The Knave in the Night

By Hank Hufnagel

The Mudhens Learn A New Game, and Hank Practices Writing Dialog
 

"This stinks," said Binky Henderson.

"You mean the cabin or the weather?" replied Bacon Wallace.

"Both, and maybe you too -- you had a bath lately?"

"What d'ya mean by that crack? I'm doin' the best I can. It's not as if there are showers out here or anything."

"There is a shower right outside the door there."

"More like a storm than a shower, and it's too cold for my taste. What's your problem?"

"Aw, I'm just bored. Look at the eight of us, the famous Mudhen Patrol, hah! We came out here to hike and swim and look for muskrats, and here we sit in this rotten old cabin --- been here for hours and likely to be here all day. This isn't my idea of fun."

"Yeah, well your crabbin' doesn't make it any better, I can tell you."

"Hey you guys," came a deeper voice from across the room, "can it!"

"Can it? Where do you get these expressions -- old black and white movies?" shot back Binky.

"It's somethin' Gramps says when he wants some peace and quiet," said Peewee.

"Well, alright Mr. Patrol Leader, I'll 'can' it if you can come up with something better for us to do than sit around on our cans watchin' the rain fall and the day wash away."

"You know, maybe I could at that. You ever hear of a game called Mafia?"

"No. Some sort of board game your gramps plays?"

"Lay off of Peewee Senior, he knows more about Scouting that any of us."

"Yeah, yeah, let's not get into that again. So what's 'Mafia'?"

"It's a game that you can use to kill a rainy afternoon, but Gramps tinkered with it a little and calls his version 'The Knave in the Night'."

"Well, that sounds OK, I guess. I'll give it a try. Beats doing nothing or playing Euchre."
 

"OK, how about you other guys?" said Peewee, looking around. "Good, you need six to twelve people for the game to be fun. Eight is a good number. Get into a circle on the floor. Here, Willy, hand me that deck of cards. Let's see, we need an Ace, a King and a Knave --- that's another name for a Jack, you know, Binky."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."
    "Well, let's see, that's three cards, now I'll pick out five number cards to make eight --- that's all we'll need --- one card for each person."

"This some sort of card game?" asked Ramen Noodle. "I don't like card games."

"Naw, it's not a card game," said Peewee. "It's just a game that has cards in it."

"What's the difference?"

"Just watch, OK."

"Alright, but I don't like card games."

"Ramen, it's not a card game."

"You have an Ace, a King, a Jack, and five number cards, and it's not a card game?"

"No. Just let me shuffle the cards, deal 'em out and explain how to play, OK?"

"You're going to deal the cards?"

"Yeah."

"You're going to deal the cards, but it's not a card game?"

"Yes, I'm gonna deal the cards and it is NOT a card game."

"Seems hard to believe."

"It's TRUE! Will you just listen?"

"Well, OK, no need to get huffy. I just don't like card games."
    "Shhh!" said the circle of scouts in unison."

"OK, everybody has a card now?" said a somewhat flustered Peewee. "Take a look at it, but don't let anybody else see it. If you have the Ace, you are the Boss of the Game for this round. If you have the King, you are the detective. And, if you have the Knave, you are the assassin. Everybody else is a villager."