Seven Demons by Aidan Truhen (best motivational books for students TXT) 📕

one billion dollars but there are complications. I say this only for orientation, obviously you would not be so crass as to double-cross me before we have even shaken hands.”

“I would not double-cross you at all Mr. Client I just like to know what everyone gets out of the deal. It saves misunderstandings later regarding value given especially if prioritization is necessary during an operation.”

“…That is fair.”

Mr. Client’s eyes go all dark and thoughtful like Mr. Client is seeing the universe. Figure he’s a religious leader some kind of deep Catholic thing and people shake when he touches them and try to walk on broken legs, I’m sure that goes well for everyone.

“Mr. Price these cases contain conflict emeralds totaling one and a half million karats. They are of various sizes but generally with few inclusions, so the legitimate market value would be nearly a billion dollars if they were not also from war zones. As things are, they cannot be sold without a laundering process and in fact it is that process to which I object.”

“You do?”

“I object very much indeed. The reintroduction of these stones is being done through a false mining project in Egypt to fund an enterprise of which I greatly disapprove. At one time Egypt was a great producer of emeralds, and so the notion is not preposterous—but the fact is that the entire facility now exists solely to facilitate the appearance of wealth in a particular gentleman with whom I am in competition. Let us say that we have differing dreams for the same future.”

“Politics.”

“Yes, Mr. Price. Inevitably, politics.”

“I do not like politics Mr. Client but at the level of this operation one must simply hold one’s nose.”

“As in all things Mr. Price so too in our professional lives we must eventually contend with how the world is made, the place it is.”

“You would not like us to go and ask this gentleman to dream in some other direction?”

“I am afraid he would be replaced, Mr. Price. But in the event that the funding should dry up, the whole situation will become fluid, and in that moment, I may effect the results I desire. And on that note, Mr. Price, Mr. Sharkey tells me you are eager to demonstrate a deep subtlety in your modus.”

“O subtle actually comes out of my modus.”

“…Perhaps a problem in translation.”

“But your English is excellent.”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

“ANYWAY you were saying—”

“I must ask that you be discreet.”

“In practical terms we should talk thresholds and such, so: how discreet?”

“Deaths may be inevitable Mr. Price I accept this. It might be better if the bank were not in a position to admit to the theft, at least initially. Or perhaps if they were not aware, or simply were in such great turmoil for—let us say forty-eight hours—that they could not know for certain what had been taken.”

“That is achievable I am sure.”

“But noise…I do not wish noise. Nothing garish or obvious or loud that would spoil the timing of my own maneuvers.”

“I am positively mouselike Mr. Client.”

“Then let us drink a toast Mr. Price—to a truly phenomenal amount of cheese.”

—

I get the check and I walk away and with each step I take away from the table it is harder and harder to know that I was ever there at all. Ghost money: the Poltergeist in the machine.

—

Mr. Client takes his baby face and goes back to his yacht or his helicopter or his mansion or whatever the fuck this guy has that he thinks is so all-fired important and I think about robbing banks and my modus out of which I am all the kinds of subtle and shut up yes I actually am and look here is me subtling—

There is one easy way to gain access to any bank. It is the quietest and the most subtle and that is what I am being paid for. Also I am a negotiating sort of guy it is always my preference. Oftentimes you can get more by offering a guy his heart’s desire than you ever will the other way. More than that it is professional and appropriate and it is just polite. In any business but in this business most especially politeness is never wasted because you see how disagreements can escalate. You always offer the other guy a parachute.

VoIP call outbound.

Ring ring.

“Hallo Die Festung Kircheisen?”

“Hi there my name is Olembert Hecht.”

Obviously my name is not Olembert Hecht that is a lie although you know philosophically if I call myself Olembert Hecht and I perform Olembert Hecht I mean aren’t we all in the end just the intersection of our own created no I’m fucking with you it’s a lie.

I figure Olembert Hecht is a transactional sort of person he is Australian with diffusely north European ancestry. Olembert is not a made-up name but it sounds almost like it might be. It could come from almost anywhere like the name of a new Asian deluxe-brand executive saloon. By the same token no one knows exactly what it says about its owner. Olembert is himself and nothing else and right now he is the voice of modern economics. He is capitalism walking.

“Hallo Mr. Hecht how can I help you today?”

“I wish to buy you.”

Reception guy does not get that Olembert is a fucking structural imperative and a deep premise of our civilization, so he says:

“I will pass you to client care.”

“No you misunderstand I do not wish to be a client I wish to buy your company. Entirely.”

“We are not for sale.”

“Everything that is commercial is for sale the question is only whether the price is right and I am always right. Are you the primary stockholder?”

“No that is Mr. Eiger.”

(Like Eye-gher.)

“Then I need to speak to Mr. Eiger this is a time-limited offer.”

“I—”

“Eiger. I do not wish to be rude but you understand this is a serious offer and given that you answered the phone you cannot possibly also answer the question. This is not your problem you should kick it upstairs.”

“…Yes very well sir.”

Click bloop clicky bloop.

“I am Hans Eiger. Who are you?”

“This is Olembert Hecht I