Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 12

"Ingkhs" was the colloquial name for coins. Across all the various kingdoms official coins came with a hole in the middle, so they looked like little links from a chain. In fact, often, though it was now uncommon, the ring-like coins would be linked together on pieces of string or chains and carried around this way. In effect, as jewellery on the body. A simple and easy way for people to carry their wealth whilst travelling. It was thought that originally this was the very purpose of the holes, though it was such an old-rooted practice than no one quite knew with any certainty. Still, even though it was something of an anachronism, all coins minted still maintained their hoop-like form. So the name "links", or its lazy morphed variant, "ingkhs," was nevertheless rather apt.

Usually, when someone asked for "fifty ingkhs" they meant just copper ingkhs. The lowest grade coins in circulation. If gold or silver was meant this would be specified. Fortunately for Eldskeep and Julen - and definitely for Box and Goola - this time "fifty ingkhs" did indeed just mean fifty copper ingkhs. A decent amount to be gambling away, but not a worryingly large sum.

The game quickly began, with Julen, not entirely understanding the rules, trying his best to look like he did. Yest was typically a slower paced game, and it required a little more strategy than 'Leaves, Arrows, Hearts and Stones,' so it was certainly unsuited to his temperament, and as the game progressed the more knowledgeable Eldskeep increasingly lamented him as partner. His rash moves and errors making defeat inevitable. When defeat did eventually come it was almost something of a relief. Still though, unperturbed, they happily embarked on another round. "Another fifty ingkhs." Box and Goola looked on with impatience; and an ever-larger degree of concern. The twenty-five ingkh share that Julen now slid onto the table, beginning to eat into the spare cash that he had earmarked for his general spending on the journey.

Luckily, both Box and Goola were rather more circumspect where money was concerned. So Grandpa Taxilian had made sure both were in possession of more than enough to get them to their destination. Knowing only too well that it would be something of a false move to give Julen full charge of the purse strings. Nonetheless, they still had no idea how much the ship journey across the Eastern Sea to Maiden's Tower would cost. Nor how much they would need when they eventually arrived there. On top of this, both had designed to spend as little as possible on the actual journey. Hoping to make sure they had plenty of money left to help pay their way when they finally arrived at Auntie Ellever's home. This was far from necessary, of course, as Aunt Ellever would never think to take a single ingkh from them. Still, both wanted to be as little of a burden as possible. Particularly as, unlike Julen, they had never even met Aunt Ellever in the flesh before. Though they had heard much about her, and had communicated by parcel or letter.

In this particular moment the thought of arriving at Aunt Ellever's house filled Box with a medicinal comfort. By now Julen was onto his third drink, and it was clearly affecting him. His lack of skill and slowness of thought dragging down Eldskeep's consistent, but almost equally hopeless performance. The two gentlemen sitting opposite, clearly enjoying the ease with which they were taking the money from their two newly-met rubes. Smilingly offering encouragement in the hope they would stay at the table. As the lean man in the off-gold waistcoat swept his winnings from the table once again, he leaned over to the bashful Julen.

"Ah, unlucky, you're playing a good game, my friend, but you've been unfortunate. It seems we've had all the luck so far."

The words were lapped up by Julen, but they were beginning to niggle Eldskeep. In Julen's mind he believed he had indeed just been unfortunate, and that he was truly holding his own as an equal at the table. Eldskeep was in no doubt how bad things had went though, and as he conceded this latest defeat he threw his cards down on the table with a touch of anger.

"One more game?!" nodded the wily gentlemen. His thick-bodied friend nodding in sync as he downed the last of his ale.

"No, we really do have to leave," jumped in Box, "We're already behind."

"Just one more game. How about it? Double or quits?"

The way the gentleman cut across her and aimed his response squarely at Julen and Eldskeep infuriated Box, but she bit her tongue as she watched its effects.

"Okay, double or quits," acquiesced the slightly agitated Eldskeep, unable to resist the offer.

He then turned to Box and requested that she take Julen's place for this one final game. Almost with a begging tone. She rejected the suggestion without a though, her cheeks reddened with annoyance - "We have to go." With increasing desperation, and knowing full well that Julen remaining at the table meant certain defeat, Eldskeep begged some more.

"We'll definitely go after this game. For certain. Absolutely. Just this one game. I promise."

The off-gold waistcoated gentlemen watched her unimpressed response with his narrow eyes, knowing the pleas were pointless. Finally, it registered with Julen that he was being ditched.

"Why am I not playing? I've been playing fine."

"You're just slightly tipsy, that's all," intoned Eldskeep, "We need a fresh player. Someone with a fresh head."

"I'm fine," insisted Julen, his pride spiked more so.

"It's okay, I definitely won't be playing," pressed Box, unmoved. Her mood resolute. The atmosphere between her and Eldskeep now visibly frosty. A little alarmed by this Goola finally piqued up to try to calm things down, "Come on, why don't we just all call it a day and go?"

"Oh, you can't go now," entreated the off-gold waistcoated gentleman, with added charm, "Just this last game. It'll round things off rather nicely. The gentlemen may even win their money back. It's only fair."

Easily influenced by the embracing tone of the waist-coated gentleman Julen then had a burst of exuberance: "I'll put down the full one hundred ingkhs, Eldskeep. If you don't think I'm up to it I'll take the risk. Besides I'm confident we can win it all back."

The two gentleman looked rather gratified with this suggestion.

"I admire your bravado, sir," noted the grubbier, more portly one, "You're a true player."

Julen, pleased with this praise, enthusiastically rocked back in his chair and took a gulp of his drink.

"Well?" he quipped to Eldskeep.

"It is what he wants," added the grubbier fellow.

"Okay then, I guess," replied Eldskeep, "If you insist."

A hundred copper ingkhs was roughly equal to one silver ingkh, and as Julen reached into his money pouch to fetch out this round silver inghk both Box and Goola got up and headed to the door.

"We'll wait outside."

Approximately thirty minutes later both Julen and Eldskeep joined them outside the tavern. A slightly solemn looking Julen now a shiny silver ingkh worse off. With Eldskeep doing his best to avoid eye contact with Box. The dour atmosphere that had began developing in the tavern now up a further notch as they hitched their trailer and horses and began the next leg of the journey.