"
Butayencomesonhimlikeagreatblackwind
throughthebones.SotheBuyerhuntsupayoung
junky and gives him a paper to make it.
"Ohallright,"theboysays."Sowhatyouwant to
make?"
"I just want to rub up against you and get fixed."
"Ugh...Wellallright....Butwhycanchajustget
physical like a human?"
LatertheboyissittinginaWaldorf withtwo col-
leaguesdunkingpoundcake."MostdistastefulthingI
everstandstillfor,"hesays. "Someway hemake him-
self all soft like a blob of jelly and surround meso nasty.
Thenhegetswetalloverlike withgreen slime.So I
guesshecometosomekindaawfulclimax....Icome
nearwiggingwiththatgreenstuff allover me,and he
stink like a old rotten cantaloupe."
"Well it's still an easy score."
Theboysighedresignedly;"Yes,Iguessyoucan
getusedtoanything.I'vegotameetwithhim again
tomorrow."
TheBuyer'shabitkeepsgettingheavier.Heneeds
arechargedeveryhalfhour.Sometimeshecruisesthe
precinctsandbribestheturnkeytolethim inwith a
cellofjunkies.Itgettowhereno amountof contact
willfixhim.Atthispointhereceives asummons from
the District Supervisor:
"Bradley,yourconducthasgiven riseto rumors-- and
Ihopeforyoursaketheyareno morethan that-- so
unspeakablydistastefulthat...ImeanCaesar'swife
...hrump...thatis,theDepartmentmustbeabove
suspicion...certainlyabovesuchsuspicionsasyou
haveseeminglyaroused.Youareloweringtheentire
toneoftheindustry.We areprepared toaccept your
immediate resignation."
TheBuyerthrowshimselfonthegroundand crawls
overtotheD.S."No, BossMan, no...The Department
is my very lifeline."
He kisses the D.S.'s hand thrusting his fingers into his
mouth(theD.S.mustfeelhistoothlessgums)com-
plaining he haslost histeeth "innathervith." "Please
Boss Man. I'llwipe yourass, I'llwash outyour dirty
condoms,I'llpolishyourshoeswiththeoilon my
nose.
...
"Really, this ismost distasteful11Have youno pride?
I must tell you I feel a distinct revulsion. Imean there
is something, well, rotten about you,and yousmell like
acompostheap."Heputascentedhandkerchiefin
front of his face. "I must ask you to leave thisoffice at
once.
"I'll doanything, Boss,anything." Hisravaged green
face splits in a horrible smile."I'm stillyoung, Boss,
and I'm pretty strong when I get my blood up."
TheD.S. retchesinto hishandkerchief andpoints to
the door witha limphand. TheBuyer standsup looking
attheD.S.dreamily.Hisbody beginsto diplike a
dowser's wand. He Bows forward....
"No! No!" screams the D.S.
"Schlup...schlupschlup."Anhourlaterthey find
the Buyer on thenod inthe D.S.'schair. TheD.S. has
disappeared without a trace.
TheJudge:"Everythingindicatesthatyouhave, in
someunspeakablemanneruh...assimilatedtheDis-
trict Supervisor. Unfortunately there is no proof. I would
recommendthatyoubeconfinedormoreaccurately
containedinsomeinstitution,but Iknow ofno place
suitablefora manof yourcaliber. Imust reluctantly
order your release."
"Thatoneshouldstandinanaquarium,"saysthe
arresting officer.
TheBuyerspreadsterrorthroughouttheindustry.
Junkiesandagentsdisappear.Likeavampirebathe
givesoffanarcoticeffluvium, adank greenmist that
anesthetizes his victims and rendersthem helplessin his
envelopingpresence.Andoncehehasscoredhe holes
up for several days like a gorged boaconstrictor. Finally
he is caughtin theact ofdigesting theNarcotics Com-
missioner and destroyed witha flamethrower --the court
of inquiry ruling thatsuch meanswere justifiedin that
theBuyerhadlosthishumancitizenship andwas, in
consequence,acreaturewithoutspeciesandamenace
to the narcotics industry on all levels.
InMexicothegimmick isto finda localjunky with
agovernmentscriptwhereby theyare alloweda certain
quantityeverymonth.OurManwasOldIkewhohad
spent most of his life in the States.
"I was traveling with Irene Kelly andher wasa sport-
ingwoman.InButte,stateofMontana,shegets the
cokehorrorsandrunthroughthehotelscreaming Chi-
nesecopperschase herwith meatcleavers. Iknew this
cop inChicago sniffcoke usedto comein formof cry-
stals, bluecrystals.