Chapter 16

<You seem to have taken California in disgust.>

This conversation began in the den of the house I bought from a suddenly unpopular band member of a one hit wonder group that blamed their fall from grace on the bass player. They were right ... wasn’t even a decent garage band. How they ever dubbed a multimillion seller, I’ll never know.

The saving grace?

I got Theo’s house ... it’s not lake front ... but it has its own private beach.

And a boat.

“California in disgust? High taxes, corrupt government and everything has been deemed hazardous to my health. Everything ... including sunlight, water, meat, vegetables and life. It’ll kill me someday.”

<Everybody dies.>

“Yup ... I’ll have another slice of prime, please. As soon as I polish it off, I’m going to lay out and finish tanning the white spots, making sure I stay hydrated and dip a few carrot sticks in Ranch dressing ... Fuck you California.”

<It’s Hollywood.>

“How is it their fault?”

<They’ve convinced the US that movies are the real world.>

“Yeah...

“ ... Wait ... aren’t they?

“Doesn’t every cowboy play the guitar? Ride palomino horses and wear a half a ton of silver mounted leather.

“You ... mean ... it’s fake?”

<You have the watch ... go see.>

“Go with?”

<Why not?>

They discorporated.

Disgusting.

Seven said, “Let’s go.”

She took my hand.

“Wind the watch.”

Six of the seven said, “Nope ... ain’t going.

“Staying here.

“Laying out.

“Sailing the boat.

“Cruising for girls.

“Here now ... I’ll be looking for guys.

“Either works.”

Western Nevada had some of the best producers of gold and silver in the world. During the war, non-essential mining was shut down by Federal Decree allowing the miners to register for the draft. Gold is non-essential. There are three hundred thousand mining features in Nevada. mines producing thousands of ounces were shut down. The electricity used to power air and water pumps was diverted to essential war industries. Scrappers raided closed mines and stripped salvageable materials useful for the war effort. Mines flooded. Mines gathered unbreathable gasses. Wood rotted, landslides caused by unstable tailings collapsed structures and covered workings. People moved away, seeking employment, or were drafted and never returned. Locations, never great, were lost. Other tracts of land were requisitioned by the military. Mercury and acids poisoned the land and water. Most of the closed mines never reopened. The watch took us to 1859 and the great discoveries of silver and gold.

It was there that I discovered that MAN is a dirty animal.