Frey and his crew watched as they disappeared inside the craft, and it lifted off from the ground, taking them back to the Delirium Trigger.
‘Well,’ said Malvery, squinting against the dust as he watched them dwindle into the distance. ‘That’s just about our luck.’
‘Cheer up!’ said Frey. ‘We’ve got three aircraft, enough ducats to keep us in the sky for a year, and the world at our feet. I’d say we’re the luckiest crew in Vardia right now.’
‘I’d feel a damn sight luckier if that witch hadn’t buggered off with our loot,’ Malvery griped.
Frey slapped him on the shoulder. ‘Look on the bright side. She might have killed us.’
‘There is that,’ Malvery conceded.
‘Is . . . um . . . I was wondering, is anyone else hungry?’ Harkins enquired.
‘We should probably take Silo to a hospital,’ Jez suggested. ‘Get him a good bed and some nurses.’
Frey looked at Malvery. ‘How long before Silo’s capable of getting back to work? In your expert opinion?’
‘Three weeks, I’d say,’ Malvery said. ‘Maybe four.’
Frey scratched the back of his neck. ‘Well, what with all we’ve been through we probably deserve a little port time.’
Pinn’s eyes lit up at the prospect of booze and whores. Frey held up the bag of coins. ‘Drinks are on me tonight!’
There was a cheer from the men.
‘Jez!’ he barked.
‘Cap’n!’
‘Find us a nice, out-of-the-way port with a good hospital, lively nightlife and a place where a man can find a game of Rake.’
‘Skinner’s Gorge?’
‘Skinner’s Gorge sounds good to me.’
There was another cheer, and they slapped each other’s backs and shook hands in wild and vague congratulations. The chest full of ducats was forgotten already. They had all they needed. They were glad just to be alive.
Frey couldn’t keep down a grin. As he looked at the laughing faces of his crew, he was consumed by a surge of affection for these people, these men and women who shared his aircraft and his life. They were happy, and free, and the endless sky awaited them.
It was enough.
How to Play Rake
HISTORY
Rake is a variant of poker, in which the player must make the best five-card hand to win. The game has existed for centuries, since before the fall of the monarchy: the first recorded mention was as far back as 87/29 (UY3069). For most of that time it was confined to the peasantry, and was viewed as a rather vulgar pastime by the rich. It was popularised in Vardia during the First Aerium War, when the mingling of conscripted troops allowed the game to spread. Soon, even the aristocrats who commanded them had caught on, and Rake passed from the taverns and dens into the drawing-rooms of the wealthy. Since then it has become the most popular card game in Vardia.
THE DECK
Rake is played with a standard 52-card Vardic deck, comprising 13 cards of each of the four suits: Skulls, Wings, Fangs and Crosses. Each suit comprises (in order of value) the numbers 2-10, followed by the face cards: Priest, Lady, Duke, Ace. The Ace, the highest card, also functions as the number 1 for the purpose of runs.
