AZAG (LORDS OF MARS) GAME

Noxmorte sits at the silk-covered dice table, waiting for Osslame to make his roll. The old menacer frowns at the dice in his hand, tosses them into the air, catches them on his knuckles. Across the table, Scabbers chuckles ominously. "The game's not knucklebones, old fella," he says with a keen edge to his voice.

"I'll wager the tithe on the next spice camel from the Beryl Scale," says Osslame solemnly. "What will each of you match?"

Noxmorte's in Byzaron. He's at the table in a high stakes game of Left-Right-Center. Onlookers crowd the walls of the small room. What does he wager? It doesn't have to be something he has now … just something he might escape with his life.

Already in the Center are scrawled slips:
• Scabbers: a night with the mistress of parakeets
• Noxmorte: (................................)
• Osslame: your enemy's left nut; a fine Larfarian blade

You've each won a bit, too.
• Scabbers: an old crown (from Noxmorte, where do you know to get one?); a virgin's teeth (from Osslame)
• Osslame: your enemy's right nut (from Scabbers); ...................... (from Noxmorte)
• Noxmorte: ............................... (from Scabbers)

The trick is to collect your winnings. Some of these bets pay slow. And it's all based on the honor of thieves. Who might kill to clear a debt.

Is Noxmorte to the left or right from Osslame?

"A spider favor," Scabbers says glumly as he hands his chit to Osslame.

"Closed bids," Osslame says, smiling, before he tosses the dice to Noxmorte. "Your roll."

Meanwhile, the onlookers are making side bets in coinage. Such by custom is beneath the table players.

"Busy … busy hands," says Scabbers as he accepts the dice. "Shall I roll as boldly? No." He casts only a single of the three dice.

The virgin's teeth go into the center pile. The dice go to Osslame, who casts two.

"God, and wine," Osslame says cheerily. He takes Noxmorte's two slips, and hands the dice.

An obvious miscreant approaches the table and bows to speak in Osslame's ear. The old man looks across the table at Scabbers. "Business calls," he says. "Shall we end here?"

"Of course, old pal," Scabbers replies.

Freed of the table, where does Noxmorte go in Spider City?