Escaping Fate (Paradox Book 1) by Brown Henry

Author:Brown, Henry [Brown, Henry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Virtual Pulp Press
Published: 2023-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14: Dangers of Success

We took a tour of New Orleans, collecting from the various bookies. Each one paid us $400 in then-current denominations. With a net of $300 from each bet, we now had a couple thousand more than what we'd brought there.

As soon as the banks opened again, we toured those, exchanging a portion of the winnings at each for gold coins. By the time we cashed in the last of the proceeds, our canvas sacks were very heavy from the weight of the gold.

We found our horseless coach where we'd left it, climbed in, and shot a warp back to the hangar at BH Station. As we got out, Uncle Si dropped the bags on the floor and said, "And that's one way to get yourself some seed money."

I opened a sack and examined a coin.

"You know how much that is worth? You know how much somebody would pay you for that back at your native coordinates? Or right now? You could take that stake right there, buy up half the real estate in Florida during the Depression, and you'll become a millionaire in the years after Disneyworld opens."

As I examined one of the coins, I was reminded of what had bothered me before. "Uncle Si, why do the dollars from back then say, 'the United States will pay to the bearer $100?' If you're the bearer, you already have $100. What's gonna happen—they just trade you one bill for another one?"

He chuckled and tapped his temple. "You're sharp, Sprout. It's good you notice these things, and question them. You should always be that way."

He began by producing two bills from his own wallet and handing them to me.

"Compare those two," he said. "Aside from the design, what else is different?"

After I pointed out a few superficial differences he shook his head, made a cutting gesture, then pointed at the bottom of the old bill.

"What does that say?"

"United States Note," I replied.

Now he pointed toward the bottom of the modern bill. "How about that one?"

"Federal Reserve Note," I read, aloud.

He took that one back. "You don't see anything on here about paying the bearer anything, either." He flopped it around a bit before putting it back in his wallet. "Just some vague statement about it representing legal tender for all debts, public or private. This is what's known as 'fiat' currency. It has no worth whatsoever, beyond durable fire kindling. It's propped up only by assumptions, and the credibility of a government."

He now pointed to the old dollar still in my hand. "That's not real money, either. It's paper. One difference is: it doesn't pretend to be real. Before it was replaced by fiat currency, you could take it to a bank and exchange it for real money—the amount of money printed on the note."

He slung the heaviest bag over one shoulder. I hefted the lighter one and followed him back into the cool underground labyrinth.

I scratched my head. "Okay…then what is real money?"

"We’re carrying it. This,

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