‘Yes,’ I said. She seemed to be waiting for me to go on, so I said, ‘It’s nice he still is able to identify with the working class, even though he’s now a billionaire.’
‘Since most of Mr Barrows’ money was made in real estate, he has an acute awareness of the problems people face in their struggle to obtain decent housing. To society ladies such as Silvia Devorac, Green Peach Hat is merely an unsightly conglomeration of old buildings; none of them have gone inside – it would never occur to them to do so.’
‘You know,’ I said, ‘hearing this about Mr Barrows goes a long way to make me feel that our civilization isn’t declining.’
She smiled her informal, warm smile at me.
‘What do you know about this Stanton electronic simulacrum?’ I asked her.
‘I know that one has been built. Miss Frauenzimmer mentioned that in her communications both by mail and over the phone to Mr Barrows. I believe Mr Barrows also told me that Miss Frauenzimmer wanted to put the Stanton electronic simulacrum onto a Greyhound bus and have it ride unaccompanied to Seattle, where Mr Barrows is currently. That would be her way of demonstrating graphically its ability to merge with humans and be unnoticed.’
‘Except for its funny split beard and old-fashioned vest.’
‘I was unaware of those factors.’
‘Possibly the simulacrum could argue with a cab driver as to the shortest route from the bus terminal to Mr Barrows’ office,’ I said. ‘That would be an additional proof of its humanness.’
Colleen Nild said, ‘I’ll mention that to Mr Barrows.’
‘Do you know the Rosen electronic organ, or possibly our spinet pianos?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘The Rosen factory at Boise produces the finest electronic chord organ in existence. Far superior to the Hammerstein Mood Organ, which emits a noise nothing more adequate than a modified flute-sound.’
‘I was unaware of that, too,’ Miss or Mrs Nild said. ‘I’ll mention that to Mr Barrows. He has always been a music lover.’
I was still involved in reading Barrows’ letter when my partner returned from his mid-day coffee break. I showed it to him.
‘Barrows writing to Pris,’ he said, seating himself to pore over it. ‘Maybe we’re in, Louis. Could it be? I guess it isn’t a figment of Pris’ mind after all. Gosh, the man’s hard to follow; is he saying he is or he isn’t interested in the Stanton?’
‘Barrows seems to say he’s completely tied up right now with a pet project of his own, that housing tract called Green Peach Hat.’
‘I lived there,’ Maury said. in the late ‘fifties.’
‘What’s it like?’
‘Louis, it’s hell. The dump ought to be burned to the ground; only a match – nothing else – would help that place.’
‘Some do-gooders agree with you.’
Maury said in a low, tense voice, if they want someone to burn it down I’ll do it personally for them. You can quote me, too. Sam Barrows owns that place.’
‘Ah,’ I said.
‘He’s making a fortune in rentals off it. Slum rentals is one of the biggest rackets in the world today; you get back like five to six hundred per cent return on your investment. Well, I suppose we can’t let personal opinion enter into business. Barrows is still a shrewd businessman and the best person to back the simulacra, even if he is a rich fink. But you say this letter is a rejection of the idea?’
‘You could phone him and find out. Pris seems to have phoned him.’
Picking up the phone, Maury dialed.
‘Wait,’ I said.
He glared at me.
‘I’ve got an intuition,’ I said, ‘of doom.’
Into the phone, Maury said, ‘Mr Barrows.’
I grabbed the phone from him and hung it up.
‘You –’ He quivered with anger. ‘What a coward.’ Lifting the receiver he once more dialed. ‘Operator, I was cut off.’ He looked around for the letter; it had Barrows’ number on it. I picked up the letter and crumpled it into a ball and tossed it across the room.
Cursing at me he slammed down the receiver.
We faced each other, breathing heavily.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ Maury said.
‘I don’t think we should get tangled up with a man like that.’
‘Like what?’
I said, ‘Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad!’
That shook him. ‘What do you mean?’ he mumbled, tipping his head and regarding me bird-like. ‘You think I’m batty to call, do you? Ought to be at the funny clinic. Maybe so. But anyhow I intend to.’ Going past me he fished up the crumpled ball of paper, smoothed it, memorized the number, and returned to the phone. Again he placed the call.
‘It’s the end of us,’ I said.
An interval passed. ‘Hello,’ Maury said suddenly. ‘Let me talk to Mr Barrows, please. This is Maury Rock in Ontario, Oregon.’
Another interval.
‘Mr Barrows! This is Maury Rock.’ He got a set grin on his face; he bent over, resting his elbow on his thigh. ‘I have your letter here, sir, to my daughter, Pris Frauenzimmer … regarding our world-shaking invention, the electronic simulacrum, as personified by the charming, old-time characterization of Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin McMasters Stanton.’ A pause in which he gaped at me vacantly. ‘Are you interested, sir?’ Another pause, much longer this time.
You’re not going to make the sale, Maury, I said to myself.
‘Mr Barrows,’ Maury said. ‘Yes, I see what you mean. That’s true, sir. But let me point this out to you, in case you overlooked it.’
‘The conversation rambled on for what seemed an endless time. At last Maury thanked Barrows, said goodbye, and hung up.
‘No dice,’ I said.
He glowered at me wearily. ‘Wow.’
‘What did he say?’
‘The same as in the letter. He still doesn’t see it as a commercial venture. He thinks we’re a patriotic organization.’ He blinked, shook his head wonderingly, ‘No dice, like you said.’
‘Too bad.’
‘Maybe it’s for the better,’ Maury said. But he sounded merely resigned; he did not sound as if he believed it. Someday he would try again. He still hoped.
We were as far apart as ever.
During the next two weeks Maury Rock’s predictions as to the decline of the Rosen electronic organ seemed to be borne out. All trucks reported few if any sales of organs. And we noticed that the Hammerstein people had begun to advertise one of their mood organs for less than a thousand dollars. Of course their price did not include shipping charges or the bench. But still – it was bad news for us.
Meanwhile, the Stanton was in and out of our office. Maury had the idea of building a showroom for sidewalk traffic and having the Stanton demonstrate spinets. He got my permission to call in a contractor to remodel