All around them the cacophony of greed carried on its most glorious and extreme excess. But it. couldn't make a dent. in their world.

she broke the connection between their eyes just long enough to look down and find her glass and then raise it from the table. it was empty except for ice and a cherry but it didn't matter. he raised his glass in return, maybe one swallow of beer and foam left in it.

"to the end,"she said.

he smiled and nodded. he loved her and she knew it.

"to the end," he began then paused. "to the place where the desert is ocean.

she smiled as they touched glasses. she raised hers to her lips and the cherry rolled into her mouth. she looked at him suggestively as he wiped the beer foam out of his moustache. she loved him. it was them against the world and she liked their chances just fine.

then her smile was gone as she thought about how she had played the whole thing wrong. how she would have known what his reaction would be. how he wouldn't let her go up. she should have waited until after it was over to tell him."max,"she said, very serious now."let me do this. I mean it just this one last time."

"no way.its me I go up ."

there was a whoop from the casino floor and it was loud enough to break barrier surrounding them.she looked out and saw some ten gallon texcan dancing at the end of one of the craps. tables, just below the pulpit that reached out over the casino floor.the texcan had his dail-a-date at his side ,, a woman with big hair who had been working in the casino since Cassie was dealing at the trop for the first time.