"They were addicted to gambling. Flandry learned their games, taught them a few of his, and before journey's end had won several suits of good clothes for alteration, plus a well-stuffed purse. He almost, not quite, hated to take his winnings. These overgrown schoolboys had no idea what tricks were possible with cards and dice."
-"Tiger By The Tail," p. 253.
This single paragraph presents in advance the entire theme of this story. Flandry will do with Schotanian politics and naval organization what he has already done with cards and dice.
Do the Scothani gamble their clothes while still wearing them? In any case, they wind up naked before the Terran assault.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Well, I assume the Scothanians Flandry gambled with did not literally strip themselves naked to pay Flandry his winnings. Rather, he was paid from their spare clothing.
And we see Flandry playing similar tricks with dice and cards with the dagger men of Sumo the Fat in THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS!
Ad astra and Happy New Year! Sean
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