..
night table litter of candyboxes, cigarettebutts cas-
cading out of three ashtrays,mosaic ofsleepless nights
and sudden food needsof thekicking addictnursing his
baby flesh....
TheVigilanteisprosecutedinFederalCourt under
a lynchbill andwinds upin aFederal NutHouse spe-
cially designedfor thecontainment ofghosts: precise,
prosaicimpactofobjects...washstand...door...
toilet...bars...therethey are...this isit... all
linescut...nothingbeyond...DeadEnd...Andthe
Dead End in every face....
Thephysicalchangeswere slowat first,then jumped
forward in black chunks, fallingthrough hisslack tissue,
washingawaythe humanlines.... Inhis placeof total
darknessmouthandeyesare oneorgan thatleaps for-
wardtosnapwithtransparentteeth...butnoorgan
is constant as regards eitherfunction orposition... sex
organssproutanywhere...rectumsopen,defecateand
close...theentireorganismchangescolorandcon-
sistency in split-second adjustments....
The Rube isa socialliability withhis attacksas he
callsthem.TheMarkInsidewascominguponhim
andthat'sa rumblenobody cancool; outsidePhilly he
jumpsouttoconaprowlcar andthe fuzztakes one
look at his face and bust all of us.
Seventy-twohoursandfivesickjunkies inthe cell
with us. Now notwishing tobreak outmy stashin front
of these hungrycoolies, ittakes maneuveringand laying
of gold on the turnkey before we are in a separate cell.
Providentjunkies,knownassquirrels,keepstashes
against a bust. Every time I take a shot I let afew drops
fall into my vest pocket, the lining is stiff with stuff. I
had a plasticdropper inmy shoeand asafety-pin stuck
inmybelt.You knowhow thispin anddropper routine
isput down:"She seizeda safetypin cakedwith blood
andrust,gougeda greathole inher legwhich seemed
tohangopenlikeanobscene, festeringmouth waiting
forunspeakablecongresswiththedropperwhichshe
nowplungedoutofsightintothegapingwound. But
herhideousgalvanizedneed(hungerof insectsin dry
places)has brokenthe dropperoff deepin theflesh of
her ravagedthigh (lookingrather likea posteron soil
erosion).Butwhatdoesshecare?She doesnot even
botherto removethe splinteredglass, lookingdown at
herbloodyhaunchwith thecold blankeyes ofa meat
trader.