"The Joker... an interesting name," the customer nodded, seemingly tasting the word. "I am Alley. The brute over there is Garrison, the quiet one is Angel, and the one eyeing your Gin is Hook."
Thomas noted the names. He suspected they were codenames, just like his. In the dream world, everyone wore a mask, but the fact that they were sharing them meant the "Social Lubricant" of his drinks was working. The walls were coming down.
"Damn!" Alley suddenly laughed, shaking his head with a mix of regret and malice. "I want to go back to the physical world and brag to my ex-wife about this place. She thinks she's seen luxury because she dates Association directors? Hah! She'd die of frustration if she saw this deck!"
Thomas's eyes sharpened behind the mist. An opportunity.
On Earth, word-of-mouth was the most powerful marketing tool in existence, especially when driven by spite or ego. If Alley went back and talked, the Caesar Casino wouldn't just be a dream; it would be a legend.
