Coyote Blue Chapter 23~24

Part 3QuestCHAPTER 23Pavlovs Dogs and the Rhinest hot guessing TurdLas VegasThe comp allowely distractions from the noise of his own mind were desert-dried roadkills, thrown retreads, and road prints reflecting desolation. sur establishment-to-air missile swarm, smoked, and fought somnolence by worrying ab bring proscribed how he would find the lady friend. The hoaxer slept in the passenger seat.surface-to-air missile had been to Las Vegas three terms out front with Aaron to chaffer logical argument boxing at Caesars Palace. cardinal hundred dollars bought them seats at nosebleed altitude, closer to the moon than the ring, still Aaron insisted that at that place was nonhing comparable creation at that place. Without binoculars, following the progress of the fight was like tracking down a rumor. surface-to-air missile usu every(prenominal)y watched the women and did his best to keep Aaron calmed down.As soon as they walked into a casino Aaron started. This is my town The lights, the excitement, the women I was born for this place. because Aaron would miss a couple grounds at the tables and suck free disunite and tonics until he staggered. In the morning surface-to-air missile would drag Aaron out of a tangle of sitin sheets and hookers, throw him in the shower, and listen to his long lament of contrition and hangover as he lay in the impaleseat of the automobile with a jacket over his head up, whining the whole commission ground be given active how he would never re squirm. Aaron never failed to fuel the greed gondola and was ever befuddle when it juiced him of his hope.It was the shape that fascinated surface-to-air missile. While Aaron ground himself through the velvet gears, surface-to-air missile watched the running(a)s of the most elaborate Skinner box on the face of the Earth. Drop the coin, hear the bell, peck the lights, eat the food, see the women, hear the bell, see the lights, drop the coin once again. Th e ostentation of the casinos did not create desire for bullion it make gold meaningless. There were no mortgages in a casino, no fryren needing food, no political machine needing re partner offs, no work, no time, no day, no shadowtime those things the context of m binglenessy were someplace else. A place where people re sour before they currentized that a diddly wraped in rhinest aces is a turd nonetheless.Sam precept the glow from Las Vegas rising over the desert from 30 miles out. He poked brush wolf in the leg and the trickster woke up.Hold the wheel, Sam said.Let me drive. You green goddess ease.Youre not driving my railway cable car. gravelly cumber the wheel.coyote held the wheel age Sam punched scarcetons on the console. The screen of the navigation clay flickered on. Sam punched a few more alonetons and a street social occasion of Las Vegas lit up green on the screen. A blip representing the Merecedes blinked on Highway 15 toward the city.Oka y, Sam said, pickings the wheel again. prairie wolf analyze the screen. How do you win?Its not a game, its a map. The blip is us.The car knows where it is going, like a long horse?It doesnt know, it just evidences us where we are.Like face out the window?Look, Im going to put on to sleep when we begin to Vegas. I dont even know where to start run acrossing for C in totallyiope.Why dont you ask the car?Sam ignored the question. Im going to chance us a room. He dialed information on the cellular phone, got the anatomy of a casino hotel, hence called and reserved a room.The turn overs off the highway were marked by call of casinos they led to, not by the names of streets or roads. Sam took the exit marked Camelot. He followed the signs down the surface streets lined with pawnshops, convenience stores, and low-slung cinder-block buildings nether neon signs that proclaimed, CASH FOR YOUR CAR, CHECKS CASHED HERE, MARRIAGES AND DIVORCES TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR DRIVE-THRU WINDOW. br ush wolf said, What are these places?Sam regard to regard of a quick explanation, but was too weary from escape of sleep to tackle the concept of Las Vegas in twenty-tail fin words or less. Finally he said, These are places where you go if you want to fuck up your life and you dont pass a lot of time to do it in. ar we going to stop? zero(prenominal) I seem to be fucking up at a fine rate of speed, give thanks you. Sam descry the pseudomedieval towers of Camelot rising above the strip, multi- burnished pennons flying from affirmards tipped with aircraft warning lights. He wondered what the real King Arthur (if there was a King Arthur, and who was he to question the legality behind myth?) would have mind about the casino named aft(prenominal) his legendary city. Would he recognize anything? Would he cower in worry at the sight of his counterbalance electric light? Flush hindquarters? Automobile? Would he be reduced to a pathetic Quixote assail this place where chivalry was a quaint marketing idea? Or would the Once and Future King lay eyes on a leggy keno girl and raise some different lance to hunt the knights of the Round Table in a charge? The women, Sam decided, would be Arthurs touchstone, and his down refund.He shot a behold at prairie wolf. When we get there youre going to see a lot of women without a lot of vesture on. Stay away from them.coyote envisioned surprised. I never touch a wo art object who does not want it-Dont touch Sam interrupted. brush wolf slouched in his seat. Or need it, he whispered.Sam drove the Mercedes over a giant drawbridge and stopped at the hu reality parking blank space where a dozen young men dressed like squires were scrambling more or less unloading cars, filling out slips, and driving cars away.This is it, Sam said. He popped the consistency and got out, leaving the engine running. A warm desert wind serve over him at the same time a young gentlemans gentleman ran around the car and held out a nu mbered slip of paper. Your ticket, mi professional.Sam delve in his pocket for a bill to tip the kid, but free-base nothing. Im sorry, he said. I dont have any silver on me. Ill get your name and get by a tip at the desk.The kid time-tested to force a smile and failed. Very good, milord. He jumped in the car and slammed the door. Sam cringed and tapped on the window. The window whirred down the kid waited.Sam leaned in and read the kids p at long lastic mark. Look, uh, Squire turkey cock, I rattling volition leave a tip at the desk for you. We left(a) in a hastiness and I forgot to get funds.The kid waited, gunning the engine.Theres an alarm remote on the keys. Could you turn it on after you park it? wholeness chirp is armed.Squire Tom nodded and pulled away. Sam heard him say, The pox on you, Moorish pig, over the hellholech glumnessleg of the tires. How au accordinglytic, Sam belief. He watched the Mercedes disappear around the corner and wondered why valet parki ng always made him feel as if he had seen his car for the last time. brush wolf stood across the lane waving to the car. He looked over. Moorish pig?The dark skin, I guess, said Sam. He led coyote past a one-half-dozen squires and an overweight guy in a purple-and-yellow jesters fit with a radio on his rap music and a badge that read, original Larry, over another(prenominal) drawbridge, and into the casino.Trumpets played a fanfare as they crossed the threshold under a brace of huge broadswords. A jolly electronic voice welcomed them to Camelot. Sam spotted a charr in a peasant dress by a sign reading, Ye Olde Information. The badge she wore, next to a magnificent display of cleavage, read, Lusty birdie Wendy. Sam pulled brush wolf hind end and approached the girl. redact me, er, Wendy. I have a room reserved and I need to find a cash machine.The girl spoke in a whining fake- slope-over-true-Brooklyn accent. Well she threw out a hip, struck a pose if milords proceed th rough the casino to the left to the second arch, ye leave behind find the adaptation desk. Theres cash machines by apiece arch, milord.Thanks, Sam said. He started to walk away, accordingly turned back to the girl. Excuse me, but Ive been here before and I thought e actuallyone was a lord or a lady. Lusty boo is a new one.The English accent had overheated and failed. Yeah. About three months ago they said it was get sorta confusing. You know, six Lord Steves, ten Lady Debbies. They use a glob of other medieval titles now. The bellboys are serfs. Lusty wenches, alchemists, stuff like that.Oh, thanks, Sam said as if he understood. He led prairie wolf into the bedlam of the casino, looking for a cash machine while trying to move quickly. coyotes appearance was attracting attention, and when people looked up from a expansion slot machine or dark-skinnedjack table, Sam knew they were truly distracted. As they passed a carousel of slot machines, a middle-aged muliebrity who w as pumping quarters into a machine by the handful leaned so far back to get a look at the trickster that she nearly toppled off her stool. Sam caught her and steadied her. He works at the Frontier, up the strip, Sam said. brush wolf peeked over Sams shoulder joint, winked at the woman, thus licked his superciliums. The womans jaw dropped.Exotic dancer, Sam explained. The woman nodded, a s merchant shipt(p) stunned, and returned her attention to the slot machine.I wish well you wouldnt do that, Sam said to prairie wolf. And dont you have any other clothes? Something a little more conservative?Wool? prairie wolf made an incredibly pragmatic sheep noise. A snake pit boss at the blackjack tables raised an eyebrow and ii aegis jesters fell in behind Sam and Coyote.Be cool, Sam said. He turned under a hanging tapis of a unicorn and stopped by a cash machine, checking over his shoulder for the security jesters. They waited and watched, standing a few feet away, while Sam took a ornament of credit throwaways from his wallet and shuffled through them. When he inserted one of the dining tables in the machine and punched his identification number the jesters locomote off.Theyre gone, Coyote said.Yeah, as long as it looks like youre going to spend money I guess it doesnt matter what you look like.Coyote watched as the cash machine spit a stack of twenties into the tray. You win, he said. You picked the decently numbers the first time.Yeah, Im lucky that way.Try again, see if you win.Sam grinned. Im very good at this game. He put a different card into the machine and punched the same PIN number while Coyote watched. The machine whirred and another stack of twenties shot into the tray.You won Play again.No. We need to check in. Sam picked up the money and walked to a registration desk that was long enough to land planes on. At this hour of the morning there were notwithstanding two people on the desk, a lusty wench named Chantel and a very tall, thin, very black man in a business suit and wraparound sunglasses who stood back from the desk and watched, unmoving.Hunter, Samuel, Sam said. I have a reservation. He placed a credit card on the desk. The girl typed for a second. The computer beeped and the girl looked over her shoulder at the black man, who moved like liquid to her side. He consulted the screen for a moment. What now? Sam thought.The black man looked down at Sam and a lunate moon of a smile appeared on the night sky of his face. He picked up Sams credit card and handed it back. Mr. Hunter, thank you for joining us again. The rooms on Camelot, sir. And if theres anything I can get you, enrapture dont hesitate to call down and ask.Sam was dumbfounded. wherefore he remembered. The last time he had stayed here Aaron had conf employ almost twenty thousand dollars and billed it to their suite of rooms. The suite had been registered in Sams name. Vegas loves a loser.Thank you Sam read the mans nameplate, which was pinned at Sams eye level M.F. No Lord, no Squire, no title at all just M.F.The second elevator on your left, Mr. Hunter, the lusty wench said. Twenty-seventh groundwork.Thanks, Sam said. Coyote grinned at the girl and Sam dragged him away to the elevator, where the trickster immediately punched in four floor numbers and stood back. This time, I will win.Its a fucking elevator, Sam said. Just push twenty-seven. only that is not the lucky number.Sam sighed and pushed the floor number, then waited while they stopped at all the floors Coyote had pushed on their way to twenty-seven.Once in the room, Sam stripped to his shorts and fell onto one of the king-size beds. Get some sleep if you can. Ill try and figure out how to find Calliope in the morning. Im too tired to think now.You sleep, Coyote said. I will think of a plan.Sam didnt answer. He was already asleep.Coyote Loses His AssCoyote and his friend stovepipe had been hunting all day, but neither had found any game. After a while they sat down on some rocks and began talking.This is your fault, Coyote said. I can always find game.I dont think so, best said. If you are much(prenominal) a good hunter, why is your wife so nigh?Coyote thought about his skinny wife and beaver furs fat little wife and he was jealous. Well, how about a bet? he said. Tomorrow we will each go out hunting. If you get more rabbits, you can come to my lodge and sleep with my wife so you can see that my skinny wife is better. But if I get more rabbits, I get to sleep with your wife.Sounds fair, Beaver said.The next day, after the hunt, Coyote came to Beavers lodge carrying his one scrawny rabbit. Oh, Mrs. Beaver, he called. Ive come to collect on my bet.Mrs. Beaver called from in spite of appearance the lodge. Oh, Coyote, you are a great hunter. Mr. Beaver just stopped by with twenty rabbits on his way to your lodge. You better go stop him and tell him that you got more.Right, Coyote said. Ill be by rights back. He slunk off to his l odge drag his rabbit.His wife was waiting outside. Nice rabbit, she said.Beaver is inside. Ill see you in the morning. Coyotes wife went into the lodge and pulled down the door flap.All night Coyote sat outside his lodge shivering and listening. At one point he heard his wife cry out.Beaver Coyote shouted. Dont you hurt my wife.Hes not hurting me, Mrs. Coyote said. I like itSwell, Coyote said.The next morning Beaver came out of Coyotes lodge singing and grinning. No hard feelings, right?A bet is a bet, Coyote said.Mrs. Coyote peeked out and said, perhaps this will teach you not to gamble.Right, Coyote said. Then he called to Beaver, Hey, how about playing the hand game with me double or nothing?Sounds good, Beaver said. Lets go down to the river.At the river Coyote said, This is for a night with your wife. Then he picked the wrong hand.You really shouldnt gamble, Beaver said.Ill bet you my best horse for a night with your wife, Coyote said.After a while, Coyote had lost all his horses, his lodge, his wife, and his clothes. One more time, he said.But you dont have anything left, Beaver said.Ill bet you my ass against everything else.I dont want your ass, Beaver said.I thought you were my friend.Okay, Beaver said. He hid the stone behind his back. Coyote picked the wrong hand. crowd out I borrow your knife? Coyote said.I dont want your ass, Beaver said.A bet is a bet, Coyote said. He took Beavers knife and cut off his ass. Boy, that stings. Ive got to go, Beaver said. Ill tell your wife she can come and sleep in my lodge if she wants to. He picked up all of Coyotes things and went home.When Coyote got home his wife was waiting. Beaver took the lodge, she said.Yep, Coyote said.Wheres your ass? she asked.Beaver got that too.You know, she said, theres a twelve-step course of study for gambling. You should look into it.Twelve steps. Coyote laughed. Ill bet I can do it in six.CHAPTER 24Coyote in Trickster TownLas VegasCoyote had been a long time in the Spirit Wo rld, where everyone knew him, so no one would gamble with him. Now that he was in Trickster Town, he cute to make up for lost time. He waited for Sam to fall asleep, then he took the salesmans wallet and went down the elevator to the casino.Coyote byword hundreds of shiny machines blinking, and ringing, and clanking big coins into hollow metal bowls. He saw green tables where people traded money for colorful chips and a woman in a cage who paid money for the chips. He saw a wheel with a ball that went around and around. When the ball stopped a man took everyones chips. The key to that one, Coyote thought, is to grab your chips when you see the ball retard down.At one green table, a shaman with a beget chanted while players threw bones. There was much shouting and moaning after each throw and the shaman took some chips from the players. That is a game of magic, Coyote thought. I will be very good at that one. But first I must use Sams cheating treat on this machine.The trickste r stood by a machine that he had seen Sam win from two times. He took one of the gold separate from Sams wallet and slipped it into the machine, then he press the number that he had seen Sam use. The machine beeped and spit the card out.Panther piss Coyote swore. Ive lost. He pounded on the machine, then stepped back and drew another card from Sams wallet. He put it in the machine and pressed the number. The machine beeped and spit out the card. Balls Coyote said. This cheating medicine is no good.A round woman in pink extend pants who was standing behind Coyote cleared her throat and made an impatient humphing noise. Coyote turned to her. Get your own machine. This one is mine.The woman glared at the trickster and tapped her foot.Go, go, go, Coyote said, waving her away. There are many machines to play on. I was here first. Go away.He put another card into the machine and hunched over the keyboard so the woman would not steal his cheating medicine. He looked back over his shoulde r. She was trying to see what he was doing. Go away, woman. My cheating medicine will not serve well you. Even if you win you will still be ugly.The woman cover the strap of her pocketbook around her wrist and wound up to unload it at Coyote. Coyote was going to turn into a flea and disappear into the carpet, but he would have had to drop Sams wallet to do it, so he hesitated and the woman let fly.Coyote ducked and covered his head, but the blow didnt come. quite he heard a solid thud above his head and looked up to see a huge black hand property the pocketbook in the air, the woman dangling from the strap at the other end. Coyote looked up further, craning his neck, until he saw a dazzling crescent moon of a smile in the face like night sky.Is there a problem? said the crescent moon in a soft, calm, deep voice. The giant lowered the woman, who stood stunned, staring up at what looked like a living late-afternoon shadow in sunglasses. The giant was used to shocking people whi te people anyway a seven-foot black man anywhere off a basketball court nonplussed most. He squeezed the womans shoulder softly to bring her back to her senses. Are you all right, maam? Again the smile.Fine. Im fine, the woman said, and she tottered off into the casino to tell her conserve that, by God, they would spend their next vacation in Hawaii where natives and giants if they were there at all were part of the entertainment.The giant turned his attention to Coyote. And you, sir, can I help you with anything?You look like Raven, Coyote said. Do you always wear sunglasses?Always, sir, the giant said with a urbane bow. He pointed to the brass nameplate on his black suit jacket. Im M.F., customer returns, at your service, sir.Whats the M.F. stand for? Coyote asked.Just M.F., sir. I am the youngest of nine children. I figure my mother was too tired to come up with a rise name.This was not entirely true, nor entirely false. The giants mother had, indeed, been weary by t he time he was born, but she had also developed an unnatural obsession with dental hygiene as a child, after she was chosen to be one of the first students ever to participate in a Crest toothpaste test. It had been her wholeness moment of glory, her fifteen legal proceeding of fame (and her best checkup ever). When she grew up she unify a navy man named Nathan smart, and as she bore her children she christened them in medical history of her day in the dental sun. The first of the Fresh children, a boy, was named Fluoristat. Then came three more boys Tartar, Plaque, and Molar. Then two girls Gingivitis and Flossie (the latter after the known dental hygiene cow). After normal deliveries of two more sons, premolar and Incisor, she had a long, difficult labor with her largest and last son, Minty. Later, Mother Fresh swore that had the child taken one more minute to come into the world, she would have named him Mr. Tooth collapse out of spite a fact that gave little solace to the man named Minty Fresh.Coyote said, People think that it stands for motherfucker, dont they?No, Minty said. No one has ever mentioned it.Oh, Coyote said. Can you fix this machine? When I give it the cheating number it just beeps.Minty Fresh looked at the cash machine, which was still blinking the heart and soul INSTRUCTIONS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, OR JAPANESE. CHOOSE ONE. Youll need to choose a language, sir. He reached down and pushed the English button. It should be fine now.Coyote inserted a card and punched two numbers on the keyboard, then looked at Minty. This is my conundrum number.Yes, Minty said. If you need anything at all, please ask for me personally. He turned and walked away.Coyote finished punching the PIN number. When the machine prompted him for an amount he punched in $9999.99, the maximum allowed by the six-figure field. The machine whirred and spit five hundred dollars into the tray, then flashed a message saying that this was the cards transaction limit. Coy ote tried the card again and got another five hundred. The third time the machine refused the transaction so Coyote tried another card. After running all of Sams cards to their limit he walked away from the machine with twenty thousand dollars in cash.Coyote went to the roulette table and held the four-inch brick of twenties out to the croupier, a slight Oriental woman in a red-and-purple silk doublet with a name badge that read, Lady Lihn. The croupier said, On the table. She gestured for Coyote to put the money down. She nodded to a pit boss. Watch count, please, she said mechanically. The pit boss, a sharp-faced, slick-haired Italian man tiring a polyester suit and a ten-thousand-dollar Rolex, moved to her side and watched as she counted the bills out on the table.Changing twenty thousand, Lady Lihn said. How would you like this, sir?Red ones, Coyote said. The pit boss raised an eyebrow and smirked. Lady Lihn looked irritated.Red is five dollar. No room on table.The pit boss add ressed Coyote. mayhap youd like two hundred in fives and the rest in hundreds, sir.What color are the hundreds? Coyote said.Black, Lady Lihn said.Yellows, Coyote said.Yellows are two dollars.You pick, Coyote said.Lady Lihn counted out racks of chips and pushed them in front of Coyote. The pit boss nodded to a cocktail work, then to the stack of chips in front of Coyote, which the cocktail waitress interpreted as Take the order. The cocktail waitress would bring strong swallows until Coyote started to get drunk, then she would bring watered drinks until he looked tired, when she would offer coffee and disappear until the caffeine kicked in.Can I bring you something to drink?Coyote turned to the cocktail waitress and stared into her cleavage. Yes, he said.The waitress held a pen ready over a cocktail napkin. What can I bring you?Coyote shot a glance to a woman at the table who was drinking a mai tai, first-class with paper parasols and sword-skewered tropical fruit. He grabbed the womans drink and downed half of it, nearly taking his eye out with the plastic broadsword. One of these, Coyote said. He replaced the drink in front of the woman, who didnt seem to notice that it had been missing. Shed been riding the alcohol-and-caffeine roller coaster for hours and was mantled in winning back her childrens college fund.Bets down, Lady Lihn said. Coyote put a single red chip on black and the ball was dropped. Coyote watched the ball race around the outside of the wheel. When it slowed and dropped to the numbers he reached for his bet.No touch bet, Lady Lihn snapped. In an instant the pit boss, the cocktail waitress, and two security jesters in steel-toed elf shoes were at Coyotes side. The trickster pulled his hand back. It will be hard to trick these people, Coyote thought. They talk like wolves, all twitches and gestures and smells.The ball dropped into a red slot and Lady Lihn placed another red chip next to Coyotes. I win, I win, I win, Coyote chanted. He did a skipping dance around the table and sing a victory song.Above the casino, in a mirrored dome, a moving-picture show camera picked up Coyotes dancing image and sent it to a deck of monitors where three men watched and, in turn, watched each other watch. One pressed a button and picked up a telephone. M.F., he said. This is God. Customer service on table fifty-nine. The Indian you were talking to a few minutes ago. Watch him.Im on it, Minty Fresh said. He turned to the girl who was working behind the computer. God wants me on the floor.The girl nodded. As Minty walked by her she sang softly, He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when youre awake.Minty Fresh smiled. He really didnt mind organism watched. Because of his size, people had always watched him. He had never intermix into any background, never entered a room unnoticed, never been able to raise up on someone. Attracting attention was as natural to him as being. And for every original-thinking dolt who asked him how th e weather was up there, there was a woman who wanted to research the wives tale of proportional hand-foot-penis size. (A tale, Minty thought, dreamed up by the unsated wives of small-footed men.)Minty spotted the Indian at the roulette table. The two security jesters had moved off a few feet but were still watching, as was the pit boss. When Minty came to the table they nodded in acknowledgment and moved off. The croupier looked at Minty and immediately looked back to the bets on the table. Minty Fresh put her on edge. It wasnt his size that rattled her, but the fact that no one was exactly sure what his job was, only that when there was a problem, he was there. He handled things.Lady Lihn dropped the ball into the wheel. It raced, then rattled into a slot, and she raked all the bets off the table. Coyote cursed and let out a howl. The woman playing next to him staggered back and wandered away, carrying visions of her children corroding paper hats and saying, I was going to go to college, but my mother went to Vegas instead. Would you like fries with that?Coyote looked at Minty Fresh. She was bad luck. I lost half of my chips because of her.Perhaps you should move to a different table, Minty said. We can open a private table just for you.Coyote grinned at Minty. You think you have a table where you can trick me?No, sir, Minty said, a little embarrassed. We dont wish to trick you.Theres nothing wrong with tricking people. They pay you to be tricked.We like to think of it as entertainment.Coyote laughed. Like movie stars and magicians? Tricksters. People want to be tricked. But you know that, dont you? He picked up his chips and walked to a realize table.Minty thought for a moment before following the Indian. He prided himself on being able to handle any situation with complete calm, but he found dealing with this Indian made him nervous, and a little afraid. But of what? Something in the eyes. He moved in behind Coyote, who was throwing chips on the crap tab le.You cant bet the numbers until the point has been made, sir, said the stickman, a thin, balding man in his forties. He pushed Coyotes chips back across the table. The stickman looked over Coyotes head and nodded to Minty Fresh before pushing the dice to the submarine sandwich. Place your bets, he said, and the leads working at either end of the table checked the bets on the felt. newly arrive ater coming out, the stickman said.A blond woman in a business suit and perfect newswoman makeup picked up the dice and blew on them. fall down on, seven, she said. Baby needs new shoes.Coyote twisted his neck to look at Minty Fresh. Does talking to them work?Minty nodded to the table as the woman let fly with the dice, rolling a two.Snake eyes the croupier said.Lizard rubber Coyote shouted back.The blond woman cursed and walked away from the table. The stickman shot a glance to Minty, then continued. Two. Craps. No pass. No come. Place your bets. New shooter coming out. He pushed the dice to Coyote, who threw a handful of black chips on the table and picked up the dice.You are small, but I am your friend, Coyote said to the dice. You have beautiful spots. He pulled the rawhide pouch from his flush and poured a fine powder on the dice.You cant do that, sir, the stickman said.Minty Fresh gently took the dice from Coyote and handed them to the boxman, who sat across from the stickman watching an marvellous rack of chips that was the tables bank. He inspected the dice, then gave them to the stickman, who dropped them in his tray and pushed a fresh pair to the trickster.What is this, shade? Coyote said. The shaman gets to use his power stick but I cant use my cheating powder?Im afraid not, Minty said.Coyote picked up the new dice and chucked them to the end of the table.Eight Easy, the stickman said.Did I win? Coyote asked Minty.No, now you have to roll another eight before you roll a seven or eleven.Coyote rolled again. The dice showed a pair of fours.Eight. Winne r. Hard way, the stickman chanted. The dealer placed a stack of black chips next to Coyotes bet.Ha, Coyote said, taunting Minty Fresh. See, I am good at this game.Very good, Minty said with a smile. You roll again.Coyote placed the residual of his chips on the table. The dealer immediately shot a glance to the boxman, who looked to Minty Fresh. Minty nodded. The boxman nodded. The dealer counted Coyotes chips and stacked them on the pass line. Playing twenty-one thousand.Coyote threw the dice.Two the stickman said. The dealer raked in Coyotes chips and handed them to the boxman, who stacked the racks in the table bank.I lost? Coyote said incredulously.Sorry, Minty said. But you didnt crap out. You can shoot again.Ill be back, Coyote said. He walked away and Minty followed him through the casino, into the lobby, and out the door. Coyote handed the valet ticket to a kid named Squire Jeff, then turned to Minty, who stood by the valet counter.Ill be back with more money.Well hold a pla ce for you, sir, Minty said, relieved that the Indian was leaving.I was just schooling your game, shade. You didnt trick me.Of course not, sir.Squire Jeff pulled up in the Mercedes, got out, and waited with his hand out. Coyote started to get into the car, then stopped and looked at the valet. He took the pouch from his belt and poured a bit of powder into the kids hand, then got in the car and drove away.Minty felt a wave of relief wash over him as he watched the Mercedes cross the drawbridge. Squire Jeff, still holding his palm out, turned to Minty Fresh.What am I supposed to do with this?You could snort it.Squire Jeff sniffed at the powder, then wrinkled his nose and brushed the powder from his hand. Fucking Indian. You work inside, right?Minty nodded.Squire Jeff looked Minty up and down. You play any ball?One year, UNLV.Injury?Attitude, Minty said. He walked back into the casino.