(CONTINUED)
QUILLAN
Things were happening a little too fast. I hadn’t even caught my breath after having nearly been sliced into sushi, when Nevva Winter revealed to me that she had a Traveler ring. Seeing it gave me such a jolt, I think my brain momentarily froze. What was the deal? Had she taken it from Challenger Yellow after he died in the Tato match? I figured she must have, because how else would she have gotten it? Unless maybe it was her own ring, and she was the Traveler’s acolyte. Or could it be that Challenger Yellow was an acolyte, and Nevva Winter was the Traveler from Quillan? Or maybe it was none of the above. Remember what I wrote before about how great I was at handling myself under pressure? Forget it. I was stunned into a semicoma.
Luckily, Nevva Winter was cooler than I was. She looked over her shoulder to see that Veego and LaBerge were headed our way. “Meet me later, in the octagon,” she whispered.
“The what?” I asked in confusion. I must have sounded like an idiot, because at that moment, I was an idiot.
“Congratulations!” LaBerge said. “No other challenger in the history of Tock was able to figure out how to beat the game so quickly. And believe me, dozens have tried. We’ve lost many a challenger to the blades. Bravo!”
He tried to help me to my feet, but I yanked my arm away. Veego joined us and stood looking at me with her arms folded, appraising me with that superior little smirk.
“What?” I asked angrily. “Wasn’t I good enough for you?”
“Oh, no,” she said. “I am quite impressed. Apparently you have had some training. We don’t often get challengers with that much… experience.”
“Gee, wow,” I said sarcastically. “My day is complete.”
Veego kept her eyes on me but spoke to Nevva. “Miss Winter, please inform the trustees that I intend to meet their increased profit demands this quad. And be sure to thank them for bringing such a talented challenger to our attention. Challenger Red is going to become a valuable member of the Blok family.”
Blok. There was that name again.
“Thank you, Veego,” Nevva said politely. “I’m sure the trustees will be very pleased to hear of your enthusiasm.” She held out the stack of pages that she’d brought in earlier and said, “Now, if you would be so kind as to initial these pages I’ll file them with the-“
“Don’t push it,” Veego snapped harshly. “Unless you’d like to try your luck at a game of Tock yourself.”
Nevva stiffened, cleared her throat, and pulled the papers back. “Thank you, no, ” she said formally. “I’ll report back to the trustees right away.”
“You do that,” Veego said as if she couldn’t care less.
“Thank you for your time, and for the, uh, demonstration,” Nevva Winter added.
“The pleasure was all ours!” LaBerge chirped.
Nevva Winter looked at me and said, “Congratulations, Challenger Red. I will be following your career with great interest.” She looked directly at me and opened her eyes a touch wider. It was a subtle signal that acknowledged that we would talk later. She pulled the pile of papers in tight and strode quickly for the exit. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to go with her, no matter where she was going. Any place would have been better than the castle. I was at the mercy of two sadistic psychopaths who got their kicks from making up games where people died. I needed somebody on my side. I needed help.
“Are you done torturing me?” I asked Veego, trying to sound as tired as I felt. “If I’ve got to play another one of your stupid games, you might as well just kill me now.”
“We would do no such thing! Not now!” Veego said cheerily. At least it sounded like she was being cheery. I couldn’t tell with her. “Your value has just increased dramatically. Another few matches like that and you will be ready to compete in the Grand X!”
“What exactly is a Grand X?” I asked. I didn’t care anymore if I didn’t sound like I came from that territory. I was too burned out to care about anything except lying down and getting some rest.
Veego and LaBerge gave each other a surprised look. I guess pretty much everybody knew about the Grand X. Everybody but me, that is.
“You’re tired,” LaBerge said. “Let Fourteen take you to your room.”
“No!” I snapped. “I’m not sleeping in that clown room again.”
“You don’t have to,” Veego said. “As we told you, the challengers are treated like royalty during their stay with us. Now that you’ve proven your value, you will be put in much more suitable accommodations.”
“I like the clown room!” LaBerge said, sounding hurt.
“Then you sleep in it,” I said. I saw that Fourteen was standing at the entrance to the arena. I walked away from Veego and LaBerge without saying another word and went right up to the dado. “Are you sure you’re Fourteen?” I asked. “You wouldn’t really be Thirteen and trying to mess with me, would you?”
Fourteen didn’t crack a smile. Robots didn’t have much of a sense of humor. “C’mon, robo boy,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.” I walked past him, out of the gym, and back into the banquet hall.
“Get some rest!” LaBerge called. “Big day tomorrow! It will be the best day ever!”
I ignored him. As I passed the banquet table, I grabbed a few of those tribbun things. Who knew when I would eat again? I crunched them down quickly. Fourteen caught up with me and led me on a twisting route through the castle. I could see through the windows that night had fallen. That was good. I needed sleep in the worst way. We climbed the stairs back to the second story, but didn’t head toward the corridor with the clown room, I’m happy to report.
“Isn’t that where the challengers stay?” I asked.
Fourteen spoke in a monotone voice, though it wasn’t as low and gravelly as the dado cops. Fourteen sounded more human. “Only when they first arrive,” he answered. “As their value increases, they are given more comfortable accommodations.”
I’m calling Fourteen “he.” Can a robot actually be a he? Or a she? He looked like a he, but it was a machine. The question didn’t bother me enough to want to go the next step and ask to check his parts. Machine or not, that wouldn’t have been cool.
“What about Challenger Yellow?” I asked. “Did you know him?”
“I did,” Fourteen answered.
“What was his deal?” I asked, hoping to find some clue as to why both he and I ended up as challengers. I figured the answer might point me toward Saint Dane.
“His deal?” Fourteen asked.
“Yeah, how did he end up here? As a challenger, I mean.”
“I am not involved with the decisions that are made concerning the challengers,” he answered. “I have to believe that he came here the same way all the challengers do.”
“And how’s that?” I asked. “Did he get an invitation?”
“I do not understand that question. An invitation implies there is some choice. None of the challengers are here by choice. I do not believe that anyone would accept an invitation to play the games.”
Except for me of course. But I didn’t feel like explaining that to him.
“None of the challengers are here because they want to be?” I asked. “LaBerge and Veego said it’s a great life. Better than on the outside.”
Fourteen looked at me blankly. Of course, it was probably the only look he had. “I am but a dado,” he answered. “I do not have the same concerns as you. But I do not believe a citizen would choose to be here, no matter how comfortable it may be, knowing the high price for that comfort.”
“I know, it’s dangerous. But some do well, right?” I asked. “I mean, aren’t there champions that hang around for a while and then, I don’t know, retire or something?”
Fourteen stopped walking. I think that was his way of showing confusion, dado style. “I regret to inform you of this. Challenger Red,” he said. “Challengers die. They all die. The only question is how long it can be avoided. This is your room.”
