Natsuki tucked the stone into a small purse slung across her chest. “Now we play. The rules of our little game are simple. You will wager whether the sum of the dice rolled is even or odd. Win two out of three times, and the information you seek is yours. Lose, and you will leave here without answers or your pearl. Daichi will be our dealer.”
The small crowd of porters that had gathered in a circle around Keishin and Hana cheered. Daichi stepped out of the crowd. He shed his jacket and top and walked into the middle of the circle. He raised his arms and turned slowly, displaying his bare, muscular chest.
“Are you satisfied that our dealer is not concealing anything?” Natsuki asked.
“Yes,” Hana said.
Natsuki offered Keishin and Hana two six-sided dice and a bamboo cup for inspection. “We would like you to be assured that there will be no cheating that will take place here.”
Keishin nodded and handed the cup and dice back to Natsuki.
“Let us begin.” Natsuki gave the dice and cup to Daichi.
Daichi dropped the dice into the cup and shook it. He overturned the cup onto a small table and looked at Keishin.
“Even,” Keishin said, keeping his eyes on the cup.
Daichi removed the cup, displaying the dice. Five and four.
The crowd cheered. Daichi collected the dice and returned them to the cup.
Keishin cursed.
“We still have two more chances,” Hana said.
Dice rattled inside the cup. Daichi flipped the cup over.
Keishin drew a breath and squared his shoulders. “Even.”
Six and two.
Hana squeezed Keishin’s hand.
Daichi shook the cup.
Probabilities, combinations, and permutations tumbled inside Keishin’s head, rattling louder than the dice inside the cup.
Daichi turned the cup over. He rested his palm on the bottom of the cup and waited for Keishin’s choice.
“Even,” Keishin said, for no reason other than that he liked the feel of the word in his mouth. His instincts roamed freer in Hana’s world, refusing to be reined in by calculations or logic. Here, pouring oceans into orbs was possible, and probability carried as much weight as a market floating on the clouds. Ramesh Kashyap’s Second Law of the Universe and Dice Games was on his side. It had to be. Keishin held his breath.
Daichi lifted the cup from the table.
Three.
Keishin’s eyes darted to the second die.
One.
“Yes!” Keishin lifted Hana by the waist and kissed her.
Hana kissed him back as the crowd dispersed.
“Well done.” Natsuki plucked Keishin’s pearl from her purse. “Congratulations.”
Keishin set Hana down. He took the pearl from Natsuki andstuffed it into his pocket. “We would like to have the answers you owe us now, please.”
“And you shall have them,” Natsuki said. “You want to know more about the children who are not children.”
