human
I give up, he said.
gpt
What is it?
human
Plastic, Bartouki replied, obviously pleased.
gpt
It did not come from Egypt. It was made right here in America. In Chicago, to be exact. It is what you call a prototype.
human
But it's Egyptian in design,
gpt
Yes, it is clearly an Egyptian cat. The design came from Egypt, but the cat from America. I have been working on this for months with a plastics company. Now I have the model, and the method. We will reproduce these in quantity in Cairo.
human
It's pretty heavy for plastic,
gpt
True. We put a piece of lead in the middle of the casting. You see, it looks like stone, and the buyer will expect it to be heavy. So, for psychological reasons, we give it weight--only not so much that it becomes a problem to carry.
human
You certainly have it worked out, Scotty said admiringly.
gpt
But why a cat? Why not a ... a camel?
human
We have camels of camel leather, brass, and wood. But we do not have a good cat. You see, the cat is important in Egyptian history. There was even a cat goddess of the Upper Nile Kingdom, called Bubaste. In the ancient tombs there are sometimes mummies of cats. Some cat lovers think our land first developed the domestic strain of cat. So we believe tourist cat lovers should have an authentic reproduction of one. This particular cat is a faithful copy of an antique, which I am fortunate to own.
gpt
What will you do with it now?
human
Send it to my associate in Cairo, as soon as possible. I would like to airmail it right away, but you Americans overload the mails at Christmas, so it would be safer to wait. Next week I hope to send it with full instructions, hoping to get production started in time for the big tourist season. I wish it could go sooner. It is needed.
gpt
Rick leaves the day after tomorrow. He could take it for you. Couldn't you, Rick?
human
Be glad to,
gpt
It would not be an imposition?
human
Of course not. I can put it right in with my clothes. I have plenty of room.
gpt
Believe me, I will be in your debt. And so will my associate, Ali Moustafa. You will like him. He is a great, jolly man, three times my size. If he had a beard, he would resemble your Santa Claus. And he will insist that you accept some token of his appreciation. I will send the instructions separately, so you need not bother with the technical reports.
human
I couldn't accept a gift for such a little thing,
gpt
Ali Moustafa is a hard man to refuse, Bartouki said.
human
You should not deprive him of the pleasure of making a gift. But I will not press you. It will be between you and him. You are quite sure it will be no trouble?
gpt
No trouble at all.