Mardock Scramble полностью

She only muttered, “A fifteen-year-old… Death by an exploding engine… So that’s it. That’s her purpose. When you stand in her way, to her, it’s like a test bestowed upon her by the Holy Ghost. And everything has led me here.”

Ashley, somewhat taken aback, gazed into Bell Wing’s face. “Have you had some revelation? You quit your job as a croupier, and now you’re a prophet?”

“I wish you had a little more faith, Ashley. But I should thank you. You brought me here. But I’m just here to observe. I won’t try to interfere. If I do anything to help, it’ll be after this is over.”

“That’s fine. As long as you’ll be my witness, the Society will understand. But Bell…what do you know about them?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Just the girl’s name.”

Ashley shrugged his shoulders to say, That’s fine, so tell me.

“Rune-Balot,” Bell stated with a solemn face. “That’s her name. It’s a sorrowful name; a fitting name.”

02

“Marlowe John Fever.”

At the sound of the harsh, chiding voice, the dealer’s hands froze, and his face went cold. The dealer, having surrendered the first of his crop at the end of a long, brutal cat-and-mouse game, had stopped, completely motionless, in the middle of his shuffle. Marlowe turned to look at the speaker and found a small envelope pressed against his chest.

“Here’s a reference letter,” Ashley continued. “Maybe you can use it to find work someplace else.”

The dealer felt as helpless and humiliated as if he were held up at gunpoint.

“It’s not addressed to anyone. It just has my signature. Make as many copies as you’d like. Just take it and get on the next bus before the owner finds you. You weren’t able to become a star here, but you can still try somewhere else.”

Marlowe hung his head in utter shame. His expression was so dejected that one could scarcely believe it was the same face that had been so passionate when he had been shuffling the cards. Heartbroken, his shoulders sagging as if carrying a heavy weight, he slunk off the floor. The word defeated had never been so fitting.

“That’s quite different from what you told me,” Bell said to Ashley, standing at his side. “And I’m not sure if I believe you actually signed that.”

Balot didn’t watch the retreating Marlowe, nor did she look at the man, dressed as a dealer, who had just dismissed him. Her gaze was fixed on the cold figure of the old woman.

“Good evening. Miss. Sir.” Ashley stepped up to the table and bowed gracefully. “It seems our young man is having quite the tantrum. He wanted to keep on playing with you, but we have rules here. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll switch out the cards with new decks.”

Not to be topped, the Doctor graciously replied that it wouldn’t be an issue. Ashley nodded and tossed the used cards into the proper slot beneath the table. He withdrew six fresh decks, cleanly removed their seals, and displayed the cards. The Doctor nodded his approval, and Ashley began carefully shuffling the decks.

Balot looked at Bell. Since Bell had been staring at her the whole time, their eyes naturally met. The old woman didn’t smile, but she spoke with a certain fondness.

“Good evening, Rune-Balot. We meet again.”

–Yes, Bell Wing. We do at that.

Without realizing it, Balot had broken into a grin. More than wondering why Bell had come, she was happy to see the woman again.

A curious sense of security came over her—and a feeling of relief at seeing the old woman out of her croupier’s uniform. Bell’s appearance made it clear that she had indeed been dismissed from her job. Strangely, Balot felt no remorse. The girl knew that the battle between her and Bell was already in the past.

“So you really were after something big, weren’t you?” Bell spoke in a tone clear of any clouds of hostility or regret.

–I’m just having some fun. I thought I might learn something.

“You seem like the sort of person who can learn anything. You’ve got that kind of face.”

Bell turned her eyes to the shuffle, as if to tell Balot, You should be watching too. But it didn’t matter—even if Balot wasn’t looking, she could still sense each and every slightest movement of this new dealer’s shuffle. He shuffled carefully and with no wasted movement. Calling his motions smooth wouldn’t quite be right—they seemed completely natural. In contrast to the previous dealer, who showed off his smooth technique, Ashley was simply doing his job.

–Do you play blackjack too?

Bell, keeping her attention on the shuffle, answered, “No, this man just persuaded me to come watch.”

–Do you know each other?

“His name is Ashley Harvest. He’s something of a bodyguard for this kind of business. For him to show up, this must be no ordinary matter. So I’m here to see how well you can stand up to his skills.”

Ashley glanced at Balot. “She’s here to make sure we have a fair match. So please don’t be concerned.”