Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: arsmith@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Alan Smith) Subject: [NTY] Negotiating Message-ID: Date: Tue, 07 Dec 1993 09:18:25 GMT When Palandun staggered into the dragons inn the early afternoon the day after the meteor strike, he wanted three things: a meal, a bath, and the chance to be unconscious for the next week. He ordered some lunch, but almost fell asleep in his food, so he dragged himself up to his room flopped on the bed, and closed his eyes... And immediately opened them, in reaction to the thumping on his door. "Go 'way!" He yelled. But the other seemed pretty insistant. Eventually Palandun got up, strode to the door, and opened it a crack. "This had better be really fucking important, or else prepare to get aquainted with your spleen." He would have actually just shut the door and gone to sleep, but it never hurt to threaten people who tried this sort of thing. "Melwis will see you now." The other said. "Now?" "Yes, right now." "Can't we table this for a month or so? I had a really long night." "He is an extremely busy man. Now or never, I'm afraid." "Oh, all right. Lemme dress." It only occured to him then that he was already dressed. He opened the door. "That was fast." The messenger said. "'Cmon, carriage is waiting downstairs." Palandun went downstairs, bought a copy of the _Examiner_, and clambered into the carriage, where he promptly fell asleep. He was rudely awakened in time to stumble into Melwis' palace. Melwis looked decidedly worse since Palandun had last seen him, before going to Parahan. 'Was he up all night too?' Palandun wondered. "Lintesul." Melwis said, starting the conversation, "you look like hell." "Good to see you too, Melwis." Palandun said, not in a mood for good humor. "Seriously, what did you do, roll around in some mud?" "Dust." Palandun supplied, "and smoke." He sneezed violently. "Well, I didn't bring you here to criticize your personal appearence. Lintesul, did you get today's _Examiner_?" Palandun held it up, not verbally answering. "Good. Then you know there was a meteor strike last night." "Yup." "Well, I don't believe we should look providence in the mouth, and it seems that we have cleared out a large amount of space just when we needed it, no? Shame to put it to waste." "Yup." Palandun replied, not really sure what the heck Melwis was talking about. "SO, I'm willing to lease the space to you for the low, low price of twenty-thousand sheckels a year." "Done. Did you bring a map?" "Now, I know twe- What?" "I said Done. I'm not in much of a mood to argue here, Melwis. I was kinda up all night." "Oh. Okay then. Would you look over this lease?" Palandun did, changed some wording here and there, and then added a pair of clauses at the end. He handed it back to Melwis, who looked at it and frowned. "What are these?" He indicated the two added clauses. "The first says that even though you and your clients own the land, the colony has full administrative control so long as we pay our rent on time. The second gives the colonial government full administrative control and responsibility for the land in the colony and all the people therein. T'be honest, I wasn't looking for a land lease." "I can't do this." "Well, then, it was nice talking to you. Write me in Rameshan if you ever need me." Palandun stood up, oriented, and headed for the door. "Lintesul!" Melwis said at his back, causing the other to turn around. "You do realize what kind of political position this puts me in." Palandun shrugged. "Not my problem. You want a colony? You let us have autonomy. Otherwise we'll go somewhere else and they'll get the rent and the trade profits. If you want more money, just say so." "Twenty-four thousand." "A year? Done. I'll pitch it to the colony this evening. Expect a reply in a couple days. Oh, are we done?" "Got the lines all drawn, got the lease ready... yes, we are." "Good, can I bum a ride off you, I don't want to walk back to the DI." "Certainly." On the way back he managed to stay awake and read the _Examiner_. He spotted an editorial by one of the low city denizens and realized that he really did have his work cut out for him. Palandun would have to have a sit-down with this Nilar person and see if he could win him over. Today. So much for sleeping.