We stockup onH andbacktrack for
Mexico.
BackthroughLakeCharlesand thedead slot-machine
country, south end of Texas, nigger-killingsheriffs look
usoverand checkthe carpapers. Somethingfalls off
youwhenyoucrosstheborderinto Mexico,and sud-
denlythe landscapehits youstraight withnothing be-
tweenyouandit,desertand mountainsand vultures;
little wheeling specks andothers soclose youcan hear
wingscuttheair(adryhuskingsound),andwhen
they spot something they pourout ofthe bluesky, that
shatteringbloodyblue skyof Mexico,down ina black
funnel....Droveallnight,cameatdawntoa warm
mistyplace,barkingdogsandthesoundofrunning
water.
"Thomas and Charlie," I said.
"What?"
"That'sthename ofthis town.Sea level.%We climb
straight up fromhere tenthousand feet."I tooka fix
andwenttosleepintheback seat.She wasa good
driver.Youcantellassoonas someonetouches the
wheel.
MexicoCitywhereLupitasitslikeanAztec Earth
Goddess doling out her little papers of lousy shit.
"Sellingismore ofa habitthan using,"Lupita says.
Nonusingpushershavea contacthabit, andthat's one
youcan'tkick.Agentsgetittoo. TakeBradley the
Buyer.Bestnarcoticsagentintheindustry.Anyone
wouldmakehimfor junk.(Note: Makein thesense of
dig or size up. ) I mean he canwalk upto apusher and
score direct. He isso anonymous,grey andspectral the
pusherdon'trememberhimafterwards.Sohetwists
one after the other....
WelltheBuyercomestolookmoreandmorelike
a junky. He can'tdrink. Hecan't getit up.His teeth
fall out. (Likepregnant womenlose theirteeth feeding
the stranger, junkies lose their yellow fangsfeeding the
monkey.)He isall thetime suckingon acandy bar.
Baby Ruths he digs special. "It really disgust youto see
theBuyer suckingon themcandy barsso nasty,"a cop
says.
TheBuyertakesonanominousgrey-greencolor.
Fact is hisbody ismaking itsown junkor equivalent.
TheBuyerhasasteadyconnection.A ManWithin you
might say, Or so he thinks. "I'll just set in my room," he
says. "Fuck 'em all. Squares on both sides. I amthe only
complete man in the industry."
Butayencomesonhimlikeagreatblackwind
throughthebones.