Once upon a time, in a certain place
in a certain age
there was a merchant of antiques
his portfolio was impressive, for a seemingly poor man
although his deceit was even moreso
having struck gold with an extremely
lucrative client, despite never having met them in person
he needn't worry about anything ever again
...or he thinks so
What starts as a normal day,
with all the business going well
a new customer opens the door
his golden hair catching the merchant's eyes
a series of questions flock
from the customer's mouth
straight to the merchant's ears
straightforward as they were
a question particularly caught the merchant's ears
"And what of your wealth, dear sir? Antiques aren't in much demand, and I'm curious as to how you obtained it."
The merchant's heart might have stopped when the question was finished
as the client has been a secret
he intends to take with him to the grave
he couldn't part with it
lest his wealth be gone, taken by a better equipped antique dealer
he muttered
"W-well, antiques are in d-demand as most other products! You see, m-mine are also e-e-extremely rare, and... well... many customers have found them to be well worth the price!"
But a quick look through the store
would make you quickly realize
that not only are the items on display
common, ironically, but they're also found for less
at other antique merchants
The customer played along, saying
"Hmm... I see. Well, it's interesting to check these shops, if I say so myself; I'm of the assumption that these antiques often hold a message, that which we can decipher by comparing and admiring them!"
The merchant, in a exacerbated tone, said
"You've got quite the... "interesting" opinion; now, how may I help?"
The customer asked for help
looking for a particular item
he wondered where it could be
and in the end simply asked
he was looking for a figurine
of an old man with a scroll in one hand
and an orb in the other
the merchant couldn't say
for the figurine was of much value to
his mysterious client, and it would
surely be a more valuable investment
to him, if it's eventually sold to the client
The merchant, in a puzzled and somewhat insincere tone, said
"Quite the specific statuette you're looking for, friend! But alas, I hadn't heard of nor seen one that meets your description... perhaps, fortune would favor you at another vendor?"
The customer said
"Tsk, I had been searching for days and days and I'm yet to find it! Perhaps it's best to stop while it's possible, lest this grows into a senseless waste of energy and time..."
The customer parted ways with the merchant
but before disappearing into the void,
he left a note and a few coins at the counter
showing an emotion on his face
that can be best described as both smiling
and frowning
He disappeared, and with him the feeling
of uneasiness that filled the air
The merchant looked at the note
which said
"Deceit ain't a trait that's welcome in this line of business, my friend... try to pay attention for, er, "interesting" folks coming around, 'cause they might not be as interesting as you'd hope, if you get what I'm saying... heheh"
The merchant's heart dropped
and with it, his body
he quickly gathered himself however,
and made it his task to look out for himself.
YOU ARE READING
The Merchant
Mystery / ThrillerA well-meaning but greedy antique dealer inherits a set of statuettes from his late father, and within days is contacted by a very rich but reclusive man who wants to buy them; little did he know that there's more to the statues than meets the eye.
