"We'll try to dothat, no doubt," Menedemos said. "But what if the peacock dies whilewe're at sea? What do we sell then? I saw the peahen in her cage; she's notpretty enough to bring much by herself."

"Breed her to thecock. Breed all the hens you buy -  if you buy any; if you don't go on tryingto cheat me -  to the cock," Himilkon replied. "Once they lay, you'llhave plenty of birds to sell."

Sostratos said,"But only the one peacock shows what anyone who buys a bird from us wouldwant."

Himilkon's smile mighthave shown off a shark's teeth, not his own, which were square and ratheryellow. "In that case, you should pay me more for him, eh, not less."

The hangers-on laughedand clapped their hands at that. Menedemos shot Sostratos another glance, an angryone this time. But Sostratos tossed his head as calmly as if his opponenthadn't landed a telling blow. "Not at all," he said. "A mina istoo much for the peacock, and much too much for the peahens."

"Without thepeahens, you'll get no more peacocks," Himilkon said. "That's thevalue in them."

"We'll give you amina and a half for the peacock and the five peahens," Menedemos said,wondering how loudly his father -  and Sostratos' father, too -  would screamat him for plunging into this dicker.

No louder than Himilkonscreamed now; he was sure of that. "Twenty-five drakhmai a bird?" thePhoenician merchant bellowed. "You're no trader -  you're a pirate,robbing honest men. I'd sooner roast the fowl myself than sell them forthat."

"Invite us to thebanquet," Sostratos said coolly. "A white wine from Thasos would gowell with them, don't you think? Come on, cousin." He set a hand onMenedemos' shoulder.