Read The Player of Games for Free Online Page B

what a pity,' Gurgeh said. 'Yes; you have such a charming Orbital here. Perhaps some other time.' 'Well, I hope it hasn't been a wasted journey for you, Loash…. I wasn't really expecting an audience with a Contact operative. My friend Chamlis just thought Contact might… I don't know; have something interesting which wasn't in general circulation. I expected nothing at all, or just information. Might I ask just what you're doing here?' He leant forward, putting both elbows on the table, leaning over the small machine. There was one sandwich left on the plate just in front of the drone. Gurgeh took it and ate, munching and looking at the machine. 'Certainly. I am here to ascertain just how open to suggestions you are. Contact might be able to find you something which would interest you.' 'A game?' 'I have been given to understand it is connected with a game.' 'That does not mean you have to play one with me,' Gurgeh said, brushing his hands free of crumbs over the plate. A few crumbs flew towards the drone, as he'd hoped they might, but it fielded each one, flicking them neatly to the centre of the plate in front of it. 'All I know, sir, is that Contact might have found something to interest you. I believe it to be connected with a game. I am instructed to discover how willing you might be to travel. I therefore assume the game - if such it is - is to be played in a location besides Chiark.' 'Travel?' Gurgeh said. He sat back. 'Where? How far? How long?' 'I don't know, exactly.' 'Well, try approximately.' 'I would not like to guess. How long would you be prepared to spend away from home?' Gurgeh's eyes narrowed. The longest he'd spent away from Chiark had been when he'd gone on a cruise once, thirty years earlier. He hadn't enjoyed it especially. He'd gone more because it was the done thing to travel at that age than because he'd wanted to. The different stellar systems had been spectacular, but you could see just as good a view on a holoscreen, and he still didn't really understand what people saw in actually having been in any particular system. He'd planned to spend a few years on that cruise, but gave up after one. Gurgeh rubbed his beard. 'Perhaps half a year or so; it's hard to say without knowing the details. Say that, though; say half a year… not that I can see it's necessary. Local colour rarely adds that much to a game.' 'Normally, true.' The machine paused. 'I understand this might be rather a complicated game; it might take a while to learn. It is likely you would have to devote yourself to it for some time.' 'I'm sure I'll manage,' Gurgeh said. The longest it had taken him to learn any game had been three days; he hadn't forgotten any rule of any game in all his life, nor ever had to learn one twice. 'Very well,' the small drone said suddenly, 'on that basis, I shall report back. Farewell, Morat Gurgeh.' It started to accelerate into the sky. Gurgeh looked up at it, mouth open. He resisted the urge to jump up. 'Is that it?' he said. The small machine stopped a couple of metres up. 'That's all I'm allowed to talk about. I've asked you what I was supposed to ask you. Now I report back. Why, is there anything else you would like to know I might be able to help you with?' 'Yes,' Gurgeh said, annoyed now. 'Do I get to hear anything else about whatever and wherever it is you're talking about?' The machine seemed to waver in the air. Its fields hadn't changed since its arrival. Eventually, it said, 'Jernau Gurgeh?' There was a long moment when they were both silent. Gurgeh stared at the machine, then stood up, put both hands on his hips and his head to one side and shouted, 'Yes?' '…. Probably not,' the drone snapped, and instantly rose straight up, fields flicking off. He heard the roaring noise and saw the vapour-trail form; it was a single tiny cloud at first because he was right underneath it, then it lengthened slowly for a few seconds, before suddenly ceasing to grow. He shook his head. He took out the pocket