Everyone had been told, very pleasantly, that there would be a routine check. "I've reviewed your hand," said the Auditor. "You'll be showing it to the player on your left."
The victim began to say it was surely not necessary, and the Auditor said it was only procedure. The player on the left studied the hand with great care and made a note of the one card they were going to take.
A second form was produced, for the player's records, and a third, for the Auditor's. Somebody asked what the check was for. "Routine," came the answer, which was not an answer.
"Thank you for your cooperation," said the Auditor. "This has been logged."
The victim had been bluffing for forty minutes. The Auditor had known for thirty-nine of them. "No further action," the Auditor added, "at this time." It was somehow worse.