If Things Had Just Been Better | Six of Crows

Kaz

Kaz Rietveld had a tradition of scamming the new university students at the beginning of every school year, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He didn't think he needed much of a reason, but if he had to guess it was probably because Rollins didn't like it. 

Every year, Kaz would dazzle the first year students with wonderous feats of magic, and Rollins would always give him some speech about how magic tricks were 'the oldest trick in the book' and how he should direct them to The Kaelish Prince instead. ("University students are just begging to pick up a few unhealthy habits...") Kaz just figured that Rollins wanted a cut of the profits.

But new, non-Kerch students simply did not know the oldest tricks in the book, or even the title of the book, and Kaz felt that it was his duty to teach them how to read it.

"Come one, come all, and witness the magical feats of the wonderful Kaz Rietveld!" Jesper called out to the crowd. 

Kaz looked back up from setting up his trick, "Jes, for Ghezen's sake, you are going to get us thrown out again. Not to mention scare off any Kerch pigeons who know what a scam sounds like."

Jesper ignored him largely, but did shut up. He'd done his work, at any rate- a crowd of young and foreign students crowded around where Kaz was sitting. He began his first trick.

"Welcome, fellow students of Ketterdam university," Kaz began. His voice didn't carry like Jesper's, wasn't as flashy or West Stave. But at the same time, there was some sort of quiet mystery to it that drew in all who were listening, even Jesper (who'd seen this trick a million times) and Wylan, looking up from his book to see.

"Before me I have three cups and one coin," Kaz lifted each cup to reveal that it was empty, and turned the coin around for everyone to see. The people closest to Kaz were starting to lean closer and get a good look at what was happening now.

"This trick is a classic, far and wide. All you have to do is guess which cup the coin is under and you will earn my entire profit from today. As more people try, the pot will keep growing. So who will be my volunteer from the audience?"

Even the students who were familiar with scams like this one liked the sound of that prize. There were murmurs in the crowd, but no one came forward just yet. They probably knew he'd just started for the day. The sun wa slow in the sky, after all, and that was when he had the least amount of money, just a base sum of twenty Kruge.

Wylan sighed, sitting over at a nearby table, and pushed through the crowd that couldn't decide if they wanted a go, "How much does one go cost?"

"Just five Kruge." Kaz hadn't been worried, but he didn't mind the extra five.

Wylan pulled out a crisp five Kruge bill and handed it to Kaz. Kaz took it and put it in the pile with the rest of the money. 

"Now-" He said, "Watch very carefully."

He put the coin under one of the identical cups and begun to spin the cups around. He started slowly, but picked up speed. Not so much that you couldn't follow it, just barely enough to confuse someone.

"Now-" Said Kaz after a period of spinning the cups, "Which one is the coin under?"

Wylan ventured a guess, pointing at the one on the far left.

Kaz lifted the cup, revealing nothing. He sucked his teeth in fake sympathy, "Better luck next time. The pot is now up to twenty-five Kruge. Who wants to go next?"

Kaz lifted the cups, revealing that the coin was under the middle cup. Upon hearing the number, several more people began to volunteer, one after the other. Kaz's eyes flicked between the people whenever business got low. It didn't take long to drum up a fair sum of money. But most of the growing crowd had already gone a go, and weren't sure if they wanted to try again.

What kept them going, however, was the thing that separated this from other scams. After the person guessed, he would lift the cups and reveal that the coin was under another cup. So he couldn't have swept it off the table, so there had to be a chance that someone would eventually get it right! And so mark after mark fell prey to it, and by afternoon, he was doing well for himself.

"Well, we've hit 100 Kruge. Anyone willing to go for the money?" Kaz spread his arms. The crowd began to mumble. Around ten, twenty minutes from then would be when he'd either stop getting customers or get kicked out and told to watch himself. It was a miracle he hadn't been expelled yet, but then, his brother worked directly under Pekka Rollins, so who would dare? Worst they could do was expel Jesper for helping drum up customers, but then they'd have to expel him too, wouldn't they?

Kaz's gaze flicked from person to person, daring each of them to make a bet. To his surprise, a tall, blond Fjerdan pushed through the crowd. His hair was shoulder length and he was growing the start of a beard. He looked about Kaz's age, so he'd have to have changed universities halfway through his schooling. His accent was thick when he spoke.

"How much will it cost me?" His eyes were icy blue, staring piercingly at Kaz. He looked entirely humorless, and Kaz couldn't imagine why he would want to participate in a magic trick. Fjerdans generally looked down on this sort of thing, in his experience.

"Just five Kruge!" Jesper answered quickly, in the sort of tone that made Kaz doubt that he'd never been down to West Stave, "It's a steal, considering that you could win it back, plus one hundred Kruge!"

The Fjerdan didn't look particularly excited by the prospect, but he still tossed a five Kruge note at Kaz. Kaz caught it midair and slipped it into the pile of money in one quick move. He placed the coin under one of the cups and begun to mix them up. The Fjerdan watched intently. He was strong and tall, and looked how a Fjerdan supposedly should.

Kaz slowed the cups to a stop.

"Alright," Kaz said, drawing his hands away, "Where is the coin?"

"Up your sleeve."