"Oh. It does sound like a good place to visit, though."

"Yes. If you will hold the umbrella over the board, I'll set upthe best equivalent we can have here."

"All right. Say, this look like a version of the game we playedlast time."

"It is. I got to wondering what would have happened if it hadgonethis way rather than the way it went that it went."

"Hmm. Let me see... ."

Martin removed four six-packs from his pack and opened the first.

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

Grend accepted the beer, squatted, passed the umbrella back toMartin.

"I'm still White?"

"Yeah."

"Pawn to King six."

"Really?"

"Yep."'

"About the best thing for me to do would be to take this Pawn withthis one."

"I'd say. Then I'll just knock off your Knight with this one."

"I guess I'll just pull this Knight back to K2."

"... And I'll just take this one over to B3. My I have anotherbeer?"

An hour and a quarter later, Martin resigned. The rain had let upand he had folded the umbrella.

"Another game?" Grend asked.

"Yes."

The afternoon wore on. The pressure was off. This one was justforfun. Martin tried wild combinations, seeing ahead with great clarity,as he had that one... .

"Stalemate," Grend announced much later. "That was a good one,though. You picked up considerably."

"I was more relaxed. Want another?"

"Maybe in a little while. Tell me more about bars now."

So he did. Finally, "How is all that beer affecting you? heasked.

"I'm a bit dizzy. But that's all right. I'll still cream you thethird game."

And he did.

"Not bad for a human, though. Not bad at all. You coming backnext month?"

"Yes."

"Good. You'll bring more beer?"

"So long as my money holds out."

"Oh. Bring some plaster of Paris then. I'll make you some nice