We are here because Elena Riccardi comes here with her husband twice every month and she is coming tonight and aside from being a really good amateur golfer and obviously some sort of fish fetishist she is also according to Mr. Friday the true and only software designer for Die Festung at Kircheisen.

—

Doc says:

“Charlie you have experience in this culture—”

“I what now?”

“You are polyamorous Charlie you put it on the website—”

“Boss lady! That is not this! This is like a whole scene. It has scene-y-ness and rules and stuff that I cannot possibly know. Sure I mean sure I advocate and accept the boning and adoration of more than one person within a consensual and acknowledged frame of emotional and sexual rules toward a fulfilled but unbounded sense of self but this is just WEIRD—”

“In fact this is only unusual you do not know weird until you have had sex with Price—”

“Doc this is not something we need to—”

“Really boss lady what—”

“Well for example he recently asked me to give him a subdermal tracheal stent—”

“DOC THAT WAS PROFESSIONAL yes I asked about it in bed but that is not—”

“It was undeniably weird though and I was postcoitally nude at the time—”

“Van der Graaf lady calls my conversation weird—”

“Hush you will arouse me—”

“Van der Graaf van der Graaf van der—”

“ENOUGH Price enough be professional Charlie—”

“Yes quite right Doc. Charlie be professional we are on a clock here the lady in the fish suit is waiting—”

“What I’M the one wasting—no never mind—FISH SUIT BOSS Jesus how can I put this in Jacktalk let me see yeah okay yeah I am an expert in coffee right and these people they are buying and selling pork belly and I do not know one fucking thing about what turns on their pork belly horn okay? What the fuck ever is going on over there with that sashimi—this is not my universe okay?”

“Fine we’ll just busk it how hard can it be?”

Doc does not even bother to reply.

—

“ROCKS AND WAVES AND DISHY FISHY—”

Walk across the floor. Smile. Swerve and turn. We are moving through the crowd we are browsing taking it in we are—

“I do not want to know what is happening with that mackerel sir—”

“COLD SALT WATER HOT SEA LIONS—RAAAWR! O BABY RAWWWR—”

I do not know this band they are kinda Elle and the Pocket Belles but dirtier and more oceanographic I will guess they are bespoke.

“RAWRRR PENGUIN PENGUIN PLEASE BE GENTLE—”

“Hi— O I’m sorry I did not meant to intrude—”

“WHEN YOU’RE REALLY FISHY SPENT YOU’LL—”

“That is fine just fine don’t worry about it—”

“May I say that you look lovely in that fish suit—”

“Thank you this is my husband Oscar—”

“MIGHTY HUNTER SALT SPLASH SPLISHY—”