Chapter Twenty-Six: The Only Game

The man led us back to the casino he had come from. The neon sign above the entrance read Glückshaus. As we entered the casino, the man changed. His hair grew longer, his body slimmer, his face more feminine. He became a she.

"What are you?" Tulip asked.

"I am the House's representative," the woman said. "Call me Alea. Come now." She led us through rows and rows of slot machines, one-armed bandits. I could see the faint outlines of people playing them, pulling the handles down, entering in coin after coin. "Don't mind them," Alea said. "They aren't even here. Much."

She led us down into the basement of the casino, down a flight of concrete steps. There, she pushed a button and a large light came on, illuminating a door.

"This is a Door," she said. "Capital D. Your chance to exit the House. If you win, that is."

"How do we know it doesn't end up in the Empty City?" the writer asked.

"It does," Alea said. "A specific section of the City. I believe it's called the Fractal Palace. Your next mansion to cross off."

"How does she know that?" Tulip asked.

"Oh," Alea said, "everyone knows where you all are headed. But nobody's ever been to the Wall before. I'd love to see you try. Now, to go through the Door, however, you have to play the game."

"What game?" I asked.

"What game?" Alea repeated. "Why, the game." She smiled and gestured to the other side of the basement. There was a roulette wheel with a man strapped to it. His eyes were dice. "It's the only game in town. Spin the wheel, my friends. Spin and see what happens."

The writer looked at me and nodded his head. Of course. I was the unlucky one. I had to spin the wheel. The worst outcome would be mine. But what was worse? Staying here as a guest/ghost of the House? Or going through the Door?

I stepped forwardly and nervously turned the wheel. It spun must faster than I had pushed it.

The man in the center said nothing. He was still alive, I could see, still breathing. But his eyes had been removed, blood staining his cheeks. The dice in his eye sockets rattled -- how, I don't know -- as the wheel spun faster and then, slowly, it stopped.

Alea looked at the dice. "Snake eyes," she said. "You don't see that every day. Go on now."

We turned and the Door was opened. Beyond it was a staircase. The writer and Tulip stepped through first and I turned back to look at Alea. She was still smiling, our apparent escape not bothering her at all. "You come back any time you want," she said. "It's been a long while since we've had a snake eyes."

I walked through the Door and it closed behind me.