The client sat in his chair, his dress and manner every bit befitting a king. “Has the package arrived yet?” he asked one of his ostensible servants.
“No, sir,” the man said nervously, “but they should be within the day.”
The client tried to hide his exasperation, and very nearly succeeded. “I did not ask for ‘within the day’ when I ordered the package. I asked for this morning. It is now noon. Tell me, Ivan, do you not consider the morning to have ended by noon? Please tell me why my package is late.”
Ivan cowered in fear. “I do not know, sir. The last thing I heard was the workers’ report that the package had reached the docks in Murmansk. That was approximately forty-five minutes ago.”
The client glowered from his chair. “Well then. Soon we’ll know what happens to those that keep me waiting.”