"Red three on black four... Humm... black ten, doesn't play.... Neither does the black seven...."

"Yes it does, there in the fifth pile - on the eight of diamonds."

Rupert scanned the piles and laid the seven of spades down. "Lot of good that does." He said to the contractor. "The queen of spades doesn't play, and she's usually good to me. Oh well, this one is over." Leaning on his desk he asked the other man. "Are you going to be finished soon?"

"Yeah, soon. Looks like my crew made progress today. What happened out there? Looks like a bomb went off."

"Ummmm..... vandals."

Jim tossed his clipboard down on the bookcase and pulled up a chair. "You always here this late? Hell, it's almost 7:00."

Giles nodded as he scooped up the cards and began to shuffle the deck. "Some weeks it seems like I live here. I'm ah... tutoring a student. She is coming around for instruction after she takes care of some... obligations."

Jim leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Oh, I thought you were getting paid to sit here and play solitaire. Wondered where I could go to sign up for that job."

"You can come to the school board office and apply. If things do not change around here soon, his position will be available."

Snyder had appeared in the doorway in his usual humor.

"Wonderful. Too bad they don't make troll spray." Rupert thought to himself as he laid down the deck. "Spritz some around the baseboards, and keep him out of here."

The Principal jerked his thumb toward the main library. "Mr. Gustin, you said the repairs would be finished over the weekend. But if you will notice, Tuesday is over and your men still haven't got the work completed. Would you care to explain this?"

"We ain't done."

Snyder dropped his briefcase by the door and approached the contractor. "That was not an explanation, that was not even an excuse. That was not even English. Try again."

Rupert watched with relief as he realized that Gustin was going to be the object of Snyder's wrath.

"We are not finished." Jim said as he stood up and faced Snyder. "What do you expect for the low bid?"

Snyder clenched his teeth and drew himself up to his full height, which unfortunately for him was barely to Jim's chin. "I expect the job to be finished in a timely manner and in a prof..."

Jim looked down at his fingernails and picked at one. "Maybe if you would consider greasing the wheels a bit it might make things go a little faster."

"Are you suggesting that I pay you under the table? The board will hear about this, you will never get any jobs in this district again."

"That's what you think. We get all the city and school sub-contract work. Every time.. You see I got connections."

Rupert almost giggled. This was priceless! Snyder being asked for a kickback by someone who did not give a shit about his tantrums. And to top it off the troll looked like he was about to burst into flames. This could be good.

"I don't care what connections you think you have! I'm not paying you a damn red cent. I'm not playing your game Gustin." Snyder yelled.

"Well then it looks like it's going to be another two or three weeks." Jim stated as he picked up his clipboard. "Gotta admire your integrity, Snyder. Didn't think you had it in you."

Then he stopped and glanced over at the deck of cards on the desk. "Hell, let's be honest. You don't have it in you, you're just a tight-ass. How about a few hands of seven card? In addition to the money, if you win - the job will be done by Thursday. If I win you pay me my extra... compensation."

Snyder thought for a moment and then grinned. "If I win you finish up tomorrow."

"Good enough."

"What if I win?" Rupert asked the two. "They are my cards."

Jim rubbed his hands together. "Another lamb to the slaughter! Okay with me, but if you lose you pay me the same as Snyder. Now, if by some miracle you win - what do you want along with the cash?"

Giles rubbed his chin. "Well, I do need new tile floor in the kitchen." He said to Gustin who gave him a thumbs up sign. Then Rupert turned to Snyder. "And it would be nice to be left in peace for the rest of the school year."

Snyder gave a half nod in agreement. "But if I win, you're doing my paperwork until June."

Jim picked up the cards and gave them a one handed shuffle. "Seven card stud. We'll play for three hours. First man out pays the other two. If it ain't decided by the end of the three hours, one final all show hand for bragging rights, we'll just call it a draw. But both keep what they have won up to that point."

While Gustin was talking Snyder scooted a chair over to the desk as Rupert cleared it off. All three men settled in and the game began.

"Two in the hole." Jim began as he dealt the first two cards of the down hands. Then first of the show cards hit the desk. "Nine... jack....six.... your bet Limey."

******

Snyder pulled out his last fiver and made change from the pot. "I'll see you, and call."

Rupert tossed another three dollars into the center. "Let's see it."

Jim flipped over his three hole cards. "Eight high straight." He announced while reaching for the cash.

Rupert shook his head. "Not so fast... diamond flush."

The two turned to Snyder who just shook his head. "I'm cleaned out." He said rising from the table.

Gustin motioned toward the principal's briefcase. "That's Italian ain't it? I'd accept that for a round. Or how about that ring? Looks real, that would put you in for three. What ya say Limey, want to take him all the way to the cleaners?"

"I say clean him right down to his underwear, even though that does bring up a frightening mental image." Rupert laughed.

Fuming, Snyder stuffed his last two dollars back into his wallet. Basically Rupert and Jim had spent the last hour and a quarter taking turns winning the hand and now they wanted to humiliate him? "Like hell I'll bet my possessions!" He snapped while heading for the door. "I'll keep my end of the bet. Giles, I'm off you back for the next twelve weeks. Gustin, come around tomorrow for your damn kickback. And finally, both of you can go to hell."

"You can pay me now Snyder. We don't have to wait for tomorrow."

Snyder stopped with the door half open. "I told you I'm busted."

Jim rose from his seat, walked over to the door and pushed it back shut. With his other hand he grabbed Snyder by the shoulder. "If you would have been a good boy and paid up at the get-go I would have only taken your money. But noooooo, you had to be a hard ass about it. So now I'm taking you body and soul."

The contractor pulled the door open to reveal not the library but instead a sheet of flame. "Happy landings!" He shouted as he gave Snyder a toss through the doorway.

Rupert sent a heavy paperweight sailing toward the demon's head. Jim merely ducked and allowed it to fly out the door.

"We still have an hour and thirty-seven minutes to play. You have to honor your wager. If you don't, I collect now." The demon calmly informed Rupert who was coming across the room armed with a letter opener.

"I don't think so." Rupert yelled in response.

Jim allowed Rupert to get in striking range and then sidestepped into the doorway allowing the flames to envelope him. Giles followed the motion with the downstroke of the opener almost putting his hand into the inferno. A gray scaled hand shot out of the flames and grabbed him by the wrist. The demon began to pull Giles toward the hellfire.

"Do I pull you in, or do we deal the cards?" Jim asked the struggling human.

Rupert tried to pull away but it was like his wrist was in a steel trap. As his feet began to slip he yelled. "We deal!" The hold released and Giles fell to the floor.

Jim's human appearance reformed as he came back into the room and shut the door. "Toasty in there today, must have all the pits on high." He commented as he offered Giles a hand up from the floor.

Rupert ignored the courtesy and stood on his own. "It's my deal." He muttered as he went back to his seat.

Jim took his place across from Giles and smiled as the cards once again hit the desk.

>center>******

"Four deuces. That sinks your full boat."

Rupert winced as he watched the last of his cash go to Jim's side of the desk. His opponent leaned back into his seat and let out a belly laugh.

"You're out Pal. Time to go traveling."

Giles took his jacket off the chairback and threw it onto the desk. "Your deal."

Jim fingered the material for a second. "What do I need a suitjacket for? Where I'm from it's basically 'come as you are'... or come as you were as the case may be."

"You gave Snyder the option to wager his possessions."

Gustin shuffled the cards. "Okay, if you want this to go to the bitter end, fine with me."

Giles peeked at his down hand - a three and a ten. The rest of the deal was not kind at all. His pair of threes did not go far and the jacket went on the floor beside the demon.

As Rupert loosened his necktie to offer it up the demon pointed at him. "Have to be more than that ugly thing in the pot. Remember Snyder's two-hundred dollar briefcase was only worth one round."

"That's because Snyder would be stupid enough to wager a two hundred dollar briefcase on a fifty dollar pot. Tie only - one item per hand. Now give me the bloody cards."

"Then you'll put fifty dollars worth down to my fifty cash, or it's game over. I'll spot you a second hand on the jacket. You got thirty minutes left." Jim's eyes flashed red as he slid the deck toward Giles. He placed the cash between them and added. "And since the pot is now set, deal 'em all show."

Rupert shuffled the cards and gave himself three sixes, to Jim's three tens.

"Can't even deal to myself." Rupert thought as he added his suspenders to the tie in the center of the desk.

"I want fifty dollars worth, not fifty pesos worth." Jim snapped.

"I paid $32.50 for that tie." Rupert snapped back.

Jim shook his head and began to deal. "You got hosed."

Rupert watched the cards fall in front of him. Jack, seven, two, queen, six, ace... four. Three black, four red. Ace high shit to two pair. He took off his shirt and belt and placed his bet. And again dealt himself a losing hand.

"This is worth three hands." Giles said as he removed his watch.

Jim picked it up and briefly examined it. "Let's see, you got twenty-two minutes left. Three hands for the watch, one for your pants, one for your socks and underwear, one for you shoes and one for your glasses. Seven hands, twenty-two minutes... sure I like cutting it close."

"Eight hands, the shoes will be worth two." Rupert corrected as Jim gave each of them two pair. Rupert received tens and eights to Jim's queens and fives.

"Well, at least you won the deal."

Rupert took the deck from Jim's hand and continued his losing streak.

The remaining minutes went by much to slowly for Giles. A shiver went through him as he watched Jim shuffle the cards. It was a certainty that the fall of the cards was being influenced by the demon. He had only won three hands since Snyder had disappeared and this could not just be due to bad luck. Six minutes left on the clock and one shoe and his glasses to his name, and he had just bet the damn shoe.

"Do you really like cutting it close or are you just full of shit?" He asked as Jim started to deal the next to the last hand.

"What do you mean?"

"If you really want a challenge, let the cards fall as they may. Don't influence them."

"You calling me a card cheat?"

"You can't help it. Nature of the beast and all that nonsense, that I can understand. But are you up to a challenge? All you have to do is win two."

Jim laid the deck down. "Cut 'em."

Rupert cut the cards and shoved them back toward the demon who picked them up and dealt. Giles held his breath as they landed in front of him. King, nine, three, queen, ten, five, jack. "King high straight." He announced.

Jim swept his cards up and tossed them into a pile. "Your deal."

Rupert left the fifty on the table and retrieved his shoe. He took the cards and began to shuffle.

"Hurry up Limey." Jim growled.

As Rupert shuffled the demon across the desk took on its true form. "You got less than four minutes, so don't go wearing the spots off."

Rupert offered him the cards to cut.

"Move it, you don't even want to go dragging your feet." The creature threatened.

Giles flicked the first card out, the first card of the demon's club flush which beat Rupert's three sevens. With one clawed hand the thing grabbed up half the money while snatching up the cards with the other. Giles put his shoe back beside the remaining cash and checked the time.

"Two minutes, last hand."

"We'll see about that." It snarled giving the cards their first quick shuffle. "Ah SHIT!" It yelled as it lost the deck on the second pass. "SHIT!!" The cards fluttered from between the demon's malformed fingers and flew across the desk and floor.

"I believe that constitutes a misdeal." Giles deadpanned while the demon scratched his claws across the cards trying to pick them up from the tile floor.

"Seventy seconds. Oh.. do you need some help?" In response to the human's question a nasty hiss came from beside the desk. Rupert scooped the cards that had stayed on the desk into a loose pile, not bothering to turn them all face down. "Well, I'll get the ones up here in order. By the way, one minute left."

"You son of a bitch! Fix those!" The thing said as it stood back up and saw the way Giles had put the cards in order.

"I do not think there is time."

"Your not getting your kitchen tile." The demon said as he watched the last seconds tick away.

Rupert almost asked "Why not?" but though better of it. He sat and watched as hell's card sharp bundled up his winnings and went to the door. As he opened it he paused and tossed the bundle into the flames. He then turned to Giles and pointed at him. "I'll see you later," it promised and then it left, slamming the door behind it.

Giles sat there for a couple of minutes just blinking at the door. After regaining a bit of his senses he picked up his shoe and the money and decided that he better go find some clothing. "I'll scurry down to the locker room. Yes, there should be something down there." He thought outloud as he headed for the door.

"Hey Giles how's it goi....."

Buffy stood in the doorway trying not to look, but looking him up and down despite it. She bit her lip and halfway turned away. After a failed attempt to choke back a laugh she asked him. "Ahhh, Giles... did you forget something?"

Giles lowered his shoe and muttered a curse.