Page 30 - Big Idea

The Big Idea – Act 2

ENTREPRENEUR: Hm. Be that as it may, men still go for a girlish
complexion. Now, tell me: aren’t you interested in keeping your good
looks as long as possible?

WOMAN 2: You think I’m going to give away my fortune?

ENTREPRENEUR: No, no—that was just a figurative expression
for fending off the ravages of time. Madam—I mean, Miss—I am
only bringing up this rather personal topic because I have something
that might be of very great use to you.

WOMAN 2: Such as?

ENTREPRENEUR: (gets closer to her) Well, in my travels up and
down river in search of coconuts, I have come upon many strange
and wonderful things. On one such trip recently I happened to
stumble into a camp of fisher folk; I had never been in that particular
part of the river before, and most coconut gatherers steer clear of it
because of the crocodiles.

WOMAN 2: Wait a minute. This better be good. Hey, get a load of
this guy! He’s quite a storyteller. (WOMAN 3 joins them)

ENTREPRENEUR: Ahem! Well, as I saying to your friend here, I
had the unusual experience of finding a group of people unknown to
anyone else in our encampment, a riverine clan who keep to
themselves and don’t like strangers.

WOMAN 3: So why did they let you in?

ENTREPRENEUR: It wasn’t easy, ladies, I assure you, but I was
carrying a bit of salt, and they were rather more friendly after they
saw that I was willing to trade for it.

WOMAN 3: Trade? For salt? What fools! You can get salt anywhere
you want around here.

ENTREPRENEUR: Ah, that is the point. They do not know about
the salt deposits in these hills, and I did not tell them.

WOMAN 2: Why not?

ENTREPRENEUR: Because I wanted to get something from them.
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