Desperately wanting to break the mood, I take the guys to McDonalds. I figure if they get a taste of the food the locals eat, if they feel what it's like to live on the wrong side, then they will understand how badly these people need to win. The Kid takes the next round a lot more seriously. He's not doing the funny voices anymore and his hand is under the table, firmly grasping. The Youth stalemates and gets a blood nose.
Guys can be unpredictable under pressure.
Once again I try to break the mood. A big teenager, with glasses, a bad shirt and the kind of skin that comes with too much chess and not enough nookie, offers me a game. He takes my queen in half a dozen moves and we leave it at that. Both my guys are playing Asians and we're taking heavy losses. If Charlie can fry chips as well as he can play chess then I can see why Hanson's worried.