The Duke and Sir Fleming, here in town as delegates of Mondo Irlando on Important Fucking Business, and right up on top that list of Immediate Concerns it says;
Contact Sinéad. Tell Her My Head's On Fire. Must Find Spirit Of Brendan Behan. Owes Me Money. The Fucker.
Earlier in the day the phone had rang. I enjoyed the vibration in the pocket for a moment, and then yeah, hi, who is it?
"Hi! So yeah, I'm gonna go do stuff, but we'll meet up later, yeah? We're gonna take you out, I'll talk to you later."
Sinéad and her friends, they're gonna take us out, is what I tell Sir Fleming. She'll talk to me later. A pause. We may well lose our minds.
"I should fucking hope so!"
So here, in Major Tom's, with the appointed hour getting all the closer, Sir Fleming's detecting that all my banter bout how no, don't be insane in the head, I ain't got no thoughts of that sort whatsoever, about how no, all those songs about "And no I won't embarrass you, by talkin bout those eyes, the blue that burns from out the frame, Sinéad" and "Yeah, the music died some time ago but I just took hold her hand regardless, and I danced with sweet Sinéad" and "Where once was nothin, less than nothing hind my smile, now sits Sinéad in Savage Purple, an I sing to her sometimes", all that was just metaphor, see, it's about Iraq, for gods sakes, he's coming to a conclusion along the lines of The Duke's done been talking out his arsehole.
"You've got thoughts in there! I see the fuckers, clear as day!"
"No!", I'm saying. "I got no thoughts! I'm thoughtless! I couldn't think a thought if my last fuck depended on it!"
"Then what's the big deal? Why all this gods-cursed anxiety? Why the yammering delirious?"
"Because why, because I dunno why, is why. I mean, if truth be told, yeah, probably I fell asleep most nights the last couple months thinkin bout something she said, so what? I used to fall asleep thinking bout John Cusack. Do I got thoughts about John Cusack? Only in Say Anything, Grosse Point Blank and for maybe a couple scenes in Con Air, you'll be aware."
Lighting a cigarette, forgetting about the No Smoking thing, putting it out with two fingertips, nodding apologetically at the barmaid, and oh, furthermore;
Article comments
1 - Bennett
Damn, there's a lot of posts hitting the BC board today, almost missed this. Thankfully my eagle eyes noted, and then remembered to follow up a few hours later when the day was winding down.
Still has a lot of momentum going right here. Very enjoyable story, you've got me tuned in, and waiting for the next installment.
Thank god BC publishes every day...
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
thank you Bennett!
i'm actually startin to get rather worried about this epic, on account of i think i'm in real danger of the kinda self-indulgence here that isn't "hilarious" or "endearing" in any way, but is in fact so far up my own arse it's bitin chunks out my tongue.
in somethin of a mental dilemma, i am.
i think previously HPW's saga was as self-indulgent as i got for any length of time outside of the journal entry things which go no further than a tiny corner of mondo irlando. this, i dunno. it's an awful lotta nothin, i fear.
3 - Bennett
Naw, stop worrying! Keep looking in the dark dank corners as you dance around the main thrust, all will be well. It's not self indulgent, it's a history lesson, a tale of grim city while struggling to maintain the Dr Jeckel of The Duke...
More please.
KFC, some of my best pukin as a child was in their honor.
Scares the hell out of me now.
I'm looking forward to whatever comes next.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
you're encouragement is much, much appreciated, good sir. i thought part four would've appeared tonight, but no, turns out it's gonna be another day or so, on account of i think i might actually got to bed tonight. three hours a night will only get a man by for so long before the head starts singin delirious in all the wrong keys.
5 - Eric Berlin
Duke -- As I saw this morning on an ep of Six Feet Under... "you can't be afraid to fail."
Which you're certainly not in any way. I applaud the ventures into new arenas. Life-critic-ing, or something.
Haven't read Part III as yet, will soon.
6 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Eric, thank you man. you help clear a man's head more than a fella this foul-mouthed could articulate at this hour.
7 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
for the benefit of anyone keeping track of this epic, it would seem that Part Four will be appearing later in the weekend, and not tonight as i had expected. thanks folks.
8 - Greg Smyth
Just caught parts 2 and 3 and have to say I'm enjoying this loads. The whole flashbacks to before, the angst and your usual brilliant grasp of the vernacular. Looking forward to part four.
And I gotta say, I wasn't kidding before, this has the potential to be something pretty special.
9 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Greg, thank you, man. i can't tell you how relieved a fella is that folks seemed to be on the same wavelength with regards the back an forth nature of it all.
part 4 is in the works...
10 - Mat Brewster
Ah Duke, a cliffhanger. I was all casually enjoying the madness of the first two episodes and still being able to enjoy my life in between. Now I sit refreshing the blogcritics main page in hopes that part IV will be up and I can see how this tale ends.
Please, dear gawd, make The Duke finnish this tale so I might find a life again.
11 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
heh, thank you mat, and my apologies for the cliffhanger. part four will arrive later in the eve, i'd wager.
12 - Bryan McKay
Fantastic writing as usual, Duke. Looking forward to part four!
13 - gypsyman
Screw how it turns out. it walks, it talks what else could we ask for. Inside and out, what it's not is self stroking and lint picking. Far above that, I'm not into watching or reading solo porn, wouldn't have gone this far if that's what this is.
Question? If Sir Ian's there what's James doing about geting any?
14 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Bryan, thank you! the fourth part should be up now, i'd wager.
gypsyman, thank you also. i supose when a fella's in the midst of it all it's hard to A - keep check on how obscure he's being with the details, and B- keep check on makin things worth readin even though, i think it's fair to say, it's a story with not much in the way of Dramatic Events! there's a few, an the main one of em i still haven't even got to yet, so to know that folks are diggin it regardless, that right there is a fairly damn pleasant sensation.
an with regards James, he's been hangin round my window all night shoutin bout how i better hurry the hell up so as he can get on with the flirtin an the shootin an the spyin.
sorry james.
15 - DJRadiohead
Duke, I love the shit out of this! At the risk of sounding way to gushing I always want to move across the pond after listening to one of your podcasts or reading one of your pieces (particularly these).
16 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
DJ, thank you! if you DO move cross the pond, just be sure an take a notebook or nine with you. amazing how many details get lost amidst the carnage.