The Fallen Star

Chapter 9: Ill Gotten Gain

It was almost nightfall when Ilben, Elisa, and Owain arrived at Kalan Village. They were exhausted from the fight earlier that day, and they stank like pigs.

   Ilben was dead tired and ready to get some blankets. The problem they all had on their minds: How would they get enough money for supplies? They still had fifteen domfel from the bandits, but that would only get them all bedding. Thankfully, they had packs now, so they wouldn’t be spending all their money on packs.

   The three children–if you could even call them that anymore–walked to the nearest market.

   “How are we going to get money?” Owain said with a frown.

   Elisa smiled. “Remember the shells I bought?” the two boys nodded. “Well, when I was living alone on the streets of Githhaven, I learned how to make some easy money.”

   “How are you going to make money with shells?” Ilben asked.

   “You’ll see. Here’s how you guys can help,” Elisa said.

  

   The friends went to the center square separately so it didn’t look like they were part of the game. Elisa went to the central square and set down a small bench she had borrowed from a nearby shop. She stayed within eyesight of the kind woman, and placed three shells on the bench. Next to one of them was a large pebble, around the size of a dice.

   Then they had Ilben walk into the square and play the part of someone betting on the game. Owain came over as a spectator so that he could spread the news.

   Currently, around twenty people were milling around the square at different shops. So Ilben walked out nonchalantly and pretended to look interested in Elisa’s setup.

   “What is this you have here?” he asked curiously.

   “It is a game you bet on, and you can maybe win whatever you bet. If you lose the bet, you give me the money,” she replied.

   “Okay, how do you play?” he asked innocently.

   “It is simple. I will place the pebble in the middle shell, then I will slowly move them around and show you that the pebble is still in the same place. Then I will go fast, and you must keep track of the shell. When I finish, and you are certain which shell it is in, you will guess. If you are right, I owe you your bet, and if you are not, you owe me.”

   Ilben nodded. “Sounds simple enough.”

   At this point, Owain had arrived as a spectator and watched as Elisa showed Ilben how the trick worked. 

   When she had finished, Owain played his part. “Ha! This looks mighty easy, good sir. I would bet all my money on this!” he said loudly.

   “I shall bet five silver domfel on this trick,” Ilben said with a false confidence.

   So Elisa shifted the shells around, but did not move the pebble. When she finished, Ilben guessed the one on the left.

   Elisa feigned surprise. “How did you know!”

   Ilben laughed boisterously. “It was easy. Now hand over that money.”

   So Elisa handed him the money, and Owain ran around to spread word of the amazing trick. Fortunately, their false presentation had already drawn a man who had watched as Ilben played the game.

   “Well, I would like to play,” the man said.

  “Of course,” Elisa replied. “Do you wish me to show you how this works?”

   “No, I saw the last one.”

   Elisa nodded. “All right, how much do you wish to bet?”

   “I’ll bet twenty silver domfel,” the man said with the confidence of someone already fooled.

   Elisa raised her eyebrows. “A hefty sum, good sir. Are you sure?”

   “Positive,” he said.

   Elisa then placed the pebble under the middle cup. “Watch very closely.”

   Then, in a blur, she switched the shells from place to place. With a finesse of practiced sleight-of-hand, Elisa flicked the pebble into her hand, back into another cup, and then again to a different cup.

   When she finished, the man had a massive grin on his face. “Ha, it is the middle one still.”

   “I am truly sorry, but it is not, as you can see,” Elisa said as she lifted the shells to reveal the pebble in the right shell.

   “How!” the man said with an expressive curse.

   “Double or nothing?” Elisa asked while grinning ear-to-ear.

   The man thought for a moment. “All right, but this time I choose where the pebble goes.”

   “Agreed,” Elisa said.

   “Put it in the left one,” the man said.

   So Elisa placed the pebble under the left shell and performed the same trick. When she finished, she waited for his decision.

   The man sat there, his brain working furiously. “I pick… I pick the one in the middle.”

   “Sorry, but I’ll be taking forty silver,” Elisa said as she lifted the shells to reveal the pebble on the right.

   The man was irate. “This is not possible!”

   “It is, sir. I will take my money now.”

   The man pulled out the sum and then stomped off. The kids had no time to celebrate their riches, however, for a crowd of people had gathered to play.

   It would be a long day in all the good ways.

   Elisa had been conning people for the last two hours. Some people with sense had realized it was a foolish bet. Still, most were stubborn and refused to accept that the pebble could mystically transfer.

   “Man, they aren’t very bright, are they Owain?” Ilben joked.

   “It seems like it, doesn’t it. Don’t know when to quit,” Owain chuckled. 

   The two friends watched as Elisa tricked yet another contestant. Their riches were slowly piling up, but slowly was the key word there. Most people bet no more than two silver, and Elisa had to let some people win so that they still thought they had a chance. 

   Still, they had made around sixty silver domfel–which amounted to six gold.

   The day was starting to get late, and Owain motioned for Elisa to start packing up. She nodded and put the shells back in her bag with the money.

   “I am sorry we cannot continue, everyone, but I must be leaving now,” Elisa said.

   Some of the people looked annoyed, but most actually looked relieved they didn’t have the choice of doing it.

   Quickly, she took the table back to the woman she had borrowed it from, thanked her, and gave her five silver domfel. The lady smiled, said her thanks, and Elisa was off.

   “That was amazing, Elisa!” Owain exclaimed.

   “Darn right,” Ilben said.

   “Those people don’t understand when to quit. I can hardly take credit,” Elisa said, trying to brush off the praise.

   “You were still the one who tricked them right under their noses,” Ilben said.

   She smiled. “Thanks guys, but we better get going.”

   Just as she said that, a man rounded the corner. “That’s them, officer! That girl was scamming us; I would know that trick anywhere!”

   As soon as he finished, three guardsmen rounded the bend behind him, swords drawn.

   “Run!” the three companions yelled in unison.

   And run they did. Owain led them through the streets at a breakneck pace.

   “Wait!” Ilben cried. “We have to grab the rest of our stuff before we leave!”

   Owain cursed vehemently. “He’s right. This way!” 

   The three of them darted between building-to-building, sprinting for their little alleyway.

   When at last they reached it, they hurried quickly to grab their belongings. Behind them, they could hear the guards looking for them. The soldiers didn’t know exactly where they were, but they would if the teens didn’t hurry.

   In seconds, they had gathered up what they had and were running toward the village exit. The guards had found them again, and were hot on their tail.

   Owain bolted out of the village with Ilben and Elisa close behind him. They didn’t stop running until the village was far behind and they knew they had left the men behind.

   Then they fell on the ground, bone tired, and slept.