tomer who bugged his eyes and
lost some of his tan when he saw the sheaf of bills.

"You ... wish to deposit these with us?" he asked while his fingers
unconsciously stroked them.

"Not today," Jason said. "They were paid to me as a debt. Would you
please check that they are authentic and change them? I'd like five
hundred thousand credit notes."

Both of his inner chest pockets were packed tight when he left the bank.
The bills were good and he felt like a walking mint. This was the first
time in his entire life that carrying a large sum of money made him
uncomfortable. Waving to a passing helicab he went directly to the
Casino, where he knew he would be safe--for a while.

Cassylia Casino was the playspot of the nearby cluster of star systems.
It was the first time Jason had seen it, though he knew its type well.
He had spent most of his adult life in casinos like this on other
worlds. The decor differed but they were always the same. Gambling and
socialities in public--and behind the scenes all the private vice you
could afford. Theoretically no-limit games, but that was true only up to
a certain point. When the house was really hurt the honest games stopped
being square and the big winner had to watch his step very carefully.
These were the odds Jason dinAlt had played against countless times
before. He was wary but not very concerned.

The dining room was almost empty and the major-domo quickly rushed to
the side of the relaxed stranger in the richly cut clothes. Jason was
lean and dark, looking more like the bored scion of some rich family
than a professional gambler. This appearance was important and he
cultivated it. The cuisine looked good and the cellar turned out to be
wonderful. He had a professional talk with the sommelier while waiting
for the soup, then settled down to enjoy his meal.

He ate leisurely and the large dining room was filled before he was
through. Watching the entertainment over a long cigar killed some more
time. When he finally went to the gaming rooms they were filled and
active.

Moving slowly around the room he dropped a few thousand credits. He
scarcely noticed how he played, giving more attention to the feel of the
games. The play all seemed honest and none of the equipment was rigged.
That could be changed very quickly, he realized. Usually it wasn't
necessary, house percentage was enough to assure a profit.

Once he saw Kerk out of the corner of his eye but he paid him no