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| Chapter Five | ||||||||||||
| Grandmasters | ||||||||||||
| Back within the gaming room where the inner circle was, an uncomfortable silence had fallen over the spectators. The game had taken a new and unexpected twist. One monitor showed the satellite map of the playing field, another displayed a chessboard with icons representing the living pieces. | ||||||||||||
| "He lost his queen - for two pawns and a bishop..." Fauthorth muttered in disbelief and disgust. | ||||||||||||
| "Apparently you were right - he was up to something. Who is that pawn?" the duchess asked calmly. Marty smiled and picked up a phone. He watched Raymond racing towards the White Citadel. | ||||||||||||
| "Just a normal person. Just like the usual type we grab for his rank. Excuse me for a moment. This is Marty...Hi, Could you please send some fire trucks to the auto assembly factory? It sort of exploded...You know the story...It should be under control in ten minutes? Great. Bye." Marty concluded. He hung up the phone and chuckled quietly. A few of the people there were scowling at him. | ||||||||||||
| "What? Oh come on! You think I sneaked in a ringer?" he asked sarcastically. | ||||||||||||
| "We haven't seen a Rank Eight Pawn progress that quickly since - well, you. You will pardon us for being suspicious of course." Police Chief Quinton stated calmly. Marty sat down and took a sip from his wineglass. | ||||||||||||
| "Of course. I am sure by now that you must have his dossier in your hot little hands by now. If your eyes couldn't find a connection - how could one exist? Besides, just because Jullien brought in a ringer doesn't mean I would." Marty stated rationally. | ||||||||||||
| "We've been through that already! It was proven beyond a reasonable doubt that I did NOT know you were a Navy SEAL. I wish you would stop bringing that up. It is very catty and is so beneath you." Jullien retorted. Marty laughed and leaned back in his chair. | ||||||||||||
| "Quinton, if you could be so kind as to display the statistical data on Black Pawn Rank Eight - Raymond?" Marty requested. The police chief pushed a button on a remote. Seconds later a complete dossier of Raymond replaced the satellite view of the battlefield. | ||||||||||||
| "The subject is Raymond Michaels. He went to a normal high school, kept pretty much to himself, was captain of the chess team but lost a big game in the finals. After that everything seems plain. He didn't marry - has no kids. Currently works in a small bookstore. Only thing that really stands out is that he obtained a black belt in judo in record time. This guy is either as plain as buttered bread or has had his files seriously doctored." Fauthorth rationalized. The duchess and the police chief shared Fauthorth's view. The ambassador and the mayor chose to remain silent. | ||||||||||||
| "But all this pleasantness aside, it would seem that the balance of power has just shifted. Perhaps this young pawn will cause an upset - maybe not. The game is still far from over gentlemen - and lady." Marty said humorously. The mood slightly shifted from being suspicious to more relaxed. | ||||||||||||
| "Do remember, it just takes one mistake to change the game. The white king made the mistake of sending his queen to pick at the pawns. He tried to compensate by sending a pawn to back it up, but by then it was too late. I will stay my wager this round. I believe that the shift might make the black king slightly careless, but who can predict one way over the other. Does anyone wish to wager?" Marty asked curiously. | ||||||||||||
| "I think I speak for all of us on this, we too will wait." The police chief replied. The others present silently agreed. Marty put his wagering computer down and walked over to the monitor. There he looked closely at the file on Raymond. | ||||||||||||
| "How did you learn of him?" the duchess asked. | ||||||||||||
| "The same way the rest of you did, through Quinton. One of his officers lured him in. do me a favor Quinton, do some serious digging on him. If he isn't exactly as he seems - on any level, the game is on hold and he is to be exterminated with extreme prejudice." Marty requested. | ||||||||||||
| "I'm already on it." He replied. | ||||||||||||
| "You don't think someone sent him here - do you?" the ambassador asked curiously. Marty was silent as he studied the file. | ||||||||||||
| "I don't know. According to Quinton's man, Raymond was on his way to a chess tournament. The possibility of someone knowing who we are and where we are is beyond astronomical. Technically we are supposed to be invisible to the world - politically, socially, even geographically. But there are a few clever people out there who have a talent for sifting through the mountains of red tape that we pour out. If one of those people sent him, we can't take any chances." Marty replied seriously. | ||||||||||||
| "Even if it costs you the game?" the ambassador asked. | ||||||||||||
| "Even if. But let's not talk of such dreadful topics anymore. It ruins my stomach for the appreciation of the game." Marty replied. Most of the gathering laughed at the remark. Only Fauthorth found no humor in the situation. | ||||||||||||
| "Well, we wouldn't want that to happen. How much will it cost to repair the city?" the duchess asked curiously. Marty waved his hands at the question. | ||||||||||||
| "A couple million or more. Nothing but pennies to us. Quinton, be a good man and put the show back on. You can study if you want, the rest of us want to watch the show." Marty stated. Quinton casually pushed a button on a remote. The file of Raymond faded and was replaced with the satellite map of the battlefield. | ||||||||||||
| "Let the games continue..." Marty stated calmly. Everyone but Quinton eagerly watched the monitor, for he was doing some serious fact checking on the black pawn that had obtained eight access cards. | ||||||||||||
| To be Continued... | ||||||||||||