"And you say it'll go on to Shakespeare. God, no."
"God, yes."
"How? Why?"
The old man shook his head forlornly. "I don't know. I think it's an
acquired habit."
"A habit? How can a typewriter...."
"I got it from a doctor," he said.
"A physician? What would a doctor be doing with Poe and Shakespeare?"
"A PhD," he said. "He got his doctorate in American literature. His
specialty is Poe. Shakespeare is just a sideline with him. He told me
this when he hocked the machine."
"But still, why would the machine...."
"The doctor made a lot of collections. Poe, mostly. Shakespeare, too.
He typed the manuscripts on this machine, he said. I suppose the
machine just ... picked it up."
"I want my money back," I said firmly.