The Curious Everyman approached
a room on the façade of which hung a sign with a name that seemed unusual to
the Everyman: “Smell Exchange.”
He arrived at the beginning
of the establishment’s working day. Upon entering, he was surprised: the
exchange was working, life was in full swing and exuded a variety of smells.
And, like music, the stock exchange was a place of harmony and cacophony... of
smells. Sometimes they attracted, like the smell of fresh melon or mint,
sometimes they repelled, like jasmine.
On the man’s right hand were
stands, above which stood a sign: “Futures.” Along the left hand were the same
rows of racks, but above them hung another sign that read “Illiquid Stock.” The
exchange traded the past and the future. Only the auction itself was its
present time.
Trying to see what the
brokers and dealers of the exchange were selling and buying, the Curious
Everyman found himself at a loss: on the racks with the names of companies
selling scents, there were empty jars, reminiscent in appearance and size of
jars of baby food, and piles of papers. Voices were heard from both the right
and the left: “I’m selling 20 banana’s!”, “I’m buying 30 orange’s!”, “I’m
selling, I’m selling!”, “I’m buying, I’m buying!”. There was a mixture of
smells and screams in the air, smelling of hope and despair mixed with
raspberries and lavender, coffee and tangerines.
The number of jars and papers
on the counters of brokers and dealers was constantly changing - trading was
quite brisk.
The gazes of both were
directed to the scoreboard, where sets of letters and numbers incomprehensible
to the Everyman constantly flashed.
It is worth noting that all
those trading on the stock exchange had an exceptional sense of smell. It was
for this quality that exchange companies selected brokers and dealers. Each of
them could blindly distinguish the smell of next year's orange futures from
last season's orange illiquid stock. Illiquid assets were sold at bargain
prices, but were still a hot commodity. Their scents were mingled with the
aroma of hope or despair, depending on the progress of the auction.
The same thing happened with
futures, because exchange manipulation and speculation, which are the basis of
this industry, could easily, in a split second, bankrupt or enrich sellers or
buyers. Those who had the best instinct and excellent sense of smell won.
Despite the fact that the
exchange was no different from the market - in appearance and the atmosphere
that reigned in this place - in this harmony and cacophony of sounds and
smells, the positive dynamics of trading prevailed, which either attracted or repelled
the Curious Everyman. Trading - the lifeblood of the exchange - seemed
sometimes unsteady, sometimes unshakable, but they flowed - sometimes
sluggishly, sometimes dynamically, ensuring the circulation of the blood of
this huge organism with its complex mechanisms, sales techniques, manipulations
and speculations, agreements and their violations. There was everything and
everyone - hopes and disappointments, victories and defeats. There was life and
death, ups and downs, and it all had its own smells.
Despite all the
incomprehensibility and unknown principles and mechanisms of the exchange, one
thing was clear to the average person: the exchange is alive, thriving and smelling.
Everything flowed, changed and replaced, but, most importantly, did not stop.
Gradually delving into the
elegant, graceful logic of the operation of stock exchange mechanisms, the Curious
Everyman began to like everything he saw, heard, and smelled. Walking between
the endless rows, he was not bored. Even if some smells irritated him, they
were immediately replaced by others that were pleasant to his nose.
A little tired from his
adventure, the Everyman headed towards the exit to have a snack and then
continue his observations. As a diligent student or researcher, he wrote down
everything new and incomprehensible in a notebook. Next to some of the entries there
were question marks, which indicated points he did not understand and required
clarification. Next to the others there were exclamation marks, meaning that he
understood the essence of what was happening. Ultimately, his goal was to
assemble a mosaic of smells and numbers, answer all questions and describe in
colors everything he saw, heard, felt. After all, he sinned with writing.
Approaching the exit, he
noticed a man in a raincoat and hat, which greatly surprised him, because all
the events of this story took place in mid-August. The Weird Stranger wore
leather gloves on his hands, and his eyes were hidden behind huge sunglasses
that hid more than half of his face. He quickly walked between the rows,
quietly taking out from his bag small jars identical to those that stood on the
tables of brokers and dealers, at first glance, no different from them. In the
crowd and noise that reigned on the exchange, none of those trading or buying
paid attention to the Weird Stranger while he pulled out his jars and placed
them on the tables. At some point, his bag was empty, and the Stranger hurried
to the exit. The glances of the Weird Stranger and the Curious Everyman met for
a split second. The man in the street managed to see the Stranger’s face and
was horrified: he had no nose. This means that he did not smell. Couldn’t
distinguish smells.
Suddenly, the Stranger made
something similar to ultrasound, causing everyone on the spot to cover their
ears. At that moment, thousands of jars standing on the tables exploded.
Everything was mixed up. A moment later, a previously unknown smell filled the
exchange. It caused suffocation, the eyes of everyone present began to water,
and people fell to the ground. Ten minutes later, which was enough for the Weird
Stranger to leave the exchange and hide, everyone in the building managed to
recover from the shock. But only partially. The smell from the Stranger's jars
not only absorbed all the usual smells of the stock exchange. It created a new,
pungent and disgusting smell, a stench that completely deprived all brokers and
dealers of their sense of smell. This meant a complete collapse of the
exchange.
Luckily for the Curious
Everyman, he had a runny nose. Before the jars exploded, he sneezed and took a
handkerchief from his trouser pocket, which saved him from the terrible
consequences of the explosion.
The villain who detonated
numerous bombs in the market miscalculated. He was sure that the collapse of
the stock exchange would destroy the smells, and this would compensate for his
complex, his congenital disease. And everyone will become like him. Or rather,
he will become like everyone else. And he will no longer be a freak and an
outcast.
But the
Strange Stranger encroached only... on the symbol. On the effect, not the
cause. The Weird Stranger did not take into account the fact that the exchange
was only a place where one could buy and sell this or that smell, or a mixture
of smells. But they were not released by people. They were produced by Nature
itself. And the collapse of the stock exchange is not the collapse of Nature.
After all, killing Nature is a task that cannot be accomplished by one person.
Over time,
brokers and dealers received aromatherapy treatments. Their sense of smell was
restored, and the exchange started working again.
This story
became known thanks to the notes of the Curious Everyman. You can view them in
the local museum, located not far from the exchange, which still operates to
this day.
May 26, 2017, original (Russian) version.
