He swims around in an unsuccessful search, chills down, walks out of the water and up the beach. Major refreshment. Remarkably warm out. Beautiful naked women emerge from the surf and walk up to him, give him one of their towels, towel-dry before him. Dryads would they be, or Nereids?

Some quality of the encounter in the dark sea has quickened something in him; it’s not the same as his usual lust, not at all. The others dress, he dresses. Up the stairway, back to the party. No time to sort it out; but some part of him remembers.…

Up top people are dancing in three rooms. Tashi and Abe are in one, doing the beach boy bounce, dance considered as a helix of pogo hops. “Been swimming?” Abe asks, panting. “Yeah. Plus a small mystical experience.” And a big mysterious conversation. Jim joins in the dance. It’s The Wind’n’Sea Surf Killers, singing their latest hit “Dance Till Your Feet Are Bloody Stumps.” Perfect.

And so the party progresses as parties do. Jim never manages to identify his oceanic love. Along about three he finds himself very tired, and unenthusiastic at the prospect of any chemical reascendance. No. He sits in a fine leather chair in the front room, where he can see the entryway. Lot of people in and out. Humphrey and Tash come sit with him and they talk about San Diego. Humphrey enjoys it because of all the deals down in Tijuana. “Of course,” Abe cries as he joins them and sits on the floor. “You should see Humphrey in Tijuana! He grinds those shopkeepers like you can’t believe! ‘Two hundred pesos, shit, you must be joking! I’ll give you ten!’” The others laugh as Abe catches Humphrey’s tone of indignation and pleasure exactly. Humphrey nods, grinning. “Sure.”

“Man, those poor people open up on a Saturday morning and see Humphrey coming in first thing in the day, and it’s like disaster for them, they know they’re going to end up selling half their stock for a couple handfuls of pesos.”

“Rather see an armed robber come in the door,” Tash adds.

“Better deal—”

“Less pain—”

“Safer—”

Arthur shows up. They sit and wait for Sandy. Quietly Jim watches Arthur, who seems the same as always. No clues there.

Chapter 26

26

Sandy, however, has only just now been able to get off with Bob Tompkins for a little conference. They retire to Bob’s bedroom with a friend of Bob’s that Sandy hasn’t met yet, and sit on a gigantic circular bed.

Eight video cameras:

Two walls of screens show them sitting cross-legged, from eight angles.

Life in the kaleidoscope: which image is you?

Bedspread of green silks. Wallpaper bronze flake. Carpet silver gray.

Oak dressers, topped by a collection of ornate hookahs:

Ceramic jars, copper bowls, woven tubes,

Six speakers play soft zither music.

A poem is a list of Things To Do.