excerpt - Poker Night With Louie da Squid
Tentacles oozed out of the well. Some of them twitched as if they wanted to strangle Tully. Tully's eyelids drooped as he flirted with surrender. Then he noticed a pair of tentacles off to one side, shuffling a crisp Tally-Ho Circle card deck. Off to the other side, slightly behind Tully, was a bucket of lobsters, along with a case of Guinness. After a deep breath to dredge up all his courage, Tully attempted the most radical invocation of his life.
"I've been known to play a bit of poker. Not very good at it, I'm afraid."
Tully took a step back, then to the side. He snaked a foot behind the bucket to push the lobsters forward.
A gargle down the well resolved itself into words. "Five card stud. Aces wild."
The cards were dealt, but Louie didn't ante up.
Tully looked at his hand, discarded, and took another deep breath. "Two, please."
Louie flicked a tentacle.
Tully studied the new hand, then raised with the case of stout. Louie discarded, took three cards.
"Cards?," the Old One gargled.
Now Tully understood. All in, this was his cue to fold.
Louie never lost. Louie never bet. Louie knew all the cards, all the time. He chose to accept what they brought as his due. What more could Tully offer?
Amusement.
"I know it isn't table stakes," Tully blurted, "but I'll raise you an idea."
The tentacles thrashed. One of them melted into Tully's forehead for a nanosecond eternity. The gargle intensified.
"Proceed. Poker night is every Thursday. Bring fresh fish."
"I've been known to play a bit of poker. Not very good at it, I'm afraid."
Tully took a step back, then to the side. He snaked a foot behind the bucket to push the lobsters forward.
A gargle down the well resolved itself into words. "Five card stud. Aces wild."
The cards were dealt, but Louie didn't ante up.
Tully looked at his hand, discarded, and took another deep breath. "Two, please."
Louie flicked a tentacle.
Tully studied the new hand, then raised with the case of stout. Louie discarded, took three cards.
"Cards?," the Old One gargled.
Now Tully understood. All in, this was his cue to fold.
Louie never lost. Louie never bet. Louie knew all the cards, all the time. He chose to accept what they brought as his due. What more could Tully offer?
Amusement.
"I know it isn't table stakes," Tully blurted, "but I'll raise you an idea."
The tentacles thrashed. One of them melted into Tully's forehead for a nanosecond eternity. The gargle intensified.
"Proceed. Poker night is every Thursday. Bring fresh fish."
Wanna read the whole story?
Click here for
Poker Night With Louie da Squid at Feral Cat Publishing,
then purchase your own copy of Bubble Off-Plumb!
Click here for
Poker Night With Louie da Squid at Feral Cat Publishing,
then purchase your own copy of Bubble Off-Plumb!