Gemsicuted

Written by Julian Robov


Fifty Eight


There were altogether ten people at the Holiday Inn’s Indian restaurant. Jeb had booked the facility for the whole day so that they could dine and talk about the future business with their partners and suppliers. Sanders and Baddy remained quiet, but listened carefully about what Jeb had to deliver. This was their main source of income and by not telling the truth meant losing the important people in one stroke, and the consequence was incomprehensible. So every detail they wanted to know was briefed in a transparent way so that there was no ambiguity of any sort for them in the future.

After Sanders’s acquittal things began to get better slowly. He was more focused as to what sort of future was lying ahead after Goldie’s tragic death. Baddy helped him to talk to Ruth, who was worried as she couldn’t get through the countless telephone calls reaching his office, while Chin remained holed up with her relatives wanting to know the full details, before they could sue further for more money from Sanders.

Sanders spoke to Ruth for the first time in a fatherly way, and urged her to be calm and courageous, till he sorted out the details. Then she could stay with him if she decided to do so. She remained quiet and noncommittal, but was happy to talk to him.
Getting back to his business became his utmost priority, and Jeb was doing a good job sorting out the details regarding the pending rubies both, rough and cut ones.
There were five miners / dealers from Mogok (Burma), two from Pailin (Cambodia), two from Luc Yen (Vietnam), and one from Chantaburi (Thailand). They were the bloodline for Melvin, Jeb, and Baddy, though they had other sources in Tunduru (Tanzania), John Saul (Kenya), Jegdalek (Afghanistan), and countless dealers without borders, who brought goods from other less known sources. But keeping the ten big guys became their priority because they were their only consistent source of supply to compete with people like Ris, Den, and Lord in the international market. It was difficult, but the profit sharing ratios Jeb and Sanders had worked out well ahead were working mutually beneficial, and the spicy Indian food kept the conversation moving in the right direction. Due to the sudden economic downturn in the region, their immediate concern was how to protect the prices in a competitive market. They had no intention of dumping good quality rubies into the market at this particular time killing the trade itself. The buyers for such quality still remained in Switzerland, London, and New York. But the anonymous buyers were mostly Europeans, Americans, and a few Asians, living in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunie, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan, using the three capitals as a conduit to collect them. In a difficult time the regulars trusted more in good quality big rubies than their own currencies. Good quality rubies above 5carat always fetched an attractive price, and the ones with discretionary incomes kept collecting them for investment rather than parading them in the streets and getting their heads chopped off. The traditional ruby miners knew the prices the international market was paying for their goods, but due to the typical political landscape and the stone age bureaucracy existent in their own country, they too had to be discreet in releasing such rubies to avoid the wrath of their corrupt government. They didn’t want the government to know that such rubies of superior quality existed in their country to avoid paying tax and their government’s fixed low price. That’s where people like Sanders, Jeb, and Baddy, came in to fill the void doing it professionally or illegally sometimes depending on the situation, while taking care of their suppliers interest in whatever way they could. Because they too read the same newspapers, like the guys in Bangkok or elsewhere, and watched the same tele so hiding any details from them looked stupid and unwise.

The immediate priority was to get back the drained confidence, and to achieve the goal spindoctors from an advertising agency with international ties were hired by Jeb to release a carefully drafted script through some of the top jewelry and gem magazines in the world to confirm that they were back in business. That meant they were still in competition with Rubyhall’s, Lord, and scores of other dealers. Before they went on a large scale advertising campaign, they needed the miners full support and confidence. For the market that meant real business. The idea gained tacit support from the miners, but the real gamblers were Jeb, Sanders and Baddy. Working in the international market for a long time had given them the required experience irrespective of the unexpected economic downturn, but they were investing for a long-term scoop, and advertising was one such tool they used to achieve that goal. The main purpose was to let the market know that they were the guys with deep pockets and they could take the scandals and uncertainities without much difficulty.

Sometimes this trick worked, and the fact was they wanted Switzerland, London, and New York, to know that they were back in full swing. The miners from Mogok (Burma) had brought with them a few pieces of rough rubies concealed in their clothing to toast their friendship by giving one piece each to Sanders, Jeb, and Baddy. It was unexpected, but the gesture meant they trusted them, and it was a new beginning after the brief interruption.