The Chair

The chair was hanging in mid air, unsupported and slowly revolving
in three dimensions allowing Atram to see every detail of the superb
workmanship. The lighting source was impossible to detect but it was
very well programmed, changing direction, colour and intensity to
follow and highlight every twist and turn the chair made. Even if Atram
changed his viewpoint the lighting effect was there before him, it was
like it knew exactly what he was thinking, where his eyes were looking,
it probably did. "Damned clever these Prolornians" he thought.

"Well Jovar, it's as good as you said it would be, but with a price tag
of 150,000 Uni's, (Universal Currency Units), you're going to have to
give me a lot more than this display."

"Of course, Atram, of course, please rest and I'll tell you everything
I know"

Atram set the dials and settled into his favourite 'relaxed but
attentive' position with a view of the chair and the salesman. A
strange scene, for those who knew the history. Here was the man single
most responsible for the demise of the chair as a universal object for
daily use, contemplating spending a huge sum on acquiring one.

Whilst Atram had not invented the PGD, (Personal Gravity Device), he
had acquired, by dubious means, the design and set up a massive
production plant using 5th world labour on a planet nobody cared
about.
His ruthless but brilliant marketing and sales techniques then made him
quickly one of the richest men alive, which in turn allowed him to stay
alive longer than most. Not that the PGD really needed much
marketing. For thousands of years man had relied on a variety of bulky
objects to provide something slightly more comfortable in-between
standing and lying on the ground, now they were all redundant. Gravity
was an inconvenience it seemed everyone was glad to be rid of. Exactly
how the PGD works I won't bore you with, suffice to say it suspends or
perhaps re-directs gravity allowing the user to support their body in
whatever position they desire, at any time. The possibilities have
proved to be endless, initially seen as a way of eliminating furniture
(leading to a boom in 'micro apartments' in the more densely populated
cities of the universe) it's uses, and abuses, have spread like a
rampant virus. The most amusing being a spate of deaths when extreme
sports enthusiasts took to throwing themselves off tall buildings and
seeing how close to the ground they could get before activating their
PGD's!

"?Fauteuil de la Reine de Georges Jacob in collaboration with J.J
Pothier. Circa 1768-1770??"

"About a hundred years after the discovery of gravity then." Atram
thought out loud.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, carry on"

"Right. The chateaux de Fontainebleau had eight similar fauteuils
stamped Georges Jacob, now believed to be in the Emperors summer palace
on Nard. Gilt walnut entirely sculpted of rope beading and acanthus
leaves and upholstered in a Beauvais tapestry. Obviously it's 820 years
had taken their toll but our latest renovation methods allow us to
???????"

"Enough, I'll take it, and I'll pay the same for the other eight if you
can get your hands on them. I'm giving an old fashioned dinner party in
a months time, these would be fun."