The
Soul Market
(An homage to Gogol)
In
order to keep my body alive, I had no choice but to release my soul
for sale on the soul market. The competition was intense. Five people with euros were on one side, and the rest,
hundreds upon hundreds of empty souls, on the other. The former
surveyed the crowd and sighed, and expressed their benevolence by
confessing that they did not have enough euros to buy all of our
souls at face value. So we could either choose to sell our souls at a
price below their value, or else we had to select which soul was to
be sold and which not. We were stuck – neither option appealed to
us, as there were too many of us and we could not even have a
constructive discussion, let alone reach an agreement.
But
then, one of the five euro owners raised his voice and gave us a
third option. He told us that, if any of us would be willing to sell
our souls at a quarter of their value, then they will accept the offer
without any further scruples.
A
tremor went through the crowd. A quarter! That would hardly keep our
bodies in healthy shape. I was surprised, therefore, to see a dozen
or so of my brothers and sisters step forward and accept this
proposition.
“Why
be so foolish?” I asked by neighbor.
“Why,
because it is better than nothing!” replied she, as if she were
pointing out an elementary mathematical truth.
She
had a point. More and more people stepped forth to sign up for the
quarter-a-soul deal. I could feel the nervousness that was
intensifying amongst the rest of us left behind. The same euro owner
lifted his megaphone and reminded us that their euros were running
out fast, and that in fact there might not even be enough to buy all
of our souls at the promised quarter price.
“That
is not fair!” cried the remaining souls. “You promised us!”
“Circumstances
change,” replied the euro owner. “It is beyond our power to
control fate. Reality is reality. We did not lie to you at the time,
only you took too long to make up your minds, and the opportunity
passed. It really is as much your fault as mine.”
After
the outrage subsided, there was a resigned murmur of assent. Fate,
indeed.
“But
here is the good news,” said the euro owner. “We are still able
to pay a fifth of your original value, if you come forward now.”
A
number of the already sold souls turned around and congratulated
themselves for sliding through the door just in time to get a better
deal. Now these poor remaining creatures had to be content, not with
a quarter, but a fifth! That was 20% less than what they themselves
got. And if the remainder hesitated even longer, then, who knows,
maybe they may have to give another, possibly higher discount!
Some
of us overheard these triumphant whispers. The tension was too much,
and many of us, in a panic, gladly sold their souls at one fifth of
their original value. The euro owners were happy.
(To be continued...)
