The House of a Thousand Floors (CEU Press Classics) by Jan Weiss

Author:Jan Weiss
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9789633860717
Publisher: CEU Press
Published: 2019-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

XXVI

Monte Carlo in Gedonia · Prima ballerina · "I don’t believe in your stars... " · Caesar Marlok, God of the Great Sun The princess raises her stakes · "This'll befor the journey!"

A red hall in the shape of a perfect cone is flooded with lights. On the top of a round table standing in the centre, the figurine of a ballerina made of ivory dances on tiptoe. Brok approaches the table to see a polished inlay of precious metals, stones and wood, representing a map of the world. The ballerina is pirouetting on the tips of her toes made of diamonds. Players bet on colours of states, empires and islands. The winning colour is the one the ballerina's diamond toe rests on when she stops dancing. If she ends up standing on the sea, the winnings go to the owner of the casino. The smaller the space people bet on, the bigger their winnings.

The whirling ballerina dances over countries, seas and islands in circles that become smaller and smaller as she crosses the Urals and pirouettes over Siberia. But then she turns south, across the Gobi desert — and she begins wavering, teetering — until she collapses exhausted at the edges of East India.

"Moon yellow — Singapore! — number 29 wins!"

All eyes rest on a gaunt yellow face.

"The Manchurian Governor ShaRa," they whisper. The winner is expressionless, only his Oriental eyes glitter as he watches the flood of gold coming his way. — And the ballerina is dancing again, the gold jingles, piles of golden mulldors grow and tumble.

Petr Brok is standing at the table and he places his hand on a large heap of gold coins. All this could be mine if I wanted it! — Only now does he appreciate what his hand could do among the mountains of gold. So this is the location of the Liquid Mountains mentioned by the old man upstairs? — One labourer's year of work is worth one mulldor! — What a staggering exchange rate!

"One mulldor — six billion lira!" a mouth is shouting behind the grille of a small window set in an oblique wall.

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