Brutus stood behind Val, eyes downcast, hands carefully folded one over the other in front of him, the proper position for a Drisdos male. After three months on the planet, Brutus knew he couldn't take another.

"I'm Venus," the woman told Val, ignoring Brutus. "I own this establishment." Like Val, she wore tight satin trousers and a velvet vest. Unlike Val, Venus threatened to spill out of her low cut vest.

"I've heard the Quarter has the best gaming in all of Drisdos," Val's husky voice flattered. Brutus compared Val's voice to the grating soprano of Venus, and thought about the risk they were taking. No, he was taking! Smiling at Venus, Val continued, "I'm looking for a game."

Answering with a smile that no more than creased her lips, Venus glanced around the large room filled with square tables. At each table four women sat engrossed in playing. The only empty table sat on a slightly raised dais at the far end of the room. "As you can see, all the tables are full."

"Except your table," Val said. "I would deem it an honor to play against you."

"I only play for high stakes."

"That's fine with me," Val answered, giving the leather purse a jingle.

Venus waved and another woman came over. She was short and dumpy, with cold, shrewd eyes. "This is my partner, Adele, and yours?"

"Well, that presents a problem. You see, I have none."

"Then why did you suggest playing?"

Val glanced down, as though embarrassed. "I have a suggestion, although you may find it shocking. Perhaps my man Brutus could be my partner." Adele gasped, while Venus looked, for the first time, at Brutus. Her inspection took a long time, lingering on his legs revealed under his short skirt.

"You see," Val explained, "I'm forced to travel a great deal. I find it boring, so I practice. To do so I have taught Brutus the rudiments of the game. Of course, the subtleties are beyond his comprehension, but he is perfectly capable of acting as dummy."

Venus gave Brutus another telling look. "Perhaps just this once, we can make an exception. For the sake of play."

The chair was small and fragile; Brutus lowered his hefty bulk carefully. Val sat on his right, and Venus his left. Venus deliberately bumped his leg with hers. He glanced up once into her hungry eyes, then humbly lowered his, and sat, eyes downcast, as the cards were dealt.

As they picked up the cards, he carefully watched Val's signals. Rubbing the nose one way meant one suit, the other way another suit, counting the strokes gave him the number of cards. "Now pay attention, Brutus," Val said, using their code words. Brutus pretended to study his cards, his mind calculating rapidly. It was still early in the game, the deck full. The first bid was his.

"Mistress, may I be so bold as to bid 3 in the red?" Val smiled.

After bidding, he had little to do but sit and watch, and study their opponents. Val won the first hand, but lost the second. By the third, Brutus knew Venus tended to bid high and play aggressively. She was also an excellent player. A wave of doubt swept over him; they could lose.

"Your man," Venus said, as she trumped a string. "Is he very large?"

"Indeed he is." Val reached over and deliberately fondled Brutus, whose organ rose obediently, like an obscene finger under the tent of his skirt. Venus drew her breath in hard, once, then closed her mouth, her eyes riveted to the spot where the skirt still bulged. After a long moment, she picked up her cards; as she studied them, her breath continued to come fast and uneven. Val won the next hand, and Brutus gave the signal.

Val lost next two hands, won one, then lost two more, and the pile of coins grew in front of Venus. Then Val casually asked, "A side bet? Say twenty gold pieces per game."

"Twenty," Adele gasped.

"I don't think you have that much," Venus said.

"Maybe I don't, but I do have something you seem to fancy. I'll wager Brutus. Whoever wins three hands first. If you do, you get Brutus; if I win, I get sixty gold pieces and the pot."

Venus took another look at Brutus. He raised his eyes and looked into hers. She licked her lips. "It's a bet." She counted out sixty gold pieces and placed them in the middle of the table.

They won the first and second game, but lost the third and the fourth.

Venus was playing with determination. Brutus looked at his hand. Then he looked at Venus. Her tongue slowly licked her lower lip, her eyes devoured him. He had no doubt what was in store for him if he lost.

"Five black," he bid.

Across the table, Adele cackled and threw down the first card.

Brutus reminded himself to breathe. Had he guessed right? Would Venus have bid high? Venus took the first string, but then Val took the next 5, leaving the last for Venus.

"You cheated," Venus accused.

"Cheated, impossible," Val said, gathering in the gold.

"It's him, Brutus. He did something."

Val laughed loud enough to attract attention, then said in a voice that could be easily heard, "Venus, can you be saying that a man beat you at the game?"

Venus swallowed hard. "Of course not."

Val took the purse of coins and stood up. "It has been a pleasant afternoon. Another time, perhaps. Come, Brutus."

As Brutus rose, Venus sighed. "You wouldn't consider selling him, would you?"

"Sorry, no," Val said.

"What a lover he would have made," Venus said regretfully, then she snapped her fingers and ordered a nearby servant. "Send Julian to my chambers."

Brutus followed Val from the Quarter, the appropriate two steps behind. Outside in the street, Val stepped closer. "I bet she gives old Julian a workout. She was so hot, she could barely keep her mind on the cards."

"That's what we counted on," Brutus said.

Back in their dingy, rented room, Val poured the coins on the table. They glittered brightly.

"Do we have enough?" Val demanded.

"More than enough to book passage off this planet."

"I can't believe it," Val said, pulling off the wig, dropping it on the table, and running his fingers through his short hair. Then he pulled at the crotch of his pants. "I'm wrapped so tight, I ache. And these breast pads itch."

"Well, at least you didn't have to go around in short skirts for every woman to ogle and pinch. If I never set foot on Drisdos again, it will be too soon."

"I agree. I wonder what Venus would do if she knew she was beaten not by one male, but two?"

Brutus laughed. "We won't tell her now, but later, I think we'll send her a picture from the moon of Sanizibar. You and I together."

"I can just picture her face," Val said, joining the laughter.

- THE END -

Back to Twisted Tales