Iknew this
cop inChicago sniffcoke usedto comein formof cry-
stals, bluecrystals. Sohe gonuts andstart screaming
theFederalsisafter himand rundown thisalley and
stick his head in the garbagecan. AndI said,'What you
think you are doing?' and hesay, 'Getaway orI shoot
you. I got myself hid good.'"
We aregetting someC onRX atthis time.Shoot it
in the mainline, son. Youcan smellit goingin, clean
and coldin yournose andthroat thena rushof pure
pleasurerightthroughthe brainlighting upthose C
connections. Your head shatters in whiteexplosions. Ten
minuteslateryouwant anothershot... youwill walk
across town for another shot. But if you can'tscore for
C you eat, sleep and forget about it.
This is a yen of the brain alone, a needwithout feel-
ingandwithoutbody,earthboundghostneed, rancid
ectoplasm swept out byan oldjunky coughingand spit-
ting in the sick morning.
Onemorning youwake upand takea speedball, and
feelbugsunder yourskin. 1890cops withblack mus-
taches block the doorsand leanin throughthe windows
snarlingtheirlipsback fromblue andbold embossed
badges.Junkiesmarchthroughtheroomsingingthe
MoslemFuneralSong,bearthebodyofBillGains,
stigmataofhisneedlewounds glowwith asoft blue
flame.Purposeful schizophrenicdetectives sniffat your
chamber pot.
It's the coke horrors.... Sit back and play it cool and
shoot in plenty of that GI M.
Day of the Dead:I gotthe chucksand atemy little
Willy's sugar skull. Hecried andI hadto goout for
another.Walkedpastthecocktailloungewhere they
blasted the Jai Lai bookie.
InCuernavacaorwasitTaxco?Jane meetsa pimp
trombone player and disappears in acloud oftea smoke.
The pimpis oneof thesevibration anddietary artists
--whichisameanshedegradesthefemalesexby
forcing his chicks to swallow all thisshit. Hewas con-
tinually enlarging his theories... hewould quiza chick
and threatento walkout ifshe hadn'tmemorized every
nuanceofhislatestassaultonlogic andthe human
image.
"Now, baby.I gotit hereto give.But ifyou won't
receive it there's just nothing I can do."
He was a ritualtea smokerand verypuritanical about
junkthewaysometeaheadsare.Heclaimedtea put
himintouchwith suprablue gravitationalfields. He
hadideasoneverysubject:whatkindofunderwear
washealthy,whentodrinkwater,andhowtowipe
yourass.
Hehad ashiny redface andgreat spreading
smooth nose, little red eyesthat litup whenhe looked
atachickandwentoutwhenhe lookedat anything
else.Hisshoulderswereverybroadandsuggested
deformity. He acted as ifother mendid notexist, con-
veying his restaurant and storeorders tomale personnel
throughafemaleintermediary.AndnoManeverin-
vaded his blighted, secret place.
Soheisputting downjunk andcoming onwith tea.
Itakethreedrags,Janelooked athim andher flesh
crystallized. I leaped up screaming "I got thefear" and
ran out of the house. Drank a beer in alittle restaurant
-- mosaicbar andsoccer scoresand bullfightposters --
and waited for the bus to town.
A year later in Tangier I heard she was dead.
B E N W A Y
SoIamassignedtoengagetheservicesof Doctor
Benway for Islam Inc.
Dr.Benwayhadbeencalledinasadvisortothe
Freeland Republic, a placegiven overto freelove and
continual bathing.The citizensare welladjusted, co-
operatives, honest, tolerant and above all clean. But the
invokingofBenwayindicatesallis notwell behind
thathygienicfacade:Benwayisamanipulatorand
coordinator of symbolsystems, anexpert onall phases
of interrogation,brainwashing andcontrol. Ihave not
seenBenwaysincehisprecipitate departurefrom An-
nexia,wherehisassignmenthadbeenT.D.--Total
Demoralization. Benway'sfirst actwas toabolish con-
centration camps, mass arrestand, exceptunder certain
limited and special circumstances, the use of torture.
"Ideplore brutality,"he said."It's notefficient. On
the other hand, prolongedmistreatment, shortof physi-
calviolence,gives rise,when skillfullyapplied, to
anxiety and a feeling ofspecial guilt.A fewrules or
rather guiding principles areto beborne inmind. The
subject must not realize that themistreatment isa de-
liberate attack ofan anti-humanenemy onhis personal
identity. He must be madeto feelthat hedeserves any
treatment he receives becausethere issomething (never
specified)horribly wrongwith him.The nakedneed of
thecontroladdictsmustbedecentlycoveredby an
arbitrary and intricate bureaucracyso thatthe subject
cannot contact his enemy direct."
EverycitizenofAnnexiawasrequiredtoapply for
and carry on his personat alltimes awhole portfolio
ofdocuments.Citizensweresubjecttobestoppedin
thestreetatanytime;and theExaminer, whomight be
in plainclothes, invarious uniforms,often ina bathing
suitorpyjamas,sometimesstarknakedexceptfora
badgepinnedtohisleftnipple,aftercheckingeach
paper,wouldstampit.