RING RING—“O hello is that the Grand Kircheisen Palast? Yes this is Søren Welk yes Welk—W E L K—yes. Yes I understand you have an excellent view of the—yes of the valley and the mountain and the cable car station O it is that close? That is wonderful you could walk that how lovely—well I am organizing the—ah yes quite so you have already heard from the school very good Mr. Telemark is quite emphatic—yes of course we will keep the children away from the pool quite so but—no I cannot tell you but I assure it is just aniseed oil it will—it will—oh very well since you insist it will form an olfactory imprint of a text Banjo has written it will be almost impossible to distinguish although theoretically a person might follow all the trails and map it to read the text although as a practical matter no human really has a sufficiently astute sense of smell so it both exists and does not—yet of course you see quite so yes—no I appreciate that you run a very dignified hotel and that your present register includes a lady of some age who has taken the whole top floor yes quite so we will not trouble her—no no it is quite harmless to animals I assure you in fact I believe some even quite like the—yes quite so do not worry for one instant I am entirely cognizant there will be no harm to the dog I can assure you. No indeed I understand entirely leave it with me I will instruct the children to utmost respect—”

Loud Banjo Telemark playing the fool.

Quiet Doc in the background moving her chess pieces.

And Mrs. Van der Zee laughing at us both and thinking I do not see her.

And that is fine.

—

Big boots like a cavalry officer and jeans by Yamamoto and a midnight sou’wester coat borrowed from Bruno in the Black House, which still has Z-Vat and what I suspect is Charlie’s lip gloss on the zip fastening. The coat is so much bigger than I am that it comes off my shoulders and I am basically wearing it like a cloak like a medieval tabard and I am on my way to steal the ducal hat of Burgundy—I love this country I honestly do ANYWAY anyway I am working now I am focused like a razor on the neck I am in the zone—I am in Bruno’s coat and an aqua shirt that is mostly undone and I have a cane with a rat skull on the top which I am motherfucking TWIRLING yes twirling like music hall like Fred motherfucking Astaire.

The Banjo is IN.