Джуд Уотсон - Jedi Apprentice 8 - The Day of Reckoning

At last he found places a few seats in from the end. They sat, and Obi-Wan turned his attention to the giant screens, which began to flash a stream of names and numbers he could not decipher. There was also a screen with a keypad built into his armrest.

While Qui-Gon kept his eyes on the crowd, Obi-Wan leaned over to a tall Telosian seated next to him.

"This is my first time here," he said. "Can you explain what's going on?"

"The screens are flashing the current odds for the games," his seatmate replied, pointing. "You can bet at your seat on each event. There are twenty contestants competing in a variety of contests."

"Last week Rolo was maimed," his companion said dolefully. "I bet twenty thousand credits on him."

The Telosian's clothes were threadbare. He hardly looked like a rich citizen. Obi-Wan was shocked. How could he afford to bet so much?

"Today my money is on Tamor," the second Telosian continued.

"You can place larger bets as the day goes on," the first Telosian explained. "Then for the last contest we all drop out and the lottery bettors get to play."

"The lottery bettors?" Obi-Wan asked.

He nodded. "Every citizen is entered in a lottery each week. Three are chosen. They're the only ones who can bet on the last contest. The pot is enormous."

"You're set for life if you win," his companion said, his eyes glowing. "Last week no one won, so it's bigger than ever."

"The lottery is free," the first Telosian explained. "Every native Telosian is entered automatically by the government. It's a great thing for Telos."

Really? Obi-Wan wondered, looking around at the crowd. Now he understood the ferocious energy he felt pulsing through the crowd, uniting it. It was greed.

"It seems as though the entire city is here," Obi-Wan remarked.

The two Telosians nodded. "The city empties into the dome on Katharsis Day. And others come from all over the planet."

"There are Katharsis domes in other parts of Telos, of course," the second Telosian said. "But this is the biggest," he added proudly.

"It's beginning! I have to place my bet." The first Telosian swiveled to face the center of the dome. His avid eyes searched the contestants.

The crowd began to roar as the competitors took their places in the ring below. They lined up and bowed to the crowd.

Obi-Wan felt Qui-Gon stiffen slightly. The Jedi Knight's eyes were directed several levels down. Obi-Wan followed his gaze. The same security officers were walking up and down the rows, their eyes constantly moving.

"Telosian security must be commended," Qui-Gon remarked as he stood. "They certainly are thorough."

Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon as they eased their way past the bettors in the row. When they reached the aisle they picked up their pace, climbing steadily past the next section, and the next. Behind them, the security officers continued to climb, their eyes sweeping the crowd.

"We'll have to circle around down to an exit level," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan over the roar of applause.

Obi-Wan scanned the area ahead for the blue-lighted exit signs. He saw one ahead and pointed it out to Qui-Gon. But when they reached it, they saw that it had been blocked off. If the door opened, an alarm would sound.

Qui-Gon turned back the way they had come, but the security police were now cruising the rows next to them. Any moment they would spot the Jedi.

"I don't know if they're pursuing us, or looking for those escaped criminals," Qui-Gon said, frowning. "I guess we're going to have to find out. I'll use the Force to bluff our way through."

At that moment, one of the security officers looked over the heads of the crowd and spotted them. He nudged his companion and they started toward the Jedi, moving swiftly and quietly so as not to attract attention.

Suddenly, a friendly voice came from behind them. "You two need some seats? I've got plenty of room in my box."

They looked over. A young man sat in one of the luxury floating boxes. It was still anchored to the side. His dark eyes beamed at them in a friendly way and his sandy hair was rumpled as though he passed his hands through it frequently.

"Care to join me?" he asked.

"Thank you. We'd be honored to accept," Qui-Gon responded, stepping into the box. Without seeming to hurry, he motioned for Obi-Wan to do the same.

Obi-Wan eased into the box with the same swiftness. Their new companion pressed a lever, and the box suddenly detached from the floor and zoomed out into the center of the dome. "Thank you again," Qui-Gon said politely. "It was hard for us to find a place to sit."

"Sure." Their rescuer gave them a shrewd look. "Especially when you're being chased by security police. If you think you're safe with me, you're crazy."

The young man burst out laughing before they could respond. "Joke!" he cried. "If you ask me, the security police don't have enough to do. We don't have much of a crime problem here on Telos, so they run after you if you toss away a muja pit. Even innocent folks like me get stopped all the time. I ask you, do I look like a bad guy?" He shrugged and pointed to his chest, smiling.

"No," Obi-Wan said politely, even though he had learned in his limited experience that evil came in many forms.

Their companion laughed again and turned to Qui-Gon. "Your companion lies well. That's a good skill."

"He did not lie," Qui-Gon answered. "You don't appear to be bad, it's true. But neither do you appear to be good. Our acquaintance is too short to make such a judgment."

Their rescuer looked from Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan, a delighted grin on his face. "Whoa, did I hit the jackpot. What a couple of smart guys. Do you know how to bet against the odds?"

"No," Qui-Gon said with a smile. "We're too smart for that."

This time, their rescuer roared with laughter. "Joke! Do I know how to pick friends, I ask you? By the way, my name is Denetrus. You can call me Den."

"Pleased to meet you," Qui-Gon responded. "I am Qui-Gon Jinn and this is Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Tourists?"

"We're here on business," Qui-Gon answered.

"Lots of business here on Telos," Den said. "I'm a tech worker, so I've been fired from the best of them." He flashed them a cheerful grin.

"Have you ever worked for UniFy?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Sure, who hasn't? They're the biggest employer on Telos. They hire contract workers all the time. Is that why you're here?"

"No," Qui-Gon said carefully. "We just have a meeting there."

Den nodded. "They're a powerful company." He waved his arm to indicate the giant screens around them that flashed images of the global parks and natural beauties of Telos. "UniFy is restoring our natural parks. Most of the proceeds from Katharsis are used for maintaining and preserving the land. The government set it up when the people protested our high taxes. Now we pay hardly any taxes at all. Katharsis saved us from that. Not to mention that it makes us all rich beyond our dreams."

"But only if you win," Qui-Gon pointed out.

"Oh, but all of us here plan to win," Den said, lifting an ironic eyebrow. "Take me. I'm sure this is my lucky day."

They turned toward the smaller center ring of the dome, where a platform was rising up through the floor into the air, creating a dais. A tall white-haired man stood on it, raising his arms to the crowd.

"That's the treasurer of Telos, Vox Chun," Den told them over the roar of the crowd.

A chill passed through Obi-Wan, and he exchanged a quick glance with Qui-Gon. Vox Chun was the father of the student who had fought with Obi-Wan and plunged to his death. Bruck Chun had been a Jedi student who had fallen under the influence of Xanatos. Obi-Wan had battled him, trying to save his friend Bant. Bruck had lost his balance and fallen. Obi-Wan had reached for him and grabbed empty air. The fall had broken Bruck's neck. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, remembering the shock of that moment. When he opened them, Qui-Gon was looking at him with compassion.