Law of Supply and Demand

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 45960

Cuthbert

"As to what we want from you," I say slowly. "It's this... In as far as you need to know, I and my friends need are funds for what I will call a safety investment. something that not only will provide funds for the golden years but insure that there will BE golden years, as it were.

"This is going to be a two tier payment system," I plow on before these rodents can squeek out an interruption. "The fee for the first would have been much more moderate, believe me. However, after that crap you tried the nominal fee will now be bumped up to what we would have asked for in the second phase, the phase where . . . you pay us as consultants."

"And why would we pay for consultation afterwards if we have the question to the universe?" one of the mice sneers (neat trick for such a small voice).

"Because the question is: What is n. . ." Marvin begins in his dull, downbeat voice.

A muttered spell from one of the magic users and whatever further Marvin would have said is muted, briging a look of surprise from not only the organics (besides us Champions) in the room, but it also seems to take Marvin back a bit. Whatever his sensors tell him must confuse him.

First time he'd ever encountered a Silence spell, I'll put my watch and warrent on!

Does pay to have friends who do that.

Oh, and before you ask... Before the mice decided to get cute we'd asked (and were shown) the color of their money. I don't trust them any more than they us and would have put our business on hold until we had the money at hand! Even if it meant waiting until planetfall! But as it was they had a small stash the Turtle and all the Guardians of the Beam only knows how they'd managed to get aboard this ship without Trillian and her boyfriend knowing. It would have been enough for this whole business, beforehand. Now, the entire stash will serve as the fee for the question.

The second part will be wired into a transaction on the intergalatic stock market via the computers on the worldbuilder's planet. See, the worldbuilders have their cryochambers linked to the markets because they're trying to sleep until the day where the galaxy at large can afford their services again. If they have taps that can do that then they have taps that can do other things.

That and they'll still have their lawyers on ice to draw up a binding contract, our continued silence so that THEY are the sole source of the information as they see fit to distribute.

OH, by the way, in the book (and probably in real life, can feel it) the planet builder's cleaning staff might be dead due to diode failure, but better not have that happen to your lawyers at the ready! Your business will be eaten alive if not!!

We've got OUR legal team (headed up by Rift) and had to use them from time to time so I know where I'm coming from is true enough....

Anyway . . .

Marvin, after we collect our "modest" fee for the question, shoots out the question.

Jaws drop and the mice suddenly realize just WHY we Champions had offered consultation. See, the answer to the question in the book (as well as here) was fourty two. The question to the answer is absolute POISON to their dreams of talk show fame and fortune! The question is "What do you get when you mulitpy nine times six?" If word gets out (and us Champions will damn well make sure it gets out if these rodents go and try to screw us) without the little angle (the gimmick) we came up to make this poison into a blessing, then the mice will have NOTHING (as I had PRAYED they see it)! They'll look like laughing stocks (them and the other mice).

The question is absurd because of course mathematically it's WRONG. But the thing is that this entire universe is deeply flawed, wrong, to be blunt about it. It's a joke, but anyone who tells it to the universe in general will have egg on their face because the yoke will be on them. Heh.

They come up with some ideas (schemese really) right off the bat and try to talk themselves into believing it'll work, but when I ask drolely if that'll work . . .

Pretty lame schemes, actually. What with us in the mix to blow the whistle they don't stand a chance...

....

Oh, it's blackmail almost, but then again it's like this:

"We have the supply and we make the demands," Artizza puts it.

They'd been so desperate for the question their race would have created Earth 2 and waited the millions of years to get it. Then these particular mice, finding out a survivor (Arthur) was in their grasp, went and tried stomething rash (and getting the information for free). Now, for only a fraction of the cost of creating Earth 2 (and right NOW) they've got the question. Arthur (and us acting as his agents) had something to sell and he sold it, simple as that!

. . .

Hey, he's still in his pajamas, for the Beam's sake!! Nothing else of his own (except his towel and such) so don't begrudge him this, okay?!

As for the bigger fee for the second part we need a bit of funds to make sure that the entirety of this universe's Earth shan't be blown to bits by the Vogons! That'll take funds and a scheme . . .which I'll get to in a bit here . . .

Oh, that and somewhere I've just got to pick up a copy (or two) of That's a Wrap on God because Betty and Ragan would never forgive me if I didn't!

Oh, it's a laugh from the book. Kind of had faulty logic in it which after proving that God didn't exist (logic being that God was supposed to move in mysterious ways but the babel fish showed that God existed so He'd disappear in a poof of logic. Yeah, that's actually what it said) . . . . Well, if I remember the same author went on to prove that black was white (and got run over in the next zebra crossing) . . .

Got a few books to buy . . .

Well, back to business . . .

Now after we land we Champions will get them a way to present the universe at large a way to give the news without them getting laughed at (or lynched)...

  1. That is AFTER we get the ship past the automated planetary defenses, which the mice will see to (we HOPE). . .

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9/26/2004 10:24:55 PM

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