The Grand Wheel

The darkness of the cupboard vanished. He was sitting on an ordinary chair in a small, windowless room. The walls were decorated with blue and gold fretwork: it was a standard holbooth room. The chair facing him was, however, empty.

He waited until Magdan, his Legitimacy controller, appeared suddenly in the chair about a minute later. He wore a satin dressing-gown and was rubbing his eyes. Evidently Scarne had got him out of bed.

‘This is a hell of a time to be calling, Scarne,’ Magdan’s hologram image said with a scowl. ‘There’d better be a good reason for it.’

‘There is.’ Briefly Scarne recounted the events of the previous night, the game with Skode Loder and the subsequent approach. ‘This kind of thing is traditional,’ he explained. ‘So there you are: I think I’ve got my foot in.’

Magdan showed none of the expected delight. ‘About time. I was beginning to write you off. How much did this mechanic take off you?’

‘Everything. About two hundred thousand.’

At that, Magdan became angry. ‘Hell, that was government money,’ he exploded. ‘I have to account for everything you throw down the drain.’

‘It was fun,’ Scarne admitted. ‘I can’t honestly see that I owe anything. Besides, I thought I just explained: the Wheel wouldn’t have made contact until I was destitute. They have a high regard for tradition.’ He paused. ‘By the way, did you know the Wheel does still run mugger jackpots?’

‘So what’s new?’ Magdan grunted, sinking into his thoughts for a moment.

‘I hit one last night. After the game.’

Magdan showed interest. ‘Well! That wasn’t exactly coincidence, was it?’

‘I don’t know …’ Scarne said doubtfully. ‘The Wheel doesn’t fix its muggers. I’m sure of that.’

‘Oh, certainly. Like your Tarot cards weren’t stripped.’

‘That was different,’ Scarne told him. ‘The house didn’t do the sharping. A player from outside did it – a hired freelance or a Wheel employee from another level, somebody the house doesn’t know anything about. There was something unusual about this jackpot, too.’ He ruminated, trying to find words to describe his experience. ‘I had a vision. A vision of randomness – pure randomness, below every level maths can reach.’ He stopped. There was little point in trying to convey abstract ideas to this beefy secret serviceman.

‘What are you trying to suggest?’ Magdan asked slowly.

‘Maybe the Wheel are using their new equations. The luck equations.’

‘And they steered you a jackpot by sheer luck?’

‘Yes. Then they wouldn’t have to fix it.’

‘It’s quite a thought,’ Magden conceded. He became thoughtful. ‘When this is all over we’ll have you de-briefed over that jackpot. They can be psychologically damaging – that’s one reason why they’re outlawed.’ He frowned, sinking his chin into his chest, thinking hard. ‘I’m still inclined to think the mugger was rigged, though. I don’t have your belief in the Wheel’s fastidiousness. When did you say they’re calling?’

‘At ten.’

‘Meantime I’m closing this connection down. We don’t want it traced. When you have something for us, call one of the numbers you’ve already memorized.’

‘The antidote,’ Scarne said.

‘Huh?’ Magdan looked up at him, sharply.

‘If you’re leaving me without a personal controller, I want the antidote. I’m as good as inside. I’ve done enough to deserve it.’

Magdan pulled an ugly face, expressing derision. ‘Forget it. You’ll get the antidote when you deliver the luck equations, and not a minute before.’

He rose from his seat. Scarne began to get desperate. ‘Don’t leave me without a link-man,’ he pleaded. ‘The Wheel could take me literally anywhere. What if I need to renew my supply?’

‘Call one of the numbers.’

‘I might not be able to call a number! Or perhaps your agent won’t be able to reach me.’ Scarne’s tone became wheedling. ‘Give me the antidote. You needn’t worry about my reneging. I’m on your side.’

Magdan cast his eyes upwards. ‘Oh, sure. Look, you know the score, Scarne, or at least you ought to by now. You’re not our only hook in the water, you know. Come through with the goods and you’ll be all right. After all, people like you never do anything without an incentive, do they?’

As Magdan turned to go Scarne surged to his feet in a sudden fury. ‘You goddamned bastard,’ he choked. He threw himself at Magdan. Their two forms tussled, the scanners integrating their hologram images and causing them to respond to one another like physical objects. The holbooth system was nothing if not pure communication.

Abruptly Magdan vanished, quickly followed by the holbooth room itself. Scarne found himself back in the darkened clothes closet, threatening empty air.

Nothing happened when he tried the activating switch again. Magdan had dissolved the secret holbooth connection, as he had said he would. Scarne stepped from the closet shaking with reaction. One day he’d get even with Magdan, he promised himself savagely, but futilely. In fact, he was aware that he would not have the courage physically to attack the controller in the flesh.