thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第13部分

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will　be　absolutely　necessary　to　get　through　this　night…to　polish　these　notes；　this　shameful　diary。。。keep　the　tape　machine　screaming　all　night　long　at　top　volume：　〃Allow　me　to　introduce　myself。。。I'm　a　man　of　wealth　and　taste。〃　Sympathy？
　　Not　for　me。　No　mercy　for　a　criminal　freak　in　Las　Vegas。　This　place　is　like　the　Army：　the　shark　ethic　prevails…eat　the　wounded。　In　a　closed　society　where　everybody's　guilty；　the　only　crime　is　getting　caught。　In　a　world　of　thieves；　the　only　final　sin　is　stupidity。
　　It　is　a　weird　feeling　to　sit　in　a　Las　Vegas　hotel　at　four　in　the　morning…hunkered　down　with　a　notebook　and　a　tape　recorder　in　a　75…a…day　suite　and　a　fantastic　room　service　bill；　run　up　in　forty…eight　hours　of　total　madness…knowing　that　just　as　soon　as　dawn　es　up　you　are　going　to　flee　without　paying　a　fucking　penny。。。go　stomping　out　through　the　lobby　and　call　your　red　convertible　down　from　the　garage　and　stand　there　waiting　for　it　with　a　suitcase　full　of　marijuana　and　illegal　weapons。。。trying　to　look　casual；　scanning　the　first　morning　edition　of　the　Las　Vegas　Sun。
　　This　was　the　final　step。　I　had　taken　all　the　grapefruit　and　other　luggage　out　to　the　car　a　few　hours　earlier。
　　Now　it　was　only　a　matter　of　slipping　the　noose：　Yes；　extremely　casual　behavior；　wild　eyes　hidden　behind　these　Saigon…mirror　sun　glasses。。。waiting　for　the　Shark　to　roll　up。　Where　is　it？　I　gave　that　evil　pimp　of　a　carboy　5；　a　prime　investment　right　now。
　　Stay　calm；　keep　reading　the　paper。　The　lead　story　was　a　screaming　blue　headline　across　the　top　of　the　page：
　　
　　TRIO　RE…ARRESTED　IN　BEAUTY'S　DEATH
　　
　　An　overdose　of　heroin　was　listed　as　the　official　cause　of　death　for　pretty　Diane　Hamby；　19；　whose　body　was　foundstuffed　in　a　refrigerator　last　week；　according　to　Clark　County　Coroner's　office。　Investigators　of　the　sheriff's　homicide　team　who　went　to　arrest　the　suspects　said　that　one；　a　24…year…old　woman；　attempted　to　fling　herself　through　the　glass　doors　of　her　trailer　before　being　stopped　by　deputies。　Officers　said　she　was　apparently　hysterical　and　shouted；　'You'll　never　take　me　alive。〃　But　officers　handcuffed　the　woman　and　she　apparently　was　not　injured。
　　
　　GI　DRUG　DEATHS　CLAIMED
　　
　　WASHINGTON　（AP）…A　House　Submittee　report　says　illegal　drugs　killed　160　American　GI's　last　year…40　of　them　in　Vietnam。。。Drugs　were　suspected；　it　said；　in　another　56　military　deaths　in　Asia　and　the　Pacific　mand。。。It　said　the　heroin　problem　in　Vietnam　is　increasing　in　seriousness；　primarily　because　of　processing　laboratories　in　Laos；　Thailand　and　Hong　Kong。　〃Drug　suppression　in　Vietnam　is　almost　pletely　ineffective；〃　the　report　said；　〃partially　because　of　an　ineffective　local　police　force　and　partially　because　some　presently　unknown　corrupt　officials　in　public　office　are　involved　in　the　drug　traffic。〃
　　
　　To　the　left　of　that　grim　notice　was　a　four…column　center…page　photo　of　Washington；　D。C。；　cops　fighting　with　〃young　anti…war　demonstrators　who　staged　a　sit…in　and　blocked　the　entrance　to　Selective　Service　Headquarters。〃And　next　to　the　photo　was　a　large　black　headline：
　　
　　TORTURE　TALES　TOLD　IN　WAR　HEARINGS。
　　
　　WASHINGTON…Volunteer　witnesses　told　an　informal　congressional　panel　yesterday　that　while　serving　as　miliy　interrogators　they　routinely　used　electrical　tele…tione　hookups　and　helicopter　drops　to　torture　and　kill　ietnamese　prisoners。　One　Army　intelligence　specialist　iid　the　pistol　slaying　of　his　Chinese　interpreter　was　de…by　a　superior　who　said；　〃She　was　just　a　slope；　Lyway；〃　meaning　she　was　an　Asiatic。。。。
　　
　　Right　underneath　that　story　was　a　headline　saying：　FIVE　WOUNDED　NEAJi　NYC　TENEMENT。。。by　an　unidentified　gunman　who　fired　from　the　roof　of　a　building；　for　no　apparent　reason。　This　item　appeared　just　above　a　headline　that　said：　PHARMACY　OWNER　ARRESTED　IN　PROBE。。。〃a　result；〃　the　article　explained；　〃of　a　preliminary　investigation　（of　a　Las　Vegas　pharmacy）　showing　a　shortage　of　over　100；000　pills　considered　dangerous　drugs。。。
　　Reading　the　front　page　made　me　feel　a　lot　better。　Against　that　heinous　background；　my　crimes　were　pale　and　meaningless。　I　was　a　relatively　respectable　citizen…a　multiple　felon；　perhaps；　but　certainly　not　dangerous。　And　when　the　Great　Scorer　came　to　write　against　my　name；　that　would　surely　make　a　difference。
　　Or　would　it？　I　turned　to　the　sports　page　and　saw　a　small　item　about　Muhammad　Ali；　his　case　was　before　the　Supreme　Court；　the　final　appeal。　He'd　been　sentenced　to　five　years　in　prison　for　refusing　to　kill　〃slopes。〃
　　〃I　ain't　got　nothin'　against　them　Viet　Congs；〃　he　said。
　　Five　years。
　　
　　　10。　Western　Union　Intervenes：　A　Warning　from　Mr。　Heem。。。New　Assignment　from　the　Sports　Desk　and　a　Savage　Invitation　from　the　Police
　　
　　Suddenly　I　felt　guilty　again。　The　Shark！　Where　was　it？　I　tossed　the　paper　aside　and　began　to　pace。　Losing　control。　I　felt　my　whole　act　slipping。。。and　then　I　saw　the　car；　swooping　down　a　ramp　in　the　next…door　garage。
　　Deliverance！　I　grasped　my　leather　satchel　and　moved　forward　to　meet　my　wheels。
　　〃MISTER　DUKE！〃　The　voice　came　from　over　my　shoulder。
　　〃Mister　Duke！　We've　been　looking　for　you！〃　I　almost　collapsed　on　the　curb。　Every　cell　in　my　brain　and　body　sagged。　No！　I　thought。　I　must　be　hallucinating。　There's　nobody　back　there；　nobody　calling　。　。　。　it's　a　paranoid　delusion；　amphetamine　psychosis。。。just　keep　walking　towards　the　car；　always　smiling。。。。
　　〃MISTER　DUKE！　Wait！〃　Well。。。why　not？　Many　fine　books　have　been　written　in　on。　And　it's　not　like　I'll　be　a　total　stranger　up　there　in　Carson　City。　The　warden　will　recognize　me；　and　the　Con　Boss…I　once　interviewed　them　for　The　New　York　Times。　Along　with　a　lot　of　other　cons；　guards；　cops　and　assorted　hustlers　who　got　ugly；　by　mail；　when　the　article　never　appeared。
　　Why　not？　They　asked。　They　wanted　their　stories　told。　And　it　was　hard　to　explain；　in　those　circles；　that　everything　they　told　me　went　into　the　wastebasket　or　at　least　the　dead…end　file　because　the　lead　paragraphs　I　wrote　for　that　article　didn't　satisfy　some　editor　three　thousand　miles　away…some　nervous　drone　behind　a　grey　formica　desk　in　the　bowels　of　a　journalistic　bureaucracy　that　no　con　in　Nevada　will　ever　understand…and　that　the　article　finally　died　on　the　vine；　as　it　were；　because　I　refused　to　rewrite　the　lead。　For　reasons　of　my　own。　None　of　which　would　make　much　sense　in　The　Yard。　But　what　the　hell？　Why　worry　about　details？　I　turned　to　face　my　accuser；　a　small　young　clerk　with　a　big　smile　on　his　face　and　a　yellow　envelope　in　his　hand。　〃I've　been　calling　your　room；〃　he　said。　〃Then　I　saw　you　standing　outside。〃　I　nodded；　too　tired　to　resist。　By　now　the　Shark　was　beside　me；　but　I　saw　no　point　in　even　tossing　my　bag　into　it。　The　game　was　up。　They　had　me。
　　The　clerk　was　still　smiling。　〃This　telegram　just　came　for　you；〃　he　said。　〃But　actually　it　isn't　for　you。　It's　for　somebody　named　Thompson；　but　it　says　'care　of　Raoul　Duke'；　does　that　make　sense？〃　I　felt　dizzy。　It　was　too　much　to　absorb　all　at　once。　From　freedom；　to　prison；　and　then　back　to　freedom　again…all　in　thirty　seconds。　I　staggered　backwards　and　leaned　on　the　car；　feeling　the　white　folds　of　the　canvas　top　beneath　my　trembling　hand。　The　clerk；　still　smiling；　was　poking　the　telegram　at　me。
　　I　nodded；　barely　able　to　speak。　〃Yes；〃　I　said　finally；　〃it　makes　sense。〃　I　accepted　the　envelope　and　tore　it　open：
　　
　　URGENT　SPEED　LETTER
　　
　　HUNTER　S。　THOMPSON　c/o　RAOUL　DUKE　SOUNDPROOF　SUITE　1850
　　
　　MINT　HOTEL　LAS　VEGAS
　　
　　CALL　ME　AT　ONCE　REPEAT　AT　ONCE　WE　HAVE　A　NEW　ASSIGNMENT　BEGINNING　TOMORROW　ALSO　VEGAS　DONT　WE　STOP　THE　NATIONAL　CONFERENCE　OF　DISTRICT　ATTORNEYS　INVITES　YOU　TO　THEIR　FOUR　DAY　SEMINAR　ON　NARCOTICS　AND　DANGEROUS　DRUGS　AT　DUNES　HOTEL　STOP　ROLLING　STONE　CALLED　THEY　WANT　50　THOUSAND　WORDS　MASSIVE　PAYMENT　TOTAL　EXPENSES　INCLUDING　ALL　SAMPLES　STOP　WE　HAVE　RESERVATIONS　AT　HOTEL　FLAMINGO　AND　WHITE　CADDY　CONVERTIBLE　STOP　EVERYTHING　IS　ARRANGED　CALL　IMMEDIATELY　FOR　DETAILS　URGENT　REPEAT　URGENT　STOP　DOCTOR　GONZO
　　
　　〃Holy　shit！〃　I　muttered。　〃This　can't　be　true！〃
　　〃You　mean　it's　not　for　you？〃　the　clerk　asked；　suddenly　nervous。　〃I　checked　the　register　for　this　man　Thompson。　We　don't　show　him；　but　I　thought　he　was　part　of　your