AZOTUSLAND chapter seventeen

Unlike the past emails which were short, this one was a long and violent rant interspersed with soft entreaties, several psychological analysis of Jim, some of his historical mistakes, then more "what if" scenarios for their future bliss.

She seemed at times recent and at others almost like someone from his childhood. In either case she was clearly obsessed, and possibly dangerous.

She kept mentioning a portal and then went off into another tirade or entreaty.

"Okay Jim," Maugham said flatly. "Who is she?"

"I'm honestly not sure Maug. I can tell you one story, one possibility, but it isn't my favorite."

"Okay, it's fine" Maugham said hitting his knee. "Hey! It's me!"

Jim opened two beers, gave one to Maug and then laid down propped up on the long bed.

"It was just after the Jennifer Connelly debacle with Manfred."

Just then Manfred came in from the other room.

"Yes Sahib?"

Jim looked at Manfred, then at Maug then back at Manfred.

"I'm fine little buddy.How is Jennifer?"

"OH Joy of Joys!! She is both Preggers and she is doing the dance of Shiva on Matt's head!"

"Good, good Manfred...catcha later. Maug and I need to talk."

Manfred left but Jim put on a Nick Drake CD just in case and they moved out on to the small deck.

They kicked their shoes off. It was cool with a light breeze and some nice clouds.

"So are you the Portal-master?" Maugham asked.

"Ohhhhhh youuu Zoooleee-Zule.... No. I am not the Portal-master or the Key-master and keep the fucking Sta-puff marshmallow man outta my backyard."

"Okay, tell me about the dame?"

"The dame?"

"Sorry...it's a bad habit recently."

"After the Connelly incident I was, well humiliated, but also kinda charged,"
he said.

"A woman contacted on the Internet and wanted to meet for coffee. I didn't want to meet here obviously. I mean no romance can survive this building."

"Oh really, what about Renata and Rand?"

"Okay, I grant that."

"What about Roo and Peter?"

"Okay. That's two."

"What about Hans and his bicycle?"

"Can we not talk about sex so much?"

"Love and Death." Maugham grinned.

"Good. Can we get back to the night?" Jim asked after a swig.

"Okay."

"So we met for coffee in Fairfax. Damn. A rare San Andreas Pheremonic dual reaction."

"You are sure this was you?"

"Ass," Jim hissed. " Anyway, you know I never bring anyone back here unless it is damned serious. But I did that night."

"Where was I Jimbo-sabe?"

"It was a concert night so everyone was busy and distracted and the walls were vibrating like a Close Encounters Mountain under the mothership."

"Nice ref."

"Thanks"

"Well while that was going on we ended up in the Bunkhouse."

"What about Manfred?"

"You know...you remember."

"Ah, yes, you made him sleep in the theater for a month after the Connelly incident."

"Yes."

"We talked relationships, religion, spirituality and arts. We moved to the bed and talked more then things just exploded like a chain reaction over the next few hours."

"Details."

"You are such a girl," Jim said. "All I will say is she fucked me repeatedly like a wild animal who could not be sated. I think the next day I drove to the beach and slept for four hours. Henry Miller's got nothing on me"

"Tell me about tha.." Jim cut him off. "Nope sorry. A gentleman does not discuss such things. Notice I have not asked you for details about Martine and last night."

"WHa-tha!?"

"The all seeing Oz, er...well..sees all...that's why he is all seeing." Jim laughed. "Beware the man behind the curtain!"

"So why her?" Maug asked.

"I dunno. Just a possibility. She had an intensity and a cadence that is around the edges of these words we just looked at. Might be nothing. Hell it could be someone like Rodan playing a trick on me. Beware friends of over 20 years. I once plagued him with phone messages for a year from a ultra-mousy "Concerned Guy" who would pour over his lyrics and leave critiques. He was pissed when he found out it was me.

"So it could just be payback because you are deranged and like deranged people?

"The thought had occured to me."