（外文电子版资料）Spider Robinson - The Magnificent Conspiracy.pdf

THE MAGNIFICENT CONSPIRACY I By the time I had pulled in and put her in park, alarm bells were going off all over my subconscious so I just stayed put and looked around. After a minute and a half, I gave up. Everything about the place was wrong. Even the staff. Reserved used-car salesmen are about as common as affable hangmen—but I had the whole minute and a half to myself, and as much longer as I wanted. The man semivisible through the dusty office window was clearly aware of my arrival, but he failed to get up from his chair. So I shut off the ignition and climbed out into un-air-conditioned July, and by God even the music was wrong. It wasnt Muzak at all; it was an old Peter, Paul and Mary album. How can you psych someone into buying a clunker with music like that? Even when I began wandering around kicking tires and glancing under hoods he stayed in the office. He seemed to be reading. I was determined to get a reaction now, so I picked out the classiest car I could see (eas-ily worth three times as much as my Dodge), hotwired her and started her up. As Id expected, it fetched him—but he didnt hurry. Except for that, he was standard-issue salesman—which is like saying, Except for the sun porch, it was a standard issue fighter jet. Sorry, mister. That one aint for sale. I looked disappointed. Already spoken for, huh? Nope. But you dont want her. I listened to the smooth, steady rumble of the engine. Oh, yeah? Why not? She sounds beautiful. He nodded. Runs beautiful, too—now. Feller sold it to us gimmicked er with them pellets you get from the Whitney catalog. Inside o five hundred miles you wouldnt have no more rings than a spinster. I let my jaw drop. She wouldnt even be sittin out here, except the garage is full up. Could