Q. Fairy Wings - Part 7

With an abrasive crackle Carla's voice came through the
intercom. &;quot;Herr Schmitt, there is a Nymph here to see
you.&;quot;

Schmitt looked up from the letter he
was about to sign. &;quot;A Nymph?&;quot; He replied,
quizzically. &;quot;Does it have an
appointment?&;quot;

&;quot;No sir she does
not.&;quot;

&;quot;Then tell it it's twelve
thirty and I want to go for my lunch, tell it to make an
appointment.&;quot;

&;quot;She says it's about
a fairy sir.&;quot;

&;quot;Oh.&;quot;
Schmitt paused, &;quot;Tell her she has two
minutes.&;quot;

&;quot;Geschaftsfuhrer Schmitt
will see you know.&;quot; He heard Carla's voice from outside the
office.

Adrielle thanked the secretary and walked
into the vast office. For once she was actually clothed, she was
wearing a smart, charcoal, pinstripe trouser suit that Pauline Brown
had bought her, it was only the second time she had worn it, the first
had been in the fitting room.

&;quot;Manfred
Schmitt.&;quot; Said Schmitt.

Adrielle.&;quot;
Said Adrielle.

&;quot;Are you buying or selling
Adrielle.&;quot;

&;quot;Selling I
hope.&;quot;

&;quot;You
hope?&;quot;

&;quot;Yes.&;quot;

&;quot;Is
the fairy whole? Does it have a full set of four
wings?&;quot;

&;quot;It is in immaculate
condition.&;quot; She
said.

&;quot;Immaculate.&;quot; Schmitt
repeated.

&;quot;Yes sir.&;quot; Said the
Nymph. She seemed to be uncomfortable in her suit, she had her hands in
her pockets and was fiddling with something, turning it over and over.
Schmitt had been a successful businessman for a long time but had never
once dealt with a nymph. He decided to cut straight to the
point.

&;quot;How
much?&;quot;

&;quot;Eighty
thousand.&;quot;

&;quot;No chance.&;quot;
He replied, acutely aware that no reputable jeweller would let a set go
for less than a hundred. &;quot;I might have been able to give you
fifty thousand for it but not
eighty.&;quot;

&;quot;Seventy five.&;quot;
Said Adrielle quick as a flash.

&;quot;I'm
sorry.&;quot; He said. &;quot;But that's still not a realistic
price.&;quot;

&;quot;Then I'm wasting your
time.&;quot; Said the Nymph and she turned and walked for the
door.

Schmitt waited till she was stretching for the
handle. &;quot;Where did you get
it?&;quot;

Adrielle turned without letting go of
the door. &;quot;Some Dryad acquaintances of mine caught it, they
have had an argument with their normal dealer and are refusing to do
business with him.&;quot;

&;quot;I was under
the impression that nymphs had no time for
money.&;quot;

&;quot;Unfortunately they find
it increasingly necessary.&;quot;

&;quot;Times
are changing.&;quot; Schmitt mused.

&;quot;And
not always for the better.&;quot; Said Adrielle and she opened the
door.

&;quot;Sixty thousand.&;quot; Shouted
Schmitt. &;quot;But only if it is in perfect
condition.&;quot;

&;quot;Seventy,&;quot;
said Adrielle, not moving, &;quot;or I just go to the jeweller
without telling my friends and you can buy it off him for nearly twice
that.&;quot;

&;quot;Okay,
seventy.&;quot;

Adrielle closed the door, walked
back into the room and smiled. &;quot;Good. We should arrange for
you to have a look at it. Can you make it to Schwarzwald tower after
work tomorrow.&;quot;

&;quot;Der
Himmelhaken?&;quot; Said Schmitt, a little
confused.

&;quot;Yes.&;quot; Said the nymph,
&;quot;I'll meet you in reception at seven o-clock.&;quot; She
had removed her hands from her pockets and was turning a small piece of
paper over and over between her fingers.

Adrielle rang
Wallace as soon as she was home and out of that terrible, restrictive
suit. She confirmed, with some relief, that the fairy was intact and
told him that Schmitt would pay seventy thousand for it after she had
shown it to him.

&;quot;Thank you.&;quot; Said
Wallace before he hung up and it occurred to Adrielle that his was only
the second personal number she had ever called.

She
could almost taste that fairy.