the Mouse. “I have a feeling that half the galaxy wants to hurt us, and most of the other half would love to rob us.” She sighed and eased herself onto her bed. “At least we're safe for the time being.” She chuckled briefly. “Hell, with the Forever Kid and Mendoza both protecting us, it's probably the safest we've been since we met."
"Mouse?” said Penelope after a lengthy silence.
"What?"
"How long until dinner?"
"I thought you just had lunch an hour ago. Are you hungry again?"
"Not really,” admitted Penelope. “But there's nothing to do here, and the Forever Kid told me I couldn't leave the room except to eat, and that when I did he had to come along."
"Well, that's what we're paying him for."
"I know ... but I'm still bored."
"Play with Jennifer,” said the Mouse, indicating the doll.
" She's bored too."
"Then try watching a holo."
"There's only one frequency, and I've already seen what they're showing."
The Mouse sat up. “Okay. Find us a deck of cards and I'll teach you how to play Dubai gin."
The little girl pulled open two dresser drawers with no success, then walked over to the nondescript desk by the door, rummaged through it, and finally withdrew a deck of cards. When she took them out of their container she found to her delight that each card sported some artist's holographic treatment of humanity's most famous mythic figures. There were Paul Bunyon and Billybuck Dancer, Tarzan and Santiago, Bigfoot and Geronimo, Saint Nicholas and Saint Ngani, all in heroic poses.
The Mouse briefly explained the rules of Dubai gin, then shuffled the deck and began dealing.
"Don't forget to deal to Jennifer, too,” said Penelope, propping the doll up into a sitting position.
"I won't forget,” said the Mouse, dealing nine cards face down in front of the doll.
"These are lovely,” commented Penelope, as she began sorting the cards the Mouse had dealt her.
"You think so?” replied the Mouse. “When Merlin joins us, I'll have to have him show you a deck that he picked up on Sirius V. It has portraits of 52 extinct mammals from Earth, and he's got a matching deck with 52 extinct raptors."
"What's a raptor?"
"A bird that eats meat."
"Don't they all?"
"Hardly any of them do,” answered the Mouse. Penelope fell silent, studying the holographs on the cards, and the Mouse waited another minute before speaking. “If you'd rather just look at the cards, we don't have to play."
"No,” said Penelope. “I want to play, really I do."
"All right,” said the Mouse. “You have to pick a card from the pile, and then discard one over here.” She indicated where the discard pile would be built.
Penelope did as she was told.
"Now it's Jennifer's turn,” she announced.
She picked a card without looking at it, placed it in front of the doll, and discarded a four.
"Perhaps it might be better if you looked at Jennifer's cards before you played them,” suggested the Mouse.
"That wouldn't be fair,” said Penelope. “I should only look at my own cards."
"Then Jennifer's going to lose,” said the Mouse.
"Oh?” said the little girl, looking concerned. “Why?"
"She discarded a very low card, a four. Sometimes that's a wise move, but in general you always want to rid yourself of the high cards first."
"Jennifer knows that."
"Evidently she doesn't, because she didn't do it."
"She was going to put the ten in the pile next time,” explained Penelope.
"What ten?"
"The one she just picked.” She reached over and held up the ten of hearts, which sported a holographic illustration of the goddess Pallas Athene. “It's so pretty she just wanted to keep it for a few minutes."
"How did you know that it was a ten?” asked the Mouse sharply. “I was watching you. You never looked at it."
"I knew that it had a picture of a pretty lady on it,” said Penelope guiltily. “I didn't care that it was a ten."
"But you knew what it was,” persisted the Mouse.
"I just wanted Jennifer to see the
"Mouse?” said Penelope after a lengthy silence.
"What?"
"How long until dinner?"
"I thought you just had lunch an hour ago. Are you hungry again?"
"Not really,” admitted Penelope. “But there's nothing to do here, and the Forever Kid told me I couldn't leave the room except to eat, and that when I did he had to come along."
"Well, that's what we're paying him for."
"I know ... but I'm still bored."
"Play with Jennifer,” said the Mouse, indicating the doll.
" She's bored too."
"Then try watching a holo."
"There's only one frequency, and I've already seen what they're showing."
The Mouse sat up. “Okay. Find us a deck of cards and I'll teach you how to play Dubai gin."
The little girl pulled open two dresser drawers with no success, then walked over to the nondescript desk by the door, rummaged through it, and finally withdrew a deck of cards. When she took them out of their container she found to her delight that each card sported some artist's holographic treatment of humanity's most famous mythic figures. There were Paul Bunyon and Billybuck Dancer, Tarzan and Santiago, Bigfoot and Geronimo, Saint Nicholas and Saint Ngani, all in heroic poses.
The Mouse briefly explained the rules of Dubai gin, then shuffled the deck and began dealing.
"Don't forget to deal to Jennifer, too,” said Penelope, propping the doll up into a sitting position.
"I won't forget,” said the Mouse, dealing nine cards face down in front of the doll.
"These are lovely,” commented Penelope, as she began sorting the cards the Mouse had dealt her.
"You think so?” replied the Mouse. “When Merlin joins us, I'll have to have him show you a deck that he picked up on Sirius V. It has portraits of 52 extinct mammals from Earth, and he's got a matching deck with 52 extinct raptors."
"What's a raptor?"
"A bird that eats meat."
"Don't they all?"
"Hardly any of them do,” answered the Mouse. Penelope fell silent, studying the holographs on the cards, and the Mouse waited another minute before speaking. “If you'd rather just look at the cards, we don't have to play."
"No,” said Penelope. “I want to play, really I do."
"All right,” said the Mouse. “You have to pick a card from the pile, and then discard one over here.” She indicated where the discard pile would be built.
Penelope did as she was told.
"Now it's Jennifer's turn,” she announced.
She picked a card without looking at it, placed it in front of the doll, and discarded a four.
"Perhaps it might be better if you looked at Jennifer's cards before you played them,” suggested the Mouse.
"That wouldn't be fair,” said Penelope. “I should only look at my own cards."
"Then Jennifer's going to lose,” said the Mouse.
"Oh?” said the little girl, looking concerned. “Why?"
"She discarded a very low card, a four. Sometimes that's a wise move, but in general you always want to rid yourself of the high cards first."
"Jennifer knows that."
"Evidently she doesn't, because she didn't do it."
"She was going to put the ten in the pile next time,” explained Penelope.
"What ten?"
"The one she just picked.” She reached over and held up the ten of hearts, which sported a holographic illustration of the goddess Pallas Athene. “It's so pretty she just wanted to keep it for a few minutes."
"How did you know that it was a ten?” asked the Mouse sharply. “I was watching you. You never looked at it."
"I knew that it had a picture of a pretty lady on it,” said Penelope guiltily. “I didn't care that it was a ten."
"But you knew what it was,” persisted the Mouse.
"I just wanted Jennifer to see the
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