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  "The strumpet luck seems to have switched her men tonight, CaptainHawksworth, like a _nautch_ girl when her _karwa_'s rupees are spent."Mirza Nuruddin signaled for his hookah to be relighted. He had justthrown another row of three sixes, and was now near to taking theseventh game, giving him six to Hawksworth's one. All betting onHawksworth had stopped after the fourth game. "But the infinite will ofGod is always mysterious, mercifully granting us what we need moreoften than what we want."

  Hawksworth had studied the last throw carefully, through the haze ofbrandy, and he suddenly realized Mirza Nuruddin had been cheating.

  By Jesus, the dice are weighted. He sets them up somehow in the cup,then slides them quickly across the carpet. Damn me if he's not athief. But why bother to cheat me? I only laid five sovereigns on thegame.

  He pushed aside the confusion and reflected again on the astoundinggenius who sat before him now, cheating at dice.

  His plan was masterful. Host a gathering for the captains at the barthe night we will unload. Even the Portuguese. No one in command of aship will be at the river mouth, no one who could possibly interfere.All our wool's already been unladed and brought overland to Surat. Thenwe transferred the ironwork and lead on the _Discovery _to the_Resolve_. So all the lead and ironwork in cargo will be unladed bymoonlight tonight and on its way upriver by morning, before thePortugals here even sleep off their liquor.

  And the _Resolve _will be underway again by dawn, back to Swalley withno one to challenge her. Not even the Portuguese trading frigatta, withtheir laughable eight-pound stern chasers. The _Discovery _is almostladed with cotton. Another couple of days should finish her. And thenthe _Resolve_. Another two week at most, and they'll be underway.

  The East India Company, the Worshipful damned East India Company, willearn a fortune on this voyage. And a certain captain named BrianHawksworth will be toasted the length of Cheapside as the man who didwhat Lancaster couldn't. The man who sent the East India Company'sfrigates home with a cargo of the cheapest pepper in history. TheButterbox Hollanders will be buying pepper from the East India Companynext year and cursing Captain Brian Hawksworth.

  Or will it be Sir Brian Hawksworth?

  He tried the name on his tongue as he swirled the dice for one lastthrow. This time he tried to duplicate the Shahbandar's technique.

  Easy swirls and then just let them slide onto the carpet as you makesome distracting remark.

  "Perhaps it's Allah's will that a man make his own luck. Is thatwritten somewhere?" The dice slid onto the carpet and Hawksworthreached for his brandy.

  Three sixes.

  Mirza Nuruddin studied the three ivories indifferently as he drew onhis hookah. But traces of a smile showed at the corner of his lips andhis foggy eyes sparkled for an instant.

  "You see, Captain Hawksworth, you never know the hand of fortune tillyou play to the end." He motioned to a servant. "Refresh the Englishcaptain's glass. I think he's starting to learn our game."