The Dapper Man picked up a penny. He brought it up to eye level, examining it critically. It was smooth, round and shiny. Its surface was unadorned, save for a shiny "1" engraved on the face.

"So, what you're saying is that I collect one hundred of these...", he began.

"...and we can buy access to the next level", came the hurried reply.

The Dapper Man eyed his colleague, doubt riding in his voice. After all, the One-Eyed Cowboy always had an angle in these dealings.

"You know, I've not been playing this game for long, but it seems to me you always manage to get us into trouble."

"This is different, it's in the rules.", came the annoyed reply.

The Dapper Man considered this, and had to admit that the Cowboy had a point. It *was* in the game's rules, after all. No coins, no admission.

"I guess you're right.", he conceded.

The Dapper Man turned back to the task of collecting coins. Had he looked behind him, he'd have noticed that the One-Eyed Cowboy fell asleep, propped against the wall; in most cases this would have gone unnoticed. The Dapper Man might, however, have taken offence at this - after all, robbing a bank required the look-out sentry to be awake.

There was a slight rustle as the guards shuffled in the bank and then, it all went dark for our heroes.

A week later, the Dapper Man picked up a penny, and sighed.

"I hate you so much right now.", he told his partner.