24 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
24 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
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\pard\plain \tx0\tx360\tx720\tx1080\tx1440\tx1800\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\fi360\ltrch\loch {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 Mrs. Miller found him there a minute later, when she returned and handed him a mug of herbal tea. As the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder looking north, she asked, \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93How much trouble is this going to be?\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 He wrapped his hands around the mug. \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93For them?\u8221\'94 He nodded toward the window. \u8220\'93None. They\u8217\'92re pretty much untouchable. For me?\u8221\'94 He hoisted the mug a few inches. \u8220\'93A bit. Contributing extra money to the tax authorities isn\u8217\'92t illegal, so that won\u8217\'92t be a problem. They\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 again he nodded toward the window \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 \u8220\'93will grumble, saying I brought attention to them for no good reason, and that they\u8217\'92d warned me.\u8221\'94 He took a sip of tea. \u8220\'93Which they did.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93What about the professor?\u8221\'94 his housekeeper asked.}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Yeah, that\u8217\'92s the rub,\u8221\'94 he said. \u8220\'93It would really, really be best if she doesn\u8217\'92t get onto their radar.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93What do you think they\u8217\'92d do?\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Their tradition, when somebody threatens them, is to make that person disappear.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93But you said they\u8217\'92re untouchable,\u8221\'94 Mrs. Miller pointed out.}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Oh, I meant they\u8217\'92re untouchable }{\f1\fs24\b0\i1 legally}{\f0\fs24\b0\i0 . They\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8217\'92re still totally fixated on avoiding human interference or even influence. If they think her interference could lead to humans encroaching into their space\u8230\'85\u8221\'94 He sipped his tea. \u8220\'93She\u8217\'92ll go poof.\u8221\'94 }
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Why are the so panicked about humans finding them? I\u8217\'92ve never really understood that,\u8221\'94 she said.}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Well, look at the history of powerful cultures interacting with weaker ones. All the explorers. They brought disease, they stole land and anything that could be stolen, they enslaved them. It\u8217\'92s not a pretty picture.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Surely humanity has advanced past that?\u8221\'94 she said. \u8220\'93We\u8217\'92re more civilized than those old Conquistadors.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 He raised an eyebrow. \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Do you think so?\u8221\'94 He gestured toward the window. \u8220\'93I don\u8217\'92t know how many Folk there are as of today, but something like six hundred. Let\u8217\'92s say a thousand to make the math easy. Their balance sheet shows they\u8217\'92re worth, collectively, a bit more than a billion dollars\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 }
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93}{\f1\fs24\b0\i1 What?}{\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8221\'94 she gasped. \u8220\'93How?\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93There\u8217\'92s a long history. As you said, they\u8217\'92re industrious, and there\u8217\'92s the miracle of compound interest. So that means every one of them\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 he pointed to the window \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 \u8220\'93leader, laborer, or infant, is a millionaire. How many people in Punxsy are millionaires, do you think? Other than you, me, and Nancy?\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93A few,\u8221\'94 she said.}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Sure, a few. But I think the rest would be very envious, wondering why these }{\f1\fs24\b0\i1 aliens}{\f0\fs24\b0\i0 should have so more than they do. But\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 he held up a hand \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 \u8220\'93that\u8217\'92s only public money. I know for sure they\u8217\'92ve been accumulating off-the-books wealth for years. Gold, silver. Drugs; I tried to get rid of the drugs, but who knows? More recently, Bitcoin. }
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93For that matter\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 he put his mug down, becoming more agitated \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 \u8220\'93how much do you know about the history of Bitcoin? It involves very clever math, and was originated by an anonymous person or group that called itself Satoshi Nakamoto. Nobody has ever figured out who Nakamoto was, in spite of a whole lot of investigation. I think there\u8217\'92s a possibility that the Folk came up with Bitcoin. It\u8217\'92s actually very logical, they\u8217\'92re mathematic and computer geniuses, and they\u8217\'92re really good at keeping a secret. But here\u8217\'92s the kicker: Nakamoto has a million Bitcoin, worth something close to a hundred billion \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 with a B \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 dollars.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 \loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8220\'93Oh, my,\u8221\'94 she said.}
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\par\plain {\f0\fs24\b0\i0 He continued as if she hadn\loch\af0\hich\af0\dbch\af0\uc1\u8217\'92t spoken. \u8220\'93So disease and envy by local people are one thing, but my real fear is when rumors get started. The Folk are Satoshi Nakamoto. The Folk have more gold than Fort Knox. The Folk have drums of cocaine. Or\u8221\'94 \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 he waved a hand \hich\f0 \emdash \loch\f0 \u8220\'93a collection of Beanie Babies, or US State quarters. Whatever. It would be a modern gold rush, people from all over the country, all over the world, overrunning them. They wouldn\u8217\'92t last a day.\u8221\'94 He picked up his mug and sighed. \u8220\'93All they want is to be left alone.\u8221\'94}
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\par\plain \f0\fs24\b0\i0} |