“Oh thank you sir I guess.”

“Is there anything revolting you need that I can arrange or pay for you seem like a nice person there are certain aspects you might balk at.”

“No sir I’m real contented right now sir you see—oh—oh YEEEebob be a little kind there—I’m fine sir—just a little matter of—”

“Barton I do not think I need to know what you are doing and I fear you are about to tell me so I am going to go. Call me if anything comes up.”

“Oh very good sir okay O yoooyooHOBA—”

“Bye now Barton.”

Call disconnected.

—

See there’s two ways of doing something so that no one knows it’s happening. There is the one where you walk on tiptoe in the dark and if the lights come on you have a problem like—

Well I guess you get stabbed in the leg with an oyster knife.

But then there is the other way of doing something that no one knows is happening. Fog of crime. That is when you fill a room with light and noise and women in sequins and men in top hats and ten thousand elephants and while all that is happening and everyone is staring at the show—

You stab someone with an oyster knife.

Sometimes it’s about the modus and that is good. Sometimes it is all about process. But other times you fucking mainline your Ukrainian and the blood of your criminal associates and you just fucking do it. That is also some kind of truth.

Sometimes it is about the vision and my vision right now…

(Wham.)

That was more than a head rush. I think I just exploded out of my own face and—

I can see worlds of crime. They are all around me and I am them. I am space and time I am coffee I am cocaine I am universes. I am gods and I am—

I am Demons.

“My name is—”

Yes.

“My name is—”

Say it.

“My name is Banjo Telemark.”

Let me show you my art.

—

Ringedy ring.

I am busy being full of worlds of crime so I let it go to voice mail.

—

Ringedy ring.

Voice mail.

—

Ringedy ring RING RING RING okay fine FINE what—

O it is Sharkey.

—

It probably is not the ideal moment to take this call because I do not feel diplomatic and Sharkey, well you know: Sharkey has cause to be a little annoyed. In fairness—well if I had it to do over—

Naw I guess it would go exactly the same.

VoIP encrypted: accept y/n

“Hi it’s Jack I’m a little busy right now but go ahead.”

“Jack it’s Sharkey.”