Big Bert was the one to go out, though, not Ray.
The man stood at the doorway, and he was shivering with fear. "I... look, I'd like another chance," he said.
Ray stood behind him, gun in hand. "Did we give Dave another chance, Bert? I seem to recall you were all up and about to push him out yourself, you bloody plonker."
"Yeah, but... none of us really liked Dave, did we?" Big Bert replied, his eyes flitting between the gun and Ray. "I mean, he was, you know, a twerp, hey?"
"Don't matter if he was the King of bloody England, Bert. He lost fair and square, and so have you. Out you go."
Big Bert turned around, opened the door. It was completely dark outside. He stepped forward, then hesitated. "Couldn't we wait 'til the sun comes up at least?" he asked weakly
Ray laughed. "And when's that gonna happen? Been a week already! Go on, Bert, 'fore something comes by."
But he didn't wait for Big Bert to answer; instead, he stepped forward and kicked the man squarely in the pants. Big Bert practically flew into the dark, legs pumping as he tried to right himself. He was squawking like a chicken.
Ray slammed the door shut. Then he tucked the gun back into his trousers and walked back to the little table.
"Right," he said.
Banging on the door. It was Big Bert. But his pleas were muted and muffled, and, after a moment, the banging stopped too.
"That was fast, wadn'it," Ray said to the group assembled at the table.
"Why we doin' this anyhow, Ray?" Shayna asked. "It's not like we haven't been here – "
"'cause if we don't, whatever the bloody heck it is that's out there'll get hungry enough to knock the door in, yeah? Then it won't matter who wins, awright?" He pointed at Liddy, who was halfway to lifting his cup of tea to his trembling lips. "Oi, Lids. Put the cup down and shuffle."
Liddy put the cup down, and shuffled the combined stacks of cards.
