When plague and work thundered through the Trotta household, flattening Jake’s two recruits for Game No. 285 at the Red Lion last night, organizer Matt Sundstrom was all set to settle for a six-player teaching game. Cancelling wasn’t an option, as we still had two new recruits, including one playing her first game ever. A six-player game was better than turning them away.
But then a mysterious stranger named Mike darkened the doorway at the Red Lion. Instead of a good piece of hickory, he was carrying a pen. We let that slide because the game was saved.
Game No. 285 ended by time limit after the Fall 1905 turn in the following center counts:
Austria (Christian Kline): 9; 34.914 points.
England (Mike the Mysterious Stranger): 0; 0.000 points.
France (Kory Aktay): 7; 21.121 points.
Germany (David Spanos): 8; 27.586 points.
Italy (Jake Trotta): 3; 3.879 points.
Russia (Matt Sundstrom): 5; 10.776 points.
Turkey (Danielle H): 2; 1.724 points.
The supply center chart is here.
After the game, the mysterious stranger mounted his horse and disappeared into the dark, windy night. We may never see him again, but we think of him often. He saved Game No. 285, and we’ll always be grateful for that.
But we still killed him.
