"So just so you know any other time to any other person I would just flat out say no but I just had to entertain the option of meeting with you."

Vince, the scrawny man in front of bagel, was a engineer. He had been found by one of the adventurous guilds members who enjoyed a ten credit bounty for the honor of that. He looked like he was older and had mottled skin on his hands. He was clearly bright eyed despite his age.

"So were you saying it's impossible or are you saying that you just wanted to meet a cat who can speak?" Bagel was getting irritated.

Most people would just straight out tell him what he wanted. Even if it was inconsequential to their lives, or even if it wasn't unfortunate. He liked people who played it straight.

Vince spread his palms out. "Look I'm going to tell you how it is. There is a reason why we don't have a major desalinization plant here. Or what's your basically asking for and most of that has to do with the fact that it will cost way too much money to put it here. It would cost way too much money and then people would bitch about it the whole fucking time."

"Go on," Bagel said, sliding the man a cold Blue Ox.

Vince cracked the can and began to drink, clearly savoring the experience as intended. Bagel needed the man in his side.

It wasn't the most bourgeois place to meet, but the Bodega was a place where they could all meet as equals. Except for Bagel, because he was the owner.

"Why is this going to cost a lot of money?"

"City Hall would have to make a contract. And the way it used to work was that you could rely on them to give out contracts to their their lackeys or to supporters. That's not the way it should be but it's the way it works. So there's the cost of human capital."

"So I have to pay for people to do this job don't I? And if I pay for one group of people to do it then I will not be paying another group or... Company?"

"Got it. Everyone has a cousin they want to give a job to and if you give this supplier contract for this desalinization plant then they benefit versus others. This is going to cost a lot of credits no matter what you do."

Bagel sniffed several times. Change often smelled like shit. He could deal with that.

"Okay, but if I can get the money and you can find somebody then we can pay them to do it right?"

The man smiled. "And see that's exactly how I took this meeting. I knew that only you would be crazy enough to follow through with this kind of plan. As much I love a man with vision. I adore a cat with a vision."

"So you can solve it with the people part? Or it's something that I can set Gladys on?"

The man shrugged.

"You can easily solve that part of it, no problem. If it's just a matter of credits then yes."

Bagel smiled. They were finally getting someplace.

"But that's only half the problem right?"

"You're correct Mr. Bagel. And you need to understand. The next part is very normal thing in New York City. People don't want to be next to the garbage dump or next to the new public work. Mostly because they smell and they're loud. But also in a lot of cases they were taking down places where people used to live and it was done in a very particular manner." The engineer put emphasis on particular in a way that made bagel squirm a bit. "People don't want to be next to a big old public works project like the Turkish Embassy which was under construction forever."

Bagel passed the man another Blue Ox. He was going to need the full power of this man. Once again, he snapped it open and began to down the beverage.

He needed answers. Vince had them.

"So we ... I don't know how we would deal with that."

"Someone could pay them off? But what you're talking about right there is making something where no one lives. I wouldn't think that anyone right now would have an issue with you installing a water treatment plant anywhere. There's just not a collective will to do anything."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Alright," Bagel said.

"Alright what? Wait...you sound like you've decided something "

"Alright. Name your number. I'll pay you. You are the expert. If Gladys and you both think that this is important... Eventually the city will come around."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

The engineer shrugged. "And I can name any number?"

Bagel looked to Gladys. The sky was basically the limit but he didn't want to overplay his hand.

"I'll let you know that I'm going to pay you more than you can use, if you can do what you're telling me you can do."

"I can do it if you can deal with the city and all of the bureaucrats. If you can deal with that? Hell this is almost easy."

Bagel was finding the man's competence quite convenient. "Thirty credits a day?"

Vince choked, holding up a can of Blue Ox. "If you give me an unlimited amount of these then consider it a deal."

Bagel didn't even have to think twice.

---

"Seawater is undrinkable because of the salt content. Now we can remove the salt in several ways. We can make the water evaporate out, this is the first potential way we can do it. Second... I can see your eyes glazing over are you sure that you want to hear this?" Vince said.

Khaleesi looked like she was on her last legs but she still was comfortable as a backup mount. Bagel had asked her to meet with him and walk him through their building.

"Look, I'm happy to get out of the office and show you your new office where the smells are just right..."

They all paused to smell the Chinese food smell coming from below.

"... But apparently I am not ready to learn this lesson, no. But if you want room for a bunch of friends? This is where we can have them work. Well either here or 816 second avenue... Of the upper levels of the Amish market, but it sounds like you're going to be working closely with Bagel so, you want to be here."

"Of course. I'll need a desk and a computer setup... I can bring that myself. I have a Rolodex... I had a Rolodex of people to call. I might need to train some people but I know someone that was working for the sanitation department."

There was a coffee machine in the corner.

"I'm going to need a fridge with Blue Ox," Vince said.

"Noted," Bagel said.

"Oh, he gets a fridge whenever he wants?" Khaleesi said. "This is some bullshit. Where's my fridge?"

"Khaleesi you raid the Bodega hourly. I can't charge your parents or they'll off me," Bagel said. "I don't want to be offed, whatever that means. I don't care what you think. You're getting all of the benefits he gets, and your walk is pretty short."

"But still I don't have a minifridge in drones and scones."

"Am I going to hear about this? Vince brought his own fridge, didn't he?"

Vince yelled from across the room as he cracked another Blue Ox, by Bagels count his fifth of the day. "I brought my own fridge!"

"See, he brought his own fridge! Problem solved. Get yourself a fridge and then I'll fill it with drinks."

Khaleesi had wild eyes as she set him down on the ornate stolen mahongany table. "Why does this have Property of the Turkish embassy on it?"

"Vince, why does the table say 'Property of the Turkish Embassy on it'?" Bagel yelled.

"What's a little bit of petty thefts between friends? Plus they weren't using it, were they?" Vince yelled back.

"Okay I'm not less pissed about the fridge," Khaleesi said. "Vince can I have a Blue Ox?"

Vince opened the door and held out a can for her to examine. She walked over and took it from him, violently opening it as if it owed her a boys telephone number.

She then downed the contents in less than five seconds. Bagel was impressed. Some of the humans had a thing about chugging liquids so fast that it would make your head spin. Bagel had never really understood that. He couldn't drink fast.

Even if he could drink fast he wouldn't want to. He wanted to savor the milk from his milk bowl.

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