thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第4章

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e　off　a　long　time　ago；　and　I　don't　know　if　1　can　stand　the　smell　of　that　goddamn　ether　any　longer。〃
　　〃I　like　it；〃　I　said。　〃We　should　soak　a　towel　with　the　stuff　and　then　put　it　down　on　the　floorboard　by　the　accelerator　so　the　fumes　will　rise　up　in　my　face　all　the　way　to　Las　Vegas。〃　He　was　turning　the　tape　cassette　over。　The　radio　was　screaming：　〃Power　to　the　People…Right　On！〃　John　Lennon's　political　song；　ten　years　too　late。　〃That　poor　fool　should　have　stayed　where　he　was；〃　said　my　attorney。　〃Punks　like　that　just　get　in　the　way　when　they　try　to　be　serious。〃
　　〃Speaking　of　serious；〃　I　said。　〃I　think　it's　about　time　to　get　into　the　ether　and　the　cocaine。〃
　　〃Forget　ether；〃　he　said。　〃Let's　save　it　for　soaking　down　the　rug　in　the　suite。　But　here's　this。　Your　half　of　the　sunshine　blotter。　Just　chew　it　up　like　baseball　gum。〃　I　took　the　blotter　and　ate　it。　My　attorney　was　now　fumbling　with　the　salt　shaker　containing　the　cocaine。　Opening　it。　Spilling　it。　Then　screaming　and　grabbing　at　the　air；　as　our　fine　white　dust　blew　up　and　out　across　the　desert　highway。　A　very　expensive　little　twister　rising　up　from　the　Great　Red　Shark。　

　　〃Oh；　Jesus！〃　he　moaned。　〃Did　you　see　what　God　just　did　to　us？〃
　　〃God　didn't　do　that！〃　I　shouted。　〃You　did　it。　You're　a　fucking　narcotics　agent！　I　was　on　to　your　stinking　act　from　the　start；　you　pig！〃
　　〃You　better　be　careful；〃　he　said。　And　suddenly　he　was　waving　a　fat　black　。357　magnum　at　me。　One　of　those　snubnosed　Colt　Python　5　with　the　beveled　cylinder。　〃Plenty　of　vultures　out　here；〃　he　said。　〃They'll　pick　your　bones　clean　before　morning。〃
　　〃You　whore〃　I　said。　〃When　we　get　to　Las　Vegas　I'll　have　you　chopped　into　hamburger。　What　do　you　think　the　Drug　Bund　will　do　when　I　show　up　with　a　Samoan　narcotics　agent？〃
　　〃They'll　kill　us　both；〃　he　said。　〃Savage　Henry　knows　who　I　am。　Shit；　I'm　your　attornney〃　He　burst　into　wild　laughter。
　　〃You're　full　of　acid；　you　fool。　It'll　be　a　goddamn　miracle　if　we　can　get　to　the　hotel　and　check　in　before　you　turn　into　a　wild　animal。　Are　you　ready　for　that？　Checking　into　a　Vegas　hotel　under　a　phony　name　with　intent　to　mit　capital　fraud　and　a　head　full　of　acid？〃　He　was　laughing　again；　then　he　jammed　his　nose　down　toward　the　salt　shaker；　aiming　the　thin　green　roll　of　a　20　bill　straight　into　what　was　left　of　the　powder。
　　〃How　long　do　we　have？〃　I　said。
　　〃Maybe　thirty　more　minutes；〃　he　replied。　〃As　your　attorney　I　advise　you　to　drive　at　top　speed。〃　Las　Vegas　was　just　up　ahead。　I　could　see　the　strip/hotel　skyline　looming　up　through　the　blue　desert　ground…haze：　The　Sahara；　the　landmark；　the　Americana　and　the　ominous　Thunderbird…a　cluster　of　grey　rectangles　in　the　distance；　rising　out　of　the　cactus。
　　Thirty　minutes。　It　was　going　to　be　very　close。　The　objective　was　the　big　tower　of　the　Mint　Hotel；　downtown…and　if　we　didn't　get　there　before　we　lost　all　control；　there　was　also　the　Nevada　State　prison　upstate　in　Carson　City。　I　had　been　there　once；　but　only　for　a　talk　with　the　prisoners…and　I　didn't　want　to　go　back；　for　any　reason　at　all。　So　there　was　really　no　choice：　We　would　have　to　run　the　gauntlet；　and　acid　be　damned。　Go　through　all　the　official　gibberish；　get　the　car　into　the　hotel　garage；　work　out　on　the　desk　clerk；　deal　with　the　bellboy；　sign　in　for　the　press　passes…all　of　it　bogus；　totally　illegal；　a　fraud　on　its　face；　but　of　course　it　would　have　to　be　done。
　　
　　〃KILL　THE　BODY　AND　THE　HEAD　WILL　DIE〃
　　
　　This　line　appears　in　my　notebook；　for　some　reason。　Perhaps　some　connection　with　Joe　Frazier。　Is　he　still　alive？　Still　able　to　talk？　I　watched　that　fight　in　Seattle…horribly　twisted　about　four　seats　down　the　aisle　from　the　Governor。　A　very　painful　experience　in　every　way；　a　proper　end　to　the　sixties　Tim　Leary　a　prisoner　of　Eldridge　Cleaver　in　Algeria；　Bob　Dylan　clipping　coupons　in　Greenwich　Village；　both　Kennedysmurdered　by　mutants；　Owsley　folding　napkins　on　Terminal　Island；　and　finally　Cassius/Ali　belted　incredibly　off　his　pedestal　by　a　human　hamburger；　a　man　on　the　verge　of　death。　Joe　Frazier；　like　Nixon；　had　finally　prevailedfor　reasons　that　people　like　me　refused　to　understand…at　least　not　out　loud。
　　But　that　was　some　other　era；　burned　out　and　long　gone　from　the　brutish　realities　of　this　foul　year　of　Our　Lord；　1971。　A　lot　of　things　had　changed　in　those　years。　And　now　I　was　in　Las　Vegas　as　the　motor　sports　editor　of　this　fine　slick　magazine　that　had　sent　me　out　here　in　the　Great　Red　Shark　for　some　reason　that　nobody　claimed　to　understand。　〃Just　check　it　out；〃　they　said；　〃and　we'll　take　it　from　there。
　　Indeed。　Check　it　out。　But　when　we　finally　arrived　at　the　Mint　Hotel　my　attorney　was　unable　to　cope　artfully　with　the　registration　procedure。　We　were　forced　to　stand　in　line　with　all　the　others…which　proved　to　be　extremely　difficult　under　the　circumstances。　I　kept　telling　myself：　〃Be　quiet；　be　calm；　say　nothing。。。speak　only　when　spoken　to：　name；　rank　and　press　affiliation；　nothing　else；　ignore　this　terrible　drug；　pretend　it's　not　happening。。。There　is　no　way　to　explain　the　terror　I　felt　when　I　finally　lunged　up　to　the　clerk　and　began　babbling。　All　my　well…re…hearsed　lines　fell　apart　under　that　woman's　stoney　glare。　〃Hi　there；〃　I　said。　〃My　name　is。。。ah；　Raoul　Duke。。。yes；　on　the　list；　that's　for　sure。　Free　lunch；　final　wisdom；　total　coverage。。。。why　not？　I　have　my　attorney　with　me　and　I　realize　of　course　that　his　name　is　not　on　the　list；　but　we　must　have　that　suite；　yes；　this　man　is　actually　my　driver。　We　brought　this　Red　Shark　all　the　way　from　the　Strip　and　now　it's　time　for　the　desert；　right？　Yes。　Just　check　the　list　and　you'll　see。　Don't　worry。　What's　the　score　here？　What's　next？〃
　　The　woman　never　blinked。　〃Your　room's　not　ready　yet；〃　she　said。　〃But　there's　somebody　looking　for　you。〃
　　〃No！〃　I　shouted。　〃Why？　We　haven't　done　anything　yet！〃　My　legs　felt　rubbery。　I　gripped　the　desk　and　sagged　toward　her　as　she　held　out　the　envelope；　but　I　refused　to　accept　it。　The　Woman's　face　was　changing：　swelling；　pulsing。。。horrible　green　jowls　and　fangs　jutting　out；　the　face　of　a　Moray　Eel！　Deadly　poison！　I　lunged　backwards　into　my　attorney；　who　gripped　my　arm　as　he　reached　out　to　take　the　note。　〃I'll　handle　this；〃　he　said　to　the　Moray　woman。　〃This　man　has　a　bad　heart；　but　I　have　plenty　of　medicine。　My　name　is　Doctor　Gonzo。　Prepare　our　suite　at　once。　We'll　be　in　the　bar。〃　The　woman　shrugged　as　he　led　me　away。　In　a　town　full　of　bedrock　crazies；　nobody　even　notices　an　acid　freak。　We　struggled　through　the　crowded　lobby　and　found　two　stools　at　the　bar。　My　attorney　ordered　two　cuba　libres　with　beer　and　mescal　on　the　side；　then　he　opened　the　envelope。　〃Who's　Lacerda？〃　he　asked。　〃He's　waiting　for　us　in　a　room　on　the　twelfth　floor。〃　I　couldn't　remember。　Lacerda？　The　name　rang　a　bell；　but　I　couldn't　concentrate。　Terrible　things　were　happening　all　around　us。　Right　next　to　me　a　huge　reptile　was　gnawing　on　a　woman's　neck；　the　carpet　was　a　blood…soaked　sponge…impossible　to　walk　on　it；　no　footing　at　all。　〃Order　some　golf　shoes；〃　I　whispered。　〃Otherwise；　we'll　never　get　out　of　this　place　alive。　You　notice　these　lizards　don't　have　any　trouble　moving　around　in　this　muck…that's　because　they　have　claws　on　their　feet。〃
　　〃Lizards？〃　he　said。　〃If　you　think　we're　in　trouble　now；　wait　till　you　see　what's　happening　in　the　elevators。〃　He　took　off　his　Brazilian　sunglasses　and　I　could　see　he'd　been　crying。　〃I　just　went　upstairs　to　see　this　man　Lacerda；〃　he　said。　〃I　told　him　we　knew　what　he　was　up　to。　He　says　he's　a　photographer；　but　when　I　mentioned　Savage　Henry…well；　that　did　it；　he　freaked。　I　could　see　it　in　his　eyes。　He　knows　we're　onto　him。〃
　　〃Does　he　understand　we　have　magnums？〃　I　said。
　　〃No。　But　I　told　him　we　had　a　Vincent　Black　Shadow。　That　scared　the　piss　out　of　him。〃
　　〃Good；〃　I　said。　〃But　what　about　our　room？　And　the　golf　shoes？　We're　right　in　the　middle　of　a　fucking　reptile　zoo！　And　somebody's　giving　booze　to　these　goddamn　things！　It　won't　be　long　before　they　tear　us　to　shreds。　Jesus；　look　at　the　floor！　Have　you　ever　seen　so　much　blood？　How　many　have　theykilled　already？〃　I　pointed　across　the　room　to　a　group　that　seemed　to　be　staring　at　us。　〃Holy　shit；　look　at　that　bunch　over　there！　They've　spotted　us！〃
　　〃That's　the　press　table；〃　he　said。　〃T