Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Householding Naros Scenario
Episode #132: Bribery, Bartery, Beggary (3/22/99)
Riyyh looks and zlins perfectly perplexed.
Riyyh is reading a piece of mail with a Tecton seal.
Riyyh walks into his office.
Riyyh: Hello, Anmyn.... [trails off as he feels around for his seat while still reading]
Anmyn: Hello, Sectuib.
Riyyh: Well, this is very odd.
Anmyn: Is something the matter?
Anmyn hopes it isn't more problems with the cultivator.
Riyyh checks one of his desk file drawers and pulls out a clean, untouched Tecton form.
Riyyh: The Tecton wants us to fill out one of these each year, detailing our selyn usage. Well actually, they'd prefer if we filled out one a month.
Anmyn: Oh. But I thought Naros didn't use Tecton selyn?
Riyyh: Well, I don't think that really matters to the Tecton. [kindly]
Riyyh: They just want to know how much we're using, and for what.
Anmyn: Oh, I see. You just do it to keep them happy?
Riyyh's hands and tentacles flutter.
Riyyh: Oh, dear.
Riyyh: Well, you see, I often don't.
Anmyn: You don't?
Riyyh: That's why this letter is so odd.
Anmyn: What does it say?
Riyyh: This just arrived by Tecton courier from Capitol. It's from the office of the District Controller and says the figures we submitted this month must surely be erroneous.
Riyyh: But I haven't submitted any!
Riyyh meets her eyes looking pure, mild, innocent and quite unclear on how this could have happened.
Riyyh: There must have been some mistake, but....
Anmyn: Perhaps the letter was meant for somebody else, and they sent it to you by mistake?
Anmyn: ~~ doubtful ~~
Riyyh hands it over to her for examination.
Anmyn: No, it's addressed to you, so they thought you actually sent them some numbers.
Anmyn's eyes widen as she reads the details.
Riyyh: I am somewhat concerned as to what we can do in response.
Riyyh thinks it's hardly to Naros' benefit to write back explaining that they haven't submitted that form in years, or at least not within few enough months after the deadlines for the data to be of any use.
Anmyn: No wonder they were curious. These are way off.
Riyyh thinks, on the other hand, that they don't really require the reputation for sending in lies either... beyond the more subtle bending of the truth that most Controllers look the other way from.
Riyyh: It looks as it would if we had far fewer channels and Donor class Gens than we do.
Riyyh pales.
Riyyh: I hope they don't think we're trying to hide anything.
Riyyh is sure there is a large difference between withholding un-requested-persistently-enough information and outright lying.
Anmyn: Do you think they would send an inspector to actually count our staff?
Anmyn: ~~ alarm ~~
Riyyh: The last time the District Office sent an inspector.... [trails off, smiling at the pleasant memory]
Anmyn calms down as Riyyh's attitude towards inspectors becomes more obvious.
Anmyn: If it's just a matter of having company for a week or two--I thought Hajene Tiarala was nice.
Anmyn looks at the letter again.
Anmyn: Do you suppose that we could convince them that they misread the form? Sometimes it's hard to figure out where a decimal place is, particularly during wet weather.
Riyyh: Oh dear. I do hope he doesn't send her again. Truly, I love her dearly, but she is so....
Anmyn: Persistent?
Riyyh: It's just that her energy level is so high.
Anmyn: Still, she did wonders on advising you how to make your wardrobe up to date.
Riyyh: And she does tend to fail to recognize that a Sectuib responsibilities which must....
Riyyh looks at Anmyn indignantly.
Riyyh: Anmyn! Do you think my wardrobe is out of date due to ignorance?
Riyyh: Shame on you.
Riyyh: I was simply trying to do my part in our budget cuts in these difficult times.
Riyyh failed utterly under Tiarala's persistent saleswomanship, however.
Riyyh was never particularly difficult to persuade to buy clothes at the best of times.
Anmyn is indeed ~~ ashamed ~~
Anmyn: I know, and it does you credit.
Riyyh pats Anmyn's hand.
Riyyh: There, there.
Riyyh: I didn't mean to be sharp.
Riyyh hadn't been sharp so much as wounded.
Anmyn: I only meant that I'd never have thought that such minor nips and tucks could make old shirts into the newest fashions.
Riyyh: Naros' tailors have always been fine craftspeople.
Riyyh: All they require is a picture to look at... and perhaps a sample or two....
Riyyh thinks, or six.
Anmyn: Oh! Is that why you bought those outfits?
Riyyh manages to look guilty and sheepish both at once.
Riyyh: No, but it sounds a good reason, doesn't it?
Anmyn: Well, it might make people less upset if they could get copies made for themselves.
Anmyn: ~~ dubious ~~
Anmyn: But I don't think Turros is going to be happy about it.
Riyyh actually had bought them because Tiarala and the catalog in bed were really too much for his willpower, which on the subject of denying himself the latest fashions is the moral equivalent of a wet paper bag.
Riyyh: Fortunately, they will take some weeks to arrive.
Riyyh hopes plowing will have started by then.
Anmyn looks back at the Tecton inquiry.
Riyyh has, despite Tiarala's distracting pestering, managed to pull off a stupendous feet of bribery, bartery, beggary, and bu... well, flattery, in obtaining the loan of a brand new XJ 3000 Roto Stomper belonging to Wheatcorp, a major farm down the road, and hopes that will keep Turros distracted from the latest fashions.
Anmyn: So, what are you going to tell them about this?
Riyyh: I have no idea. [admits]
Riyyh had hoped his major struggle for the spring was over, but it appears another has been waiting in line.
Riyyh: I suppose I will have to tell them something, but I'll have to think on what that might be.
Anmyn: How quickly are they going to get insistent about an answer?
Riyyh: If you have any ideas, please don't hesitate to... Oh, I imagine if we send it tomorrow it'll be soon enough.
Riyyh thinks that, by extension, they won't start to get really annoyed until it's been at least 2 weeks.
Anmyn: Was it brought by a special courier, or the regular post?
Anmyn: Sometimes the regular mail gets lost, you know. Particularly in this season.
Anmyn: If you wait until they send a follow-up letter, you could write back asking for clarification.
Anmyn calculates the delay, in comparison to the length of time required before the Tecton discards the figures as outdated.
Riyyh: Well. We'll see. In the meantime, how are those love letters coming?
Riyyh would like to avoid thinking about the sticky Tecton problem anymore.
Anmyn perks up.
Anmyn: Oh, there were several in today's post.
Riyyh: Anything I should answer personally?
Riyyh knows they'd never let him answer anything that could get him into trouble.
Anmyn points to two piles.
Anmyn: Those are from people who've written before. I can handle them.
Anmyn: The others, I'm not so sure about.
Anmyn points to a stack of letters, several of which might be mistaken for legitimate Wheatcorp business communications if not for the lipstick hearts and perfume which adorn them.
Anmyn: They didn't seem to have anything to do with the cultivator.
Riyyh: Oh yes, the people there are so friendly. [fondly]
Riyyh: Truly, a joy to do business with.
Riyyh hesitates.
Riyyh: You'd better answer them as well. [grins apologetically]