Gamblers hat

The year was 1874 and I sat kicked back in the chair, my feet propped up on the railing with my hat, which apparently was called a "Gambler's hat" by the locals, pulled down over my face. The sounds of the paddlewheel moving water was all that could be heard, outside of the occasional muffled conversation as people would walk by. A full moon graced the sky, dimmed only slightly by the lights from the paddle wheeler.

Day after day I'm more confused

So I look for the light in the pouring rain

You know that's a game that I hate to lose

I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame

I knew he stood behind me even before the hat was removed from my head to be placed atop his. I cracked open one eye and looked up at André as he stepped toward the railing, then let it close once again. We'd come to St. Louis to relax and that's what I planned to do.

André was just a hair under six feet tall, sandy brown hair and blue eyes that were just a shade short of midnight. He'd been a scrapper when he was mortal and his build and personality let you know he meant business if he wasn't smiling at you. And even when he was you still needed to careful around him... which was yet another reason he and I got along so well. There'd been many a night he and I have gone at each other, broken bones and sliced flesh included. Some nights, you just need to get out built up tension, and we had an agreement to never pull the punches when either of us needed a full out brawl.

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

"It's pretty peaceful here."

I grunted an agreement at him and he hooked a foot around the leg of my chair and lifted, spilling me to my ass on the deck. He set the chair back upright in front of himself and put his foot on it so I had to acknowledge him before I could return to truly relaxing. Getting slowly back to my feet, I wiped off my pants and put my elbow on the railing, staring at André.

"Alright, fine you have my attention, what's on your mind André?"

I reached over and removed the hat from his head and put it back on mine.

"This relaxing is too relaxing, mon ami. I'm getting anxious."

"So go find one of those gambler and accomplice pairs that annoy you so much and have your fun with them."

"Did that last night, they're all talk. When it comes down to it, they can't hold their own, or their liquor. I need something more interesting to keep me busy."

Beginning to think that I'm wastin' time

I don't understand the things I do

The world outside looks so unkind

I'm countin' on you to carry me through

Perhaps I should explain how it was we ended up on a riverboat out of St. Louis? It all started a week ago back in Paris. André had gotten bored with the city, Angélique (André's latest fling) was off touring Spain, so André wanted to go to America. He'd heard all these tales and wanted to go live a bit of the adventure himself, except he wanted to drag me along with him. I was hesitant at first, he wasn't always known for the brightest of ideas, but he finally convinced me it'd be worth the trip. New blood to taste, new adventures to be had... how could I resist?

André thankfully held the gift of flight so an excruciating trip by ship was not needed to cross the Atlantic. Though he did try to drop me in the ocean a couple times, which I'd get even for later on. What the flight did mean was when we arrived, we were forced to go in search of additional clothing. I was enjoying my choice of black pants, blue waistcoat, white shirt and black hat. André went with more rustic colours, generally the dark browns and rust coloured reds. As we'd made our way around the city, we'd spotting the paddle wheeler in port and both of us agreed what better way to relax and see some of the area.

She travelled along the Mississippi each evening and from time to time, André and I would disappear off the ship, while it continued to sail, to go explore around cities nearby, then return a few hours later well fed and in the mood for some fun and games. Nightly hands of poker were a quick way to pass a few hours, always making sure to lose an appropriate number of hands on purpose to keep the mortals interested in playing with us. The stakes were anywhere from basic money to trading wives or servants. Personally the way some of the servants behaved, they still held the memories of having once been slaves, they were simply now free to leave if they felt so inclined. When you've only known one thing most of your life, not everyone has the strength to up and leave so they continue to endure, now under the moniker of servant instead.

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Yeah, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

So we'd been riding along nightly on this paddle wheeler enjoying the pleasures it offered, both in the form of relaxation as well as destinations to feed and enjoy honing skills in poker and mind reading.

"Alright so you were bored back home and now you're growing bored of this. You're worse than me André and I thought I got bored easily."

"Non mon ami, not really bored with riding the waters, I'm rather enjoying that part of it, but the nightly activities are becoming quickly the same. I want new blood so to speak."

Just then a dandy walked past, speaking of an upcoming poker tournament with a large pay-out. The fee to get in was almost impossibly steep, but if you could afford to get in and win, it would be the prestige of all riverboat gamblers. André grinned at me and punched my shoulder.

And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you've given me

I want you to know I believe in your song

Rhythm and rhyme and harmony

You help me along makin' me strong

"That's it! That's how we make this more exciting. Imagine taking our talents up against the supposed best gamblers here in America."

"Just what I've always wanted next to my name, best gambler in America."

Reaching over, I pushed his foot from my chair and claimed it back, sitting back down in it and getting comfortable with my feet up on the railing.

"Well, go chase them down and find out the details of when and where André. Knowing it exists isn't going to be enough to get us entered."

He glared at me then nodded. As he headed off to go speak with the dandy, he once more pulled the chair out from under me and I again crashed to the decking, muttering his name along with a few choice curse words in French.

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

I headed into the main room, taking a seat off to the side to watch some of the games going on for the evening. About an hour later, André joined me taking the seat that was open next to me with my arm stretched across the back of it. The scent of fresh blood hung heavily around him and his skin bore colour mine lacked. I cocked a raised eyebrow his direction.

"I take it we'll now have one less competitor in the poker tournament?"

He remained silent but ran his tongue across his lip and leaned forward in the chair, intent on watching the hand in play.

"The buy in is $20,000."

I whistled at the sum. "They weren't kidding about a steep entrance fee."

He nodded, still not taking his eyes off the game a few feet away. My eyes met a young blond haired lady across the room and I gently beckoned her over. Only a novice would not know what she was, though she'd been dressed up to pass as a respectable lady. When she stopped before me, I cast my eyes slowly up her, over the corseted bust to smile at her before standing and kissing the palm of her hand.

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, hey yeah, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Now now now, won't ya take me.

Ah take me.

"Say when you need the money for the entrance André, I will have it to you within an hour of the notice. But for now, I have other plans it would seem."

He nodded and waved me off. I took one last look at the poker game he'd become engrossed in, wondering what had caught his attention. Then I realized it wasn't the cards, but the young gentleman at the far end... the newly made immortal... André always had been one to keep the young ones in line because his sire had kept him firmly in line.

The young vampire looked up from his cards at me and I winked at him before leaving the room. I knew I would not see him again after that point. André would either make certain he was sent off the boat or would kill him for being sloppy. Either way didn't matter to me, I had a beautiful woman escorting me back to my private stateroom where she would earn every dollar I would give her by paying me back with her life.

I truly did enjoy this relaxing ride down the Mississippi.