Nita was spending another late night cataloging the Kinai Clan's latest boatload of treasures. Some items Yuriko and Delilah had bought from far away lands, others were gifts sent by prospectors hoping to do business with the family. Regardless of where they all came from, it was Nita's job to sort them out and budget the Kinai Clan's net cash flow.

The monthly process was something Nita looked forward to, being a task-oriented person and herself a collector of the latest technological and decorative trends. Nearly half of the things in this night's crates were surely items she had ordered recently. She was looking forward to implementing the goodies and gadgets wherever they could be the most useful to her operation, be it a higher resolution camera for her videoconferences, or a heavily ornate gold tiger statue for the reception area to impress visiting clients.

She opened the next crate on her manifest. This one seemed to contain various jewels, statues, fabrics and books her sisters must have purchased while abroad. Atop the clutter sat a long, thin box with a cat's eye emblazoned on the lid.

"Crate three, item one," she spoke aloud. The nearby microphone on her desk recorded her dictations directly into her computer. "Jewelry box with cat's eye insignia. Contents..." She opened the box and her red eyes fell upon an extravagantly beaded golden headdress. The polished metal shone brightly under the office lights. Incorporated into the center of the band of gold chains and beads was the same cat's eye shape, gleaming brilliantly. Below it dangled more loops of chain and a large round ruby set within a gold bulb-shaped pendant.

"Um...contents...one ornamental headdress made of what looks like 24-karat gold and a large ruby. This one looks like it cost us an arm and a leg. Make sure to find out if it was Delilah or Yuriko who bought this one...have a serious talking-to about abusing the company credit cards."

She began to gently lower the headdress back into its padded box.

Art ©  cobaltk