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Racer · 03-07-2019, 08:27 PM

I'm reminded of a fictional example in The Three Musketeers :
To replace Queen Anne's two stolen Diamond Studs , the Duke of Buckingham seeks out a renowned jeweller . Asking how long to replace the two with identical ones to the rest of the set , the craftsman replies next week . The Duke sets twenty times (or similar) the normal fee upfront in Gold on the man's workbench and asks him how fast now ? Jeweller calls to his assistant " Call my wife & tell her to bring food & drink - we'll be at work all night ! Tomorrow afternoon do you Sir ? " . It's an extremely long time since I read it & different adaptations word it differently - I'm probably wildly paraphrasing here - but you get the idea .
Parker from Thunderbirds open the Bank of England's Vault in 3 minutes , with a hairpin or Star Trek's Scotty fixing something in 4 fours instead of 2 days ( even taking his normal quadrupling of time taken into account ) spring to mind to .

[EDIT] Found it : Chapter 21. The Countess de Winter

...

He was lost in these reflections when the goldsmith entered. He was an Irishman--one of the most skillful of his craft, and who himself confessed that he gained a hundred thousand livres a year by the Duke of Buckingham.

"Mr. O'Reilly," said the duke, leading him into the chapel, "look at these diamond studs, and tell me what they are worth apiece."

The goldsmith cast a glance at the elegant manner in which they were set, calculated, one with another, what the diamonds were worth, and without hesitation said, "Fifteen hundred pistoles each, my Lord."

"How many days would it require to make two studs exactly like them? You see there are two wanting."

"Eight days, my Lord."

"I will give you three thousand pistoles apiece if I can have them by the day after tomorrow."

"My Lord, they shall be yours."

"You are a jewel of a man, Mr. O'Reilly; but that is not all. These studs cannot be trusted to anybody; it must be done in the palace."

"Impossible, my Lord! There is no one but myself can so execute them that one cannot tell the new from the old."

"Therefore, my dear Mr. O'Reilly, you are my prisoner. And if you wish ever to leave my palace, you cannot; so make the best of it. Name to me such of your workmen as you need, and point out the tools they must bring."

...

A Master Craftsman can be worth more than any Gold .

03-07-2019, 08:27 PM	#2
Racer Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: London, UK	Re: High Skill Levels I'm reminded of a fictional example in The Three Musketeers : To replace Queen Anne's two stolen Diamond Studs , the Duke of Buckingham seeks out a renowned jeweller . Asking how long to replace the two with identical ones to the rest of the set , the craftsman replies next week . The Duke sets twenty times (or similar) the normal fee upfront in Gold on the man's workbench and asks him how fast now ? Jeweller calls to his assistant " Call my wife & tell her to bring food & drink - we'll be at work all night ! Tomorrow afternoon do you Sir ? " . It's an extremely long time since I read it & different adaptations word it differently - I'm probably wildly paraphrasing here - but you get the idea . Parker from Thunderbirds open the Bank of England's Vault in 3 minutes , with a hairpin or Star Trek's Scotty fixing something in 4 fours instead of 2 days ( even taking his normal quadrupling of time taken into account ) spring to mind to . [EDIT] Found it : Chapter 21. The Countess de Winter ... He was lost in these reflections when the goldsmith entered. He was an Irishman--one of the most skillful of his craft, and who himself confessed that he gained a hundred thousand livres a year by the Duke of Buckingham. "Mr. O'Reilly," said the duke, leading him into the chapel, "look at these diamond studs, and tell me what they are worth apiece." The goldsmith cast a glance at the elegant manner in which they were set, calculated, one with another, what the diamonds were worth, and without hesitation said, "Fifteen hundred pistoles each, my Lord." "How many days would it require to make two studs exactly like them? You see there are two wanting." "Eight days, my Lord." "I will give you three thousand pistoles apiece if I can have them by the day after tomorrow." "My Lord, they shall be yours." "You are a jewel of a man, Mr. O'Reilly; but that is not all. These studs cannot be trusted to anybody; it must be done in the palace." "Impossible, my Lord! There is no one but myself can so execute them that one cannot tell the new from the old." "Therefore, my dear Mr. O'Reilly, you are my prisoner. And if you wish ever to leave my palace, you cannot; so make the best of it. Name to me such of your workmen as you need, and point out the tools they must bring." ... A Master Craftsman can be worth more than any Gold . __________________ Five Gauss Guns on a Camper !!! The Resident Brit . Last edited by Racer; 03-08-2019 at 06:07 AM.