Elise Runs and Dorothy Falls

Chapter 33

Even as they walked, neither Elise nor Giada could figure out the function of this grand place. They would traverse a hallway full of doors then walk out upon a great floor—covered in red fabric tables and golden machines—and have no idea what they looked at. Little imps of animal appearance scurried around cleaning and waxing the gold and the wood, but for every strange parlor and arena they found, the less obvious their functions became. As for Dorothy, it took a while of piecing together memories and stories to figure it out, but she did. Alexis knew the second she saw the booze at the bar. Some things never change.

The guards dropped them off in an office stacked with papers. Their task complete, they slipped back into the invisible realm whence they came and shut the door behind them.

Besides the papers stacked on the desk, upon a side table, sat the most elaborate of games the girls could fathom. It had a wheel, chips, cards, game pieces, and several different boards stacked up on tiers. Two frogmen sat at this table. One of them hopped off. There were no windows in this cramped room.

"So, you're going to work here, huh?"

He wore a brown robe peppered with silver and black, and a black hat shaped like a gumdrop. He also wore a business tie they could have just as well had seen in Henden.

"Quiet types!" chimed in the other one when no one replied, continuing to review his hand.

"Well," continued the one in charge, presumably the one known as Jakun, "Do any of you actually have any idea what this place is? Do you know its name?"

Elise and Giada shook their heads. Dorothy and Alexis didn't move.

"It's the finest entertainment establishment in all the Sea," he said, "and its name is The Onaime. Spirits from drop to drop come here to place their wagers against the house and against one another, in the hopes of winning it big time. We have Mahjong, Black Jack, Poker, Gates, Acid, Horse Racing, Hoops, Video Arcades, Arena Fights—"

"Oko!" The other one pointed at their game.

"—and to keep it running smoothly we maintain the finest staff. We provide finest hospitality to our guests, whether its food, pleasure, relaxation, or excitement. Our hotel is second to none, and our nightlife is like nothing before seen. This isn't just a destination. It's THE destination, and it all begins at sundown, every night, at the bell."

The other nodded stoically. "The truth!"

Elise didn't fully understand. She opened her mouth to ask, but Alexis, who looked loster and loster, just sort of said it.

"It's a casino..."

"Bingo." Obviously the other.

Jakun surveyed them. "No mortals ever stay here long, but if Akayuri says to give you work, I will. Although mortals have been known to wind their way here, in those rare cases their memories are scrubbed clean and they're sent the way they came. Obviously, this is different for some reason."

He pattered over to Giada first. "I guess you can help clean, somewhere it's not a bother. I'll figure out exactly where in a moment." His eyes swiveled to Elise. "You can join her." Next, he moved to Alexis, who still wore her maroon bunny getup (although she had no idea why she did—and not for the first time, either). "You're different," he said. "I think our guests would like to see you. Do you know anything about waitressing?"

"A... a little."

"Fine. Your appearance can do the rest, at least for a few good years I suspect."

Leaving a stunned Alexis behind, Jakun at last stopped in front of Dorothy. She looked down at him with a frown and steely eyes.

"You're going to be the problem, I can see, and it's part of my job to make sure problems don't become bigger problems. I'll find a special assignment for you. What's your name?"

"Dorothy."

"Weird name," said the other one. "Maybe see if Lokkadi has a use for her!"

"No a bad idea," said Jakun. He continued to peer at Dorothy, but now turned up to face her. "I should warn you that troublemaking won't be tolerated, particularly when it should interfere with our guests. If I catch wind of you causing problems, ANY problems, I'll cast you into a rowboat and ship you back to sea myself."

"Yeesh! Pretty harsh, Jakun. I don't think mortals know how to get through Nobuusa. Even spirits and ancients and demons get lost out there... You should hand her back to Akayuri—maybe he'll turn her into a cool statue. She does have 'that look', you know?"

"You should see me with my sword," Dorothy said coldly, whose sword and wand had been left with Akayuri. They had been in the cart.

"Well," said Jakun, exhaling and heading back to his arcane gaming table, "one day I might. If you stay in line and earn my trust, I don't doubt all your things will be returned to you. Haven't you gone yet?" he added to Gomojomo, whose name you won't ever learn, apparently, if I don't insert it here.

"Nope," replied Gomojomo. "The tilt down shapa three is really nagging me. Thinking of engaging in a bidding war. Maybe with diamonds, demon with the scythe takes all?"

Shaking his head, Jakun clambered back into his seat. "All of you are dismissed. Wait in the hallway and we'll arrange your jobs within the hour."

As they stepped out, Dorothy looked over at Elise. Elise, however, continued to look up at the ceiling as if thinking comforting thoughts. Immediately Dorothy imagined the wolf man on her mind. Biting her tongue until it hurt, she turned away, unable to withhold an angry twitch that ran down her right arm.

She didn't realize that, in her silence, she missed her last chance to tell Elise goodbye.