In Search of a Pony, a Devils Paw Story

Chapter Four

Dinner aboard the Paw that night proved to be an entertaining one, entertaining in that the Mayor of Granada and his wife were attending as well as Mr. & Mrs Beckenbauer. Aletha was at the top of her form dancing on the brass pole in the Texas, though unlike when at high sea she was fully dressed. Provocative dressed yes, exposed in any way no. Several of the Paws entertainers put on a show as well as Midnight who gave a very convincing display of Arabic dance, more commonly known in the North Americas as belly dance. Fully satisfied the Mayor and his wife eventually departed while the Beckenbauer’s remained to talk, the both of them.

“You are aware of what your wife is planning on doing?” Penny asked over wine. They were in her private quarters now, though only her semi-public business room.

“Certain” the Afghan answered. “I have inquired somewhat today. This is expensive hobby yes. My Stefanie she help me with weakness. She is good with business, I think I better but I gamble. She see me lose great sums with cards. Not good for the business so I think this is small sum for her pleasure.”

Penny had a thought. “Ruth, would you please have Olivia and her husband come here? And tell them to bring several decks of unopened cards with them.”

“My husband not play” Stephanie warned just seconds ahead of her husbands same warning.

Penny smiled, “I have no intention of ruining either of your’s hard work” she explained. “Gambling is as addictive as drugs, it is how Aletha became a part of our little family. Her owner was bad at Baccarat. Mr. Beckenbauer, what card game was your favorite?”

“Volker please” the Afghan countered. “You have us to call you Penny. We must then allow the same. American Five Card Draw” he finished.

“Against friends or in town” Penny asked softly.

“In business club” Volker explained. “Mens club. All businessmen Granada Island, friendly place.”

“I would be willing to bet” the mouse replied dryly. “That you were scammed and I think that I am going to prove it. Now Stefanie, you do realize that what you want to do is physically very hard work. Especially considering your physical size.”

“Yes. Aletha she let me feel muscles. Woman of iron she is” the white shepherd answered. “Tell me it take full year get that strong. Anything worth doing, best put all into.”

“May I ask where you intend to drag your poor husband” the mouse asked, an image of the white furred hound panting as she pulled a cart with her husband on it through one of the small towns filling her mind.

Almost laughing the hound gave Penny a knowing smile, as though she could see the image in the mouses mind. “We have much land. Have many good road on, even old race track. Father race real horses but since return Austria that all pass. I not pull my Victor in towns. Bad for business.”

A knock on the door warned Penny of her new visitors arrival. Smiling to her German visitors she called for her new visitors to enter. Ruth stepped in followed by two well dressed dalmatian’s, Olivia and her husband Franklin.

Penny stood, walking around to joining her secretary. “Help me set up the gaming table Ruth” she said as she reached for it. Once the storable gaming table was set up Penny motioned for the two Beckenbauer’s to sit across from each other. “You will not play, you will be dealt cards, you will not touch them so that you are not tempted. Ruth or I will uncover them for you.” She then motioned to the dalmatian’s to sit as well. “These are Franklin and Olivia Marteen, they are contract hired dealers who work for me. A stipulation in their contracts is that they never cheat for any reason and that they notify ships security if they catch a cheater. Now Volker, your game of choice is five card draw, I understand that is a beginners game. Will the unopened decks please be placed on this table?”

A few seconds later six decks of cards of various colours lay on the table, blue, red, green, orange, grey and black. “Please pick a colour Volker” she asked.

“Green. I never see green back cards” the hound admitted.

“Very good” Penny answered, “Neither had I until I hired these two. Now this is only for demonstration Viktor, not a coin will pass between us still I will make a bet with you. I will bet myself against your wife that you will lose every hand.”

“Is impossible” the afghan stated, smiling to his wife. “This not real yes?”

“It is not impossible” Penny stated, taking her place behind the white furred Stefanie as Ruth took her place behind the afghan. “You are quite right though, this is a training class. However if after it you wish to bet your wife against myself on one hand of cards I will be delighted to give Stefanie the Devils Paw brand while you watch.”

Viktor snuffed in disbelief, then nodded. “Not real then. You show, I show you wrong.”

“All right” Penny agreed. Mr. And Mrs. Marteen’? At this table this night with these two people I am asking you to take everything that they have. Not one winning hand to either and I will let you watch as I brand Stefanie should they be foolish enough to take that last bet.” She stared at the male dalmatian and smiled, “I know that you have wanted to see that for a long time Franklin.”

“So have I Mrs. Navita” Olivia Marteen admitted. Then looking to each other the dalmatian’s smiled, this was going to be fun. Aboard the Devils Paw they had a good life, certainly better than the one that they had ashore before signing on but they hadn’t been able to use their tricks except against each other. While Olivia carefully stacked the unused decks on Penny’s desk then sat back down Franklin cracked open the new deck, allowing Viktor to remove the unneeded cards and check that they were not marked. Recovering the deck he began to shuffle.

By the end of twelve hands Viktor was sweating, he had been dealt the best cards in years as had his wife yet somehow one or the other dalmatian had a better hand, even when he dealt. Looking up at Penny he shook his head no. “I not understand.”

Penny looked over to Ruth and nodded. At that signal the Springer Spaniel moved to help Mrs. Beckenbauer stand, then move to stand next to Viktor. “I will bet myself against your wife that with me dealing you cannot win” she stated bluntly as she picked up the deck and started shuffling. “As the Martin’s can verify I am no better than the average player, they walk rings about me. Ruth will watch only to insure that you do not slip a held card into your hand. Think about it, a servant who will never deny either of you anything against your wife. Interested?” Penny dealt five cards to Viktor and herself, then sat the remaining deck in front of Olivia.

Viktor took in the attractive mouse now sitting across from him, a woman who swore that she would do anything and enjoy it, singly or both together. Then very slowly he tore his eyes away from the mouse and returned them to his wife, finding real concern within them.

“No” he said softly, and in that word understanding came to him that he had some real control over his weakness. There were years yet to control them all but here and now. Here and now he had control.

“It’s too bad you said no Viktor” Penny continued, turning her cards over. She had four of a kind, Jacks. Then she leaned over the table, touching Viktor’s cards. “Because you would have won me for the rest of my life.” Flipping the cards over she showed the hound a Royal Flush in spades.

“Such a chance?” Viktor asked.

“No chance, you were sick from what you saw. It was there in your eyes, you realized you’ve been cheated all these years, probably laughed at behind your back. If you hadn’t been, if you had made that bet these hands would have been reversed. But you are smart Viktor, you quietly watched two of the best chew you up and spit you out. You knew I was at least a quarter as good, I do train with them twice a week. If you hadn’t understood Viktor I would have your wife undressed right now and leading her down to the infirmary to brand her as my own property forever. But you did so now, these two are going to teach you the basics of what just happened while your lovely wife, Aletha and I go to the carpentry shop and discuss harness’s and buggy designs with some of my crew. Along with what this new hobby of hers is going to cost the two of you over your lifetimes. Both harness and buggy will need constant repair and replacement understand.”