_________________________________________
/ "Good afternoon, madam. How may I help  \
| you?"                                   |
|                                         |
| "Good afternoon. I'd like a FrintArms   |
| HandCannon, please."                    |
|                                         |
| "A--? Oh, now, that's an awfully big    |
| gun for such a lovely lady. I mean, not |
| everybody thinks ladies should carry    |
| guns at all, though I say they have a   |
| right to. But I think... I might...     |
| Let's have a look down here. I might    |
| have just the thing for you. Yes, here  |
| we are! Look at that, isn't it neat?    |
| Now that is a FrintArms product as      |
| well, but it's what's called a laser -- |
| a light-pistol some people call them.   |
| Very small, as you see; fits easily     |
| into a pocket or bag; won't spoil the   |
| line of a jacket; and you won't feel    |
| you're lugging half a tonne of iron     |
| around with you. We do a range of       |
| matching accessories, including -- if I |
| may say so -- a rather saucy garter     |
| holster. Wish I got to do the fitting   |
| for that! Ha -- just my little joke.    |
| And there's *even*... here we are --    |
| this special presentation pack: gun,    |
| charged battery, charging unit,         |
| beautiful glider-hide shoulder holster  |
| with adjustable fitting and contrast    |
| stitching, and a discount on your next  |
| battery. Full instructions, of course,  |
| and a voucher for free lessons at your  |
| local gun club or range. Or there's the |
| *special* presentation pack; it has all |
| the other one's got but with *two*      |
| charged batteries and a night-sight,    |
| too. Here, feel that -- don't worry,    |
| it's a dummy battery -- isn't it neat?  |
| Feel how light it is? Smooth, see? No   |
| bits to stick out and catch on your     |
| clothes, *and* beautifully balanced.    |
| And of course the beauty of a laser is, |
| there's no recoil. Because it's         |
| shooting light, you see? Beautiful gun, |
| beautiful gun; my wife has one. Really. |
| That's not a line, she really has. Now, |
| I can do you that one -- with a battery |
| and a free charge -- for ninety-five;   |
| or the presentation pack on a special   |
| offer for one-nineteen; or this, the    |
| special presentation pack, for          |
| one-forty-nine."                        |
|                                         |
| "I'll take the special."                |
|                                         |
| "Sound choice, madam, *sound* choice.   |
| Now, do--?"                             |
|                                         |
| "And a HandCannon, with the eighty-mill |
| silencer, five GP clips, three six-five |
| AP/wire-fl'echettes clips, two           |
| bipropellant HE clips, and a Special    |
| Projectile Pack if you have one -- the  |
| one with the embedding rounds, not the  |
| signalers. I assume the night-sight on  |
| this toy is compatible?"                |
|                                         |
| "Aah... yes, And how does madam wish to |
| pay?"                                   |
|                                         |
| She slapped her credit card on the      |
| counter. "Eventually."                  |
|                                         |
| -- Iain M. Banks, "Against a Dark       |
\ Background"                             /
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