tales of Suchita

The atmosphere was intense. Even nature outside could sense it because it had abruptly gone dark with a sudden influx of clouds and strong winds. Dressed in black velvet from head to toe with a bright pink bowtie and a monocle that made him look at once like a clown for he had unusually pale skin and a wealthy merchant, Mr. Inktoop’s face gave nothing away as he sat still, fingers steepled on the table, looking at his opponent attentively.

Mr. Ritgard, his opponent, was more handsomely dressed. Except for a fine beading of sweat on his forehead, even he was giving nothing away. His cards were in his hands, the stakes were higher than they had ever been but he’d be damned if he backed off now. He didn’t care much for the money he’d lose – it would be but a drop in the ocean – but he did care for the shark-like reputation he had earned, not only in trade but also at the card table. And he cared, deeply, about his reputation.

Perhaps the real reason Mr. Inktoop was calm, was he wasn’t in the fight for lofty ideals like reputation. He was in it because he had no where better to be, and he enjoyed seeing Ritgard piss his pants. Though the mounting stake was worrying him. Not as wealthy as Ritgard, Mr. Inktoop did have some cash reserves; without those, he wouldn’t be allowed to gamble and so he maintained those reserves with a diligence he hadn’t applied to even his businesses. Currently Mr. Inktoop was in the business of manufacturing and selling monocles, among other things, but this was one of his most successful ventures yet.

Apart from his reputation, Mr. Ritgard also wanted to humiliate Inktoop with a finality that would ensure he could never return. Inktoop was a disgrace to the Gentleman’s Club and the only reason he was allowed entry was the inscrutable charm (and of course money) he brought to the table. But Inktoop was a nonconforming man, and Mr. Ritgard had made it his mission to rid the world of him. So he pressed forward, uncaring that he had now staked away more money than his code allowed.

Self-preservation kicked in and Mr. Inktoop called for a show of hand. There was little triumph Ritgard could milk out of this, seeing as how great his relief was. But he did look around and was quite shocked to see every game had stopped – there were ten tables, with ten different stakes and games being run – and all the gentlemen had created a circle around the two gentlemen, at a respectable distance for they didn’t want to disturb the aura of their game for if there was a woman they respected more than their wives or queen, it was the Goddess of the Card Table.

The hand was shown in as dramatic flair as could be expected and despite everything, Mr. Inktoop lost. He shrugged nonchalantly as he saw Ritgard gather the cash on the table and mentally calculated how many more businesses he’d have to open to breakeven again.

But then Mr. Ritgard said something that no one could have anticipated. “Inktoop, you can have all of this money, all of it, in exchange for something.”

Pride and thrill chased each other as at once the devil and the angel sitting on his shoulders started to bicker on what he should do. “What do you want?”

“No, no,” said Ritgard with relish, “first you agree to the terms.”

The gathered crowd took a collective breath. Everyone knew of Ritgard’s animosity towards Inktoop. They knew it would be wise to let the money go. Money could be re-earned, but whatever Ritgard had in store, they weren’t sure if Inktoop would be able to put it behind him quite so easily.

 “I accept,” said Inktoop amidst gasps and claps. “But first…the money.”

Now sweating profusely, Ritgard wondered for a moment if he had been hasty. Realizing he couldn’t back off now, he handed all the monies to Inktoop and declared what he wanted in return.

*

Two days after the fateful showdown in the Gentleman’s Club, posters were put all over town that proclaimed the inscrutable Mr. Inktoop was a clown, devoid of any shrewdness and so stupid, he let himself be talked into creating posters that would spell his incompetence in life in great detail leading to his inevitable doom.

A month after the incident, newspapers reported that Mr. Inktoop’s wealth had tripled and for no apparent reason, Mr. Ritgard’s had halved. Some said it was the free publicity, some said Ritgard had brought about his own fate. Some also said that the Goddess had been smiling on Inktoop at the right time but what no one understood, except perhaps the Goddess, and the people in the card room, was when Ritgard had given away the monies, he had also gambled away the favour he had earned with Her.

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This is 9 of 26 Myths and Legends. To know more, click here.