Marge turned on her Accusing Look #7. "I also hear that she's
five-foot-eight and tapes out at 38-25-36 and thinks you're handsome."
Marge had quite a spy system.
"She couldn't be much of a secretary," she added.
"She's a perfectly good secretary," I blurted, and kicked myself
mentally. I should have known Marge's traps by then.
Marge exploded. I didn't get any supper, and she was still going strong
at midnight. I tried to argue, but when Marge got going, there was no
stopping her. I had my ultimatum, as far as Jeree was concerned.
Harry Folsom administered the _coup de grace_ at coffee next morning.
"What you need is an Ego Prime," he said with a grin. "Solve all your
problems. I hear they work like a charm."
I set my coffee cup down. Bells were ringing in my ears. "Don't be
ridiculous. It's against the law. Anyway, I wouldn't think of such a
thing. It's--it's indecent."
Harry shrugged. "Just joking, old man, just joking. Still, it's fun to
think about, eh? Freedom from wife. Absolutely safe and harmless. Not
even too expensive, if you've got the right contacts. And I've got a
friend who knows a guy--"
Just then, Jeree walked past us and flashed me a big smile. I gripped
my cup for dear life and still spilled coffee on my tie.
As I said, a guy gets fed up.
And maybe opportunity would only knock once.
And an Ego Prime would solve all my problems, as Harry had told me.
* * * * *
It was completely illegal, of course. The wonder was that Ego Prime,
Inc., ever got to put their product on the market at all, once the
nation's housewives got wind of just what their product was.
From the first, there was rigid Federal control and laws regulating the
use of Primes right down to the local level. You could get a license
for a Utility model Prime if you were a big business executive, or a
high public official, or a movie star, or something like that; but even
then his circuits had to be inspected every two months, and he had to
have a thousand built-in Paralyzers, and you had to specify in advance
exactly what you wanted your Prime to be able to do when, where, how,
why, and under what circumstances.
The law didn't leave a man much leeway.
But everybody knew that if you _really_ wanted a personal Prime with
all his circuits open and no questions asked, you could get one. Black
market prices were steep and you ran your own risk, but it could be
done.
Harry Folsom told his friend who knew a guy, and a few greenbacks got
lost somewhere, and I found myself looking at a greasy little man with
a black mustache and a bald spot, up in a dingy fourth-story warehouse
off lower Broadway.
"Ah, yes," the little man said. "Mr. Faircloth. We've been expecting
you."
* * * * *
I didn't like the looks of the guy any more than the looks of the
place. "I've been told you can supply me with a--"
He coughed. "Yes, yes. I understand. It might be possible." He fingered
his mustache and regarded me from pouchy eyes. "Busy executives often
come to us to avoid the--ah--unpleasantness of formal arrangements.
Naturally, we only act as agents, you might say. We never see the
merchandise ourselves--" He wiped his hands on his trousers. "Now were
you interested in the ordinary Utility model, Mr. Faircloth?"
I assumed he was just being polite. You didn't come to the back door
for Utility models.
"Or perhaps you'd require one of our Deluxe models. Very careful
workmanship. Only a few key Paralyzers in operation and practically
complete circuit duplication. Very useful for--ah--close contact work,
you know. Social engagements, conferences--"