thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第7部分

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　is　suddenly　locked　in　a　death　battle　with　two　silver…painted　Polacks　who　e　swinging　down　from　opposite　balconies　and　meet　in　mid…air　on　the　wolverine's　neck。。。both　Polacks　seize　the　animal　as　they　fall　straight　down　towards　the　crap　tables…but　they　bounce　off　the　net；　they　separate　and　spring　back　up　towards　the　roof　in　three　different　directions；　and　just　as　they're　about　to　fall　again　they　are　grabbed　out　of　the　air　by　three　Korean　Kittens　and　trapezed　off　to　one　of　the　balconies。
　　This　madness　goes　on　and　on；　but　nobody　seems　to　notice。　The　gambling　action　runs　twenty…four　hours　a　day　on　the　main　floor；　and　the　circus　never　ends。　Meanwhile；　on　all　the　upstairs　balconies；　the　customers　are　being　hustled　by　every　conceivable　kind　of　bizarre　shuck。　All　kinds　of　funhouse…typeShoot　the　pasties　off　the　nipples　of　a　ten…foot　bulle　and　win　a　cotton…candy　goat。　Stand　in　front　of　this　fantastic　machine；　my　friend；　and　for　just　99　your　likeness　will　appear；　two　hundred　feet　tall；　on　a　screen　above　downtown　Las　Vegas。　Ninety…nine　cents　more　for　a　voice　message。　〃Say　whatever　you　want；　fella。　They'll　hear　you；　don't　worry　about　that。　Remember　you'll　be　two　hundred　feet　tall。〃　Jesus　Christ。　I　could　see　myself　lying　in　bed　in　the　Mint　Hotel；　half…asleep　and　staring　idly　out　the　window；　when　suddenly　a　vicious　nazi　drunkard　appears　two　hundred　feet　tall　in　the　midnight　sky；　screaming　gibberish　at　the　world：　〃Woodstock　Uber　Alles！〃　We　will　close　the　drapes　tonight。　A　thing　like　that　could　send　a　drug　person　careening　around　the　room　like　a　pingpong　ball。　Hallucinations　are　bad　enough。　But　after　a　while　you　learn　to　cope　with　things　like　seeing　your　dead　grandmother　crawling　up　your　leg　with　a　knife　in　her　teeth。　Most　acid　fanciers　can　handle　this　sort　of　thing。But　nobody　can　handle　that　other　trip…the　possibility　that　any　freak　with　1。98　can　walk　into　the　Circus…Circus　and　suddenly　appear　in　the　sky　over　downtown　Las　Vegas　twelve　times　the　size　of　God；　howling　anything　that　es　into　his　head。　No；　this　is　not　a　good　town　for　psychedelic　drugs。　Reality　itself　is　too　twisted。
　　
　　Good　mescaline　es　on　slow。　The　first　hour　is　all　waiting；　then　about　halfway　through　the　second　hour　you　start　cursing　the　creep　who　burned　you；　because　nothing　is　happeningand　then　ZANG！　Fiendish　intensity；　strange　glow　and　vibrations。。。a　very　heavy　gig　in　a　place　like　the　Circus…Circiii。
　　〃I　hate　to　say　this；〃　said　my　attorney　as　we　sat　down　at　the　Merry…Go…Round　Bar　on　the　second　balcony；　〃but　this　place　is　getting　to　me。　I　think　I'm　getting　the　Fear。〃
　　〃Nonsense；〃　I　said。　〃We　came　out　here　to　find　the　American　Dream；　and　now　that　we're　right　in　the　vortex　you　want　to　quit。〃　I　grabbed　his　bicep　and　squeezed。　〃You　must　realize；〃I　said；　〃that　we've　found　the　main　nerve。〃
　　〃I　know；〃　he　said。　〃That's　what　gives　me　the　Fear。〃　The　ether　was　wearing　off；　the　acid　was　long　gone；　but　the　mescaline　was　running　strong。　We　were　sitting　at　a　small　round　gold　formica　table；　moving　in　orbit　around　the　bartender。
　　〃Look　over　there；〃　I　said。　〃Two　women　fucking　a　polar　bear。〃
　　〃Please；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　tcll　me　those　things。　Not　now。〃　He　signaled　the　waitress　for　two　more　Wild　Turkeys。　〃This　is　my　last　drink；〃　he　said。　〃How　much　money　can　you　lend　me？〃
　　〃Not　much；〃　I　said。　〃Why？〃
　　〃I　have　to　go；〃　he　said。
　　〃Go？〃
　　〃Yes。　Leave　the　country。　Tonight。〃
　　〃Calm　down；〃　I　said。　〃You'll　be　straight　in　a　few　hours。〃
　　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃This　is　serious。
　　〃George　Metesky　was　serious；〃　I　said。　〃And　you　see　what　they　did　to　him。〃
　　〃Don't　fuck　around！〃　he　shouted。　〃One　more　hour　in　this　town　and　I'll　kill　somebody！〃　I　could　see　he　was　on　the　edge。　That　fearful　intensity　that　es　at　the　peak　of　a　mescaline　seizure。　〃OK；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　lend　you　some　money。　Let's　go　outside　and　see　how　much　we　have　left。〃
　　〃Can　we　make　it？〃　he　said。
　　〃Well。。。that　depends　on　how　many　people　we　fuck　with　between　here　and　the　door。　You　want　to　leave　quietly？〃
　　〃I　want　to　leave　fast；〃　he　said。
　　〃OK。　Let's　pay　this　bill　and　get　up　very　slowly。　We're　both　out　of　our　heads。　This　is　going　to　be　a　long　walk。〃　I　shouted　at　the　waitress　for　a　bill。　She　came　over；　looking　bored；　and　my　attorney　stood　up。
　　〃Do　they　pay　you　to　screw　that　bear？〃　he　asked　her。
　　〃What？〃
　　〃He's　just　kidding；〃　I　said；　stepping　between　them。　〃e　on；　Doc…let's　go　downstairs　and　gamble。〃　I　got　him　as　far　as　the　edge　of　the　bar；　the　rim　of　the　merry…go…round；　but　he　refused　to　get　off　until　it　stopped　turning。
　　〃It　won't　stop；〃　I　said。　〃It's　not　never　going　to　stop。〃　I　stepped　off　and　turned　around　to　wait　for　him；　but　he　wouldn't　move。。。and　before　I　could　reach　out　and　pull　him　off；　he　was　carried　away。　〃Don't　move；〃　I　shouted。　〃You'll　e　around！〃　His　eyes　were　staring　blindly　ahead；　squinting　with　fear　and　confusion。　But　he　didn't　move　a　muscle　until　he'd　made　the　whole　circle。
　　I　waited　until　he　was　almost　in　front　of　me；　then　I　reached　out　to　grab　him…but　he　jumped　back　and　went　around　the　circle　again。　This　made　me　very　nervous。　I　felt　on　the　verge　of　a　freakout。　The　bartender　seemed　to　be　watching　us。Carson　City；　I　thought。　Twenty　years。
　　
　　I　stepped　on　the　merry…go…round　and　hurried　around　the　bar；　approaching　my　attorney　on　his　blind　side…and　when　we　came　to　the　right　spot　I　pushed　him　off。　He　staggered　into　the　aisle　and　uttered　a　hellish　scream　as　he　lost　his　balance　and　went　down；　thrashing　into　the　crowd。。。rolling　like　a　log；　then　up　again　in　a　flash；　fists　clenched；　looking　for　somebody　to　hit。
　　I　approached　him　with　my　hands　in　the　air；　trying　to　smile。　〃You　fell；〃　I　said。　〃Let's　go。〃　By　this　time　people　were　watching　us。　But　the　fool　wouldn't　move；　and　I　knew　what　would　happen　if　I　grabbed　him。　〃OK；〃　I　said。　〃You　stay　here　and　go　to　jail。　I'm　leaving。〃　I　started　walking　fast　towards　the　stairs；　ignoring　him。
　　This　moved　him。
　　〃Did　you　see　that？〃　he　said　as　he　caught　up　with　me。　〃Some　sonofabitch　kicked　me　in　the　back！〃
　　〃Probably　the　bartender；〃　I　said。　〃He　wanted　to　stomp　you　for　what　you　said　to　the　waitress。〃
　　〃Good　god！　Let's　get　out　of　here。　Where's　the　elevator？〃
　　〃Don't　go　near　that　elevator；〃　I　said。　〃That's　just　what　they　want　us　to　do　。　。　。　trap　us　in　a　steel　box　and　take　us　down　to　the　basement。〃　I　looked　over　my　shoulder；　but　nobody　was　following。
　　〃Don't　run；〃　I　said。　〃They'd　like　an　excuse　to　shoot　us。〃　He　nodded；　seeming　to　understand。　We　walked　fast　along　the　big　indoor　midway…shooting　galleries；　tattoo　parlors；　money…changers　and　cotton…candy　booths…then　out　through　a　bank　of　glass　doors　and　across　the　grass　downhill　to　a　parking　lot　where　the　Red　Shark　waited。
　　'You　drive；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　there's　something　wrong　with　me。〃
　　
　　　7。　Paranoid　Terror。。。and　the　Aweful　Specter　of　Sodomy。。。A　Flashing　of　Knives　and　Green　Water
　　
　　When　we　got　to　the　Mint　I　parked　on　the　street　in　front　of　the　casino；　around　a　corner　from　the　parking　lot。　No　point　risking　a　scene　in　the　lobby；　I　thought。　Neither　one　of　us　could　pass　for　drunk。　We　were　both　hyper…tense。　Extremely　menacing　vibrations　all　around　us。　We　hurried　through　the　casino　and　up　the　rear　escalator。
　　We　made　it　to　the　room　without　meeting　anybody…but　the　key　wouldn't　open　the　door。　My　attorney　was　struggling　desperately　with　it。　〃Those　bastards　have　changed　the　lock　on　us；〃　he　groaned。　〃They　probably　searched　the　room。　Jesus；　we're　finished。〃　Suddenly　the　door　swung　open。　We　hesitated；　then　hurried　inside。　No　sign　of　trouble。　〃Bolt　everything；〃　said　my　attorney。　〃Use　all　chains。〃　He　was　staring　at　two　Mint　Hotel　Room　keys　in　his　hand。　〃Where　did　this　one　e　from？〃　he　said；　holding　up　a　key　with　number　1221　on　it。
　　〃That's　Lacerda's　room；〃　I　said。
　　He　smiled。　〃Yeah；　that's　right。　I　thought　we　might　need　it。〃
　　〃What　for？〃
　　〃Let's　go　up　there　and　blast　him　out　of　bed　with　the　fire　he　said。
　　〃No；〃　I　said。　〃We　should　leave　the　poor　bastard　alone；　I　get　the　feeling　he's　avoiding　us　for　some　reason。〃
　　〃Don't　kid　yourself；〃　he　said。　〃That　Portuguese　son　of　bitch　is　dangerous。　He's　watching　us　like　a　hawk。〃　He　squinted　at　me。　〃Have　you　made　a　deal　with　him？〃
　　〃I　talked　with　him　on　the　phone；〃　I　said；　〃while　you　were　out　getting　the　car　washed。　He　said　he　was　turning　in　early；　so　he　can　get　out　there　to　the　starting　line　at　dawn。〃　My　attorney　was　not　listening。　He　utt。ered　an　anguished　cry　and　smacked　the　wall　with　both　hands。　〃That　dirty　bastard！〃　he　shouted。　〃I　knew　it！　He　got　hold　of　my　woman！〃　I　laughed。　〃That　little　blonde　groupie　with　the　film　crew？　You　think　he　sodomized　her？〃
　　〃That's　right…laugh　about　it！〃　he　yelled。　〃You　goddamn　honkies　are　all　the　same。〃　By　this　time　he'd　opened　a　new　bottle　of　tequila　and　was　quaffing　it　down。　Then　he　grabbed　a　grapefruit　and　sliced　it　in　half　with　a　Gerber　Mini…Magnum…a　stainless…steel　hunting　knife　with　a　blade　like　a　fresh…honed　straight　razor。
　　〃Where'd　you　get　that　knife？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Room　service　sent　it　up；〃　he　said。　〃I　wanted　something　to　cut　the　limes。
　　〃What　limes？〃
　　〃They　didn't　have　any；〃　he　said。　〃They　don't　grow　out　here　in　the　desert。〃　He　sliced　the　grapefruit　into　quarters　then　into　eighths。。。then　sixteenths　。　。　。　then　he　began　aimlessly　at　the　residue。　〃That　dirty　toad　bastard；〃　he　moaned。　〃I　knew　I　should　have　taken　him　out　when　I　had　the　chance。　Now　he　has　her。〃　I　remembered　the　girl。　We'd　had　a　problem　with　her　on　the　elevator　a　few　hours　earlier：　my　attorney　had　made　a　fool　of　himself。
　　〃You　must　be　a　rider；〃　she'd　said。　〃What　class　are　you　in？〃
　　〃Class？〃　he　snapped。　〃What　the　fuck　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃What　do　you　ride？〃　she　asked　with　a　quick　smile。　〃We're　filming　the　race　for　a　TV　series…maybe　we　can　use　you。〃
　　〃Use　me？〃　Mother　of　God；　I　thought。　Here　it　es。　The　elevator　was　crowded　with　race　people：　it　was　taking　a　long　time　to　get　from　floor　to　floor。　By　the　time　we'd　stopped　at　Three；　he　was　trembling　badly。　Five　more　to　go。　。
　　〃I　ride　the　big　ones！〃　he　shouted　suddenly。　〃The　really　big　fuckers！〃　I　laughed；　trying　to　de…fuse　the　scene。　〃The　Vincent　Black　Shadow；〃　I　said。　〃We're　with　the　factory　team。〃　This　brought　a　murmur　of　rude　dissent　from　the　crowd。　〃Bullshit；〃　somebody　behind　me　muttered。
　　〃Wait　a　minute！〃　my　attorne