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"You're the one who's crazy. How in the hell can I earn a hundred and eight
dollars from a sale of two thousand, two hundred dollars when that was the the
total price and there was no profit? I'm not taking the money he gave you."
"You can't use it? You or Mac or Larkin?"
"Of course I can. But that's not fair. And I don't understand why a hundred
and eight dollars."
"Peter, I don't know how you've survived in this world up to now. Look, I'll
make it simple for you. I made ten hundred and eighty bucks on the deal. Ten
percent is one hundred and eight. A hundred and ten less two is one hundred
and eight. I gave you one hundred and ten. You owe me two bucks."
"How in the hell did you make all that when  "
"I'll tell you. Lesson number one in business. You buy cheap and sell dear,
if you can. Take tonight, for instance." The King happily explained how he had
outfoxed Prouty. When he finished, Peter Marlowe was silent for a long time.
Then he said, "It seems  well, that seems dishonest."
"Nothing dishonest about it, Peter. All business is founded oa the theory
that you sell higher than you buy  or it costs you."
"Yes. But doesn't your-profit margin seem a little high?"
"Hell, no. We all knew the watch was a phony. Except Torusumi. You don't mind
screwing him, do you? Though he can off-load it on a Chinese, easy, for a
profit."
"I suppose not."
"Right. Take Prouty. He was selling a phony. Maybe he'd stolen it, hell, I
don't know. But he got a poor price 'cause he wasn't a good trader. If he'd
had the guts to take the watch back and start down the street, then I'd have
stopped him and upped the price. He could have bartered me. He doesn't give a
goddam in hell about me if the watch backfires. Part of the deal is that I
always protect my customers - so Prouty's safe and knows it - when I may be
out on a limb."
"What'll you do when Torusumi finds out and does come back?"
"He'll come back," the King grinned suddenly and the warmth of it was a joy
to see, "but not to scream. Hell, if he did that he'd be losing face. He'd
never dare admit that I'd outsmarted him in a deal. Why, his pals'd rib him to
death if I spread the word. He'll come back, sure, but to try to outsmart me
next time."
He lit a cigarette and gave one to Peter Marlowe.
"So," he continued blithely, "Prouty got nine hundred less my ten percent
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
commission. Low but not unfair, and don't forget, you and I were takingall the
risk. Now as to our costs. I had to pay a hundred bucks to get the watch
burnished and cleaned and get a new glass. Twenty for Max, who heard about the
prospective sale, ten apiece for the four guards and another sixty for the
boys for covering with the game. That totals eleven twenty. Eleven twenty from
twenty-two hundred is a thousand and eighty bucks even. Ten percent of this is
one hundred and eight. Simple."
Peter Marlowe shook his head. So many figures and so much money and so much
excitement. One moment they were just talking to a Korean, and the next he had
a hundred and ten  a hundred and eight-dollars handed to him as simple as
that. Holy mackerel, he thought exultantly. That's twenty-odd coconuts or lots
of eggs. Mac! Now we can give him some food. Eggs, eggs are the thing!
Suddenly he heard his father talking, heard him as clearly as though he were
beside him. And he could see him, erect and thickset in his Royal Navy uniform
"Listen, my son. There is such a thing as honor. If you deal with a man, tell
him the truth and then he must of necessity tell you the truth or he has no
honor. Protect another man as you expect him to protect you. And if a man has
no honor, do not associate with him for he will taint you. Remember, there are
honorable people and dirty people. There is honorable money and duty money."
"But this isn't dirty money," he heard himself answer, "not the way the King
has just explained it. They were taking him for a sucker. He was cleverer than
they." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]