Love Me To The End

Chapter 10: Playtime

Shredder was an elimination game involving bluff, strategy and dumb luck, at least when played by the rules. It was played around a large metal funnel feeding a motorised grinder with fast spinning blades (actually soft rubber, but they look metallic and vicious – that's partly how Maise and I survived the Daniels '87 by the way, just in case you hadn't guessed), when someone went into it blood and gore got sprayed all over the place. It looked pretty hardcore, so it was the perfect spectacle for Axiala's fledging supervillainy if she could avoid losing.

Four players each sat on hinged metal seats at the top of the funnel. Each were given a large playing card to look at and keep against their chest. Going from left to right, each player chose to either switch their card, hold it or trade it with another player. You were not allowed to repeat the same move as the previous player, so if they stuck you had to switch or trade. This would then be repeated along the line, so you would have two chances overall to trade or switch your card. Whoever was left with the lowest card by rank (aces high) had their seat drop away so they would slide down into the grinder to be gorily eliminated.

Axiala strode confidently to the far left seat, the position of control. She held her dress over her legs with her knees held tight as she gracefully crouched and sat down on the seat. She gave the other players a Mae West glance as she swung her legs out over the funnel. She looked down at the shredder at the bottom and wriggled her toes coquettishly.

Her hand-selected opponents were Dolph the soldier boy, Magistralle the luchadora and George the Mister Normal.

Chris had the job of dealing the cards and did so like a glamourous game show hostess, swishing his skirt and striking exaggerated poses while offering the cards. He nearly caused Maise to break character, but she held in the laugh and maintained Axiala's smokey demeanour.

The four players looked at their cards. Axiala chose to stick, Dolph switched and Magistralle stuck, forcing George to either trade or switch. He looked at the other players, trying to gauge their faces. Then he chose to trade with Magistralle.

Play went around again. Axiala stuck once more, Dolph traded with George and Magistralle switched. George look up again, this time at Axiala. She gave him a nod and he dutifully traded. When the cards were turned, it turned out she had given him the two of clubs, the low card. He smiled at her and waited to be dropped. His seat gave way, sending him sliding down into the shredder, blood and viscera shooting up like a fountain as he went through the spinning blades.

Axiala watched impassively, then took a silk handkerchief from the bosom of her dress and used it to wipe away a stray speck of blood.

Magistralle was the next victim, again choosing to trade with Axiala for what turned out to be the fatal low card. She calmly accepted her fate, folding her arms over her chest as if on a waterslide as she waited for her seat to drop her into the shredder. When her shower of blood had subsided, it was down to the final two.

Axiala stuck, Dolph switched. Axiala turned her card around, showing it to Dolph. It was the ace of spades.

"Stick," she said.

All Dolph had to do was trade cards to win. He looked up at Axiala, who mouthed something to him. He nodded and asked Chris to switch cards. Without even looking at the new card, he tossed it aside and prepared for the drop.

Once the third and final gore shower had subsided, Axiala swung her legs up to safety, stood up and made her way into the audience. She found Betsy in the crowd and stood before her impassively. Then she slowly pointed to her own chest, viciously pointed to Betsy and ended her little pantomime by pulling her thumb slowly across her throat. This done, she turned with swish of fabric and strode from the room.