— Like those little mushrooms man they’re packed in all this oil.
— I know it that’s what we’re using Moody’s for that red book now where the, where are all my pencils… he came up from the floor with a battered nub — damn it, what…
— Like Al was just helping you out trying to sharpen them for you man, came from the doorway where she tugged at a sleeve — I mean that electric coffee grinder somebody sent you like he thought it was this electric pencil sharpener I mean he was just helping you out…
— Yes well listen will you tell him to just, I just want to finish this while it’s still in my head, just to get this last horn part written out would you hand me that ink? And he turned with it from her reach that gaped the open shirt to find a pen and spread a scribbled sheet of score, settled on Hoppin’ With Flavor! licking the pen nib bent over the empty staves where his pen came down pausing, arching, blacking in, pausing as his face drew closer down lips parted, meeting, parting on bleats of sound gone in mere breath and the pen stopped as toes approached the score along the spine of Thomas Register of Manufacturers and clung with a prehensile twinge at plunk… plunka plunk… — Look Al I’m sorry but I’m trying to…
— Man like don’t be sorry I mean go ahead…
— Yes but your guit…
— No like go ahead I mean I’m for like everybody doing what they want to man, plunka plunka plunk…
— Look you don’t understand I’m…
— Like why not man I mean that’s how it ought to be like everybody doing what they want to do man, like I mean I’m for everybody doing what they want to do, plunk plunk plunka… — like I mean what’s that.
— What.
— Like that arrow you just made.
— What this? It’s a diminuendo don’t you, you read music don’t you?
Plunk — like why do I want to read music man I mean I play music, like that’s what music is isn’t it man? I mean I play my own music what do I want to like read it for.
— Oh.
— Man like I play what I feel I mean not what some other cat writes for me to feel… plunk plunk plunka — like I mean I’m not one of your cats that has to sit down and play what some other cat hears I mean I make my own sound man… plunk.
— Yes well, fine but look I’m trying to…
— And like Al says he might bring the Gravestone up here to practice like only they can’t get a booking because they don’t know anybody like you just have to know somebody, I mean like maybe you could help them out man you know? Like I mean anything you want you always can get it because like you know everybody but like anything they get they have to like get it by theirself you know?
— Yes but, no but even if that were true I don’t think any connections I might have in music would…
— What because their name’s the Gravestone? I mean like you ought to change that anyway man like you can’t just keep going around being this Gravestone that doesn’t know anybody you know?
— Then like come up with one…
— Man like there’s four of you I mean you’re this whole cemetery like if you can’t come up with one how can he get you this booking man, like time is money I mean what about Chairman Meow like I mean did you go to Jersey?
— Like, what day is it.
— Man like how do I know what day is it I mean if you went to Jersey it’s like Thursday right? She stooped back to the tub, came up tossing sandals — I mean like hurry man, like tell him I mean don’t offices close like?
— Yes well, what time is it they usually…
— It’s like five of.
— Five of what.
— Man like how do I know five of what, I mean it’s like five minutes of something but you hang this big office wall clock from your business over there with like all those boxes stacked up I mean after three o’clock nobody knows what time it is till like nine I mean come on man every day this vietrinary keeps him there it’s like four dollars I mean hurry up wait leave me some reds… They paused past 24–12 Oz Btls Fragile! — man like what’s this, coke? I mean wow… she came on, shuddering the door back into place on the flap of sandals down the dark, returning slowly past the rush of waters pulling the shirt closed far enough to thrust the envelope into its pocket and let it fall free again pushing the guitar off on the pile of mail and sitting, feet up toes snubbed on H-O — I mean they give Al this real hard time at Jersey and Connecticut man, like they make him go over there and sign all the time like they won’t even mail him his checks you know? Like here at New York they mail him it only then he has to like spend all this New York welfare just to like go get this welfare off Jersey and Connecticut I mean just like you man.
— Like what do you mean me just like me what…
— Man like this business job you’ve got only you’re going around with that radio thing stuck in your ear all the time for this other job listening to these songs like you think you have to write down every song they play I mean just make up a list man, like I mean I’ll make up a list for you.
— Look I’m just doing it became I’m trying to get something else done here and why you think Al is, I mean if he worked like other people and…
— Come off it man like other people I mean like who, like I mean somebody’s getting paid to be this weather forecaster someplace telling you fair and warm while you’re like up to your ass in this blizzard I mean like who does anything man, I mean somebody gets a job and like the first thing they do they try to figure out how to not do it I mean look at you man, like this business job with all this mail and calls and these presents like only you’re up all night trying to make this four hundred dollars writing this music for some band that’s getting this money free to play it? Like I mean what’s the difference if you get help off that and Al gets it off this welfare, I mean like you’re both in music and like you weren’t even very nice to him man.
— Yes but, but look can’t you…
— I mean he brings his guitar all the way up here to talk about music and you won’t even talk to him.
— Yes but look can’t you see I just want to get this finished and then I can…
— Man like finish it who’s stopping you I mean everybody’s like trying to help you out, I mean like I’m taking in all these packages and like answering the door to these cops and Indians and every…
— But what, wait what Indians who…
— Like man either he was this Indian or he had this deviated septum like my brother had one I mean like I tell him to get lost and he says he already is lost and like this Treasury Department cop looking for your friend Grynszpan and these telephone calls, I mean just writing down all these telephone calls man… legs gaped and the shirt fell wide with her reach to 12–38 Oz Btls Won’t Burn, Smoke or Smell for a torn brown paper bag — I mean here…
— Yes well, look thank you but if Al hadn’t broken that attachment that took them down on tape you wouldn’t even have to ans…
— I mean that’s what I mean like I mean you say maybe it can be adopted to like tape something off your ear radio so Al tries to help you out and when you’re like trying to tape this Bach thing it breaks so you blame him when he’s only trying to…
— Yes all right it doesn’t matter look what’s, what does this say General who? He held out her pencil markings on the brown paper, — Ball?
— Balls Boll I mean how do I know like that’s what I said General who and they said General some company like, and like there’s this other general, like council something.