‘But a rook takes the pawn!’, she said.
‘Oh, but I’m not playing chess,’ I said.
‘But a flush trumps a …!’
‘I’m not playing cards either.’
‘But a million dollars is more than a thousand!’
‘I’m not playing capitalism.’
‘But … is more famous than …!’
‘I’m not playing Hollywood.’
‘But … is holier than …!’
‘I’m not playing god.’
‘What are you playing then?’
‘I’m playing pleasure.’
‘Oh! And how do you play that?’
‘However you find pleasing.
I’m making it up as I go along.’
‘But what if your pleasure interferes with mine?’
‘I don’t get pleasure from bullying.’
‘But what if I bully you?’
‘You won’t get pleasure from my revenge.’
‘But what if I take even more unpleasant revenge on you?’
‘Then we go to the endgame,
And may the best player win.’