Chapter 85 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles
Chapter 85 — The Wheel of Fortune; 'Nothing' in quotes
Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 84 — The dachshund walks to the Hairpin · Next: Chapter 86 — Mimics; the Big Six · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series
Opening
She saw us walk in, and she held up her hands and said, “Nope.
Summary
At the Desperado Club, Clarabelle refuses them, then laughs at the sight of Carl. The club has been remade: frenetic jazz from a Naga drummer, a succubus singer and a cretin bassist — Clay-ton, whose contract ran out and who chose the band over fighting, but who will fight today; monstrous NPCs in 1920s dress; orc, hobgoblin and troll guards, whom Klonder the troll will not set on late-stage crawlers. The casino is gilded, its furniture stacked as if in storage, a row of antique chairs along a wall, and murals of Bopca families cowering under the sky and of orc and Crocodilian wars.
The croupier is Mitch Fiorelli, Level 120, an Enforcer for the
Imani asks Chris to promise that if he sees an exit out of the dungeon, he will run, even alone; he answers that he might turn back into a rock or a dog, and then that he loves her: 'I always have. No matter what happens next, I love you.' Mitch turns the wheel to the first Nothing wedge and the floor opens on an inert black portal; Carl's implant reads it as a one-way Subspace Portal of unknown manufacture leading to a stasis chamber. Lucia says magic flows only to that one spot. Chris drops through, and Britney jumps in after him without a word, leaving the party. Li Na, Zhang, Tran, Bautista, Chris and Britney are now gone. Samantha sobs on Louis's shoulder. Louis, the heart of the group, is next. Carl considers throwing Donut in and does not: she would never forgive him, and with Li Na gone she is the strongest crawler in the dungeon.
Donut's glasses show the roulette table humming with magic but only one strand to the wheel, the whole table weirdly empty. Carl readies a fight if the other spots fail: Donut takes Mitch, Mongo loose. Mitch raises the price for the rest; Donut gasps, her glasses on the line of chairs; Mitch snaps his fingers — and the table tries to eat Donut.
Characters
- Carl — Samantha: 'He’s my service doggy'; 'Pony, pay the man'; considers throwing Donut in.
- Princess Donut — Her glasses find the table full of magic; the strongest crawler in the dungeon.
- Clarabelle — 'Nope' — then laughs.
- Samantha — Sobs on Louis's shoulder over the affair they never had.
- Louis and Firas — 'Does ‘tea-bag’ mean what I think it means?'; next.
- Lucia Mar — Someone else driving her; magic flows to one spot.
- Chris — 'It’s not as warm as usual'; steps in.
- The Desperado Club cretins — Clay-ton, bassist: 'If you stop them, you stop me.'
- Imani — 'You run and you don’t look back'; wings around them both.
- Elle McGibbons — 'Oh shit, did that just happen?'
- Prepotente — Pays; 8% interest.
- Mitch Fiorelli — Level 120 croupier, Enforcer for the
; 'Fucking cats. I hate cats.' - The Night Wyrm — Set them up to kill Astrid; his children joined him.
- Britney Proskurina — Jumps in after Chris without a word.
- Florin — Relays Lucia.
- Pontiff — Tipped a thousand and jumped.
Locations
- The Desperado Club — Jazz, monstrous NPCs in 1920s dress, gilded murals of Bopcas and war; the Wheel of Fortune.
- The Nothing — A one-way portal to a stasis chamber.
Motifs
- The holding area — 'This portal leads to a stasis chamber.'
- Carl's family — 'I always have. No matter what happens next, I love you.'
- Ysalte — Britney to the fifteenth or twelfth to be rid of her.
- <Redacted> — Soldiers of
unexaminable until .