thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第32章

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Manaus　was　dispatched　upriver；　to　locate　and　hire　a　native　attorney　conversant　in　Jibaro；　but　the　search　has　been　hampered　by　serious　munications　problems。　There　is　in　fact　grave　concern；　in　our　Rio　office；　that　the　widow　of　the　aforementioned　Manaus　stringer　might　obtain　a　ruinous　judgment…due　to　bias　in　local　courts…far　larger　than　any　thing　a　jury　in　our　own　country　would　consider　reasonable　or　even　sane。
　　Indeed。　But　what　is　sane？　Especially　here　in　〃our　own　country〃…in　this　doomstruck　era　of　Nixon。　We　are　all　wired　into　a　survival　trip　now。　No　more　of　the　speed　that　fueled　the　Sixties。　Uppers　are　going　out　of　style。　This　was　the　fatal　flaw　in　Tim　Leary's　trip。　He　crashed　around　America　selling　〃con　sciousness　expansion〃　without　ever　giving　a　thought　to　the　grim　meat…hook　realities　that　were　lying　in　wait　for　all　the　people　who　took　him　too　seriously。　After　West　Point　and　the　Priesthood；　LSD　must　have　seemed　entirely　logical　to　him。。。but　there　is　not　much　satisfaction　in　knowing　that　he　blew　it　very　badiy　for　himself；　because　he　took　too　many　oth　ers　down　with　him。
　　Not　that　they　didn't　deserve　it：　No　doubt　they　all　Got　What　Was　ing　To　Them。　All　those　pathetically　eager　acid　freaks　who　thought　they　could　buy　Peace　and　Understanding　fot　three　bucks　a　hit。　But　their　failure　is　ours；　too。
　　
　　What　Leary　took　down　with　him　was　the　central　illusion　of　a　whole　life…style　that　he　helped　to　create。。。a　generation　of　permanent　cripples；　failed　seekers；　who　never　understood　the　essential　old…mystic　fallacy　of　the　Acid　Culture：　the　desperate　assumption　that　somebody…or　at　least　some　force…is　tending　that　Light　at　the　end　of　the　tunnel。
　　
　　This　is　the　same　cruel　and　paradoxically　benevolent　bullshit　has　kept　the　Catholic　Church　going　for　so　many　centuries。　It　is　also　the　military　ethic。。。a　blind　faith　in　some　higher　and　wiser　〃authority。〃　The　Pope；　The　General；　The　Prime　Minister　。　。　。　all　the　way　up　to　〃God。〃　One　of　the　crucial　moments　of　the　Sixties　came　on　that　day　when　the　Beatles　cast　their　lot　with　the　Maharishi。　It　was　like　Dylan　going　to　the　Vatican　to　kiss　the　Pope's　ring。
　　First　〃gurus。〃　Then；　when　that　didn't　work；　back　to　Jesus。　And　now；　following　Manson's　primitive/instinct　lead；　a　whole　new　wave　of　clan…type　mune　Gods　like　Mel　Lyman；　ruler　Avatar；　and　What's　His　Name　who　runs　〃Spirit　and　Flesh。〃　Barger　never　quite　got　the　hang　of　it；　but　he'll　never　iw　how　close　he　was　to　a　king…hell　breakthrough。　The　An…　blew　it　in　1965；　at　the　Oakland…Berkeley　line；　when　they　acted　on　Barger's　hardhat；　con…boss　instincts　and　attacked　the　front　ranks　of　an　anti…war　march。　This　proved　to　be　an　historic　schism　in　the　then　Rising　Tide　of　the　Youth　Movement　of　the　Sixties。　It　was　the　first　open　break　between　the　Greasers　and　the　Longhairs；　and　the　importance　of　that　break　can　be　read　in　the　history　of　SDS；　which　eventually　destroyed　in　the　doomed　effort　to　reconcile　the　interests　of　the　'working　class　biker/dropout　types　and　the　upper/mid　Berkeley/student　activists。
　　Nobody　involved　in　that　scene；　at　the　time；　could　possibly　have　foreseen　the　Implications　of　the　Ginsberg/Kesey　failure　to　pursuade　the　Hell's　Angels　to　join　forces　with　the　radical　Left　from　Berkeley。　The　final　split　came　at　Altamont；　four　years　later；　but　by　that　time　it　had　long　been　clear　to　everybody　except　a　handful　of　rock　industry　dopers　and　the　national　press。　The　orgy　of　violence　at　Altamont　merey　dramatized　the　problem。　The　realities　were　already　fixed；　the　illness　was　understood　to　be　terminal；　and　the　energies　of　The　Movement　were　long　since　aggressively　dissipated　by　the　rush　to　self…preservation。
　　Ah；　this　terrible　gibberish。　Grim　memories　and　bad　flash　backs；　looming　up　through　the　time/fog　of　Stanyan　Street。。。no　solace　for　refugees；　no　point　in　looking　back。　The　question；　as　always；　is　now　。。。？
　　I　was　slumped　on　my　bed　in　the　Flamingo；　feeling　dangerously　out　of　phase　with　my　surroundings。　Something　ugly　was　about　to　happen。　I　was　sure　of　it。　The　room　looked　like　the　site　of　some　disastrous　zoological　experiment　involving　whiskey　and　gorillas。　The　ten…foot　mirror　was　shattered；　but　still　hanging　together…bad　evidence　of　that　afternoon　when　my　attorney　ran　amok　with　the　coconut　hammer；　smashing　mirror　and　all　the　lightbulbs。
　　We'd　replaced　the　lights　with　a　package　of　red　and　blue　Christmas　tree　lights　from　Safeway；　but　there　was　no　hope　of　saving　the　mirror。　My　attorney's　bed　looked　like　a　burned…　rat's　nest。　Fire　had　consumed　the　top　half；　and　the　rest　a　mass　of　wire　and　charred　stuffing。　Luckily；　the　maids　had'nt　e　near　the　room　since　that　awful　confrontation　on　Tuesday。
　　I　been　asleep　when　the　maid　came　in　that　morning。　We'd　forgotten　to　hang　out　the　〃Do　Not　Disturb〃　sign。。。so　she　wandered　into　the　room　and　startled　my　attorney；　who　kneeling；　stark　naked；　in　the　closet；　vomiting　into　his　shoes　。　。　。　thinking　he　was　actually　in　the　bathroom；　and　then　suddenly　looking　up　to　see　a　woman　with　a　face　like　Mickey　Rooney　staring　down　at　him；　unable　to　speak；　trembling　with　fear　and　confusion。
　　She　was　holding　that　mop　like　an　axe…handle；〃　he　said　〃So　I　came　out　of　the　closet　in　a　kind　of　running　crouch；　vomiting；　and　hit　her　right　at　the　knees　。　。　。　it　was　pure　instinct；　I　thought　she　was　ready　to　kill　me。。。and　then；　she　screamed；　that's　when　I　put　the　icebag　on　her　mouth。〃　I　remembered　that　scream。。。one　of　the　most　terrifiying　sounds　I'd　ever　heard。　I　woke　up　and　saw　my　attorney　grappling　desperately　on　the　floor　right　next　to　my　bed　with　what　appeared　to　be　an　old　woman。　The　room　was　full　of　electric　noise。　The　TV　set；　hissing　at　top　volume　on　a　nonexistent　channel。　I　could　barely　hear　the　woman's　cries　as　she　struggled　to　get　the　icebag　away　from　her　face。。。but　she　was　no　match　for　my　attorney's　naked　bulk；　and　he　finally　managed　to　pin　her　in　a　corner　behind　the　TV　set；　clamping　his　hands　on　her　throat　while　she　babbled　I。。。〃Please。。。please。。。I'm　only　the　maid；　I　did'nt　mean　anything。。。〃　I　was　out　of　bed　in　a　flash；　grabbing　my　wallet　and　waving　the　gold　Policemen's　Benevolent　Assn。　press　badge　in　front　of　her　face。〃You're　under　arrest！〃　I　shouted。
　　〃No！〃　she　groaned。　〃I　just　wanted　to　clean　up！〃　My　attorney　got　to　his　feet；　breathing　heavily。　〃She　must　have　used　a　pass　key；〃　he　said。　〃I　was　polishing　my　shoes　in　the　closet　when　I　noticed　her　sneaking　in…so　I　took　her。〃　He　was　trembling；　drooling　vomit　off　his　chin；　and　I　could　see　at　a　glance　that　he　understood　the　gravity　of　this　situation。　Our　behavior；　this　time；　had　gone　far　past　the　boundaries　of　private　kinkiness。　Here　we　were；　both　naked；　staring　down　at　a　terrified　old　woman…a　hotel　employee…stretched　out　on　the　floor　of　our　suite　in　a　paroxysm　of　fear　and　hysteria。　She　would　have　to　be　dealt　with。
　　〃What　made　you　do　it？〃　I　asked　her。　〃Who　paid　you　off？〃
　　〃Nobody！〃　she　wailed。　〃I'm　the　maid！〃
　　〃You're　lying！〃　shouted　my　attorney。　〃You　were　after　the　evidence！　Who　put　youup　to　this…the　manager？〃
　　〃I　work　for　the　hotel；〃　she　said。　〃All　I　do　is　clean　up　the　rooms。〃　I　turned　to　my　attorney。　〃This　means　they　know　what　we　have；〃　I　said。　〃So　they　sent　this　poor　old　woman　up　here　to　steal　it。〃
　　〃No！〃　she　yelled。　〃I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about！〃
　　〃Bullshit！〃　said　my　attorney。　〃You're　just　as　much　a　part　of　it　as　they　are。〃
　　〃Part　of　what？〃
　　〃The　dope　ring；〃　I　said。　〃You　must　know　what's　going　on　in　this　hotel。　Why　do　you　think　we're　here？〃　She　stared　at　us；　trying　to　speak　but　only　blubbering。　〃I　know　you're　cops；〃　she　said　finally。　〃But　I　thought　you　were　just　here　for　that　convention。　I　swear！　All　I　wanted　to　do　was　clean　up　your　room。　I　don't　know　anything　about　dope！〃　My　attorsey　laughed。　〃e　on；　baby。　Don't　try　to　tell　us　you　never　heard　of　the　Grange　Gorman。〃
　　〃No！〃　she　yelled。　〃No！　I　swear　to　Jesus　I　never　heard　of　that　stuff！〃　My　attorney　seemed　to　think　for　a　moment；　then　he　leaned　to　help　the　old　lady　to　her　feet。　〃Maybe　she's　telling　the　he　said　to　me。　〃Maybe　she's　not　part　of　it。〃
　　〃No！　I　swear　I'm　not！〃　she　howled。
　　〃Well　。。　。〃　I　said。　〃In　that　case；　maybe　we　won't　have　to　put　her　away。。。maybe　she　can　help。〃
　　〃Yes！〃　she　said　eagerly。　〃I'll　help　you　all　you　need！　I　hate　dope！〃
　　〃So　do　we；　lady；〃