1 State of Grace (5 page)

The strategy was confirmed when Silverleaf turned his elves and pixies first sideways and then upside down to indicate they were climbing the mountain and had made two moves to do so. On the ambassador’s next turn, all four units and the dragon would be in position to attack.

Wolf quickly added up the defense values of his cards. It would be enough to withstand the initial onslaught. Silverleaf couldn’t get him in the next round, but he could seriously damage Wolf’s position, making the result academic, barring a miracle.

Wolf sensed the Urland-hating elf wouldn’t be able to wait. He was angry. He was going to make sure he got Wolf next turn. Wolf tried to think of all the ways he could do that with the cards available to him. Wolf wasn’t an expert on the game, but he could think of two, maybe three, combinations that would increase the size of the damage the ambassador could inflict. He thought he knew which one he would choose. The easiest way was to play the “gargantuan” card on the dragon, and that was exactly what Silvearleaf had done to defeat Sir Leslie. Off his game, facing an unconventional and irritating opponent, Silverleaf was likely to employ the same, familiar tactic. Either he had the “gargantuan” card in his hand, or he would cheat to draw it next turn.

Silverleaf finished his turn by moving the lone elf card into the forest the others had occupied. Then he glared at Wolf and adopted a smile. This one was not smug; it was cruel.

“I wonder, Mr. Dasher,” he said, “if you’d like to make things a little more interesting.”

“Sure,” Wolf said, as if he couldn’t see what was coming. “What did you have in mind?”

“I feel a very interesting game coming on,” Silverleaf continued. “How about we double our wager?”

The crowd went silent. Every one of them knew what Silverleaf’s bet meant. He thought he had a combination to blow Wolf away in the next turn or so. The hope that this newcomer who played so strangely had a chance to defeat the invincible Sagaius Silverleaf went out of the room.

Wolf understood it. He knew what Silverleaf was going to do. He just didn’t know how to prevent it. He might have overreached.

“So you want us both to ante another five thousand gold?” Wolf said, trying hard to sound as though he wasn’t fazed.

“Precisely.”

Wolf listened for the voice from The Rift. This time it offered him nothing. He swore silently and looked over his cards. Was there any hope the four he had left could overcome the ambassador’s cheat?

To his surprise, he saw that there was. He’d been planning on a long, slogging game where he would draw out Silverleaf’s best cards, outlasting him until he was in position to win. But he saw now he had a chance to turn the upcoming assault on his opponent and end the game quickly.

He counted the cards Silverleaf had left in his hand. The Alfari ambassador played three cards, leaving him with five. He was mounting a major assault. It was therefore unlikely he had any soldiers or monsters left in his hand. He would have played them otherwise. That meant he was only holding spells. The question was: was one of them the “gargantuan” card? If it was, Silverleaf could cheat to draw another devastating monster from his deck. That might be enough to topple Wolf. But if he wasn’t holding “gargantuan,” he would have to use magic to get it. That meant he couldn’t get another monster and would have to assault Wolf with the elves, pixies, and dragon alone.

Was it worth the risk? Wolf decided it was. Even if Silverleaf could draw another monster next turn, Wolf’s strategy would, at worst, produce a stalemate. Then he could play the long game he’d been planning with several of Silverleaf’s most powerful cards out of the game.

“You must be awfully confident, Ambassador,” he said. “We’ve each only had one turn, and you’re already making a huge bet.”

“I like living dangerously,” Silverleaf replied. His smug smile was back. “Besides, I’ve never lost. Why wouldn’t I be confident?”

“A fair point,” Wolf said. He threw back some more wine. “Very well. I’ll see your five thousand ... and I’ll raise it another five thousand by betting you can’t beat me in three turns.”

The crowd gasped as one. All eyes were on Silverleaf, who managed not to lose his smile. But his eyes told a different story.

“I hardly think there’s a need to get carried away, Mr. Dasher,” he said.

Wolf searched his face. Was he bluffing? Was he trying to conceal his forthcoming masterstroke? Or had Wolf unsettled him? Was he suddenly not so sure? Wolf couldn’t tell. Silverleaf was so beautiful he was hard to look at for long. And he kept his expression the same. Still, Wolf thought he read concern in the elf’s eyes, so he decided to press.

“I didn’t think I was getting carried away,” Wolf said. “I thought I was playing in your spirit of the game. But if you’d rather not, that’s fine. You can concede the match rather than accept the bet.”

Someone in the crowd choked on his drink. Doubtless, the elf who never lost had never been told to accept a bet or concede. Silverleaf’s eyes flared at the very suggestion.

“There will be no concession, Mr. Dasher,” he said. “If you were hoping to chase me away by making the pot too large, your strategy has failed.”

“Just so we understand, then,” Wolf said, “if you can beat me in three turns or less you win the pot plus an additional five thousand from me. If you can’t, I get five thousand from you, whether you win the game or lose.”

“Understood,” Silverleaf said after a pause.

“Great,” Wolf said and flashed a happy smile. “William, would you please put another ten thousand gold in the pot for me?”

“Yes, Mr. Dasher,” William said. He looked uncomfortable.

“Thank you,” Wolf said. He leaned back in his chair, drained his wine goblet and smiled. “Isabelle, I’ll need my cup refilled.”

“Yes, Mr. Dasher,” she said, flashing bedroom eyes at him. They were a brilliant shade of blue.

Wolf pulled his mind away from the distraction and tried to appear as if this was all jolly good fun. Then he drew a card. He knew without looking it was a “blood sacrifice” and placed it in his hand. Casually, he tossed two gold onto the fungal infestation.

“That makes four in that territory now,” he commented.

“No,” Silverleaf said. “You can’t play on the copy, only on the original. You may only pay one gold and increase the number of fungi to three.” Again his tone implied he would not be overruled.

“I don’t think so, Ambassador,” Wolf said. “According to the text on the card, paying one gold allows you to make an
exact copy
of the card. If the copy is exact, then the special ability would be copied as well.”

Wolf fell silent and waited for Silverleaf’s counterargument. He was ready to have William consult the rules again.

“Very well,” Silverleaf said, sounding angry.

Wolf considered the rest of his cards. Should he play any of them now or wait to see the shape of Silverleaf’s attack? He elected to wait.

“So, Ambassador, you were telling me how beautiful Alfar is,” Wolf said.

“I told you nothing other than it is beautiful, Mr. Dasher. If you want to know how beautiful, you will have to visit it yourself. Are you finished?”

“Hmm?” Wolf said, pretending to have forgotten what he was doing. “Oh, yes! Sorry, Ambassador, it’s your turn.”

Simone winked at Wolf. She looked as though she hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.

Silverleaf reached for his deck. Wolf watched carefully. This time there was a flash of magic from the elf’s hand. Wolf hid a smile as Isabelle delivered his wine. She tried to put her breasts in his face, but he leaned around them so as to keep his eyes on his opponent. He tossed another five-gold chip on her tray without comment.

The ambassador studied his draw for a moment as if a new idea had come into his mind. Then the smug smile crept over his face, and he stared into Wolf’s eyes.

“Mr. Dasher,” he began, “I can’t help but feel this is the most interesting game of Conquest I’ve ever played, and I just can’t resist making it even more exciting. I’m willing to bet ten thousand gold I can wipe out your entire force this turn. What do you say?”

Wolf tried hard not to laugh. Silverleaf was doing exactly what he thought he would do. Now he just had to hope the elf didn’t have some other trick he was playing Wolf hadn’t thought of.

“I’d say you’re insane, Ambassador,” Wolf replied. “Your dragon’s fire could no doubt wipe out my fungi or my zombies, but it isn’t enough to get them both, even with the help of your elves and pixies. You’re throwing your money away.”

“Nevertheless,” Silverleaf said, sounding happy for the first time, “I just can’t resist. Please say you’ll keep playing. You could certainly forfeit, but it would be so much more fun to see if I can actually do this.”

“Very well, Ambassador,” Wolf said, sounding as though he was resigned to the actions of a fool. “It’s your money.”

Wolf signaled for William to place another ten thousand gold in the pot as Silverleaf pushed over an enormous number of chips. A flurry of betting rapidly ensued, with nearly everyone betting on Silverleaf. They’d seen him pull off the unthinkable before. It was too sure a bet, as much as they might hate it.

There was one notable exception, though. The shabby noble proudly plunked down fifty gold in favor of Wolf. He smiled boldly at Wolf, although he looked to have concern in his eyes.

With the betting settled, Silverleaf leaned forward. He licked his lips in anticipation.

“I’m afraid it might have been cheaper if you’d folded, Mr. Dasher,” he said, using the same tone he’d taunted Sir Leslie with. He tossed fifteen gold into the pot and played a card on his dragon. “Gargantuan,” he said.

“Unbelievable!” a voice exclaimed. Wolf glanced at its source and saw Sir Leslie.

“Not nearly so much as you think,” Silverleaf replied. He tossed another fifteen gold into the pot and played a second “gargantuan” card on the dragon. “Now the dragon has four times its size, range, and attack and defense values.”

The crowd gasped. Silverleaf had played masterfully. If Wolf could somehow find a way to neutralize one of the “gargantuans” there was still a second he would have to deal with. The elf had guaranteed he could do enough damage to vaporize Wolf’s entire force.

“Wow,” Wolf commented as though this were something amazing to behold. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a double-gargantuan, let alone one played on a dragon. That’s pretty impressive.”

“Thank you,” Silverleaf said. He almost sounded sincere.

“So do you get to live in a giant castle, since you’re with the government,” Wolf asked as Silverleaf moved his cards into Wolf’s mountain territory.

“Hardly,” Silverleaf said with a laugh.

“You can’t mean you live in squalor,” Wolf said, baiting him.

It worked. The ambassador looked up at him with a new sense of hatred.

“I have a very nice manor,” he said, his voice dripping with venom.

“Perhaps you could host me when I make it to Alfar,” Wolf prodded.

“Yes, of course,” Silverleaf said, his tone a mixture of anger and sarcasm. “You simply must stop by on your visit. Can we continue with the game?”

Wolf drank some wine to hide his smile. Whether he lost the game or not, he was thoroughly enjoying needling the pompous elf. Still, he needed to win the game for it to really have any sting.

“I’m sorry, Ambassador,” he said tossing ten gold into the pot and playing a card. “I’ll cast ‘pall of darkness.’ Your units all suffer a minus-two penalty to their attack values and are unable to attack this turn due to fear.”

“I don’t think so,” Silverleaf replied. He too tossed ten gold into the pot and played a card. “
‛Ray of hope’ counters all dark magic spells in a single territory.”

He smiled triumphantly. Wolf pretended to look concerned.

“Very well,” he replied. He paid the pot another ten gold and said, “I’ll activate the ‘staff of darkness’ and use its ‘unholy strength’ ability. All of my units gain plus-three to their attack and defense values.”

Silverleaf was unmoved. The smug smile remained on his face. With deliberation, he dropped another thirty gold into the pot.

“I believe I’ll disenchant your staff of darkness,” he said, playing a card.

Wolf sighed. He removed the “staff of darkness” from play.

“All right, Ambassador,” he said, “let’s match things up.”

“The dragon attacks all of your units, extending its range into your other mountain territory to also get the fungi,” Silverleaf declared.

“Very well,” Wolf said. “My zombies and ghost attack your elves, and the goblins and vampire bats attack the pixies.”

“The pixies use their charm ability on two of your goblins,” Silverleaf countered, tossing five gold for each card into the pot.

Wolf said nothing. He just stared at the board and looked lost. Silverleaf grinned like a thief.

“Anything else?” the elf prodded in an attempt to twist the knife. Wolf sighed. He tried to appear forlorn.

“I guess there’s just one thing left for me to do,” he said. He tossed fifty gold into the pot. “I play ‘insidious design,’” he said, dropping the card on the table. “Your dragon is actually working for me.”