
A street‑wise narrator runs a covert operation that turns ordinary card games into a high‑tech con. Using a tiny radio receiver, two concealed dimes and a pocket transmitter, he silently signals his partner Henry about every card the opponents play, letting them skim a steady cut of the pot. The scheme thrives in the cramped loft where Henry’s struggling electronics shop doubles as a gambling hub, and the narrator’s constant motion keeps the cheating hidden.
When a fresh, cocky youngster joins the crew, his loud laughter and reckless behavior start to attract unwanted attention. Their delicate balance is threatened the moment a wealthy Chicago dealer, Chapo, walks in with a taste for big stakes and a low tolerance for spectators. The narrator must decide whether to keep the operation running smoothly or risk everything by confronting the new variable, all while the hidden devices continue to buzz beneath the surface.
Language
en
Duration
~16 minutes (15K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2019-12-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
A little-known science fiction writer remembered for a single published story, this author left behind a compact but curious piece of early-1960s magazine SF. That rarity gives the work an extra bit of charm for listeners who enjoy forgotten corners of the genre.
View all books
by Maria Edgeworth

by Abraham Cahan

by Charles Brockden Brown

by Hugo Gernsback

by Edward Bellamy

by J. P. (Jens Peter) Jacobsen

by Jakob Wassermann

by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt