LOST HIGHWAY

by Zac Funstein

  “You have come about the additive I believe. Don’t reply because I know this to be true-I was only going over earlier how we were nervous about its inclusion.”

  The Hexagon had been under Fábio Ribeiro Oliveira then when the decision to include the Baskumed with the Glauconite had been taken. Fábio had a temper like you could not believe as well as a ‘hit-squad’ that were ready to remove you if Oliveira was really annoyed. Although admittedly the disappearing of someone only came after deep provocation with several warnings thrown in for good measure.

  His decision having been taken in the matter that the aging would be more even as a result of its addition-now that was settled all that needed to be done was to post the letter (either e-mail was not in existence or some adherence to the conventional variety was held).

  Well, Leonardo was glad they had managed to come to some agreement. Had they not come to this conclusion then the agent would not have been, at that very instant, dropping the letter into Harold Gickers ( the sign of the old owners had not been removed) via the letter box. Cavalcanti would not have stood, thus, viewing aforementioned aperture nor have raised the squeaky cast-iron flap with the cast-iron knocker above it.

  His gloved grasp ( it had been the middle of winter) closed hard upon the letter at the very last instant—ah, not too late. But what would come of it?

  And there, with the letter yet on the precipice of the drop Cavalcanti called up again the entire situation, the identity of those concerned, the jeopardizing—no, the possibility of the wrecking—of his future career by this chance discovery of this unusual substance. If Fábio took especial annoyance it could even be a visit from some hostile henchman. Why hesitate, why procrastinate? It came to him in a whirl: If Leonardo acted quickly now,—took the leap reckless of result what of it. It was wished that Bridgita Martins Goncalves was here; her persistent, yet not unsympathetic, detachment that permits Bridgita to study the situations until the perfect balance/adjustment are reached was what the doctor ordered.

  Leonardo knew if letting go watching it fall was an option then his agency would do so deliberately, with full weight of what this was about-with full understanding of the consequences. One could not afterward excuse oneself by saying that one had been confused, excited, acting upon an unreasoned impulse. No; it would be deliberate, deliberate, deliberate. Cavalcanti would have to live up to that decision, whatever it was, for many months to come, perhaps for years. Maybe like the Baskumed it would age him albeit smoothly. Perhaps,—who could say?—perhaps it might affect his character permanently. In a crisis little forces are important, disproportionately so. And then it was, and thus it was, that Leonardo took his resolve. Raising the iron flap once more, then saying aloud with a ring of defiance in his voice: ‘I don't care,’ the emissary loosened his hold upon the letter. The sender heard it fall with a soft rustling impact upon the accumulated mail-matter already there.

  A short while later Cavalcanti received the reply with a stamped legend across its cover informing with dreadful terseness that the party to whom the letter was addressed was deceased. Fábio was dead but his passing had not been in vain the Baskumed had been accepted.

  What actually was going through Rory as they made for their next rendezvous wasn’t the biggest problems associated with open office plans are pretty obvious: noise, interruptions, plus a lack of privacy but where the term ‘Consistory’ comes from.

  From the end of the middle ages owing to the increasing number of cases to the more complicated procedure, the popes appointed for each case either a cardinal or one of their chaplains, sometimes a bishop, to arrange for the suit, hear the evidence of the litigants (hence the term auditor), then make a report to the pope, who would give his decision personally or in a Consistory. It had been members of the Consistory they were going to meet Cavalcanti had told him briskly leading them like a visiting party.

  Standing in the shade of the dull passage it was like beholding the atrium of a Roman house, that is roomy yet rich to a fabulous degree of magnificence. How large the chamber was cannot be stated, because of the deceit there is in exact proportions; its depth was vista-like, something never to be said of an equal interior that was certain.

  Cavalcanti was mumbling about Sweden-leastways somebody met from there. That guy was a little bit frustrated. Saw all these systems that we have in our society, for example when it comes to health care/ social security and so on, seemed this disgruntled person was against these. There was some sense that if you take care too much about people in your society they will be a little bit spoiled, or whatever-least that is how it was for him.

  On one side of this open-space sat a tall, flashy, rather Mephistophelian man whom had seen from time to time in the Senet-room as well as elsewhere. On the other side sat Jiří Švec. They made a queer contrast in that open office, Jiří sitting haggard in that hat/cape, which nowhere at any season had anyone seen him doff regardless of the weather, plus this other, this keenly vital man (whom it was later learnt was called Vojmil Novak), at sight of whom one more than ever wondered whether he were a diamond merchant, an international playboy, or the CEO of a missing person agency. Novak seemed to combine the tall, aristocratic bearing of the upper classes –with the resourceful cunning of a streetwise rogue. Betancourt was sure Jiří didn't want his company since it seemed a certain hostility real or otherwise emanated from him; but asked, as it /would have seemed brutal not to, whether Rory might join him, thus the one so requested took the chair opposite to his.

  “I am sorry to have to disappoint you my friend but I do not believe the artificial ager was ours.”

  “But it contains both the Baskumed plus the Glauconite!”

  Švec rushed to the speakers defence.

  “Vojmil has presented papers on his work in signal reconstruction/recognition at international conferences in Paris as well as Tokyo. His years of comparative idleness enabled him to revise the Arcadia, to complete the Defence of Poetry, The Lady of May,Astrophel/ Stella. This is someone who knows both of those you mentioned very well too well. ”

  “I was just making an observation Švec that is all-it wasn’t a slight or criticism. ”

  “Like Bonnard the great artist, Vojmil is an obsessive reviser, unable to step away from the canvas then declare the picture complete.We spent a while putting the substances together that you mentioned. We both were there when they first came out-we tried everything whatever

  flip flopper you can come up with. Then we came up with the rake didn’t we Novak?”

  ”I don’t like calling it that but I suppose you could give it that tag-it sounds unpleasant somehow.”

  This seemed to cover a multitude of sins- deposits by gamblers that went to the poker companies as revenue, were known as the ‘rake’. There was the interchangeability with a comb too-the more traditional synonym-a mothers entreaty to her son before leaving the house. Indeed this seemed to concern Jiří too.

  “Having mentioned the word rake, I must say something on that subject, because young people too frequently, always fatally, are apt to mistake that for a man of pleasure; whereas, there are many more morphs of rake in general.”

  Rory seemed to warm to this though for Betancourt it meant only machine gun fire began raking the ranks of enemy soldiers that had attacked him during his national service.

  “We found the fake aging of the denim occurred much more evenly when we raked the Glauconite with the Baskumed-it has a striation appearance. Various alternatives were attempted but this seemed to be the one that suited our needs.”

  “You’ve checked the Prince Rupert sample I see.”

  “It was Andreas S. Lauridsen that did the trick for us as always.”

  What Andreas possessed in spades was respect that bordered on veneration from these men Rory was to find afterwards. No one else seemed to know what made them happy. This was like a dad who when everything was going wrong could make everything warm/comfortable again-this was who held the key to their well-being. Wha
t happened to their veneration, no one would venture to guess.

  In Mrs. Cappello's bio, Andreas came across as a complete, complex individual: In addition to being an innovative physician, Andreas was an amateur painter, a nonsmoking prohibitionist who never took drugs of any description. The Catholic Church, however, is neither a multinational corporation nor a modern democracy as Lauridsen seemed to depict.

  “I wish you could know just how much energy was expended coming up with this, but when we tried this it was better than any alternative. In tests we found that no equal existed remotely.”

  “I’m sure somewhere that Andreas asserted that neither chaos nor destruction was an object to him as a searcher of knowledge, —neither would have vogue in Canada, —neither would help him to a career.”

  “That’s why Mr. Lauridsen moved now I understand.”

  “In his first catechetical instructions,Andreas commanded us catechumens not to divulge anything to any infidel, but if it can help you find our nemesis then that is acceptable surely-no one can criticize that.”

  Although Rory Vega Betancourt sensed his desire to create arcade games using recycled cardboard at his Dad's used auto parts store rekindled at the mention of the meeting-point the decision was taken to let Albert L. Eriksen take over. This seemed to be more Albert’s territory somehow. Albert-’the knight of the closed vizor’ as called on account of his reservation of his talent for only a unique clique of his choosing. Eriksen radiated charm, talked brilliantly, told racy stories with verve, played cards gambled, pursued ladies zealously but had a knack too of getting to the core of everything. The lines in his craggy feature were even deeper than they had been when first met him. They had all been through a lot this past year both.

  “Where is this arcade that I am to meet Jonas F. Schultz then?”

  Schultz was a Hexagon employee with a penchant for video. A clandestine meeting had been agreed with initially Betancourt then when Eriksen was taking over with this personage too. Although Albert had been suspicious at first.

  “The shooters aren't particularly well maintained which is being charitable, the internal mechanisms are varied levels of jiggly/ dysfunctional. Some of the older games really show their age due to neglect of proper maintenance but Mortal Kombat Devotion seems to be where prefered for reasons better known to Schultz himself.”

  Jonas began to flick through his smartphone.

  “That’s what it is like, but where is this joint?”

  “Hidden in the garment district. This is a dump, but its not over-run with teenagers to give credit where credit is due. In fact the outhouse is filled with pool tables plus flat screen tv's all playing Spanish language baseball games.”

  “Ah here we are-found it-knew it was here somewhere.”

  Albert begins to read a review:

  “For all the fellow gamers with Peter Pan syndrome, this is a legit arcade with old school games (street fighter pacman car racing simulation) air hockey. It's kinda a Boys club /predominantly male local after work crowd here so if you're a bunch of girls may be an interesting experience without a doubt if you're the slightest bit a hypochondriac or kinda OCD like myself; bring tons of pocket sanitizer anyway. Not sure how often or when the games /joysticks have been last cleaned. Compared with other arcades in town it's a nostalgia trip.”

  “I believe I went there once. Yes, it's true, it's a member of a bygone era. If you grew up with these games you'll notice that some of your childhood favorites are here. Mortal Kombat is still alive kicking- you can still order the comic book on CD if you write to the address on the screen. Whether you will get that comic book remains to be seen but I wouldn't try if I were you.”

  Albert who was never into comic books so missed this nuance replied:

  “Sounds like its an okay meeting locale Rory-somewhere you won’t get flustered if the person is late?”

  “Some of my early favorites were here it definitely sparked-what was the phrase the review used- nostalgia. It's grimy as all hell but it's not overrun by youth with a capital ‘Y’. The setting is kinda greasy too - kind of like if you were riding the Metro- they had video games onboard or Paulie from Rocky whatever staggers in the arcade then throws something.”

  The get together with Jonas was characterised by an excessive/ even undue respect for authority/authoritarianism it was noted. Cllr Joe Vunne was concerned at what appeared ‘to be an undue haste’ in putting the scheme into operation, but admitted exigencies probably demanded it. Anyone who continues to look at the new environment from an outdated perspective will become embroiled in excessive/ undue worries Betancourt stressed.

  Eriksen went to where the meeting was arranged anyway-trying to appear as discrete as possible. It wasn’t difficult there were a lot of similar DOM about too. Probably some plain-clothes trying to get the ring-leader of some nonce-gang.

  Still, even at its most sordidly suggestive, playing Guitar Axe Hero/ Dance Dance New Revolution always seemed to Albert to return to each character’s personal maelstrom of loyalty, competition, loneliness plus grief although this might be reading too much into it.

  A distinguished man like the character ‘Bigger’ from ‘Sex or the City’ or a movie actor like Cary Grant introduced himself.

  His plastic name-badge advertised Jonas F. Schultz which having been noticed was removed clumsily as if its presence had not been recognised duly wiped with a tissue then put in his top-pocket as if something of value.

  “An interesting environment Mr. Eriksen I believe you’ll agree. Are they artists, pranksters or techno-saboteurs these BSc’s that design these noisy consuls? I noticed your resume I lived in Brooklyn once too! The Brooklyn Bridge and other city tourist attractions have long proved irresistible to dare-devils/ self-proclaimed artists.”

  “It is dangerous it is true-I cannot say more-here would be closed before I had finished.”

  His informant scribe Austin C. Connolly often got the chore of reporting ‘jumpers’ but got fired. Worse than practicing bad journalism, Austin C. Connolly seems intent on achieving what can only be called a tour de force of pitifulness his editor said. Austin’s big laughs obsession with New Jersey plus his almost pitiful fascination with Western mores got him another job eventually.

  This wasn’t concerning Albert anyway more but the noisy Guitar Axe Hero game that was being played. The electronic drone was sensory disorientating to say the least-an unending succession of thrill-ride, theme-park experiences in miniature.

  “Pardon my almost shouting but those games are so loud that you have to talk extra loud to be heard. I checked the figures you sent but I’m certain it wasn’t our company that made the artificial aging scrub. Now you’re going to ask what makes us so certain Albert.”

  “I wasn’t but anything that can make my wading through all this easier will assist greatly. There’s one of you for each Hexagon verticice. Novak is down now you. Do you know any other Baskumed makers?”

  “I like how you say that like it was a noble craft like perfumers. But there is no arcane lore or league of gentlemen. They just cobble everything together like us-there’s no pride any more.”

  Albert decided to chill out. ‘This is the best cinema experience I have had in a while, I'm a filmmaker living in Los Angeles where filmic experiences are state of the art/ epic,’ said his friend Henry M. Gustafson who had come to capture some old-school vibe.

  This is the way cinema should be for always forever; Emanuelle flicks that were little more than goofy showcases for rampant eroticsm could take a running jump. It was unique, it was special it's charm is like something out of another time when people went to the movies so it meant something. There wasn’t crud everywhere. The cleanliness plus old school decorations make the entire experience enjoyable.

  In the movie a summer cottage, rendered interesting by its neat simplicity, plus the beauty of the surrounding scene was coveted by a youth who eventually became a monk; considerable additions were necessary to make it a comfortable family res
idence but this St. Limbeck resolved to do. The monk who later married (this was perhaps irresponsible but certainly unfair since, so far as the world was concerned, Limbeck was a perfectly blameless young man) still retained an affection for the building, which was so important to his youth, so that when it was purchased would not suffer any of it to be removed, but commenced rather on an improvement so that the new domicile, adapted to the style of the old one, formed with it only a simple elegant residence. The taste of Madame St. Limbeck was conspicuous in its internal finishing, where the chaste simplicity was observable in the furniture, as well as in the few ornaments of the apartments, that characterized the manners of its inhabitants. As foreseen from a woman of such monumental self-centredness frivolity, a firm desire to remain childless lead to St. Limbeck seeking a divorce in the final reel.

  What St. Limbeck evinced that was really interesting from Eriksen’s viewpoint was a wish to retain some internal structure. One of those potential interviewees (one of the few left those left) who were called Luimbec Ogden (which was slightly similar) was really anxious that the Glauconite would have its power (its inner worth) diminished by the addition of the Baskumed.

  Luimbec when met brought one home to how a well-dressed gentleman's wardrobe is marked by a distinctive continuity; once a person has developed an understanding of the underlying codes of classic style they are assured of dressing in style- classic timelessness is theirs.

  “Yeh we had trouble you might make as per an observation,” exclaimed Ogden when cornered on this. ‘How can you take pleasure, whenever it is possible, in casting such slurs upon a woman, whom but yesterday you called blameless, charming, peerless?’ said my co-worker Alberto A. Delapaz. We had earlier likened these compounds we take for granted to people, that is of a certain gender.”