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there was really no choice： We would have to run the gauntlet； and acid be damned。 Go through all the official gibberish； get the car into the hotel garage； work out on the desk clerk； deal with the bellboy； sign in for the press passes…all of it bogus； totally illegal； a fraud on its face； but of course it would have to be done。
〃KILL THE BODY AND THE HEAD WILL DIE〃
This line appears in my notebook； for some reason。 Perhaps some connection with Joe Frazier。 Is he still alive？ Still able to talk？ I watched that fight in Seattle…horribly twisted about four seats down the aisle from the Governor。 A very painful experience in every way； a proper end to the sixties Tim Leary a prisoner of Eldridge Cleaver in Algeria； Bob Dylan clipping coupons in Greenwich Village； both Kennedysmurdered by mutants； Owsley folding napkins on Terminal Island； and finally Cassius/Ali belted incredibly off his pedestal by a human hamburger； a man on the verge of death。 Joe Frazier； like Nixon； had finally prevailedfor reasons that people like me refused to understand…at least not out loud。
But that was some other era； burned out and long gone from the brutish realities of this foul year of Our Lord； 1971。 A lot of things had changed in those years。 And now I was in Las Vegas as the motor sports editor of this fine slick magazine that had sent me out here in the Great Red Shark for some reason that nobody claimed to understand。 〃Just check it out；〃 they said； 〃and we'll take it from there。
Indeed。 Check it out。 But when we finally arrived at the Mint Hotel my attorney was unable to cope artfully with the registration procedure。 We were forced to stand in line with all the others…which proved to be extremely difficult under the circumstances。 I kept telling myself： 〃Be quiet； be calm； say nothing。。。speak only when spoken to： name； rank and press affiliation； nothing else； ignore this terrible drug； pretend it's not happening。。。There is no way to explain the terror I felt when I finally lunged up to the clerk and began babbling。 All my well…re…hearsed lines fell apart under that woman's stoney glare。 〃Hi there；〃 I said。 〃My name is。。。ah； Raoul Duke。。。yes； on the list； that's for sure。 Free lunch； final wisdom； total coverage。。。。why not？ I have my attorney with me and I realize of course that his name is not on the list； but we must have that suite； yes； this man is actually my driver。 We brought this Red Shark all the way from the Strip and now it's time for the desert； right？ Yes。 Just check the list and you'll see。 Don't worry。 What's the score here？ What's next？〃
The woman never blinked。 〃Your room's not ready yet；〃 she said。 〃But there's somebody looking for you。〃
〃No！〃 I shouted。 〃Why？ We haven't done anything yet！〃 My legs felt rubbery。 I gripped the desk and sagged toward her as she held out the envelope； but I refused to accept it。 The Woman's face was changing： swelling； pulsing。。。horrible green jowls and fangs jutting out； the face of a Moray Eel！ Deadly poison！ I lunged backwards into my attorney； who gripped my arm as he reached out to take the note。 〃I'll handle this；〃 he said to the Moray woman。 〃This man has a bad heart； but I have plenty of medicine。 My name is Doctor Gonzo。 Prepare our suite at once。 We'll be in the bar。〃 The woman shrugged as he led me away。 In a town full of bedrock crazies； nobody even notices an acid freak。 We struggled through the crowded lobby and found two stools at the bar。 My attorney ordered two cuba libres with beer and mescal on the side； then he opened the envelope。 〃Who's Lacerda？〃 he asked。 〃He's waiting for us in a room on the twelfth floor。〃 I couldn't remember。 Lacerda？ The name rang a bell； but I couldn't concentrate。 Terrible things were happening all around us。 Right next to me a huge reptile was gnawing on a woman's neck； the carpet was a blood…soaked sponge…impossible to walk on it； no footing at all。 〃Order some golf shoes；〃 I whispered。 〃Otherwise； we'll never get out of this place alive。 You notice these lizards don't have any trouble moving around in this muck…that's because they have claws on their feet。〃
〃Lizards？〃 he said。 〃If you think we're in trouble now； wait till you see what's happening in the elevators。〃 He took off his Brazilian sunglasses and I could see he'd been crying。 〃I just went upstairs to see this man Lacerda；〃 he said。 〃I told him we knew what he was up to。 He says he's a photographer； but when I mentioned Savage Henry…well； that did it； he freaked。 I could see it in his eyes。 He knows we're onto him。〃
〃Does he understand we have magnums？〃 I said。
〃No。 But I told him we had a Vincent Black Shadow。 That scared the piss out of him。〃
〃Good；〃 I said。 〃But what about our room？ And the golf shoes？ We're right in the middle of a fucking reptile zoo！ And somebody's giving booze to these goddamn things！ It won't be long before they tear us to shreds。 Jesus； look at the floor！ Have you ever seen so much blood？ How many have theykilled already？〃 I pointed across the room to a group that seemed to be staring at us。 〃Holy shit； look at that bunch over there！ They've spotted us！〃
〃That's the press table；〃 he said。 〃That's where you have to sign in for our credentials。 Shit； let's get it over with。 You handle that； and I'll get the room。〃
4。 Rude Music And The Sound Of Many Shotguns。。。Rude Vibes On A Saturday Evening In Vegas
We finally got into the suite around dusk； and my attorney was immediately on the phone to room service…ordering four club sandwiches； four shrimp cocktails； a quart of rum and nine fresh grapefruits。 〃Vitamin C；〃 he explained。 〃We'll need all we can get。〃 I agreed。 By this time the drink was beginning to cut the acid and my hallucinations were down to a tolerable level。 The room service waiter had a vaguely reptilian cast to his features； but I was no longer seeing huge pterodactyls lumbering around the corridors in pools of fresh blood。 The only problem now was a gigantic neon sign outside the window； blocking our view of the mountains…millions of colored balls running around a very plicated track； strange symbols & filigree； giving off a loud hum。
〃Look outside；〃 I said。
〃Why？〃
〃There's a big 。。 。 machine in the sky；。。。some kind of electric snake。。ing straight at us。〃
〃Shoot it；〃 said my attorney。
〃Not yet；〃 I said。 〃I want to study its habits。〃 He went over to the corner and began pulling on a chain todrapes。 〃Look；〃 he said； 〃you've got to stop this talk snakes and leeches and lizards and that stuff。 It's making me sick。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 I said。
〃Worry？ Jesus； I almost went crazy down there in the bar。 They'll never let us back in that place…not after your scene at the press table。〃
〃What scene？〃
〃You bastard；〃 he said。 〃I left you alone for three minutes！ You scared the shit out of those people！ Waving that goddamn marlin spike around and yelling about reptiles。 You're lucky I came back in time。 They were ready to call the cops。 I said you were only drunk and that I was taking you up to your room for a cold shower。 Hell；the only reason they gave us the press passes was to get you out of there。〃 He was pacing around nervously。 〃Jesus； that scene straightened me right out！ I must have some drugs。 What have you done with the mescaline？〃
〃The kit…bag；〃 I said。
He opened the bag and ate two pellets while I got the tape machine going。 〃Maybe you should only eat one of these；〃 he said。 〃That acid's still working on you。〃 I agreed。 〃We have to go out to the track before dark；〃 I said。 〃But we have time to watch the TV news。 Let's carve up this grapefruit and make a fine rum punch； maybe toss in a blotter。。。where's the car？〃
〃We gave it to somebody in the parking lot；〃 he said。 〃I have the ticket in my briefcase。〃
〃What's the number？ I'll call down and have them wash the bastard； get rid of that dust and grime。〃
〃Good idea；〃 he said。 But he couldn't find the ticket。
〃Well； we're fucked；〃 I said。 〃We'll never convince them to give us that car without proof。〃 He thought for a moment； then picked up the phone and asked for the garage。 〃This is Doctor Gonzo in eight fifty；〃 he said。 〃I seem to have lost my parking stub for that red convertible I left with you； but I want the car washed and ready to go in thirty minutes。 Can you send up a duplicate stub？。。。What 。 。 。 Oh？。。。Well； that's fine。〃 He hung up and reached for the hash pipe。 〃No problem；〃 hesaid。 〃That man remembers my face。〃
〃That's good；〃 I said。 〃They'll probably have a big net for us when we show up。〃shook his head。 〃As your attorney； I advise you not to about me。〃 The TV news was about the Laos Invasion…a series of horrifying disasters： explosions and twisted wreckage； men fleeing in terror； Pentagon generals babbling insane lies。 〃Turn that shit off！〃 screamed my attorney 〃Let's get out of here！〃 A wise move。 Moments after we picked up the car my attorney went into a drug a and ran a red light on Main Street before I could bring us under control。 I propped him up in the passenger seat and took the wheel myself。。。feeling fine； extremely sharp。 All around me in traffic I could see people talking and I wanted to hear what they were saying。 All of them。 But the