| [00:03.56] |
William S. Burroughs |
| [00:06.23] |
Kurt Cobain |
| [00:52.95] |
"Fight tuberculosis, folks." “ |
| [00:55.36] |
Christmas Eve, an old junkie selling Christmas seals on North Park Street |
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The "Priest", they called him |
| [01:03.97] |
"Fight tuberculosis, folks."“ |
| [01:11.82] |
People hurried by, gray shadows on a distant wall |
| [01:15.86] |
It was getting late and no money to score |
| [01:19.50] |
He turned into a side street and the lake wind hit him like a knife |
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Cab stop just ahead under a streetlight |
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Boy got out with a suitcase |
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Thin kid in prep school clothes |
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"Familiar face," the Priest told himself, watching from the doorway“ |
| [01:43.27] |
"Reminds me of something a long time ago." “ |
| [01:47.17] |
The boy, there, with his overcoat unbuttoned, reaching into his pants pocket for the cab fare |
| [01:55.57] |
The cab drove away and turned the corner |
| [01:58.45] |
The boy went inside a building |
| [02:01.95] |
|
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The suitcase was there in the doorway |
| [02:08.47] |
The boy nowhere in sight |
| [02:10.70] |
"Gone to get the keys, most likely, have to move fast."“ |
| [02:15.04] |
He picked up the suitcase and started for the corner |
| [02:18.37] |
Made it. Glanced down at the case |
| [02:21.88] |
It didn’t look like the case the boy had, or any boy would have |
| [02:27.05] |
The Priest couldn’t put his finger on what was so old about the case |
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Old and dirty, poor quality leather, and heavy |
| [02:38.69] |
"Better see what’s inside."“ |
| [02:41.17] |
He turned into Lincoln Park, found an empty place and opened the case |
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Two severed human legs that belonged to a young man with dark skin |
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Shiny black leg hairs glittered in the dim streetlight |
| [03:00.34] |
The legs had been forced into the case and he had to use his knee on the back of the case to shove them out |
| [03:07.97] |
"Legs, yet," he said, and walked quickly away with the case“ |
| [03:13.49] |
Might bring a few dollars to score |
| [03:21.04] |
The buyer sniffed suspiciously |
| [03:23.72] |
"Kind of a funny smell about it."“ |
| [03:26.40] |
"It’s just Mexican leather." He shrugged“ |
| [03:31.05] |
Well, some joker didn’t cure it." |
| [03:34.05] |
The buyer looked at the case with cold disfavor |
| [03:38.09] |
"Not even right sure he killed it, whatever it is“ |
| [03:42.04] |
Three is the best I can do and it hurts |
| [03:45.23] |
But since this is Christmas and you’re the Priest…" |
| [03:50.30] |
He slipped three bills under the table into the Priest’s dirty hand |
| [03:59.09] |
The Priest faded into the street shadows, seedy and furtive |
| [04:05.01] |
"Three cents didn’t buy a bag, nothing less than a nickel |
| [04:08.60] |
Say, remember that old Addie crooker told me not to come back unless I paid him the three cents I owe him |
| [04:16.70] |
Yeah, isn’t that a fruit for ya. Blow your stack about three lousy cents." |
| [04:25.44] |
The doctor was not pleased to see him |
| [04:28.28] |
"Now, what do you WANT? I TOLD you!"“ |
| [04:31.66] |
The Priest laid three bills on the table |
| [04:35.08] |
The doctor put the money in his pocket and started to scream |
| [04:38.83] |
"I’ve had TROUBLES! PEOPLE have been around! I may lose my LICENSE!"“ |
| [04:44.46] |
The Priest just sat there, eyes old and heavy with years of junk, on the doctor’s face |
| [04:53.87] |
"I can’t write you a prescription."“ |
| [04:56.30] |
The doctor jerked open a drawer and slid an ampule across the table |
| [05:01.71] |
"That’s all I have in the OFFICE!" The doctor stood up“ |
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"Take it and GET OUT!" he screamed, hysterical“ |
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The Priest’s expression did not change |
| [05:14.36] |
The doctor added in quieter tones |
| [05:17.24] |
"After all, I’m a professional man, and I shouldn’t be bothered by people like you."“ |
| [05:22.92] |
"Is that all you have for me? One lousy quarter G? Couldn’t you lend me a nickel or…?"“ |
| [05:30.81] |
"GET OUT, GET OUT, I’ll call the police I tell you."“ |
| [05:33.82] |
"All right, doctor, I’m going." |
| [05:40.90] |
Of course it was cold and far to walk, rooming house, a shabby street, room on the top floor |
| [05:48.04] |
"These stairs," coughed the Priest there, pulling himself up along the bannister“ |
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He went into the bathroom, yellow wall panels, toilet dripping |
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and got his works from under the washbasin, wrapped in brown paper |
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back to his room, get every drop in the dropper |
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He rolled up his sleeve |
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Then he heard a groan from next door, room eighteen |
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The Mexican kid lived there |
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The Priest had passed him on the stairs and saw the kid was hooked |
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But he never spoke |
| [06:25.12] |
Because he didn’t want any juvenile connections |
| [06:28.35] |
Bad news in any language |
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The Priest had had enough bad news in his life |
| [06:35.92] |
He heard the groan again, a groan he could feel, no mistaking that groan and what it meant |
| [06:43.97] |
"Maybe he had an accident or something“ |
| [06:47.06] |
In any case, I can’t enjoy my priestly medications with that sound coming through the wall." |
| [06:53.98] |
Thin walls you understand |
| [06:56.81] |
The Priest put down his dropper |
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cold hall |
| [07:00.81] |
and knocked on the door of room eighteen |
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"Quien es?" |
| [07:07.73] |
"It’s the Preist, kid“ |
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I live next door. |
| [07:11.27] |
He could hear someone hobbling across the floor |
| [07:14.92] |
A bolt |
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slid |
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The boy stood there in his underwear shorts |
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eyes black |
| [07:22.40] |
with pain |
| [07:24.12] |
He started to fall |
| [07:25.83] |
The Priest helped him over to the bed |
| [07:28.47] |
"What’s wrong, son?" |
| [07:30.41] |
"It’s my legs, señor，“ |
| [07:32.23] |
cramps, and now I am without medicine." |
| [07:36.24] |
The Priest could see the cramps |
| [07:38.31] |
like knots of wood there in the young leaning legs |
| [07:42.76] |
Dark shiny black leg hairs |
| [07:46.96] |
"A few years ago I damaged myself in a bicycle race“ |
| [07:50.55] |
It was then that the cramps started." |
| [07:54.06] |
And now he has the leg cramps back |
| [07:56.89] |
with compound junk interest |
| [08:00.98] |
The old Priest stood there |
| [08:02.96] |
feeling the boy groan |
| [08:06.65] |
He inclined his head as if in prayer |
| [08:09.54] |
Went back and got his dropper |
| [08:12.37] |
"It’s just a quarter G, kid."“ |
| [08:14.90] |
"I do not require much, señor."“ |
| [08:23.45] |
The boy was sleeping when the Priest left room eighteen |
| [08:28.05] |
He went back to his room and sat down on the bed |
| [08:32.80] |
Then it hit him like heavy silent snow |
| [08:38.01] |
All the gray junk yesterdays |
| [08:42.25] |
He sat there received the immaculate fix |
| [08:47.17] |
And since he was himself a priest |
| [08:50.87] |
There was no need to call one |
