Devil's Gambit

by Nicholas Woode-Smith

“Why’d someone dress smartly to go up a mountain?” Duer asked.

  “Pride, probably,” I responded. “He seemed pretty prideful.”

  “He did,” Treth added, even though Duer could not hear him. “Prideful enough to start a contest and then screw with the wager when he lost.”

  “Pride is a cardinal sin,” I said.

  “By whose measure?”

  “No one that matters, but there is a reason that pride is considered a vice.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Pride cometh before the fall.”

  “Says you.”

  “Hahaha,” I said sarcastically. “But it is something to think about.”

  “You think you can twist his hubris to your advantage?” Treth sounded doubtful.

  “Demons aren’t perfect beings. Very far from it. Power always has its weaknesses. This demon seems to love a challenge and gets testy when he fails at it.”

  “Only time we knew he beat someone, that someone was cursed to make clouds for eternity,” Treth reminded me.

  “Sure, but…that demon seemed kinda wistful about it. As if he regretted it.”

  “Wouldn’t trust a demon on looks alone.”

  “Yeah, yeah. But…it does suggest something we can use.”

  Treth silently awaited my plan. Duer was bored of my seeming insanity and went to do whatever pixies do when they’re squatting in a human’s apartment.

  “Demons love narratives. That demon seemed sad that he had no one to smoke with. No one to re-enact the old story. If someone challenges him to a new wager, he will probably accept.”

  “To what ends? Even if you win, he will just curse you like he did Van Hunks.”

  “He didn’t betray the wager, however. Van Hunks got his rum and didn’t lose his soul. He was just enslaved.”

  “Just enslaved.”

  “Van Hunks was going in blind. He thought the wager was a joke. If I phrase the wager properly, I could avoid such a curse.”

  “Maybe… But still too risky. And even if you can figure out a good wager, how are you going to beat him? He may only accept a challenge like last time. You don’t smoke.”

  “I don’t,” I agreed. “But I know someone who does.”

  Chapter 11.

  The Tablecloth

  “At least eat before you go ahead with whatever you’re planning,” Treth pleaded.

  “Yes, mom…” I fake whined and put some toast on. I got some peanut butter out of the breadbin. A new breadbin, I might add, paid for by the Titan Citadel’s patrol fee. No more stale bread for me.

  “Who are you going to get to help?” Treth asked, as I waited for my toast to pop.

  “A seasoned smoker.”

  I felt Treth about to press, but then felt his realisation of my plan.

  “You can’t! She’d never go for it.”

  “She will if I ask.”

  “She’s a civilian, Kat. And your friend.”

  My toast popped, and I began buttering it.

  “Nothing will happen to her.”

  “This is a demon we’re talking about.”

  “Demons play by their own rules, but they do have rules. This demon follows the rules of the competition. He did not betray Van Hunks’ wager, for instance, nor did he cheat at the contest. I must only be careful to phrase the wager properly and ensure I can win it.”

  “And how are you going to do that?”

  “You remember what the demon said when we found him that night?”

  “His discussion about missing Van Hunks?”

  “While that is interesting, no. He mentioned that he had not smoked in a long time. While I’m no expert on a demon’s skill retention, if the demon failed to beat a mortal then, it should fail to beat a mortal now.”

  “But what if you’re wrong? What if Trudie isn’t as skilled a smoker as you’d believed?”

  What if I’m wrong? Will I let Trudie suffer for my hubris? No…

  “I’ll ensure that she won’t be harmed.”

  Treth was doubtful.

  I took a bite of my toast just as I heard a knock at the door. Who could that be?

  I peered through the eye-hole, munching on peanut butter and toast. As if by prophecy, Trudie was on the other side, and (mercifully) Andy-less.

  I opened the door.

  “Hey, Kat,” Trudie smiled, but I detected a hint of awkwardness in her expression and gait. She was wearing a white and black striped skirt with a crimson pseudo-leather jacket. Her hands were in her jacket pockets and she was rocking on the balls of her feet. “I heard you talking. Someone here?”

  “Hey. No, no. No one here. Phone fixed already?”

  Trudie passed me my phone. “Was odd. One minute, it was if the entire thing had fried and then the next it was powering up fine.”

  That was odd. I smiled, faintly. “Well, all credit to the techie.”

  “Yeah…”

  I exchanged my SIM card out of my borrowed phone and put it into my phone.

  “Anyway, I’ll be off…” Trudie began to turn around.

  “Wait…”

  She stopped. I froze.

  I’d been so cocksure before. The plan was concrete. After dissecting the story, I felt I knew this demon. Understood this demon enough to defeat him. I was so confident in my plan that I even thought I could bring my best friend into it. What had happened last time my friend went along with me into my world?

  Pranish. He helped me save Trudie. And what had happened to him? Could I risk such a thing happening to Trudie? Could I risk my bubbly, nagging, ever-reliable and caring friend?

  And did I have a choice?

  “This about Andy?”

  My breath caught in my throat. Oh, Rifts, I couldn’t talk about that…

  “No!” I said, a little too fast and a little too loudly.

  Trudie faced me and put her hands on her hips.

  “What’s going on, Kat?”

  Was I going to do this? Trudie’s glare dug into my soul. Not only did I need her help now, I needed to mend this brewing conflict between us. She was my friend, and while we hadn’t been spending a lot of time together recently, and while this thing with Andy threatened to put a huge divide between us, I still wanted to be her friend.

  “Trudie, I need your help,” I finally said, with a resigned sigh.

  She cocked her head. My tone and the question itself shifted her expression from one of anticipatory defensiveness to one of concern. That was the look I preferred on Trudie’s face. That, and her sleeping. She was very cute when she was asleep.

  “My help?” Trudie asked, contemplating what that help might involve. “Only computer-anything you have is your phone, which I just fixed. That means you don’t need me to fix anything. Need help shopping?”

  “No, Trudie. I’ve got this job…”

  Trudie raised her eyebrow. “You need my help on a job?”

  I nodded.

  “Slaying monsters?”

  I shook my head. “Not exactly.”

  I noticed now that she was still standing outside, her back to the outdoors where we could smell car fumes and hear the noises of Rondebosch. I moved to the side and indicated for my friend to enter. She looked dubious, but then went inside. Alex purred at her approach and she bent down to stroke him.

  “What’s going on, Kat?” Trudie asked, after I closed the door. Alex was purring like a machine-gun. He had flopped onto his back and accepted Trudie’s belly rubs graciously.

  “I’ve been working a case for the Titan Citadel,” I said.

  “For the Cult? That’s some heavy-hitter stuff, Kat. But why do you need me?”

  “The monster I’m meant to eliminate isn’t my usual fare…”

  “Hmmm?”

  I sighed. “I can’t kill it. But I think I’ve figured out a way to get rid of it without killing it?”

  Alex looked perturbed as Trudie stood and looked at me.

  Last chance to back out.

  “I need someone who c
an out-smoke a demon.”

  Too late.

  “Out-smoke a demon?” Trudie’s unnaturally black eyebrow looked about to disappear beyond her fringe.

  “It sounds silly, but demons often are.”

  “Aren’t demons dangerous?”

  “Definitely, but they have rules. They like to play games. This one is linked to an old Cape myth. He challenged an old pirate to a smoking contest and lost.”

  “So, what makes you think this demon will accept a challenge from me? And if he does, what makes you think I can beat him?”

  “Because he’s proud and because he’s out of practice. You are well-practiced.”

  She creased her forehead, in thought. A big part of me hoped she refused. If she did, I could find another way. Perhaps, a way that didn’t risk my best friend.

  “Do you think your plan will work?” Trudie asked.

  I hesitated, but then nodded.

  “Well,” she sighed. “You haven’t failed before. I’m in. But I may have a better idea…”

  I didn’t know if I should be relieved or terrified.

  ***

  Whiteshield was walking on egg-shells around me after I kicked up a storm due to their leaving me on the mountain all night. Lucky for me, as they caused minimal fuss in allowing Trudie to accompany me to the top. My friend’s initial trepidation at the guards and going up a forbidden mountain at night was replaced with ecstatic delight at the cable car and the sight of Hope City’s night lights. The shimmering yellows, reds and oranges of our city’s lights in the darkness were enchanting.

  We reached the top at around 8pm. There was still a little bit of red in the sky as the sun refused to give up its attention on Hope City. We had a packed dinner and we sat down at a table I presumed would usually be used by guards during their lunch break. The dinner was Chinese. Trudie ordered sweet and sour chicken with rice and I ordered spicy crispy pork with noodles. Yum!

  After we were finished, there was a silence. A long, awkward silence that had seemed to be becoming common between us.

  Trudie stared into the distance, towards the star-like field of skyscraper lights of Old Town just behind us. It truly was a wonderful view. It was like looking over the world itself. Or into space. Did the realms beyond the Vortex look like this from afar? Did Treth’s world look like a mere speck from where we sat? I looked up towards the real stars. They were clearer up here. Crisper. Could one of those stars be the sun of Treth’s world? Would we ever know?

  “Ground Control to Major Tom,” David Bowie sang from Trudie’s vibrating cell, located on the bench next to a soy sauce stained polystyrene container. She picked up and answered.

  “Hey, Andy. Yeah. With Kat. Hmmm? Yeah. A job.”

  She looked at me. I tried my best to look impassive.

  “Not sure. Will see you tomorrow. Yeah. Bye, baby.”

  Baby? Oh, Rifts. I’m gonna be sick!

  “That was Andy,” she said, as if I didn’t know already. “Wanted to hang out.”

  She noticed my expression. I realised I was frowning.

  “What’s with that look?”

  “What look?” When in doubt – deny everything.

  “That look.” Trudie scowled. “You looked like you wanted to throw my cell off the cliff.”

  Must have been more a growl than a frown then…

  Before I could respond, Trudie looked away, and sighed. Heavily.

  “Why, Kat?”

  “Why what?”

  “Is it because you’re jealous? I’m sorry that I’m dating your ex. Okay? But, I really like him. And you just shut him out so quickly…”

  “He’s not my ex…” I muttered. And that was the truth. Went on one failed date and one fake date. Then I realised that he was a… I don’t even know what.

  “Shady as a Shadowtown peddler,” Treth offered.

  “But you’re still jealous?” Trudie raised an accusatory eyebrow while she lit a cigarette.

  “You sure you want to start now? You could be smoking for hours with this guy if the plan doesn’t work.”

  “Warming up and answer the question.”

  I looked out into the black, towards the Citadel, barely even a silhouette now in the dark. I felt Trudie’s gaze pierce my flesh. I gave my own sigh.

  “I’m not jealous. At least, I don’t think I am.”

  “Then what’s up?” Her voice wasn’t angry. It was sincere. She really wanted to know what I was feeling. Not for her own sake, but because we were friends and she cared about me.

  “I don’t trust him.”

  “Because he didn’t risk his life on some fool’s errand against a vampire cartel. He isn’t you, Kat.”

  “You were the fool’s errand, Trudie.”

  “Well, thanks.”

  I looked at her, a bit irritated that she used such a sarcastic tone when Pranish and I’d risked our lives for her, but then I saw tears in her eyes. She took a drag and continued.

  “Andy isn’t like you, Kat. But he doesn’t need to be. I’ve got you already.”

  She took another long drag, blew out a cloud of smoke right into my face, and said. “Only need one of you.”

  I could not help but smile. Faintly, but Trudie noticed. I suspected that, at least for a little while, we’d be okay.

  “What’s that?” Trudie asked, looking over my shoulder. I turned and saw a little spark of light in the distance. It was coming from where it had last night. The demon had arrived.

  “Our demon,” I said. Trudie must have noticed the professional coldness in my tone. I saw her become apprehensive. She didn’t stand as I did.

  I had to remember, this wasn’t like my usual cases. I had my best friend with me. Needed to be a friend.

  I smiled a reassuring smile and offered my hand to my friend. In the gesture, I hoped I conveyed a simple but powerful message:

  “I’ll protect you.”

  Trudie looked at my hand, took it and stood up. I led her into the darkness.

  “Are we really doing this?”

  “Hunting a demon? Yeah…”

  “No, walking in pitch black on top of a mountain.”

  “Oh, sorry.” I turned on my flashlight. It still wasn’t ideal. Trudie almost tripped a lot. She was wearing boots instead of heels, but she wasn’t as dextrous or as balanced as I. The fynbos and brambles were catching her. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need to run. I frowned in the darkness. If we had to run, I had the terrible feeling we wouldn’t be fast enough.

  My flashlight’s pool of illumination hit the side of the boulder from the Van Hunks story and, as was to be expected, the demon was sitting at his usual place, twiddling a lit pipe in his hands. He looked the same as he had the other night. A black suit. Tall. Sullen.

  “He really a demon?” Trudie whispered.

  I gulped and nodded.

  “He’s kinda hot.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Back again, Ms Drummond?” the demon asked. He sounded too human to be an otherworldly monster. If Cindy was to be believed, the most human monsters were the most dangerous.

  “My friend and I would like to challenge you…”

  “Call me Jan.”

  “Jan was the man you cursed. What is your real name?”

  Unexpectedly, the demon laughed. A full, loud laugh, with his face to the sky.

  “You really ask a demon his real name, Ms Drummond?”

  “Wouldn’t it be fair? You know my name.”

  “Life, like games, isn’t fair, Kat Drummond and Trudie Davidson. Call me Jan or call me demon. Your choice.”

  Trudie’s grip on my hand tightened at the comment. I didn’t blame her. Didn’t like strangers knowing my name. At least it wasn’t our true name. Well, it could be Trudie’s true name. We didn’t know each other’s true names. Safer that way. If anyone got hold of our true names, this demon included, we could have all manner of curses and destruction magic sent at us from afar.

  “Okay, demon. I come to challenge you, as V
an Hunks challenged you centuries before, but this time with the knowledge of what you are capable of.”

  “Intriguing,” the demon responded, unimpressed by my self-assured tone. “What type of contest? Don’t tell me a duel. You saw what I did last night. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  He put emphasis on the last word, mockingly. He was right though. Wouldn’t be fair. In a fight, I’d die. Question was: would Trudie and I die if my other plan didn’t work?

  “You had a contest here with Jan van Hunks around three centuries ago. You smoked and smoked, until he beat you. Then, you tricked him and cursed him to form the tablecloth. We seek to challenge you to such a contest again, but with no tricks. We come into this with the knowledge of your demonic nature and can thus make a proper wager.”

  “Thus? Are you writing an essay?” The light from my flashlight caught on the demon’s smirk. “What are your terms?”

  Was he really going for it? Phew! Next step…

  “Before the wager – the rules. Games might not be fair, but they have rules.”

  The demon nodded, almost unconsciously. He agreed. I hoped it wasn’t a subtle trick.

  “My friend and you will smoke the same brand of cigarettes. You shall not use magic or demonic trickery to stretch the supply of cigarettes or enchant the flow of time. The winner will be decided by whomever can finish three packs of cigarettes before the other. If neither of you is finished by sunrise, the one with the least cigarettes left will win.”

  “A race then? A neat twist. It works. I don’t have all night, after all. Much less the months that I spent with Van Hunks,” the demon said. “And the wager? You won’t accept the kingdoms of the world?”

  “If my friend, Trudie, wins, you shall stop killing the Titan mages. You will leave this mortal plane instantly. Additionally, you shall not harm nor curse any of us. You shall leave us be with our victory.”

  The demon nodded. “And if I win?”

  “If we lose: you can have my soul.”

  Trudie’s hand tightened on mine. I felt her gaze on me.

  “Your soul?” The demon’s grin cut his face in two like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. He didn’t look that human anymore. “Why would I want such a battered and broken thing? Even if there are two of them, they are not worth anything to me. What else can you wager?”