Ghost of a flea

Years ago there was a series of stories in Analog magazine about an American of Chinese descent who discovered how to ship packages via Galactic Post.

Reasoning that most races don't solve their pollution problem but rather adapt to it, he concluded that there would be a market for especially strong examples of polluted air, rather like that for grandes crus in the wine business. He therefore sent his sons to highly polluted places with air compressors, there to fill pressure cylinders which would later be used to fill aerosol cans which would be offered for sale to alien customers.

He grows incredibly wealthy doing that, with his best seller being "Pico and Sepulveda, July 17th, 1966", IIRC. If he is still in business, it looks like "Peking, during the Olympics" may be a breakout product.

Regards,
Ric

I love the idea of air not only with a pedigree but a vintage. For example, I would be very curious to sample Hampstead Heath '64.