{ ... }

۞

  The winning goal came just in time.  The final result: 4-2.  Thanks to the formation of Gamma they defeated the formation of Delta.  A right-angle beats a triangle, at a ratio of two-to-one.  

  Astonishment at the bookies amongst the laddies!  A bookmaker and a broker were exchanging numbers and trading futures.  The final results came in on a screen above their heads.  

  “Four-Two was it that did it?”  

  “Six pointer.”  

  “Seven below her, Athena…” referring to another number.  

  On the Isopsephy machine.  

IT READ:  

1:1:1:2:1

Α Θ Ε Ν Α

1:9:8:5:1

1:8:4:6

9:3:1

Θ Γ Κ

9:3:1

3:4

7

Ζ

  “Isopsephy fruit machine!”  

  “Are you a gambler?”  

  Another Isopsephy fruit machine read S-A-R-A-H.  

  “This one says we need to reach Zeta.”  

  {pointing towards it}  

  The skin-heads were adept at reading Greek characters, and their mathematical skills were excellent since the local bookmakers had installèd these new Isopsephy machine games in the fashion of the gamblers trademark fruit machine.  One could be forgiven for referring to them as fruit machines, since, idiomatically this is how they came to be known, basèd on the reputation of their predecessors.  Instead of betting on images of rolling fruit, people were betting on tables of figures, cascading Greek letters with numerological properties.  

  “She's got cheeky properties that S-A-R-A-H,” said a player, reading the Isopsephy of Sarah.  “I wonder what character lies below her?”  

  {distracting him from it}  

  A skin-head was getting carrièd away from looking at it.  

  Screens above their heads were broadcasting the fight from earlier.  It was pay-per-view, they knew that they would have to have a gamble.  

  “What a figure!” said a money-counter.  

  “That's Athena,” said a bet winner, “she gives a good return if you know how to play her.”  

  Jack Stoker was checking the bookies for market stock tips.  Binary numbers fell before his eyes.  He had knickèd Robertson's watch 'cause it looked cool watching it.  All those dots-and-lines were assembling themselves as geomantic figures.  

  A gambling man lost a large number, on a costly figure, when betting on tables of figures such as Athena.  

۝