ATDDTA (8) What's The Deal? (218)

[Keith]

"laying on tells with a prodigal hand" (218:20-21)

Tell - A clue or hint that a player unknowingly gives about the  
strength of his hand, his next action, etc. May originally be from  
"telegraph" or the obvious use that he "tells" you what he's going to  
do before he does it.
http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/terms/wordlist/

Reef is struggling with his role now that Dad is gone. God, with a  
stacked deck, is tipping His hand, but Reef feels clueless to  
decipher the tells. (That God's hand is 'prodigal' also alludes to  
the torment of another confused son.)

Reef remains in a Hadesian consciousness, seeing noisy spirits in the  
rain and reflected lightning storms, not only that of his father, but  
the spirits of Webb's victims and colleagues. Who is them and who is  
us, who is good and who is evil? Reading this book is like looking  
through a scanner darkly.

One minute it's the governor in the footsteps of Job's Satan,  
"forever to and fro," now it's "Webb's busy ghost, [...] bustling 'to  
and fro' doing what he could to keep things hopping." (218:31-32)