Beeker was suddenly sitting upright in his chair, staring at the image in disbelief. Of course, the way the cameras were situated, the only image being sent was that of Phule, who held up his hand in a gesture of restraint.
“Mr. Rafael …” he began.
“Please, make it ‘Gunther,'” the youth interrupted with a quick smile.
“Very well”-Phule nodded-“and in return, please call me ‘Jester.'”
“Jester? But aren’t you-“
“It’s my name within the Legion,” Phule explained with a shrug. “Anyway … Gunther … the information channels within the Legion can be slow and often distort the details of the original request, which is why I’m calling you directly. To be sure we’re both on the same wavelength, could you briefly explain the assignment to me … as if I were hearing it for the first time?”
“Well, since Dad died, I’ve been liquidating his holdings so I could finally try to make my dream come true: to own and run the biggest and best hotel and casino on Lorelei-“
“Have you ever owned or worked in a casino before?” Phule interrupted.
“No … but I know it can be done! I can offer better odds than any other casino on Lorelei and still turn a profit. I worked it all out on paper in college. What’s more, I can attract the bulk of the tourists if they know they’re getting the best odds and that the games are straight.” Gunther’s eyes were alight with enthusiasm.
Phule, on the other hand, was unmoved.
“But you’ve never actually worked in a casino before.”
“No, I haven’t,” the youth admitted with a grimace. “That’s why I’ve hired an experienced casino manager, Huey Martin, to run things for me while I learn.”