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<blockquote data-quote="projectdaedalus" data-source="post: 738846" data-attributes="member: 8846">Meanwhile in Chicago...&quot;Algie?&quot; a female voice called out from across the bookstore.Marcos, a Panamanian seemingly far out of his element in a Chicago used bookstore, was nose-deep in a second-edition Fahrenheit 451 and did not hear the woman until her second beckoning.He mumbled something, put the book back in its protective sleeve, and brought it with him to the front of the store.&quot;Closing time already?&quot; he asked Louise Alderman, owner of the store, who was working the register.She had a strange look on her face.&nbsp; It was, after all, only 4 in the afternoon.&nbsp; &quot;No, Algie.&nbsp; Someone is here to see you,&quot; she replied.Marcos had not seen the two men in black Armani suits who were standing near enough to the front door to block it if need be.&nbsp; In front of these behemoths was a woman in her mid-thirties, with curly, shoulder-length black hair, wearing a nice navy blue suit.&nbsp; She had a certain look in her eye, as if her subject were a fine meal.&quot;You are Algie Marcos, I presume,&quot; she said coolly.The Panamanian bowed his head a bit in deference to the beautiful lady.&nbsp; &quot;Algernon Marcos, at your service.&quot;Louise Alderman stepped away from the register, unsure of what exactly was going on, and made her way to the office, where she could see the front, but was not in direct contact with anything or anyone in the vicinity.&nbsp; She picked up the mobile phone from its cradle, and held her thumb on the Emergency button, ready to punch it and dial 9-1-1 if need be.&quot;Quite a find you've got there,&quot; the suited woman observed.&quot;Yes,&quot; Marcos replied.&nbsp; &quot;I don't think they know it's a second edition,&quot; he whispered.&nbsp; &quot;Priced at least $300 below what I can get for it on eBay.&quot;&quot;I'm sure you are quite proud, Mr. Marcos,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;But I am not here to talk about that book.&quot;&quot;No?&quot; he asked.&quot;Not all all,&quot; she answered.&nbsp; &quot;Another book.&nbsp; You might know it as the 'Black Book'.&nbsp; Does that ring any bells?&quot;Algie smiled.&nbsp; &quot;Heh, well I do have a little black book,&quot; he joked.&nbsp; &quot;I don't suppose it's really worth much.&quot;&nbsp; Marcos started to sweat a little.&nbsp; He was always nervous in front of a beautiful woman.&quot;Not quite,&quot; she replied.&nbsp; &quot;You acquired it in 1998 or early 1999, perhaps from an English gentleman.&quot;Algie paused a moment to think.&nbsp; &quot;Eh, I think I might have bought something like that, yes,&quot; he said.&nbsp; &quot;But I sold it, if I'm thinking of the same book.&quot;&quot;This black book,&quot; the lady asked, &quot;did you ever open it or read it?&quot;&quot;I tried, but I couldn't,&quot; Marcos said.&nbsp; &quot;It was written in a very strange language.&nbsp; I did not know it.&quot;&quot;Latin is not so strange,&quot; the lady pointed out.&nbsp; &quot;I'm sure a man of your scholarly aspirations knows Latin.&quot;Marcos had been caught in a lie.&nbsp; &quot;I didn't read it.&nbsp; Not really.&nbsp; Why?&quot;&quot;It doesn't really matter,&quot; she said.&nbsp; The lady smiled and stepped closer to Marcos.&nbsp; &quot;It's not possible that you would have been able to make any sense of it anyway.&nbsp; I can tell you didn't read it, Marcos.&nbsp; I just had to be sure.&quot;Algie noticed that the lady was less than a foot away from him, and this excited him a little.&nbsp; &quot;OK.&nbsp; So?&quot;Her eyes met his, and a red flash, imperceptible to others, startled Marcos, and sapped his will.&nbsp; &quot;Tell me.&nbsp; What happened to this book?&quot;&quot;I sold it,&quot; Marcos replied.&nbsp; &quot;To a man in Rockford.&nbsp; A little northwest of here.&nbsp; Near the Wisconsin border.&quot;&quot;Very good,&quot; she said.&nbsp; The lady casually put her arm around Marcos' shoulder.&nbsp; &quot;Let's go have a drink.&nbsp; My friends are buying.&nbsp; You can tell me more then.&quot;Marcos left Alderman's without his second-edition Fahrenheit 451 in the company of the beautiful lady and her two hulking companions.&nbsp; Very strange indeed.Louise Alderman wasn't sure what to make of this incident.&nbsp; She picked up the book, dusted it off a bit, repriced it, and put it back on the shelf where it belonged.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="projectdaedalus, post: 738846, member: 8846"] [b]Meanwhile in Chicago...[/b] "Algie?" a female voice called out from across the bookstore. Marcos, a Panamanian seemingly far out of his element in a Chicago used bookstore, was nose-deep in a second-edition Fahrenheit 451 and did not hear the woman until her second beckoning. He mumbled something, put the book back in its protective sleeve, and brought it with him to the front of the store. "Closing time already?" he asked Louise Alderman, owner of the store, who was working the register. She had a strange look on her face. It was, after all, only 4 in the afternoon. "No, Algie. Someone is here to see you," she replied. Marcos had not seen the two men in black Armani suits who were standing near enough to the front door to block it if need be. In front of these behemoths was a woman in her mid-thirties, with curly, shoulder-length black hair, wearing a nice navy blue suit. She had a certain look in her eye, as if her subject were a fine meal. "You are Algie Marcos, I presume," she said coolly. The Panamanian bowed his head a bit in deference to the beautiful lady. "Algernon Marcos, at your service." Louise Alderman stepped away from the register, unsure of what exactly was going on, and made her way to the office, where she could see the front, but was not in direct contact with anything or anyone in the vicinity. She picked up the mobile phone from its cradle, and held her thumb on the Emergency button, ready to punch it and dial 9-1-1 if need be. "Quite a find you've got there," the suited woman observed. "Yes," Marcos replied. "I don't think they know it's a second edition," he whispered. "Priced at least $300 below what I can get for it on eBay." "I'm sure you are quite proud, Mr. Marcos," she said. "But I am not here to talk about that book." "No?" he asked. "Not all all," she answered. "Another book. You might know it as the 'Black Book'. Does that ring any bells?" Algie smiled. "Heh, well I do have a little black book," he joked. "I don't suppose it's really worth much." Marcos started to sweat a little. He was always nervous in front of a beautiful woman. "Not quite," she replied. "You acquired it in 1998 or early 1999, perhaps from an English gentleman." Algie paused a moment to think. "Eh, I think I might have bought something like that, yes," he said. "But I sold it, if I'm thinking of the same book." "This black book," the lady asked, "did you ever open it or read it?" "I tried, but I couldn't," Marcos said. "It was written in a very strange language. I did not know it." "Latin is not so strange," the lady pointed out. "I'm sure a man of your scholarly aspirations knows Latin." Marcos had been caught in a lie. "I didn't read it. Not really. Why?" "It doesn't really matter," she said. The lady smiled and stepped closer to Marcos. "It's not possible that you would have been able to make any sense of it anyway. I can tell you didn't read it, Marcos. I just had to be sure." Algie noticed that the lady was less than a foot away from him, and this excited him a little. "OK. So?" Her eyes met his, and a red flash, imperceptible to others, startled Marcos, and sapped his will. "Tell me. What happened to this book?" "I sold it," Marcos replied. "To a man in Rockford. A little northwest of here. Near the Wisconsin border." "Very good," she said. The lady casually put her arm around Marcos' shoulder. "Let's go have a drink. My friends are buying. You can tell me more then." Marcos left Alderman's without his second-edition Fahrenheit 451 in the company of the beautiful lady and her two hulking companions. Very strange indeed. Louise Alderman wasn't sure what to make of this incident. She picked up the book, dusted it off a bit, repriced it, and put it back on the shelf where it belonged. [/QUOTE]

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