“You know, Guide,” Nunzio sez, goin’ back to studyin’ his cards, “special rates or not, eventually we’re going to have to pay these jokers … and we do not currently have access to the funds we are accustomed to operating with in M.Y.T.H. Inc.”
“Relax, cuz,” I sez, seein’ the current bet and raisin’ it, “I got an idea for that, too.”
I have a chance to try out my plan that afternoon when a shipment arrives from one of our suppliers. I wait until the unloadin’ is almost complete, then amble over to the driver.
“Say … you got a minute?” I sez, friendlylike.
“Okay,” the driver shrugs. “What’s up?”
“Well,” I sez, lookin’ around like I’m expectin’ a cop, “I got some information you should pass back to your outfit.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a rumor goin’ around that the queen is callin’ for an audit on military spendin’,” I sez. “Somethin’ about a lot of our suppliers chargin’ us more for supplies than they do civilians.”
“An audit?” he repeats, suddenly lookin’ real nervous.
“Yeah, scuttlebutt has it that any outfit caught gougin’ extra profits out of army contracts is gonna get shut down and their entire inventory confiscated by the government.”
“Is that legal?”
“Hey, we’re talkin’ the queen here. If she sez it’s legal, it’s legal.”
“When is this gonna happen?”
“Not until next month, the way I hear it,” I sez. “I just thought you might like to know a little in advance. You know, so just in case any of youse guys’ prices should need some quick readjusting youse could do it before the audit started.”