Halence smiled. Of course, Kalek's original words having indicated that there was some friction within the ranks could only help Halence’s position, Sorn realized.
"But couldn't he put a lien on his ship?" an exasperated Reigland queried. "I've seen her, and she is a beaut." To which Halence gave a nod of appreciation from one captain to another. "And certainly any bank would offer a handsome lien, if Halence were to request such."
The triplets smiled at that suggestion, but Jesere only sighed.
"I thought myself so clever, having deduced how terribly profitable this could be for you. However, I now know full well the risks you will be facing with this venture. I thought my research would help me in assuring a fair return for my clients, yet my very diligence now works against me.
"Were it you making the assertions independently, it would be assumed that you were trying to avoid having to put your ship in hock to renege on a fair trade. Yet with me honor-bound to tell what you are planning, no bank will touch you. And I'll just bet that all you really have access to at this port is twenty-two gold royals. Well done Halence, well done."
To which Halence just smiled and shook his head. "In truth, Jesere, I am not quite the puppet master you make me out to be. I was, in fact, hoping to get away with an offer of seventeen gold royals, allowing our grain merchants here a two royal profit. But the fact is that you did do your homework, and furthermore, I will be paying out every gold I have, five royals more than I had hoped, should these fine traders accept my offer. It is still, in truth, more than they could ever hope to make on a grain shipment otherwise, and assures them a profit, no matter what happens to me. That is the truth, and you know it, Jesere. Of course, the fact that no bank will touch me on this venture works to my favor, in a sense. But only, of course, if these fellows accept the deal, and you know as well as I do that they would be fools not to.
"Remember, Jesere," Halence continued softly, "they may be the only sellers with unoptioned grain in this whole duchy, but I am the only buyer willing to pay twenty-two gold royals for ten wagonloads of grain."
A very frustrated Jesere was near to fuming, though she was silent, obviously trying to find a path she felt fairer to her clients, yet it was obvious as well that Halence's words were also the truth. Somehow, Sorn was sure of it. Captain Halence looked too savvy a trader to risk his reputation by lying outright, especially when the truth was already working in his favor.
"Well, what are you waiting for, woman?" Kalek demanded, "seal the deal! I want my gold!"
Reigland elbowed Kalek, whispering further harsh words but to no avail. Kalek, shaken and battered, a near wreck from all that he had endured, was clearly at his breaking point. "We had a deal! I would get one-fourth of our profits over fifteen gold when we got to port! Quit stalling, woman, and get us our gold!"
Jesere's frustrated look was turning to one of bitter acquiescence, and Halence only nodded with the satisfied smile of a master strategist who already knew that victory was his.
Sorn, having caught the glimpse of an idea moments ago, clapped his hands together when it all came into focus. His cousins, well used to Sorn's ways, grinned in happy contentment, waiting avidly for Sorn to speak. The others in the room also turned to Sorn with varying degrees of interest, Kalek cowering in terror at Sorn's sudden gesture before composing himself, certain memories of the voyage no doubt indelibly etched in his drug-addled mind.
"Now, Halence, you said that you only had twenty-two gold royals to give us for the grain, correct?" To which Halence gave Sorn a nod, after which Sorn then turned to Jesere. "Jesere, you think that if he can make it past this blockade, Halence could easily make what, a hundred gold?"
"Yes, Sorn," Jesere said calmly, as if having to restate things for a child, not realizing that when Sorn was brainstorming he liked to reiterate the key facts.
"And is it true, that no one else in Famil is likely to pay us more than twenty-two gold for our grain which, minus the fifteen gold royals the grain cost us, would give us a maximum profit seven royals, with one-quarter share of the profit being one and three-fourths royals, which would be Kalek's share, yes?"
Jesere nodded her head. "Yes, Sorn. Your math is correct. And we are unfortunately, unlikely to get another buyer willing to pay a higher premium for our grain. Even should Caverenoc's situation become common knowledge, very few traders would be foolish enough to attempt to run a naval blockade in any case."
Sorn turned to the trader. "Captain Halence, this may seem like an odd question, but could you give us your word that you do not intend to buy the grain cargo for more than twenty-two gold royals?"
Halence nodded. "I believe that's fair to say, lad. I only have twenty-two royals in any event, with silver to spare just for supplies and my crew, and that is all I can afford to pay for your grain. So yes, lad, you have my oath I will go no higher."
Sorn nodded. "Then here is what I propose. First of all, Kalek? Quit flinching, this is business. Forget what I said on the boat. When we leave this office, we go our separate ways, and if you do not agree with my proposal, I will not hold that against you. On that, you have my word. Do you understand?"
A wide-eyed Kalek took several moments to register this, while Halence and Jesere could only look puzzled, no doubt curious as to why the admittedly high-strung Kalek seemed so intimidated by the rather mild-mannered youth. At last Kalek gave a tentative nod. "Business is business bo… err, I mean Sorn, as you say. No need to worry about the past, or words said in, um… anger. Right, Sorn?"
"Precisely Kalek," Sorn soothed. "You do understand that Halence is offering us twenty-two gold, and your share would be one and three-fourths gold, should we accept. It does not appear that we can get a better deal. Do you understand?"
Kalek nodded wholeheartedly. "Yes, Sorn. We should take their offer. If we don't, we won't get anything, and I need to fill my ships… I mean our ships, Riegland. And I need, ahem, supplies. So let's just have done with it, or we will lose everything and I'll get no profit, and won't be able to afford what I need…"
"All right, Kalek, relax. Our contract precisely stipulates that you will be awarded one-fourth the profit from our selling the grain here, and the highest offer we have gotten from our grain is twenty-two gold from Halence here. So one could say that our grain is worth, at best, twenty-two gold. If the grain were valued at twenty-three gold, your share would be a flat two royals, that would be one-fourth the profit on the eight gold hypothetically made on the grain. Correct?"
A puzzled Kalek nodded his head in slow agreement.
"Excellent. Here is what I propose. Cousins… your purses, please?" With quizzical looks, his cousins handed him their purses, by nature reluctant to let go of their wealth, but having absolute faith in Sorn. Besides, it was fun seeing everyone else's confused expressions, though it seemed that Jesere, at least, was beginning to smile. "Excellent," Sorn continued. "I am now outbidding Halence in buying this grain for twenty three gold, loaning myself the excess, which I will immediately take out of the profit. Of course, to be fair, and the reason for this metaphoric exchange, is that I also now owe Kalek here two gold, and will cover, to keep things simple, the full five percent commission on profit charged by Jesere for her services, which I believe works out to two silver eagles."
"Does this seem fair to you, Kalek? Two gold royals or the equivalent, instead of one and three-quarters? And Jesere, is this a legal resolution to the contract in your land? I am giving Kalek one-quarter of the profits on our sale of the grain, and you five percent?"
Kalek looked confused, but nodded. "Two golds is better than one and change. Okay, boy, where is it?"
Riegland let loose a baritone chuckle. "Oh, you got a trader's gumption, boy. I knew there was fire in you!" He gave Sorn a friendly clap on the shoulder with his good arm, which because of Sorn's own unusual strength, didn't quite bowl him over.
Jesere gave Sorn an amused smile and a nod, enjoying Halence's outraged splutters at least as much as Sorn's
cleverness.
"I trust you can assist us with the paperwork to indicate this purchase was acceptable to all parties such that our contract is both honored and discharged? Excellent," Sorn said to her amused nod, and proceeded to count out one gold royal and five silver eagles, placing them in front of a near salivating Kalek. Sorn smiled, having learned something of the theatrical with Lord Canterbier's own coin counting demonstration, having awed Sorn and his cousins both with the display of wealth when he had counted out the coins. If nothing else, it had kept Sorn's younger cousins enthusiastic about the idea of accruing their own fortune, peaking their interest in remembering Lord Canterbier's insights.
Sorn thought Lord Canterbier would be able to appreciate what he was doing with seven of the silver eagles and the one royal crown that a smiling Lord Canterbier had given them while handing them a deed for the grain. Of course, Lord Canterbier wanted the youths to spend time in study, and wouldn't appreciate the risks Sorn was contemplating taking even at that moment. Still, Sorn was like most of his people in that he liked to grab ahold of opportunity whenever it presented itself, no matter how great the risk.
"N, Kalek," Sorn chided gently when Kalek's shaking hands reached hungrily for the coin. Sorn was now extremely tolerant of Kalek, for reasons of contractual honor. His people, though they could ask for a contractual obligation to be altered, could never coerce it, for that was the same as breaking it. Though the other party was, of course, free to break it at their will, and could certainly be enticed to do so, but only so long it was desire alone that compelled them. "Not until you sign our contracts saying that you accept the gold, and consider our obligations fulfilled."
Sorn turned to the factor. "Jesere? Could we get everything squared away now?" He smiled, handing her two silver eagles.
Halence, of course, appeared to be increasingly frustrated with this turn of events. Jesere, of course, seemed to be enjoying Halence's discomfort, which wasn't a surprise to Halence at all, if the wry expression he shot her way was any clue.
"Here you are, Sorn," a newly upbeat Jesere said shortly thereafter, having drawn up a paper indicating contractual fulfillment between Kalek, her, and Sorn and his cousins. "If you would all sign here, it would indicate that Sorn has fulfilled his obligations to you, Kalek, and that you have received your profit from the voyage and consider all obligations fulfilled."
"Only sign if you want to, Kalek," Sorn emphasized. "I meant what I said. You don't have to, if you think we can sell it to someone at this port for more."
"No, no, it's all right. I guess it all worked out, hey?" Kalek favored Sorn with a sheepish smile as he signed, his hand immediately afterwards grabbing the stack of coins he desired so lustfully, and with a final "it's a pleasure doing business," charged out the door. Riegland turned to the youths for a second, favoring Sorn with a smile and a wry "be careful, lad," before rushing off to catch Kalek. His voice could be heard faintly, even through the closing door. "Kalek! give me the coin, you incompetent fool! I know you just want to fill your pipe! Here, take these copper feathers and go entertain yourself in your quarters while I take the purse and see about some trading."
Halence then turned to Sorn, favoring him with a curious stare. "All right, kid, you managed to shut out what I can only guess was an unwanted partner, but I still don't see what it gets you. Like I said, I only have twenty-two gold, and I neither can, nor will, offer to pay more for the grain."
"Ah, but that's just it. I don't want you to buy the grain, Halence. I just want you to ship it for me." Sorn couldn't help smiling at Halence's shocked expression.
"What?" Halence look of surprise turned to incredulous outrage as he realized how neatly he had been outmaneuvered. Jesere, Sorn couldn't help but note, was looking almost smug.
"Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the standard profit sharing with a cargo hauler is what… one-fourth to one-third the merchant's profit on the cargo?" Sorn calmly queried of Jesere, pointedly ignoring Halence's outraged curses.
"Why yes, Sorn, I do believe you are correct. However, dear Halence does have a fast boat, so you might want to consider offering closer to a third," Jesere replied, smiling.
Halence, a bemused Sorn noted, did not appear to be taking the shift in negotiations at all well.
"First of all, it's a ship, not a boat. And if you think I'm going to risk my life for a measly thirty-three royals, you're both out of your bloody minds!"
"Relax, Halence," Jesere said with a laugh. "We're still negotiating, remember? Just consider this a new position of strength. Well, Sorn? Do you think we can possibly make an exception in this case and offer the good captain, who is, after all, making a risky run here, say forty percent of the profits?"
"If you think I would do it for less than two-thirds of the profits, you're insane!" Spluttered an incensed Halence. "You know bloody well this isn't a pleasure jaunt. I'm going to try to outfox and outrun a blockade! I may be willing to take a gamble on my life, but darn if I won't make a decent profit!"
"Well, Halence, how about a compromise?" asked Sorn. "You have the ship, and we have the grain. How about we split the profits fifty-fifty?"
Halence shook his head and chuckled ruefully, though he flashed a smile that could almost be considered admiration. "I'm sorry, kid, but it's just too risky for anything less than two-thirds of the profits. I give you credit, you managed outfox me and maneuver yourself free of your erstwhile partner in a slick move by buying out the contract yourself. I could tell from the get-go your partner was impatient to get out of here and would never have settled for waiting another couple weeks or longer for a risky return he might never see, so I thought I had you. You turned the tables, kid, well done. All right, I can go as high as cutting you in for one-third of the profits, which at least leaves me near sixty gold. And yes, it's a gamble, but one I think I can win. Still, it's me risking my neck out there, not you, and I'm not going risk my neck while getting shortchanged. One-third of the profits, kid, and I guarantee it's the best investment you'll ever make."
"It doesn't seem fair that you would risk your life on a venture only to profit someone else while feeling shortchanged yourself. All right, Captain, I understand and respect your position." At this point, Sorn stood up and formally offered his hand to Halence. "Captain Halence, I agree to your terms: you ship our grain cargo to Caverenoc for two-thirds of the profit in excess of the fifteen royals it cost us to purchase it, and we receive the remainder. I only request that in all other ways, it's a standard contract."
Halence's expression indicated that he was both surprised and pleased. Perhaps it was because Sorn hadn't haggled further, accepting Halence's offer of one-third of the profits without pushing harder. Yet perhaps he was pleased as well to find that Sorn actually did appreciate the fact that he was risking his life out there.
Smiling, Halence shook Sorn's hand. "That squares us, Sorn. Your share will be one-third of the profits in addition to cost, and in all other ways it will be a standard contract." Halence then turned to Jesere, who was giving them both a bemused smile. "Jesere, if you would be a dear and write it out for us, I believe the lad and I have just struck a deal."
"Of course," she said, all business once more. "Give me a quarter glass."
"To tell you the truth, Sorn, I'm surprised you didn't try to press me for more. I wouldn't have budged, mind you. The risks for me are too great for that!" Halence said a short time later as he and Sorn were sipping spiced wine while Jesere busily wrote out whatever a standard contract was.
Sorn, for his part, was content. He knew at least one important point that was crucial to his interests that should be in the contract, and he would peruse the rest, once it was written. At least his cousins had faith in him, he thought bemusedly, gazing upon their sleeping forms, swords tucked under the thick sofa they rested upon in back of the room, curled up like cats. Their light snores were the only sounds besides the scratching of Jesere's quill pen and the crackle of the warm hearth fire.
"We
ll, Halence, I will concede that I had thought to haggle further, but you had raised a very good point. You will be risking your life out there, and it would be poor form indeed were I to risk bargaining you so sharply that the contract could no longer be considered fair, particularly since, as you so eloquently put it, it's your neck on the line."
Sorn smiled at Halence's curious expression. "You see, Halence, my people, my clan if you will, have very strict beliefs about contractual obligations, and keeping our word. We can bargain sharply, but we always keep our promises. Once they are made, they are never broken. The only exception is when the other party, of his own free will, without any outside intimidation whatsoever, would like to change the terms, assuming we agree to it as well. Our word, you will find, is like adamite. Unbreakable. But for all that, no one can predict the ever changing winds of the future, so we need to be flexible, which is the only reason why it is acceptable for us to change a contract at all, with the mutual accord of both parties."
Sorn paused a moment, looking reflectively at the fire, before continuing. "Not everyone strives to be so fair. But for neutral peoples, it is always the accepted policy. For the sake of my own beliefs and values, I am one who will always try to be fair when making mutual obligations with someone. This is why, when you reminded me of your own personal risks, risks which my cousins and I have the option of taking but not the necessity, honor dictates that I bargain gently.
"I will be candid, Halence. Though you gave me credit for maneuverings, the truth is that I still barely know the rules to this game between traders and merchants in your land, and so I am not precisely sure what necessarily constitutes 'fair', among other things. For this reason, I accepted your position at face value. And since you offered the numbers, no one could fault me for accepting them."
Halence took a moment sipping his own wine, reflecting upon Sorn's words. His rich brown eyes looked contemplatively over the youth sitting next to him as he did so. "I must say, I like your people's attitude towards trade. A people that seems to believe so intently about fulfilling and honoring contractual obligations, even striving to be not just honest, but fair, particularly with neutral parties, as you put it, holds an admirable cultural outlook one could only wish more nations would follow. It sounds like a very well organized community, very sophisticated in trade, for all that you appear to be a novice with sea ventures."
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