The Gentleman

Panel 1. Twenty years later. A big cricket match, a big crowd, money changing hands. Sam, now forty, holds his notched stick. Caption: “Kent. 1666.”

Panel 2. A gentleman in a fine dark coat, his face shaded by his hat brim, leans close. Gentleman: “Maidstone wins today. See to it.”

Panel 3. Sam doesn’t look at him. Sam: “I’ll call what I see.” Gentleman: “Then see what I tell you.”

Panel 4. Late in the match, a close call. Sam calls it straight, against Maidstone. In the crowd, the gentleman stops smiling. Sam: “Out.”