Check
"Hex."
"Kalingkata."
She wasn't sure, exactly, how things had come to this -- a rarity in the life of a woman who made it her business to be certain of everything. She had never foreseen staring Kalingkata down in the back of the small kebab shop on Gongen, never imagined that she would be having this particular showdown.
"How is your family?"
"Good. How's being the unseen dictator of the solar system?"
"Lovely."
"You ready to do this?"
"Yes."
The two sat down on opposite sides of the table, the scrape of metal chair legs against linoleum tiling piercing the air.
"I've brought champagne and orange juice, if you'd like a mimosa."
"Nayh. I have to drive."
"We'll likely be here for a while."
"I don't know what you've put in that."
The faintest ghost of a smirk hid in corners of her lips, shone in her eyes. "You don't trust me?"
"No."
"Fair enough. Suit yourself." She made no motion to pour herself a drink, either. "You think I'm that desperate? That I'd poison you?"
It was his turn for a smirk to tug at his mouth. "Yeah."
Their eyes met and there was a silent acknowledgement of an accepted challenge exchanged between the two. Chess Mistress Hex and Kalingkata were similar in more ways than either cared to admit, and could, under the correct circumstances, easily communicate without words. If Hex had been in the business of having friends, Sang Ki would have been her best one.
"Right. Do you want black or white?"
"Black."
"Giving me the first move?"
"May as well give you a fighting chance."
This form of arrogance would have proven fatal for anyone else, but even Hex acknowledged Kalingkata's intelligence. It was why they did this. Out of the whole solar system -- the entire known universe, really -- they were the only two that could actually challenge each other. When she played with Kalingkata, there was an actual chance she might lose. And that was thrilling.
The two silently set up the chess board. Once complete, Hex mulled over the expanse of painted wood, her battleground. She nudged a piece into a new position with nimble fingers. "There's a reason they call me Chess Mistress Hex, you know."
"Mm." Kalingkata's brow was already knit, his fingers pushing his own piece into place.
The two fell into easy, comfortable silence. For Kalingkata, it was a welcome relief from his wife and children -- not that he didn't love Hotaru and his family. It was simply that he enjoyed his quiet, and his mind games, and these evenings with Hex provided both. For Hex, it was a momentary breath from the never ending but surprisingly predictable puzzle of running the known universe. Once a month, they made their respective pilgrimages to the little shop. Hex had seen the room made secure (for both their sakes) and Kalingkata had brought the battered old chess board.
He looked older, she thought. She sometimes forgot that other people aged, since she never did. To be fair, it had been nearly ten years since their little arrangement began. She could see the wear on his face, the crinkles at his eyes. She always wore the same face for these little encounters, but had never thought to make the face older. She wondered if it made him uncomfortable, and if it did, if she cared enough to do something about it.
She didn't, she decided, and moved another piece after studying the board, calculating the hundreds upon thousands of options Kalingkata now had. He moved, she moved, an elegant dance of fingers and wooden figures.
At long last, nearly an hour later, a faint grin crossed over Kalingkata's lips. It was a nearly imperceptible flicker, but Hex noticed. She noticed everything. She studied the board. Her face stayed still, but to someone who knew what to look for -- and Kalingkata did -- there was a moment of alarm in her eyes, followed by a mixture of pleasure and annoyance.
"You saw it. When I moved my knight twelve moves ago. The chink in the armor. I was hoping you wouldn't notice."
"I always notice."
"I know you do."
Kalingkata's smile grew, and even Hex's lips tugged up at the corners into a small, but genuine smile.
"Six moves until checkmate." Hex observed. "With no way for me to get out of it."
"Gotcha."
"You clever son of a bitch."
Both smiles grew more, and Hex tipped over her King. No sense in drawing out the inevitable. "Do you need to leave?"
"Hotaru can handle the kids."
"Best two out of three?"
"If your ego can handle another beating."
"Big talk for a man who gave up hacking for diapers."
"Bring it on, Hexie."
"Consider it brought, Kalingkata."
"Kalingkata."
She wasn't sure, exactly, how things had come to this -- a rarity in the life of a woman who made it her business to be certain of everything. She had never foreseen staring Kalingkata down in the back of the small kebab shop on Gongen, never imagined that she would be having this particular showdown.
"How is your family?"
"Good. How's being the unseen dictator of the solar system?"
"Lovely."
"You ready to do this?"
"Yes."
The two sat down on opposite sides of the table, the scrape of metal chair legs against linoleum tiling piercing the air.
"I've brought champagne and orange juice, if you'd like a mimosa."
"Nayh. I have to drive."
"We'll likely be here for a while."
"I don't know what you've put in that."
The faintest ghost of a smirk hid in corners of her lips, shone in her eyes. "You don't trust me?"
"No."
"Fair enough. Suit yourself." She made no motion to pour herself a drink, either. "You think I'm that desperate? That I'd poison you?"
It was his turn for a smirk to tug at his mouth. "Yeah."
Their eyes met and there was a silent acknowledgement of an accepted challenge exchanged between the two. Chess Mistress Hex and Kalingkata were similar in more ways than either cared to admit, and could, under the correct circumstances, easily communicate without words. If Hex had been in the business of having friends, Sang Ki would have been her best one.
"Right. Do you want black or white?"
"Black."
"Giving me the first move?"
"May as well give you a fighting chance."
This form of arrogance would have proven fatal for anyone else, but even Hex acknowledged Kalingkata's intelligence. It was why they did this. Out of the whole solar system -- the entire known universe, really -- they were the only two that could actually challenge each other. When she played with Kalingkata, there was an actual chance she might lose. And that was thrilling.
The two silently set up the chess board. Once complete, Hex mulled over the expanse of painted wood, her battleground. She nudged a piece into a new position with nimble fingers. "There's a reason they call me Chess Mistress Hex, you know."
"Mm." Kalingkata's brow was already knit, his fingers pushing his own piece into place.
The two fell into easy, comfortable silence. For Kalingkata, it was a welcome relief from his wife and children -- not that he didn't love Hotaru and his family. It was simply that he enjoyed his quiet, and his mind games, and these evenings with Hex provided both. For Hex, it was a momentary breath from the never ending but surprisingly predictable puzzle of running the known universe. Once a month, they made their respective pilgrimages to the little shop. Hex had seen the room made secure (for both their sakes) and Kalingkata had brought the battered old chess board.
He looked older, she thought. She sometimes forgot that other people aged, since she never did. To be fair, it had been nearly ten years since their little arrangement began. She could see the wear on his face, the crinkles at his eyes. She always wore the same face for these little encounters, but had never thought to make the face older. She wondered if it made him uncomfortable, and if it did, if she cared enough to do something about it.
She didn't, she decided, and moved another piece after studying the board, calculating the hundreds upon thousands of options Kalingkata now had. He moved, she moved, an elegant dance of fingers and wooden figures.
At long last, nearly an hour later, a faint grin crossed over Kalingkata's lips. It was a nearly imperceptible flicker, but Hex noticed. She noticed everything. She studied the board. Her face stayed still, but to someone who knew what to look for -- and Kalingkata did -- there was a moment of alarm in her eyes, followed by a mixture of pleasure and annoyance.
"You saw it. When I moved my knight twelve moves ago. The chink in the armor. I was hoping you wouldn't notice."
"I always notice."
"I know you do."
Kalingkata's smile grew, and even Hex's lips tugged up at the corners into a small, but genuine smile.
"Six moves until checkmate." Hex observed. "With no way for me to get out of it."
"Gotcha."
"You clever son of a bitch."
Both smiles grew more, and Hex tipped over her King. No sense in drawing out the inevitable. "Do you need to leave?"
"Hotaru can handle the kids."
"Best two out of three?"
"If your ego can handle another beating."
"Big talk for a man who gave up hacking for diapers."
"Bring it on, Hexie."
"Consider it brought, Kalingkata."