Perchance To Receive Merchants

Belinda skipped down the scarlet carpet that covered the cold castle cobble stones. Even barefoot, Belinda didn't seem to notice this carpet was not made of silk, but a cheap substitute of the lowest quality.

When she made the circuit back to the great hall she found three merchants waiting for her.

They were all wearing similar clothing but of bright, starkly contrasting colors: red, green, and blue.

"We have come to the fairest and richest woman in all the land to offer her the unique privilege of purchasing Empress silk. Your majesty, THIS is Empress silk!"

Belinda gaped, and squinted.

"Unbelievable, isn't it? As strong as steel and yet as delicate as Shantung Silk. Picture, if you will, three hundred years of backbreaking research and labor to develop this, the absolute ultimate in thread, And what will you pay for this fabulous... I say fabulous, incredible and amazing development of the tailor's art?

Will you pay your soul, your kingdom?

Or even ALL your gold? You might indeed if you were trying to purchase this at a store. But this fantastic thread is unavailable in stores. It is smuggled in by Oriental birds specially trained for ocean travel, each carrying a minute quantity in a small satchel underneath their ruby throats. It takes eight hundred and thirty-two crossings to supply enough thread to go around one spool and tonight as my special get-acquainted, introductory, mid-September, hot summer sale I offer you this thread not at three million ducats. Not at two million or one million, but for the ridiculously low price of 25,000 golden ducats a spool!"

Belinda gulped and sweat broke out on her brow so that she loosened her collar, of which a few of the cheaper threads holding the fraudulent embroidery broke, letting it peel off a few fractions of an inch.

"I'll take all you have!"