of the evening.   Mayhap the Dragonlord will not dance with all the ladies of his entourage all the time...

As the evening wears on, Antioch follows the leads of the other players.  He turns to the first officer.  "Tell me sir, will they be playing the waltz during the evening's dance? I should imagine seeing so many people twirling about floating above the ground would give the illusion of angels, if you see my point.

"In any event, it seems like something worth the time and effort to see."  Antioch does not rush, but would like to attend the dance, most to listen, mingle, and watch.

Lt. von Locke smiles and says, "Of course, Herr Antioch.  What would a dance be without at least one waltz?  You may want to circulate amongst the young ladies to claim a spot on their dance cards.  They do tend to fill quite rapidly."

Antioch shakes his head.  "Me, sir? A waltz?  Surely you jest.  However, I would love to see the waltz. These you ladies you speak of, their dance cards are quite safe from me."

"You do not dance, Herr Antioch?" asks the First Officer.

"Sadly, sir, I do not. Mostly, it is a question of stature. Although I have the soul of a dancer, so to speak, I lack the required apendages. I'm afraid I would not do justice to my fair partner, were I to attempt such a delicate dance in such lofty company.

"Besides, sir," Antioch adds with a faint smile, "although I would never mention this in femine company, at my height eye-level takes on a whole new meaning when dancing in such close proximity."

Von Locke laughs heartily.  "I see that now!  As if merely dancing it weren't scandalous enough, eh?"  Von Loch is silent for a few moments as he ponders.  Then a slight smile plays upon his lips.  "Herr Antioch, I think I may have a solution.  We'll see if I can't arrange for a suitable partner when the ball starts."

Although Antioch, Belpaire, and Mateo are not exactly card sharks themselves, they soon realise that von Locke is extremely easy to read.  It is fortunate that they are playing only bridge and not poker, or he would have been sure to lose a sizeable amount.  His face betrays every card, good or bad, that lands in his hand.  The game is lively and friendly, and in the end it is Belpaire who finishes ahead, although not by a large amount.

From a tall wing-back leather chair in the very back of the Smoking Room, where he had sat hitherto unnoticed, a tall, thin and gaunt, with a same dark complexion and no facial hair.  He is wearing a well-fitting, elegant but discrete dinner jacket, with an unusually plain waistcoat of dark blue silk.  Belpaire and Falcone recognise a man they saw briefly in the Dining Room.  Without paying attention to any occupant of the Smoking Room, the gaunt man walks out.

"So, Gentlemen, shall we adjourn the game for now and dress for the dance?" Falcone remarks.   Seeing some agreement, Mateo rises, bows politely to all the table, and takes his leave.  Prior to leaving, he arranges with the attendant that a bottle of Madeira with two glasses would be put in his room.

"I agree, sirs. We should all retire to our rooms to change for the ball."  Antioch sets down his cards. If anything about the gaunt man strikes him as odd, he does not mention it.

During the card game, Belpaire was showing the necessary concentration, yet it was clear that he enjoyed the ongoing conversation more than the actual game. His contributions to the talking however consisted merely of some occasional throw-inns of 'yes' , "I would agree on that", "Hmm. I can see" or "Definitely not, sirs".  As the Antioch prepares to go to his room, he rises as well and gives a last greeting to the dwarf, not without a witty "bachelor's" remark.

"Hmm, monsieur, I'll see you then when the ball commences.  Ah, and don't bother about your dancing skills. They say that in the Vienna Waltz, it is the lady that takes the lead...  In every way..."

As also Falcone and von Locke make preparations to leave, Belpaire grabs his jacket, and his drawing tools, salutes the other two and makes his way out of the smoking room.  Once in the corridor, however, instead of taking the road to his cabin, he decides to go up to the promenade deck for some fresh air.
 

To Be Continued...