thunter.fearloathinglasvegas-第14部分

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　　〃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　team。〃
　　〃He　is；〃　I　said　quickly。　〃Don't　worry；　I'll　get　it　to　him。〃　I　tossed　my　bag　into　the　front　seat　of　the　Shark；　wanting　to　leave　before　my　stay　of　execution　ran　out。　But　the　clerk　was　still　curious。
　　〃What　about　Doctor　Gonzo？〃　he　said。
　　I　stared　at　him；　giving　him　a　full　taste　of　the　mirrors。　〃He's　fine；〃　I　said。　〃But　he　has　a　vicious　temper。　The　Doctor　handles　our　finances；　makes　all　our　arrangements。〃　I　slid　into　the　driver's　seat　and　prepared　to　leave。
　　The　clerk　leaned　into　the　car。　〃What　confused　us；〃　he　said；　〃was　Doctor　Gonzo's　signature　on　this　telegram　from　Los　Angeles…when　we　knew　he　was　here　in　the　hotel。〃　He　shrugged。　〃And　then　to　have　the　telegram　addressed　to　some　guest　we　couldn't　account　for　。。　。　well；　this　delay　was　unavoidable。　You　understand；　I　hope。。。。〃　I　nodded；　impatient　to　flee。　〃You　did　the　right　thing；〃　I　〃Never　try　to　understand　a　press　message。　About　half　time　we　use　codes…especially　with　Doctor　Gonzo。〃　I　smiled　again；　but　this　time　it　seemed　a　trifle　odd。　〃Tell　me；〃　he　said；　〃when　will　the　doctor　be　awake？〃　I　tensed　at　the　wheel；　〃Awake？　What　do　you　mean？〃　He　seemed　unfortable。　〃Well。。。the　manager；　Mister　Heem；　would　like　to　meet　him。〃　Now　his　grin　was　definitely　malevolent。　〃Nothing　unusual。　Mr。　Heem　likes　to　meet　all　our　large　accounts。。。put　them　on　a　personal　basis。。。just　a　chat　and　a　handshake；　you　understand。〃
　　〃Of　course；〃　I　said。　〃But　if　I　were　you　I'd　leave　the　doctor　alone　until　after　he's　eaten　breakfast。　He's　a　very　crude　man。〃　The　clerk　nodded　warily。　〃But　he　will　be　available。　Perhaps　later　this　morning？〃　I　saw　what　he　was　getting　at。　〃Look；〃　I　said。　〃That　telegram　was　all　scrambled。　It　was　actually　from　Thompson；　not　to　him。　Western　Union　must　have　got　the　names　reversed。〃　I　held　up　the　telegram；　knowing　he'd　already　read　it。　〃What　this　is；〃　I　said；　〃is　a　speed　message　to　Doctor　Gonzo；　upstairs；　saying　Thompson　is　on　his　way　out　from　L。A。　with　a　new　assignment…a　new　work　order。〃　I　waved　him　off　the　car。　〃See　you　later；〃　I　snapped。　〃I　have　to　get　out　to　the　track。〃　He　backed　away　as　I　eased　the　car　into　low　gear。　〃There's　no　hurry；〃　he　called　after　me。　〃The　race　is　over。〃
　　〃Not　for　me；〃　I　said；　tossing　him　a　quick　friendly　wave。
　　〃Let's　have　lunch！〃　he　shouted　as　I　turned　into　the　street。
　　〃Righto！〃　I　yelled。　And　then　I　was　off　into　traffic。　After　a　few　blocks　in　the　wrong　direction　on　Main　Street；　I　doubled　back　and　aimed　south；　towards　L。A。　But　with　all　deliberate　speed。　Keep　cool　and　slow；　I　thought。　Just　drift　to　the　city　limits。。。。
　　What　I　needed　was　a　place　to　get　safely　off　the　road；　out　of　sight；　and　ponder　this　incredible　telegram　from　my　attorney。　It　was　true；　I　was　certain　of　that。　There　was　a　definite　valid　urgency　in　the　message。　The　tone　was　unmistakable。　。
　　But　I　was　in　no　mood　or　condition　to　spend　another　week　in　Las　Vegas。　Not　now。　I　had　pushed　my　luck　about　as　far　as　it　was　going　to　carry　me　in　this　town。。。all　the　way　out　to　the　edge。　And　now　the　weasels　were　closing　in；　I　could　smell　the　ugly　brutes。
　　Yes；　it　was　definitely　time　to　leave。　My　margin　had　shrunk　to　nothing。
　　Now　idling　along　Las　Vegas　Boulevard　at　thirty　miles　an　hour；　I　wanted　a　place　to　rest　and　formalize　the　decision。　It　was　settled；　of　course；　but　I　needed　a　beer　or　three　to　seal　the　bargain　and　stupefy　that　one　rebellious　nerve　end　that　kept　vibrating　negative。。。
　　It　would　have　to　be　dealt　with。　Because　there　was　an　argument；　of　sorts；　for　staying　on。　It　was　treacherous；　stupid　and　demented　in　every　way…but　there　was　no　avoiding　the　stench　of　twisted　humor　that　hovered　around　the　idea　of　a　gonzo　journalist　in　the　grip　of　a　potentially　terminal　drug　episode　being　invited　to　cover　the　National　District　Attorneys'　Conference　on　Narcotics　and　Dangerous　Drugs。
　　There　was　also　a　certain　bent　appeal　in　the　notion　of　running　a　savage　burn　on　one　Las　Vegas　Hotel　and　then…instead　of　being　a　doomed　fugitive　on　the　highway　to　L。A。…just　wheeling　across　town；　trading　in　the　red　Chevy　convertible　for　a　white　Cadillac　and　checking　into　another　Vegas　hotel；　with　press　credentials　to　mingle　with　a　thousand　ranking　cops　from　all　over　America；　while　they　harangued　each　other　about　the　Drug　Problem。
　　It　was　dangerous　lunacy；　but　it　was　also　the　kind　of　thing　a　real　connoisseur　of　edge…work　could　make　an　argument　for。　Where；　for　instance；　was　the　last　place　the　Las　Vegas　police　would　look　for　a　drug…addled　fraud…fugitive　who　just　ripped　off　a　downtown　hotel？
　　Right。　In　the　middle　of　a　National　District　Attorneys'　Drug　Conference　at　an　elegant　hotel　on　the　strip。。。。　Arriving　at　Caesar's　Palace　for　the　Tom　Jones　dinner　show　in　a　flashing　white　Coupe　de　Ville。。。At　a　cocktail　party　for　narcotics　agents　and　their　wives　at　the　Dunes？
　　Indeed；　what　better　place　to　hide？　For　some　people。　But　not　for　me。　And　certainly　not　for　my　attorney…a　very　conspicuous　person。　Separately；　we　might　pull　it　off。　But　together；　no…we　would　blow　it。　Too　much　aggressive　chemistry　in　that　mix；　the　temptation　to　run　a　deliberate　freakout　would　be　too　heavy。
　　And　that　of　course　would　finish　us。　They　would　show　us　no　mercy。　To　infiltrate　the　infiltrators　would　be　to　accept　the　fate　of　all　spies：　〃As　always；　if　you　or　any　member　of　your　organization　is　apprehended　by　the　enemy；　the　Secretary　will　deny　any　Knowledge；。。。。　。
　　No；　it　was　too　much。　The　line　between　madness　and　masochism　was　already　hazy；　the　time　had　e　to　pull　back。。。to　retire；　hunker　down；　back　off　and　〃cop　out；〃　as　it　were。　Why　not？　In　every　gig　like　this；　there　es　a　time　to　either　cut　your　losses　or　consolidate　your　winnings…whichever　fits。
　　I　drove　slowly；　looking　for　a　proper　place　to　sit　down　with　an　early　morning　beer　and　get　my　head　together。。。to　plot　this　unnatural　retreat。
　　
　　　11。　Aaawww；　Mama；　Can　This　Really　Be　the　End？　Down　and　Out　in　Vegas；　with　Amphetamine　Psychosis　Again？
　　
　　Tuesday；　9：00　A。M。。。。　Now；　sitting　in　〃Wild　Bill's　Cafe〃　on　the　oputskirts　of　Las　Vegas；　I　saw　it　all　very　learly。　There　only　one　road　to　L。A。…U。S。　Intertate　15；　a　straight…run　with　no　backroads　or　alternate　routes；　just　a　flat…out　high…speed　burn　through　Baker　and　Barstow　and　Berdoo　and　then　on　the　Hollywood　Freeway　straight　into　frantic　oblivion：　safetly；　obscurity；　just　another　freak　in　the　Freak　Kingdom。
　　But　in　the　meantime；　for　the　next　five　or　six　hours；　I'd　be　the　most　conspicsous　thing　on　this　goddamn　evil　road…the　only　fireapple…red　shark　convertible　between　Butte　and　Tijauana。。。blazing　along　this　desert　highway　with　a　half　naked　hillbilly　mental　case　at　the　wheel。　Is　it　better　to　wear　my　purple　and　green　Acapulco　shirt；　or　nothing　at　all？
　　No　way　to　hide　in　this　monster。
　　This　will　not　be　a　happy　run。　Not　even　the　Sun　God　wants　to　watch。　He　is　gone　behind　a　cloud　for　the　first　time　in　three　days。　No　sun　at　all。　The　sky　is　grey　and　ugly。
　　Just　as　I　pulled　into　Wild　Bill's　back…street；　half…hidden　parking　lot　I　heard　a　roar　overhead　and　looked　up　to　see　a　big　silver　smoke…trailing　DC…8　taking　off…about　two　thousand　feet　above　the　highway。　Was　Lacerda　aboard？　The　man　fom　Life？　Did　they　have　all　the　photos　they　needed？　All　the　facts？　Had　they　fulfilled　their　responsibilities？
　　I　didn't　even　know　who'd　won　the　race。　Maybe　nobody。　For　all　I　knew；　the　whole　spectacle　had　been　aborted　by　a　terrible　riot…an　orgy　of　senseless　violence；　kicked　off　by　drunken　hoodlums　who　refused　to　abide　by　the　rules。
　　I　wanted　to　plug　this　gap　in　my　knowledge　at　the　earliest　opportunity：　Pick　up　the　L。A。　Times　and　scour　the　sports　section　for　a　Mint　400　story。　Get　the　details。　Cover　myself。　Even　on　the　Run；　in　the　grip　of　a　serious　Fear。。。
　　I　knew　it　was　Lacerda　in　that　plane；　heading　back　to　New　York。　He　told　me　last　night　that　he　meant　to　catch　the　first　flight。
　　So　there　he　goes。。。and　here　I　am；　with　no　attorney；　slumped　on　a　red　plastic　stool　in　Wild　Bill's　Tavern；　nervously　sipping　a　Budweiser　in　a　bar　just　ing　awake　to　an　early　morning　rush　of　pimps　and　pinball　hustlers　。。　。　with　a　huge　Red　Shark　just　outside　the　door　so　full　o