Chapter 73

After our little tete a tete I am back in my apartment. Now I know everything, but no blubbing. However I can give you an outline. The IGBI know that THE FISH FRY is a conduit to the final act. At first they worked out that it was a sequence of notes played in ragtime that they must alter to set up the butterfly effect to stall the end of the Universe. Right. With me so far? Now that hasn"t worked by using Fats Waller or his clone, they now believe the notes should be played by another key man from the era. Me playing Errol Garner gave them a reading that was nearly right. But nearly is not good enough, spot on it has to be or, Bang! THE END. However, me appearing as myself in 1935, has queered the pitch. Or in the words of the IGBI, fucked it right up. If they didn"t need me to right the wrong, I would be vapourised. So every cloud has a silver lining. Or two in my case. One that I am needed, and two that Veronica needs me. She reasoned with them that I should be left alone, as they could have easily cloned me. My next gig with them is as Art Tatum, so I need to practice his keyboard runs. I call Artie and see if the gig on the troop ship is still on. As luck would have it he is booked as Lester Young and needs a rhythm section, Tatum would do nicely. That gives me a day and a bit to kill. I vid Red but she is on double shift as her sister, Texas, has the “Mars mist” debilitating but not terminal. That leaves Zeno, or I could use the time to visit Big Sal, but it is a long expensive way to go for a knock back. Zeno it is.

Brian has reservations and refuses to dial her.

‘What is your objection Brian? You don’t have a right to question my actions, but for the record I will hear your argument.’

‘She is a bit sudden Sir.’

‘Sudden?’

‘Yes Sir, in your face.’

‘Ah you mean not like Veronica.’

‘Yes Sir, she is the most unlike Veronica person I have the misfortune to meet.’

‘Brian, just call up Zeno, I can remember a time when you were besotted with her, because she enquired about your inner circuits.’

Zeno appears via the Holovid, as if she is in the room. You wouldn’t get this in the twentieth century. I had forgotten how beautiful she is. She has on a sleeveless vest in Illustrian silk and hot pants to match. She might as well be naked.

‘Well Joe Coolz if I live and breathe. I thought you must be dead, or at least captured by Sirens in the Sea of Tranquility.’

‘If I told you, you would not believe.’

‘You realize that the lower down my list you go the more expensive I become.’

‘How low?’

‘Very near the bottom.’

‘Why? I was number two the last time.’

‘I have my own criteria. If I relied on you for a living I would be for ever scratching around for a pot of Moondust.’

She spins full circle to show me what I have been missing.

‘I will make it up to you I have a day and a bit to kill until I join Artie for a gig on the US Nimitz.’

‘Last chance Buddy.’ The Holovid fades.

‘Told you.’ Says Brian.