we may have a problem. ling's mood quickly darkens.
the exchange was just robbed.
yes. only the handcuffs and fish tank are a new look.
what about the girl?
stop it. charles does. and now we can hear vanessa, who's begun screaming inside the camper.
at least he's doing his job. which is more than i can say for some people.
tape her up and gag her. as vanessa continues to scream, charles moves to the van, unlocks the rear door with the key. remote and pockets it. then opens the door. and.  vanessa bolts out, crying, and clamps her arms around his waist.
i hate kids.
we just have to test the device. russell, who's been working on his scientific contraption nearby, speaks up.
the buyers arrive in less then an hour. beat. ling holds up a black stone and examines it.
the purpose of today's sale is to begin trading a new commodity on the black market and establish its value.  there are fifty stones available in the first sale. the opening price is one million per stone.  bids, please? the buyers indicate their bids both aloud and by using hand signals a la traders in a commodities exchange pit. at the same time, they're all crunching the numbers on calculators. ling looks on as sona runs the sale, and russell uses a laptop to input data and develops supply and demand market- analysis for sona to consult. the pace starts out slowly and unevenly as the buyers feel out the situation.
we'll take that.  there are now thirty-seven stones available. and now, in more and more rapid-fire succession --