oth.

A five and a one. Six. He still had to make his point. Scooping up the
dice Jason talked to them, mumbled the ancient oaths that brought luck
and threw again.

It took five throws before he made the six.

The crowd echoed his sigh and their voices rose quickly. He wanted to
stop, take a deep breath, but he knew he couldn't. Winning the money was
only part of the job--they now had to get away with it. It had to look
casual. A waiter was passing with a tray of drinks. Jason stopped him
and tucked a hundred-credit note in his pocket.

"Drinks are on me," he shouted while he pried the tray out of the
waiter's hands. Well-wishers cleared the filled glasses away quickly and
Jason piled the chips onto the tray. They more than loaded it, but Kerk
appeared that moment with a second tray.

"I'll be glad to help you, sir, if you will permit me," he said.

Jason looked at him, and laughed permission. It was the first time he
had a clear look at Kerk in the Casino. He was wearing loose, purple
evening pajamas over what must have been a false stomach. The sleeves
were long and baggy so he looked fat rather than muscular. It was a
simple but effective disguise.

[Illustration]

Carefully carrying the loaded trays, surrounded by a crowd of excited
patrons, they made their way to the cashier's window. The manager
himself was there, wearing a sickly grin. Even the grin faded when he
counted the chips.

"Could you come back in the morning," he said, "I'm afraid we don't have
that kind of money on hand."

"What's the matter," Kerk shouted, "trying to get out of paying him? You
took _my_ money easy enough when I lost--it works both ways!"

The onlookers, always happy to see the house lose, growled their
disagreement. Jason finished the matter in a loud voice.

"I'll be reasonable, give me what cash you have and I'll take a check
for the balance."

There was no way out. Under the watchful eye of the gleeful crowd the
manager packed an envelope with bills and wrote a check. Jason took a
quick glimpse at it, then stuffed it into an inside pocket. With the
envelope under one arm he followed Kerk towards the door.

Because of the onlookers there was no trouble in the main room, but just
as they reached the side entrance two men moved in, blocking the way.

"Just a moment--" one said. He never finished the sentence. Kerk walked
into them without slowing and they bounced away like tenpins. Then Kerk
and Jason were out of t