The Wager
"Each honored guest gets one chance to place a wager. The guest who wagers must provide at least one mermaid. Any other guest who wishes to match the wager must raise it in turn. In other words, if they all match, the third guest must put up one more item, instrument, or other valuable object than the second."
"Of course, Energy Stones are acceptable too. The Fair Dealer needs them to keep working."
The puppet gave a playful wink, but no one behind the screens played along. Instead, a young voice impatiently urged, "Let's get started already."
"Please don't be impatient, honored guest. We must also look after our regulars and give newcomers a chance. Those are the rules of Fish Banquet Tower," the puppet replied.
The voice said nothing more.
The puppet returned to the round table and clapped its hands. A multi-tiered spinning wheel appeared on the otherwise empty tabletop. At first glance, it looked like a tower of incense coils. In the center, at the very top, was a transparent square box containing eight dice. They floated inside, spinning to display the numbers on each face.
Numbers were also marked on the wheel, from 1 to 10, arranged irregularly and extending all the way to its outer edge.
The puppet quickly explained the rules.
The game was simple. The wheel's numbered sections were there to spin. At the start of the game, the guest who placed the wager would release a bead beneath the square box. The bead would circle around the wheel until the guest called for it to stop, while the dice inside the box spun at the same time.
Then came the betting. The guest who placed the wager would put up the basic stake, and the other seven would decide whether