We all know where it is go...

We do. Soon we'll see where it goes from where it's already went. :)

I presume I'm seeing how Aransas tried to cheat his hosts. I'd thought perhaps outside this room somewhere, financially, and they lured him in for retribution. But no. Cheating at cards against a pride of frikin LIONS and their friends, in an isolated place. Also nobody likes being cheated but for Victorians cheating at cards lost you all honor in society. The stakes in this game, sir, are rather high for you.

This is what happens when you think with your dick, so to speak.
Or is it?
He came prepared.

Well, if it were me I might well play to lose. But lions. Really. The thrill of the danger is one thing but only the total lack of sense of a buck in the rut would allow the risks involved here.

Gee, Chris de Burgh's 1975 song: "Spanish Train" immediately came to mind.

"...and as he spoke,
from beneath his cloak,
he slipped another ace!"

Problem is Mr. Hawthorne, even with his fancy law degree, may not fully appreciate the true level of danger he could find himself in... :P

Aransas J. Hawthorne, Esq.
Esquire comes from the Old French word for shield-bearer.
I'm sure he's got protection.

Oh. Oh nooooooooooooooooo.

Yeah that was a mistake, Hawthorne!

You think he'd have a little more caution, being a stranger in a strange land.
He goes missing, who is going to come looking?
It all seems so foolish.

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes," as they say.

That is one of my favorite sayings.

When one is a Stranger in a Strange Land, one must truly grok the need for caution and good sense... ;)

welp, now we know why he's out of the game later!

At least he gets to listen to everyone else having fun. Smell them too.
That's a better consolation prize than Rice-a-Roni. And the buck did seem at least excited to be there on page 6. ;)

With a name like Tower of Babel, you know these cards are legit.

Those ladies are a glorious prize indeed. Sinh is such a generous host to share them with his guests.
What would any of us do to win such prizes? I empathize with Mr. Hawthorne :)

I know this--you can't win if you don't play. :)

Asiatic lions? (I'm probably a bit slow on the uptake here I just think that's neat. The little forehead third eye dots.)

Yes indeed. Sinh and his wives are practicing Hindus living in India in the late 1800s.

Ah I love it!

Is that an ace in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

He is quite happy to see you AND that looks like a card of some sort in his pocket.

So the whole story rather started out as a "you're probably wondering how I got here" thing, and... yeah, I think I'm getting an inkling as to the how, now.

That is what I was going for. It's fun to start in the middle. I hope you will enjoy the back and forth journey.

Is it strange that the thing I admire the most about this page is that Mr Hawthorne is lacking his top teeth, just like deer should?

That makes you at least as strange as me, who likes to get those little details right.
I have a general tendency to make their heads as much like the real thing as possible. The more I make them, the more real they feel to me.

Realism. Who'da thunkit? One of your best features!

He done goofed

It's looking like he's about to make a mistake or two. Or, I guess, technically--made that mistake already since the story begins with him in a precarious position.

Silly deer

He's been in a bit of a rut lately. Effects his thinking, I'm sure.

That would do it, but really, at what cost!! Unless this is exactly what he wanted, then... worth it?

"So if you are game, Mr. Hawthorne..."

Well watching Walter having sex with them should be already excitedly enough for everyone Mr Hawthorne. ;P

It would be quite a show.