“Well, you know you can’t bake a cake without breaking a few eggs.”
“What?”
“I said you can’t bake …”
“I heard what you said. I meant what does that have to do with it? I’m not a baker. I just don’t see what eggs have to do with anything relevant.”
“It’s just a saying.”
“A saying that has nothing to do with the issue at hand. If we were baking a cake, sure, we would break some eggs. But we’re not baking a cake, are we?”
“No.”
“Right. So what does breaking eggs have to do with breaking into a safe?”
“Well, I suppose I could have said you can’t be a success without breaking into a few safes.”
“Yeah, you could have, but we are just needing to break in to one safe. This safe. The saying still does not work even with the modification. Unless you are saying I should be drilling through a few additional safes before dealing with this one.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“So maybe you should have said you can;t be a success without breaking into this safe. Singular. And no reference to eggs. Can you pass me the next drill bit?”
Henry handed Paul the drill bit as Paul continued.
“I mean if you are going to use an old saying, or a cliche, it really should fit the situation well, don’t you think?”
“Well, there are only so many old sayings, Paul. It’s not like there is one that is specific to each situation.”
“Well, sure, but still, it should have some relation to what is being discussed. Baking and grand theft are not even remotely related.”
Paul continued drilling.
“Look, Paul, it’s just a saying. It’s a metaphor for any situation. You can’t achieve success without making some sacrifices is all it means.”
“So a baker sacrifices eggs in the pursuit of a cake? What kind of evil bakers are you buying cakes from?”
“No, he doesn’t sacrifice the eggs. Not like that. The eggs, though, are no longer eggs when they get mixed into a batter.”
“But they are not sacrificed either. So maybe it would be better stated that success does not require sacrifice, it requires change.”
“Yeah, maybe. You almost done.”
“Just another couple of seconds.”
The drill penetrated the inner wall of the safe a moment sooner than Paul anticipated, causing him to lean forward from the the sudden lack of resistance. He pulled the drill free and they opened the door of the wall safe. Inside, the Faberge Egg sat in its cushioned nest, a new hole through its side.
“Don’t say a word, Henry. Not one word.”