"What?" replied Theodore, astonished.  "What are you talking
about?  Is this some type of joke?  True, I admit it's not rewound, but it's 
only a video-tape!"  
	"I'm sorry sir.  It's our store policy.  Even you admitted that you 
didn't rewind the tape.  We can't bend the rules to every customer's whim.  
What'd be the point then?"  
	"Well, I've never heard of such a rule.  It's absolutely 
preposterous!"  
	"We've had this policy for quite some time now, sir.  
It's common knowledge around here.  You could have asked anyone here - we all know
 the rule."  Theodore was in absolute awe.  He tried to speak some sense to 
the young man behind the counter: "OK.  Why don't I just take my, or 
rather, this movie back home, rewind it, and bring it back in about thirty 
minutes.  How's that sound.  Easy?"  Theodore was having a difficult time 
controlling his temper. 
	"Sir, do you not understand?  That surely wouldn't work.  You've 
already handed me the tape.  If you want  the movie again, to watch it or 
whatever (that doesn't really matter to me), we have to check it out, just as
we do for every movie.  Simple procedure.  But to check the movie out, 
we must first check it in.  That makes sense, I hope.  And when we check 
the movie in, the computer will find that it was not rewound, thereby 
officially sentencing the fine.  It's really quite simple and logical, sir." 
The young man, by the end of his explanation, was speaking in a very 
calm voice, almost as one helps a seven-year old learn his times table, 
reiterating facts that, to the teacher, are as blatantly obvious as the color of 
the sky.  "What am I then to do?  It's just a video-tape.  Am I stuck?  I just 
wanted to watch a damn movie, for goodness sakes.  When I finished 
watching it, it was late, I was tired, then I brought it back after work!" 
	"Sir."  Theodore saw the manager holding his head out of his 
office, probably signaled by the young man behind the counter.  The head, 
enormous, was the most horrible face Theodore had ever seen.  It pained 
him to look in that direction - like a sun, only without the glory and the
beauty - just pure repulsiveness.  "Would you mind stepping back here..."

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16 Renford Road
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