3
others had.
"I've had a couple of other repairmen look it over," Mr. Rapp told the bearded one. "They ... well, they gave up."
"Dilettantes," commented the beard.
"Oh, no," Mr. Rapp said. "One of them was from the company that made it. But they couldn't do anything."
"Let's try it," the repairman said, plugging the cord into a wall socket. He returned to the set, and switched it on, without changing its upside down position. The big screen lit almost at once; a pained face appeared, with a large silhouetted hammer striking the image's forehead in a rhythmic beat.
"... Immediate relief from headache," a bland voice said, as the pictured face broke into a broad smile. The repairman shuddered, and turned down the sound, staring at the image with widened eyes as he did so.
"Dad, I don't want to bug you," the repairman said, his eyes still on the screen, "only, look. The set is upside down, right?"
"Right," said Mr. Rapp.
"Only the picture--" the repairman paused, trying to find the right phrase. "I mean, the picture's flipped. Like, it's wrong side up, too. Only, right side up, now."
"Exactly," said Mr. Rapp. "You see, that's the trouble. I put the set upside down because of that."
"Cool," the repairman said, watching the picture. "I mean, so why worry? You got a picture, right? You want me to turn the picture around? I can do that with a little fiddling around inside the set ... uh-oh. Dad, something's happening."
* * * * *
The repairman bent closer, staring at the picture. It was now showing a busty young woman singer, her mouth opened, but silent, since the sound was turned down. She was slowly rotating as Rapp and the bearded repairman watched, turning until her face, still mouthing silent song, hung upside down on the screen.
"It always does that," Rapp said. "No matter which way I put the set, the picture's always upside down."
"No, man," the repairman said, pleadingly. "Look, I took a course. I mean, the best scho