Cardona was speaking to Willie, his tone jocular. "You better take a swig of that word medicine you carry and calm down."
Willie slapped the layout with his palm. "R-right n-now! This g-game is closed, Cardona. And you'll be out of town in t-twenty-four hours or you'll be in j-jail. P-pick up your b-b-bets, men."
"Hold it!" Madrid said, striding forward now. "This is an honest game, kid. I told you that the other night. Now for—"
"The g-game is crooked!" Willie said. "I can prove it."
Cardona moved toward the card box, but Willie beat him to it and slapped his hand over it. Madrid caught Willie's arm and tried to pull him away, but Willie shook him off. Customers from other parts of the saloon moved in to see the show. Madrid swore violently.
"Get out of here, kid! Clean out of the place," he said.
He stood with his jaw thrust forward, his pink-striped elbow bent as his hand gripped the handle of his pistol. Tesno was suddenly close behind him with one hand on Madrid's shoulder and the other on the wrist of his gun hand.
"Let the kid make his play," Tesno said. His grip tightened as the marshal started to pull away. "Go ahead, Willie."
"The cards in this deck alt-t-ter-n-nate odd and even," Willie announced. He slid the top card out of the box and turned it face up. It was an eight.
"The n-next will be odd." Willie turned a three. "The n-next, even ... the next, odd." He turned a four and a jack. He went on, calling another half dozen cards correctly.