thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第7节

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Dunes；　but　it　turned　out　to　be　the　Thunderbird　or　maybe　it　was　the　Hacienda　My　attorney　was　scanning　The　Vegas　Visitor；　looking　for　hints　of　action。　〃How　about　〃'Nickel　Nick's　Slot　Arcade？'〃　he　said。　〃'Hot　Slots；'　that　sounds　heavy　。　。　。　Twenty…nine　cent　hotdogs　。　。
　　Suddenly　people　were　screaming　at　us。　We　were　in　trouble。　Two　thugs　wearing　red　…　gold　military　overcoats　were　looming　over　the　hood：　〃What　the　hell　are　you　doing？〃　one　screamed。　〃You　can't　park　here！'　〃Why　not？〃　I　said。　It　seemed　like　a　reasonable　place　to　park；　plenty　of　space。　I'd　been　looking　for　a　parking　spot　for　what　seemed　like　a　very　long　time。　Too　long。　I　was　about　ready　to　abandon　the　car　and　call　a　taxi。。。but　then；　yes；　we　found　this　space。
　　Which　turned　out　to　be　the　sidewalk　in　front　of　the　main　entrance　to　the　Desert　Inn。　I　had　run　over　so　many　curbs　by　this　time；　that　I　hadn't　even　noticed　this　last　one。　But　now　we　ourselves　in　a　position　that　was　hard　to　explain。。。the　entrance；　thugs　yelling　at　us；　bad　confusion。。。。　attorney　was　out　of　the　car　in　a　flash；　waving　a　five…dollar　bill。　〃We　want　this　car　parked！　I'm　an　old　friend　of　Debbie's。　I　used　to　romp　with　her。〃　For　a　moment　I　thought　he　had　blown　it。。。then　one　of　the　doormen　reached　out　for　the　bill；　saying：　〃OK；　OK。　I'll　take　care　of　it；　sir。〃　And　he　tore　off　a　parking　stub。
　　〃Holy　shit！〃　I　said；　as　we　hurried　through　the　lobby。　〃They　almost　had　us　there。　That　was　quick　thinking。〃
　　〃What　do　you　expect？〃　he　said。　〃I'm　your　attorney。。。and　you　owe　me　five　bucks。　I　want　it　now。〃　I　shrugged　and　gave　him　a　bill。　This　garish；　deep…orlon　carpeted　lobby　of　the　Desert　Inn　seemed　an　inappropriate　place　to　be　haggling　about　nickel/dime　bribes　for　the　parking　lot　attendant。　This　was　Bob　Hope's　turf。　Frank　Sinatra's。　Spiro　Agnew's。　The　lobby　fairly　reeked　of　high…grade　formica　and　plastic　palm　trees　…　it　was　clearly　a　high…class　refuge　for　Big　Spenders。
　　We　approached　the　grand　ballroom　full　of　confidence；　but　they　refused　to　let　us　in。　We　were　too　late；　said　a　man　in　a　wine…colored　tuxedo；　the　house　was　already　full…no　seats　left；　at　any　price。
　　〃Fuck　seats；〃　said　my　attorney。　〃We're　old　friends　of　Debbie's。　We　drove　all　the　way　from　L。A。　for　this　show；　and　we're　goddamn　well　going　in。〃　The　tux…man　began　jabbering　about　〃fire　regulations；〃　but　my　attorney　refused　to　listen。　Finally；　after　a　lot　of　bad　noise；　he　let　us　in　for　nothing…provided　we　would　stand　quietly　in　back　and　not　smoke。
　　We　promised；　but　the　moment　we　got　inside　we　lost　control。　The　tension　had　been　too　great。　Debbie　Reynolds　was　yukking　across　the　stage　in　a　silver　Afro　wig　。　。　。　to　the　tune　of　〃Sergeant　Pepper；〃　from　the　golden　trumpet　of　Harry　James。
　　〃Jesus　creeping　shit！〃　said　my　attorney。　〃We've　wandered　into　a　time　capsule！〃　Heavy　hands　grabbed　our　shoulders。　I　jammed　the　hash　pipe　back　into　my　pocket　just　in　time。　We　were　dragged　across　the　lobby　and　held　against　the　front　door　by　goons　until　our　car　was　fetched　up。　〃OK；　get　lost；〃　said　the　wine…tux…man。　〃We're　giving　you　a　break。　If　Debbie　has　friendsIke　you　guys；　she's　in　worse　trouble　than　I　thought。〃
　　〃We'll　see　about　this！〃　my　attorney　shouted　as　we　drove　away。　〃You　paranoid　scum！〃　I　drove　around　to　the　Circus…Circus　Casino　and　parked　near　the　back　door。　〃This　is　the　place；〃　I　said。　〃They'll　never　fuck　with　us　here。〃
　　〃Where's　the　ether？〃　said　my　attorney。　〃This　mescaline　isn't　working。〃　I　gave　him　the　key　to　the　trunk　while　I　lit　up　the　hash　pipe。　He　came　back　with　the　ether…bottle；　un…capped　it；　then　poured　some　into　a　kleenex　and　mashed　it　under　his　nose；　breathing　heavily。　I　soaked　another　kleenex　and　fouled　my　own　nose。　The　smell　was　overwhelming；　even　with　the　top　down。　Soon　we　were　staggering　up　the　stairs　towards　the　entrance；　laughing　stupidly　and　dragging　each　other　along；　like　drunks。
　　This　is　the　main　advantage　of　ether：　it　makes　you　behave　like　the　village　drunkard　in　some　early　Irish　novel。。。total　loss　of　all　basic　motor　skills：　blurred　vision；　no　balance；　numb　tongue…severance　of　all　connection　between　the　body　and　the　brain。　Which　is　interesting；　because　the　brain　continues　to　function　more　or　less　normally。。。you　can　actually　watch　yourself　behaving　in　this　terrible　way；　but　you　can't　controlit。
　　You　approach　the　turnstiles　leading　into　the　Circus…Circus　and　you　know　that　when　you　get　there；　you　have　to　give　the　man　two　dollars　or　he　won't　let　you　inside。。。but　when　you　get　there；　everything　goes　wrong：　you　misjudge　the　distance　to　the　turnstile　and　slam　against　it；　bounce　off　and　grab　hold　of　an　old　woman　to　keep　from　falling；　some　angry　Rotarian　shoves　you　and　you　think：　What's　happening　here？　What's　going　on？　Then　you　hear　yourself　mumbling：　〃Dogs　fucked　the　Pope；　no　fault　of　mine。　Watch　out！。。。Why　money？　My　name　is　Brinks；　I　was　born。。。born？　Get　sheep　over　side。。。women　and　children　to　armored　car。。。orders　from　Captain　Zeep。〃　Ah；　devil　ether…a　total　body　drug。　The　mind　recoils　in　horror；　unable　to　municate　with　the　spinal　column。　The　hands　flap　crazily；　unable　to　get　money　out　of　the　pocket。。。garbled　laughter　and　hissing　from　the　mouth。。。always　smiling。
　　Ether　is　the　perfect　drug　for　Las　Vegas。　In　this　town　they　love　a　drunk。　Fresh　meat。　So　they　put　us　through　the　turnstiles　and　turned　us　loose　inside。
　　
　　The　Circus…Circus　is　what　the　whole　hep　world　would　be　doing　on　Saturday　night　if　the　Nazis　had　won　the　war。　This　is　the　Sixth　Reich。　The　ground　floor　is　full　of　gambling　tables；　like　all　the　other　casinos。。。but　the　place　is　about　four　stories　high；　in　the　style　of　a　circus　tent；　and　all　manner　of　strange　County…Fair/Polish　Carnival　madness　is　going　on　up　in　this　space。　Right　above　the　gambling　tables　the　Forty　Flying　Carazito　Brothers　are　doing　a　high…wire　trapeze　act；　along　with　four　muzzled　Wolverines　and　the　Six　Nymphet　Sisters　from　San　Diego。。。so　you're　down　on　the　main　floor　playing　blackjack；　and　the　stakes　are　getting　high　when　suddenly　you　chance　to　look　up；　and　there；　right　smack　above　your　head　is　a　half…naked　fourteen…year…old　girl　being　chased　through　the　air　by　a　snarling　wolverine；　which　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　s