O.K. here's what happened.
Th car has wire rot but so far only where it is exposed to petroleum products and heat.
The naked wires on the RSR should have been my first clue, and the blown #1 fuse my second.
But it finally hit me when your f/p relay test blew the #1 fuse as I looked at it.
I jacked up the car, crawled under and put a light on the main pump. What did I see but a shiny copper reflection, from the rotten hot wire going to the f/p resting on the edge of the cradle it sits in.
So it was just a quirk of fate, an odd breeze, or one of Loki's gremlins with nothing better to do.
I made a temporary insulator and wrapped it up.
Pearl fired right up, happy as can be.
Thanks for the patience and the help.
I now print out the solutions to the problems I have and others that sound like I might be needing.
I will see the cashier on the way out and drop a couple of buckets in the collection plate.
Thanks again.