04-18-2023, 06:31 AM
While Jose and Citlalnite were rescued by the Salad Land Lifeguard Service, Chaher enjoyed his endless salad, and Cranston broiled himself, the Saladians had been busy checking the "references" provided by Chaher.
It had been a rather perfunctory check, consisting of two phone calls to each of the numbers provided, and a "yep, sounds good" from Gardner after Daucourt placed the calls. With the "references" sort-of-more-or-less verified, Gardner and Daucourt went back to the Palace de Salad to advise the Marquis of the results of their investigation. "The company checks out, reference wise," Daucourt told the Marquis. "Everything looks good to proceed."
"Excellent," de Salad replied. "Let's get these guys back in here then, sign the deal, and wire them their money. And let's make it snappy, please. I have a golf game in an hour - "
The voice of the Marquis was interrupted by a single, loud "nooooooo". As everyone turned in shock, they could see Piper Drummond running down the grand staircase into the throne room. She was still shouting "nooooooo" as she ran; her voice echoed off the walls as she shouted and ran. When she finally reached the others, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "Do....not....send....them....money!" she gasped.
"Piper darling! I am always happy to see you....but why not?" the Marquis asked.
Drummond staggered over to a nearby table, dropping her phone and a very large book onto it. The title of the book read Jen's Big Book Of Fighting Ships. "I will show you why not," she breathed heavily. "See this picture?" She held up her phone. "I took it of the ship these guys arrived in. The one they're trying to sell us."
"Wow, that's a great picture!" the Marquis said admiringly. "You have a way with the camera. And it's such a sharp-looking ship too. Maybe we can frame the picture and put it up on the wall of the Naval Patrol building after we buy the ships -"
"No. No no no. Look here." Drummond opened her book to a page she had bookmarked. "That is a Huaca-class patrol vessel. The Xiomerans used to use them; the Huenyans still do. Do you notice any similarities?" she asked expectantly, pointing to the picture in the book.
The three men in the room shrugged collectively. "They're both boats?" the Marquis said finally.
"They're practically identical!" Drummond shouted. "If you look past the paint job and some things that have been slapped onto it, that is a Huenyan ship! From the 1970s! They're trying to sell us someone else's old junk as new!"
"Now, that can't be," Gardner said with a paternal smile. "We looked into their references and everything checked out."
"Oh? Well, did you check out the references themselves to see if they were worth a damn?" Drummond asked. Daucourt turned red. "I didn't quite do that," he murmured. Gardner hemmed and hawed, looking at his feet. The expression on the face of the Marquis turned a bit sour, as realization finally began to set in. "So, these guys are trying to rip us off." Drummond nodded vigorously.
The Marquis stood up. "Well, I won't have that. I don't like being separated from my money - I mean, the country's money - especially if we don't get what we asked for. Bring these gentlemen back to the Palace at once. I think I have just the deal for them." The Marquis smiled malevolently at that thought.
It had been a rather perfunctory check, consisting of two phone calls to each of the numbers provided, and a "yep, sounds good" from Gardner after Daucourt placed the calls. With the "references" sort-of-more-or-less verified, Gardner and Daucourt went back to the Palace de Salad to advise the Marquis of the results of their investigation. "The company checks out, reference wise," Daucourt told the Marquis. "Everything looks good to proceed."
"Excellent," de Salad replied. "Let's get these guys back in here then, sign the deal, and wire them their money. And let's make it snappy, please. I have a golf game in an hour - "
The voice of the Marquis was interrupted by a single, loud "nooooooo". As everyone turned in shock, they could see Piper Drummond running down the grand staircase into the throne room. She was still shouting "nooooooo" as she ran; her voice echoed off the walls as she shouted and ran. When she finally reached the others, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "Do....not....send....them....money!" she gasped.
"Piper darling! I am always happy to see you....but why not?" the Marquis asked.
Drummond staggered over to a nearby table, dropping her phone and a very large book onto it. The title of the book read Jen's Big Book Of Fighting Ships. "I will show you why not," she breathed heavily. "See this picture?" She held up her phone. "I took it of the ship these guys arrived in. The one they're trying to sell us."
"Wow, that's a great picture!" the Marquis said admiringly. "You have a way with the camera. And it's such a sharp-looking ship too. Maybe we can frame the picture and put it up on the wall of the Naval Patrol building after we buy the ships -"
"No. No no no. Look here." Drummond opened her book to a page she had bookmarked. "That is a Huaca-class patrol vessel. The Xiomerans used to use them; the Huenyans still do. Do you notice any similarities?" she asked expectantly, pointing to the picture in the book.
The three men in the room shrugged collectively. "They're both boats?" the Marquis said finally.
"They're practically identical!" Drummond shouted. "If you look past the paint job and some things that have been slapped onto it, that is a Huenyan ship! From the 1970s! They're trying to sell us someone else's old junk as new!"
"Now, that can't be," Gardner said with a paternal smile. "We looked into their references and everything checked out."
"Oh? Well, did you check out the references themselves to see if they were worth a damn?" Drummond asked. Daucourt turned red. "I didn't quite do that," he murmured. Gardner hemmed and hawed, looking at his feet. The expression on the face of the Marquis turned a bit sour, as realization finally began to set in. "So, these guys are trying to rip us off." Drummond nodded vigorously.
The Marquis stood up. "Well, I won't have that. I don't like being separated from my money - I mean, the country's money - especially if we don't get what we asked for. Bring these gentlemen back to the Palace at once. I think I have just the deal for them." The Marquis smiled malevolently at that thought.
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