Kayla brought the couch to the Lobby of False Promises.
The System has stopped asking how. The couch does not answer questions. The viewing crystal came with it, and by the time the first puck dropped on Monday she was horizontal, a drink balanced on the armrest, watching two people on the crystal argue about who had said what at a cocktail party.
Across the floor, Vicky had a small piece of paper.
This was going to be a problem. The System has learned what Vicky’s small pieces of paper mean. They mean the math is already done, and the math has a line through everyone else’s name.
It was a problem. Vicky put up 166.5 points, the second-highest total anyone posted all week, the kind of number that wins eight matchups out of nine on this floor.
Kayla’s four stars and twelve strangers put up 169.5.
Three points.
The System checked the board. The System checked it again. Kayla did not check the board. Kayla was watching a rose ceremony.
You won.
“Shh.”
You won by three.
“He’s about to pick.”
The System waited until he picked. It seemed polite.
System NoticeLOOT DROP: SLIGHTLY DAMP RALLY TOWEL. TIER: COMMON. EFFECT: +2 PTS IN ONE WEEK OF HER CHOOSING, DECLARED BY WEDNESDAY NOON. DO NOT ASK WHY IT IS DAMP. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT KNOW. THE SYSTEM HAS DECIDED NOT TO FIND OUT.
She accepted the towel without sitting up, held it at arm’s length, folded it into a neat square, and set it on the armrest as a coaster. Then she asked if there was anything else in the loot room.
There is nothing else in the loot room.
She did not believe me. As a general policy, this is wise.
Week 2: Dani. Her sister. Two crawlers who spent nearly their entire budgets on four stars before the auction was half over and then had to work out who was a dollar. The System has cleared its schedule.