Harry's Harpoon

By Al Horn

"Well, I think it's hardly the proper subject to discuss in mixed company", Harry announced. "After all, you have a low mate, high mate and their emotar of the Coivine present."

"I fail to see how that matters... are you not a human?" asked the Replon that had turned to face the intruder of an informal business deal. The Replon was squatting next to a hexagonal-shaped table where three Coivine and a female Purlag were sitting.

Harry had been sitting at the next table, quietly eavesdropping. Gauging the conversation at their table was about to go from a friendly state of affairs into the heart of negotiations for planetary products; he quickly slid his seat around to join in.

"I apologize for intruding. I was about to get up and leave when I heard you mention something about the drug Chitcore. The same drug used for glandular enhancements."

At this, the low mate gave a small shudder and quickly covered her auditory enhancer. This caused the high mate to stand and inflate his lungs to full capacity. Normally this would be followed by a high sonic burst usually directed toward an assailant.

The Replon jumped up and quickly shouted in a very squeaky voice, "Wait, a simple misunderstanding has occurred. Humans are new to galactic society and are constantly mistaking one word for another." The Replon gestured for Harry to stand. "I am almost certain that he was interested in preserving the integrity of your low mate rather than trying to upset her."

"She's right, I...I didn't mean to give offense," stammered Harry in a staged voice.

"We were discussing Cintkar, a medicinal herb used in healing skin irritations for the emoter's of this race."

"Oh, my sincerest apologies to all of you."

Nobody moved while the high mate digested what he had heard. After a few seconds, the room was filled with a low-pitched whine.  The Coivine had elected to slowly vent his lungs. Relieved, the Replon gave the equivalent of a deep sigh then turned to Harry. "You humans will be the death of me yet."

"Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Harry Happening, trader of exotic goods." Harry reached down and pulled toward the table a large wares case he had sitting between this table and the table at which he was previously seated. He reached in, pulled out five Qewpie dolls, and passed them out to the group. "These are good luck charms from our world. They are used to give persons a feeling of clean spirit. They are set near to our sleeping places and are stroked gently after we arise." Harry stood one on the table and demonstrated how to properly 'stroke' the doll.

The whining had stopped and the high mate asked, "This truly works for your people? Oh, a thousand pardons, I am known as O Prictone. May I introduce you to our low mate, I Solodore. Also with us is our emotar, whose name can only be used by I Solodore and myself."

"I am pleased to meet you. As to these small, inanimate creatures, they simply bring out what is already inside of you. They are a form of suggestion that humans find beneficial in their every day lives." He smiled broadly and gave each individual a few seconds of eye contact; which was customary in the business world. The last person he locked eyes with was the Replon.

"I am called Titionco by the people of my world." Actually she would have a string of names that would represent her family, birthplace and present residence on her home world.

"You are a trader of metals, like most of your people who venture off your planet?" Harry asked this while appearing to ignore the Purlag who sat on the other side of Titionco.

"Why, yes I am. I have bulk quantities of Platinum."

Harry turned to the high mate, "I believe your people deal mostly with rare gasses. If memory serves me correctly you also barter grasses that can be trained to cover and protect beings from hostile environments."

"That is true. We are here with the latest harvest. We brought two large tank groups and a gross roll of Grade One keal."

Harry skillfully suppressed a grin that wanted to spread across his face. He loved dealing with individuals. The thought of forming large combines and corporations was as alien to these people as seeing a picture of an elephant. Even with galactic travel, all the races present did their trading based on clan or small territorial businesses.

After having met the Gibilts twenty years earlier, the sovereign state of Texas decided only individual merchants with the proper licenses could do trading outside of the solar system. Especially when it came to dealing with Slicate. Who would've ever guessed that earth's system would be the only abundant supply. A kilo of Slicate was worth twenty times its weight in platinum. A slick trader could some times get twice that.

Titionco held up a hand, "there is plenty of time for us to conduct trade, is there not O Prictone?"

"Forgive me if I have intruded. I will leave you to your negotiations if you wish."

"We have plenty of time. To be honest, you are the first human we have met. We are interested in what you think of our society of traders."

"Actually, this is just my second journey to this station. The first one was just a quick trip to see what was here and I did not interact with many people. Those few I did meet were very honest and cheerful."

At this point, the Purlag spoke, "This is my first trip here also. I have spoken with several humans while here and found them to be very courteous and even-handed in trading."

Jackpot! Harry turned to the Purlag as if just noticing her for the first time. Purlags were probably the closest race resembling humans. When the Gibilts first met humans, they had confused them for a lost clan of the Purlags, which seemed reasonable since the Purlags brought intergalactic travel to the rest of the societies. They were also known as the shrewdest traders in the entire galaxy. No human was known to have come out on the better end of a deal with a Purlag. If he just managed to bring in a good deal from the others at this table it would be a feather in his hat. Considering that the Coivine and the Replon would only have a limited supply of wares to peddle, just to bring a good profit while shutting out this Purlag would boost his reputation back home.

"Allow me to introduce myself," she extended a hand toward Harry. "I am called Blicate cos T'Lement."

"I am pleased to meet you," said Harry. He touched the back of his hand to the back of hers. This was a normal greeting by her people when meeting someone for the first time. "Your people are known for having a wide variety of trade goods but are best known for medicinal herbs and rare stones. Are they not?"

"Yes, I personally deal with a wide assortment of organics. On this trip, I am also carrying a small lot of fine gems."

"Have you done well on this trip?" Harry knew that he had just committed a small breach of protocol by asking that question, but he was counting on the previous 'misunderstanding' to allow him leeway. He was doing his best to look innocent of the faux pas. Allowing only a slight break in the conversation, he followed with. "Have you been here long?"

Blicate ignored or possibly missed his indiscretion. "I have been out for thirty-five of our cycles and will be leaving today. I arrived just a few days ago. There were problems with my ship and I was delayed in getting here. Many of my worlds merchants arrived here ahead of me and have sold much of the products that I too am carrying."

This is sweet! Even if Blicate wanted to she couldn't cart everything home. In her society returning home with anything less than a total sell on her wares would be considered a shameful trip. To return home in such a state would cost her dearly. At the very least she would lose her trading seal from her association. She would be stuck with a desk job. "Such misfortune is rare."

O Prictone quickly spoke up. " We are most distressed to hear this. Perhaps we could be of service."

Titionco added, "I am sure that you are plying goods that would benefit my world as well."

Harry felt that things were beginning to slip away from him. These do-gooders were going to ruin things for him if he didn't act fast. "I'm sure that all parties here can walk away feeling that things have worked to everyone's benefit."

Blicate smiled thinly. "Perhaps the small talisman that you have set before us truly works in the manner you have indicated."

That brought a smile to Harry's face. The conversation was coming back in his direction. Normally Harry would throw out some trinket to get a customer's attention, such as the Kewpie dolls, and wait for them to mention Slicate. That's when Harry would come back with a story of only having a small quantity on hand but would have access to a large quantity on his next trip. Harry thought of this as casting his harpoon out into a sea full of customers. Usually someone would come back with an offer that carried a good premium, but only on grade one product. He would then offer to inquire of his fellow merchants.

At that point, Harry would excuse himself to make a few brief com calls to other human traders. He would stay in sight but use a masking field to prevent eavesdropping. In reality, he would just call his voice mail number. During the third or fourth call he would gradually pretend to become excited. He would then break off the phony call and return to the customer with the good news of finding a consignment still available. He would tell the customer that it was costing him slightly less than his original offer and that Harry was only taking a very small brokering fee. The customer felt good about the deal and Harry made a tidy sum for his efforts.

In response to Blicates comment O Prictone chimed in, "It is possible these pieces have influenced events here. Even so, I'm not sure they would do well on our home world. Do you not have access to commercial grade Slicate?"

Before Harry could answer, Titionco jumped in. "Yes, as much as I believe these would sell at home, I have had little luck in procuring Slicate on this trip."

Two whales with one cast!  " I have a small quantity of Grade Two and Grade Three commercial Slicate. I will return in twenty standard cycles with a large shipment of Grade One. If you are still here I could promise you first rights."

"Alas, I have acquired all of the lower grade Slicate I was asked to purchase," said Titionco.

"As have we," added O Prictone. "Believing there was no more Grade one Slicate to be had, we were preparing to trade amongst ourselves."

Blicate slid a copy of her manifest over to Harry, allowing him to see what was on it. "Would this be enough to cover the quantities of the lower grade Slicate that you have?"

Harry looked the sheet over and knew that he would be getting one heck of deal. By keeping the numbers between them the others at the table would not know just how well Harry would make out.

He was about to state his agreement when Blicate added, All that I ask is for first rights on your next three shipments."

Harry knew that he would have to haggle and agree to a price here and now if he did that. He knew, with the others present, he would have to offer a fair and equitable price instead of being able to bushwhack someone for twice the market value like he was about to do.  On the other hand, if he only took the gems that were being presented and managed to get all of the products that the others had to offer, Blicate would return home in shame and not be able to enforce the price. Providing he got her to sign an exclusive non-transferable contract. "To be fair, I only have enough to cover your gems." He took out his personal pad and punched in the amount he had available, then handed it across the table. The amount was equal to seventy-five percent of the value of the gems. "I could still offer you first rights on my next shipment but only if you were to sign an exclusive contract."

Blicate glanced at the numbers then looked away from the group in thought. Harry was about to begin his pitch to the others when she suddenly turned back and said quickly, "would you be able to deal in large amounts?"

Harry thought about it for a second, then said, "sure, if I know how much you need in advance I could work something out. In fairness I would have to ask that our contract be nontransferable." He knew that no matter how much she asked, if Harry could sew up all the other goods at this table he would be home free. Purlag society had a zero tolerance for failure.

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