there was a very large village called Los Angeles. In this village there were many businesses, providing villagers with all types of provisions, personal services and both necessities as well as luxuries.

As the competition for villagers' wampum increased, company leaders in various competing industries discovered an interesting thing: If Company A could entice the merchant seller from Company B to sell for them, in many cases, all of this merchant seller's customers would follow, almost like a Pied Piper effect.

This realization brought on The Age of the Mighty Headhunter. Companies started using Headhunters to 'play their pipes' for the opposition to great effect. In particular, Great Big Industries had had success in attracting competitors to their ranks, massively enhancing their profits.

Based on this success, Great Big Industries noticed an interesting thing: Competitors were now contacting them directly, bypassing a smoke signal from the Mighty Headhunter. The corporate abacus man, brought this phenomenon to the attention of the Great Big Chief and a new plan was formulated: AFTER it was decided on who the company would bring on from the competition, GBI would call the Headhunter to attract the other competitors as a yardstick by which to measure it's first choice.

For a couple of months this worked wonderfully--the company continued to attract the competition, the Headhunter continued to dutifully draw a crowd of hungry salespeople, a hire was made and no fee was paid.

And this was more or less, as it should be. No self-respecting Bounty Hunter expected to be paid a bounty without bringing in the prize. However, even though it skirted violating the 'letter' of the agreement between GBI and the Mighty Headhunter, the spirit was now in question. It was also a question of loyalty and motive.

As GBI's fortunes continued to improve, the Headhunter noticed his family was still cold on Winter nights. His loyalty was not being compensated. He continued to play a compelling 'tune' on his 'pipes'--continued to attract a cadre of the best competitors, yet his people NEVER seemed to get the nod. The GBI abacus man was given the exulted title of Chief Wampum Officer. Something was amiss in Paradise.

Great Big Industries was not the only company who utilized the Headhunter. However, since they were the largest company, they had the most need of his services. As months passed, new companies were arising from the ashes of those displaced by GBI, hungry companies with better products and greater services, until, one such company, David's Giant Slayer Enterprises surfaced as a legitimate alternative to GBI. At the point of their largest expansion, they called the Headhunter:

"We know you're responsible for a great deal of the success of GBI. We're now in the position to unseat them and we'd like your help."

"I'm happy to provide my bounty services, but I won't violate the spirit of my pre-existing agreement with GBI. They're still my largest client."

"Yes, I left GBI when you were bringing them their best people. Curiously, when was the last time they paid you a Bounty?"

"That's classified." But it stopped the Headhunter dead in his tracks. It had been MONTHS.

"You ARE aware that they're merely using you to validate decisions they've made prior to giving you the signal, right?"

"Of course I do!" But, the Headhunter HADN'T confronted that reality in his mind. He STILL believed it was a natural outgrowth of GBI's popularity, not a company decision to co-opt his talents without paying him a bounty.

Four months passed. GBI continued to grow, but not at the pace of the previous years. DGSE was nosing in on all the profitable areas of trade AND was hiring the very people GBI coveted. GBI called a meeting with the Headhunter:

"We aren't getting the prized sales people anymore. Market share is down. Our reputation is 'Yesterday's News'. Why aren't you showing us the best people anymore?"

"Excuse me, Mr. Chief Wampum Officer, but when was the last time you hired ANYONE I delivered for your company?"

"That's because we've seen better people on our own."

"And the well's gone dry, is that it? The fact is, DGSE has paid me a bounty on my best people for the past four months. And, interestingly, when a competitor approaches them directly, they refer him to me!"

"So, your loyalty has shifted, is that right?"

"Mr. CWO, you gained yourself a pretty hefty promotion by finding a way to use me to validate your hires without paying my bounty. THAT'S where loyalty shifted."

So the meeting ended. GBI threatened to find a new Headhunter. The Headhunter continued to work with DGSE on a mutually loyal basis. In six months DGSE was the leader of all companies in Los Angeles and GBI was in the process of hiring a new CWO.

If you use a Headhunter, make sure you pay the Piper.

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