After a tenth conversation that didn't bring me anything except general annoyance, I had to remind myself what I was doing this for. The stupid furniture set—and by now it was just stupid furniture for me—was nothing. But finding it would save me money—enough so I could think about expanding my business—and bring me some respect from someone whose respect had a monetary equivalent.
More than that, what perspectives I had as an antiquities dealer if I couldn't find a single stupid furniture set? But until now, all people who could've had it… did not. As for those who did, it would turn out that it wasn't just the same thing, or it was only a sofa, not a set, and so on.
