Date: Fri, 3 Nov 1995 06:01:35 -0700
Title: Loaded, smoking gun

Now that I'm free from the eidolons of sleep I can pretty much
tell why I ran down here so quickly.  I thought Claire was dying,
but I see now it must have been the commotion which woke me, or
maybe it was Claire's psychic scream.
*ei.do.lon n, pl -lons or -la [Gk eidolon--more at idol] (1828)
1: an unsubstantial image: phantom 2: ideal.

We're sitting at one of the Biker's tables and between us, there lies the
double-barreled, double-hammer shotgun.  Claire looks at me and smiles
a somewhat troubled smile.
"I thought I was going to die!  Yeah, I guess I did.  In fact, when he
first pushed the gun under my ear and cocked it, I thought he had already
pulled the friggen trigger!  If it hadn't been for that magus mojo sister of
yours he might have taken me out, I don't know. I DO know I was scared
shitless."
*ma.gus n, pl ma.gi [L, fr. Gk magos--more at magic] (1621) 2: magician,
sorcerer.

I pick the gun up off the table and break open the double-barreled breech.
Both hammers are down, but two 12-gauge shells, live, look me in the eye.
"I checked too. Sis uncocked it, but it's still loaded to the hilt, ready to
rock-n-roll.  Shit, I'm still half-shakin'!!"  Claire's color is still even
more
pale than usual.

Just as I put the gun back down on the table, Claire stands and schrieks,
"There he is!! He's BACK!!"  She snatches the gun from the table, and in one
motion cocks both hammers and raises the piece to aim it at the front doors of
Bikers where a short levi-tee-shirt-booted-leather-gloved-black-helmeted-
skrawny-dude stands with a scared-rabbit look on his clean-shaven-blue-eyed
face.  As the gun points, Biker patrons dive to the metal deck and under tables.
They all know what's coming....BLAM!!! Smoke noise..
50-100 tiny BB pellets ricochet off the metal tables,  metal walls, metal beer
mugs, metal trays, metal floor, aluminum piano, metal bar, ping-whang-zing.
Here and there, throughout the room at least 10 cowering patrons
yell and cry out as they are pelted with one or two of the tiny lead shot.
Claire aims the gun as she steps forward, ready to pull off another round
when suddenly Sis is standing a couple feet directly in front of her.

Bikers is quiet except for the steady clear voice of Sis,
"You got him, Claire, leave it alone now.  Come on, let's check your prey and
call the cops."  Sis looks at me and says very slowly, nearly hypnotically,
"Go on, bro. Take the piece, put it somewhere... safe."
Claire gives me the gun and as I uncock it she says, "I almost
pulled on ya, Jeannie.  Shouldn't be so fuckin' brave -- or stupid..."


FRIDAYfridayFRIDAYfriday.
5th day-o-the-week.
I hope days 6 & 7 treat you well.
g-g-g-go ch-ch-chargers...

later,
d.











----------------------------------************----------------------------
Dick Ellis, Librarian
San Diego Supercomputer Center
(619)534-5171 (voice)
(619)534-5117 (fax)
dellis@sdsc.edu

        "Go Moan for Man..."
            J. Kerouac