Shire chatted with the two, half explaining and half complaining:
"You know, we need 'Congreve' rockets to destroy enemy balloons and also to bomb enemy artillery positions."
"I tried to produce rockets myself, but encountered difficulties with the rocket propellant, so I had to buy from Schneider."
"God, he's tripled the price of rockets, which has kept our rockets in constant shortage."
...
Shire's words were half-truths. The price tripling of rockets was real, but given the severe material shortages in France, it was relatively normal.
Schneider always had his eyes on steel and artillery and had no interest in dealing with these outdated, obsolete, and not very in-demand items.
He even thought that once the price was raised, other munitions factories and even Britain would increase production and capture the market with low prices.
Only Shire knew that the facts were not as Schneider perceived.
Rockets were by no means "outdated," "obsolete," or "not in demand."
