7 Driving a bargain

After talking a bit more to Wesley, they said their farewells and hit the streets once more.

A few quick lefts and right brought them to a nice looking carpenters shop called "Trevors Wood".

The name of the shop elicited a chuckle from Theodore. No one else seemed to understand why, so Theodore awkwardly entered the shop, trying to hide his embarrassment. There was no way he was going to explain himself!

There was, however, no holding it as he saw a counter with a big board above it hanging from the ceiling "Trevor's wood, for all your needs!"

He couldn't help but laugh out loud. This resulted in an even more awkward and embarrassing situation where everyone stared at him, including the bloke - presumably Trevor - that manned the store.

"I can't explain. Just stop staring at me. Just, there's a joke back home about wood. You have to be local to know it." Theodore said embarrassed. How would they think of their new Lord if they knew...

Barn decided to step up and save him "Trev! Nice to see ya. Got a customer for ya. Not from 'round here. Came with the new Lord." Barn introduced him, once again passing Theo of as a prospective buyer.

"Ah right, you came to the right place! As long it's wood, I can work with it. Just say what ya' need and I'll make or fix it." Trevor put up his big business smile as he seized up his new costumer, and once more the phrase elicited a chuckle from Theodore - as much as he tried to keep a straight face.

At the least, he was not a shrewd businessman. Trevor could be read, straight from a single look at his face. This was something Theo appreciated. He would have to thank Barn for his excellent choices later on.

"My lord would like to order four- no five wagons. The wagons need to be strong and sturdy, enough to transport a cubic meter of stone. Also, we would like to purchase ten barrels. They have to be rather wide to accommodate large chunks of stone." Theodore swiftly ordered.

"The wagons are no problem. They'll take a while to produce though. They're quite intricate. The latter is a problem though. Barrels I can make, but for them to accommodate large chunks of stone would not be very easy. The stones would be stacked up. It's not very effective when you want to transfer a large amount of these chunks." Trevor explained.

"What do you suggest then?" Theodore asked inquisitively.

"I guess you want to split different stones, correct?" Theo nodded attentively. "Then why don't we install three compartments on the wagons. This way the stones are sorted on the wagon. If we then make it possible for each compartment to be taken out by itself you will have a great logistic plan. you would have to order more compartments to have them rotate and be off full use though. It's also a bit more expansive. But it's more effective and the shape would be more accommodating." Trevor said.

"Yer making thing difficult again Trev!" Barn interjected. "We can just transport the ore by cart and have them sorted in a warehouse!"

"Ore?" Trevor perked up at the mention.

"Well, that cat's out of the bag." Theodore smiled awkwardly. "We're planning on excavating a part of the mountain to see if there is any ore. The stone we gain will be cut and used as well. We won't let any resource go to waste."

"I like your idea, Trevor. And I would like to see that work. But Barn did remind me we don't have to do the sorting on the premise. It would be fine to sort in the warehouse. I misjudged. So that leaves us with just the carts then?"

"Alright, that's fine. Are you sure though? If the lord wants barrels, mayhaps he has plans with them?"Trevor asked to confirm the order.

The entire crew rolled their eyes, the Lord was in his shop ordering. Mr Ferris could be heard chuckling lightly in the back of their entourage.

"It's fine Trevor. What would I owe you for the wagons?" Theo asked.

"I'll do you a favour and round off the price of a wagon. One-hundred-eighty Gulden each. The total would come down to 900 Gulden." Trevor's big business smile resurfaced - money was just around the corner!

This time Theodore wasn't taking full price. On such a big order there would definitely be room to barter.

"You're hurting my lordship a bit much. He asked me to complete to order for far less! I'm certain you can do it for less Mr Trevor." Theodore said quickly as if pained by the amount. Behind him, Captain Ward and his companion, Barn and Mr Ferris were shocked at his shamelessness. Barn's eyes almost popped out of his face.

"Aii, it's a hard livin' round here you know. We all need to make a livin' here. If there's ore, your lord will earn back his investments in no time! Even if there's not, five wagons can always be put to use! They have great value you know. I can cut you a little deal, out of friendship. Eight-fifty, that's all I can do for you!" Trevor said, his voice tinged with sadness and pain. He departed with fifty Gulden in a single sentence. This truly pains his heart.

"Mmm. I think you are very sincere Mr Trevor. I will write you a cheque right here for eight-hundred-twenty-five Gulden right here, right now if you can deliver the first cart by the end of the week." Theodore said, making everyone's eyes roll.

"By the end of the week?! That's hard! I can do it, but only for eight-fifty!" Trevor did not want to part with any more Guldens, he was already crying in his heart. 'Why does this man need to drive such a hard bargain!'

"Fine. But add in a nice seat as well then." Theodore pointed at one of the comfy-looking chairs in the store.

"Alright then, I can do that. But you've really put me in a tight spot there. I will have the chair delivered together with the first wagon. I sure hope your Lord will appreciate my work... " Trevor said, his face still mourning the loss of the chair and fifty Guldens.

"He most certainly will appreciate your work, my friend." Barn chuckled.

Theodore then wrote a cheque of debt, sealed it with his personal mark and made further arrangements with Trevor about the delivery. Each week a wagon would be delivered until the five had all been delivered. Trevor readily admitted he could probably be quicker, but he still had other customers to take care of - therefore he could only loosen the constraints of the contract.

After both gentlemen had shaken hands on the deal and everything was settled, it was time for Theodore to ask questions. After a successful deal, all people would like to talk!