elebrities Hecksler was； granted； of the Hollywood Squares type （if you see what I mean）； but to Porter he was somebody。 So he asked to see the pleted manuscript of Twenty Psychic Garden Flowers in spite of the abysmal outline； thereby encouraging a man who was； by the quality and content of his own written words； a palpable psychotic。 I felt that the result and his present terror； although unforeseen； were partly his own fault。
I allowed as how it was true that he could be number one on the General's hit list （if indeed the poor madman is doing anything other than cowering in drainage ditches or scouring alley garbage cans for offal at this point）； but reiterated that I thought it unlikely。 I added that he might well be caught before he could get within fifty miles of New York City even if he had decided to e after Porter； and finished by telling him that many psychotics released suddenly into an uncontrolled environment took their own lives。 。 。 although I did not say so in exactly those words。
Porter regarded me suspiciously for a moment and then said； 〃Riddley…don't take offense at this…〃
〃Nawsah！〃
〃Have you really been to college？〃
〃Yassah！〃
〃And you took psychology courses？〃
〃Yassah； I sho did。〃
〃Abnormal psychology？〃
〃Yassah； and I'se pow'ful familier wid de suicidial syndrome associated wid de paranoid…psychotic personality！ Why； dat Gen'l Hecksler could be slittin' his wrists or garglin' wid a lightbulb even while we's heah talkin； Mist Po'tuh！〃
He looked at me for a long time and then said； 〃If you've been to college； Riddley； why do you talk that way？〃
〃What way is dat； Mist Po…tuh？〃
He regarded me for a moment longer and then said； 〃Never mind。〃 He leaned close…close enough so I could smell cheap cigars； hair tonic； and the graywater stench of fear。 〃Can you get me a gun？〃
For a moment I was literally without a response…which is like saying （Floyd would； anyway） that China was for a moment without manpower。 I had an idea that he had changed the subject pletely； and that what I had heard as Can you get me a gun？ had actually been Can you get me some fun； as in ho。 Definition of a ho： dahk…skin woman who do it fo money on account of de food…stamps is gone and de las fix be cookin in de spoon。 My response was to either fall down； shrieking wildly with laughter； or to throttle him until his face was as purple as his tie。 Then； belatedly； I began to understand he really had said gun。 。 。 but in the meantime he had taken the overload in my mental switchboard for refusal。 His face fell。
〃You're sure？〃 he asked。 〃I thought that up there in Harlem…〃
〃Ah lives in Dobbs Ferry； Mist' Po'tuh！〃
He merely waved this aside； as if we both knew my Dobbs Ferry address was just a convenient fiction I maintained…that I might even actually go there after work； but of course was drawn back to the velvety reaches beyond 110th as soon as the sun went down。
〃Ah g'iss I could git you a gun； Mist' Po'tuh； suh；〃 I said； 〃but it wouldn't be no better or wuss'n one you could git yo'sef…a 。 32。 。 。 maybe a 。 38。 。 。〃 I winked at him。 〃And a gun you buy under de countuh in a bah； cain't never tell it ain't goan blow up in yo face fust time you pulls de triggah！〃
〃I don't want anything like that； anyway；〃 Porter said morosely。 〃I want something with a laser sight。 And exploding bullets。 Did you ever see Day of the Jackal； Riddley？〃
〃Yassah； and it sho was fine！〃
〃When he shot the watermelon。 。 。 plowch！〃 Porter tossed his arms wide to indicate how the watermelon had exploded when the assassin tried an exploding bullet on it in The Day of the Jackal； and one of his hands struck the ivy sent to Kenton by the mysterious Roberta Solrac。 I had all but forgotten it； although it's been less than two weeks since I put it up there。 I tried to assure Porter again that he was probably far from the top of Hecksler's perhaps infinite list of pet paranoias； and that the man was； after all； seventy…two。
〃You don't know some of the stuff he did in Big Two；〃 Porter said； his eyes beginning to move hauntedly from side to side again。 〃If those guys who hired the Jackal had hired Hecksler instead； DeGaulle never would have died in the rack。〃 He wandered off then； and I was glad to see him go。 The smell of cigars was beginning to make me feel mildly ill。 I took down Zenith the mon Ivy and looked at him （it is ridiculous to assign a male pronoun to an ivy； and yet I did it automatically…I； who usually write with the shrewish care of a French petit bourgeoise housewife picking over fruit in the marketplace）。 I began this entry by saying what a difference a day makes。 In the case of Zenith the mon Ivy； what a difference five days has made。 The sagging stem has straightened and thickened； the four yellowish leaves have bee almost wholly green； and two new ones have begun to unfurl。 All of this with absolutely no help from me at all。 I watered it and noticed two other things about my good old buddy Zenith…first； it's even put out its first tendril…it barely reaches to the lip of the cheap plastic pot； but it's there…and second； that swampy； unpleasant smell seems to have disappeared。 In fact both the plant and the soil in which he is potted smell quite sweet。
Perhaps it's a psychic ivy。 If General Hecksler shows up here at good old 490 Park； I must be sure to ask him； hee…hee！ Got twenty pages done on the novel this week…not much； but think （hope！） I am approaching the halfway point。 Gelb； who had a modest run of luck yesterday； tried to push it today…this was about an hour before Porter hopped in； looking for armaments。 Gelb now owes me 81。 50。
March 8； 1981
Dear Ruth；
Just lately you've been harder to reach on the phone than the President of the United States…I swear to God I'm getting to hate your answering machine！ I must confess that tonightthe third night of 〃Hi； this is Ruth and I can't e to the phone right now； but。 。 。〃…I got a little nervous and called the other number you gave me…the super。 If he hadn't told me he'd seen you going out around five with a big load of books under your arm； I think I might have asked him to check and make sure you were okay。 I know； I know； it's just the time difference； but things have gotten so paranoid here lately that you wouldn't believe it。 Paranoid？ Weird is a better word； maybe。 We'll probably talk before you receive this； making ninety per cent of this letter obsolete （unless I send it Federal Express； which makes long distance look like an austerity measure）； but if I don't narrate it by some means or other I think I may explode。 I understand from Herb Porter； who is nearly apoplectic （a condition I sympathize with more than I would heretofore have believed； following l'affair Detweiller）； that General Hecksler's escape and the murders which attended it have made the national news the last two nights； but I assume you haven't seen it…or didn't make the connection…or I would have heard from you via Ma Tinkerbell ere now （prolix as ever； you see…would that I could be as succinct as Zenith's faithful custodian Riddley！）。 If you haven't heard； the enclosed Post clipping （I didn't bother to include the centerfold photo of the asylum with the obligatory dotted line marking the dotty General's likely route of escape and the obligatory X's marking the locations of his victims） will bring you up to date as quickly and luridly as possible。
You may remember that I mentioned Hecksler to you in a letter only six weeks ago…something like that； anyway。 Herb rejected his book； Twenty Psychic Garden Flowers； and provoked a barrage of paranoid hate…mail。 Joking aside； his bloody escape has created a real atmosphere of unease here at Z。 H。 I had a drink with Roger Wade after work tonight in Four Fathers （Roger claims that the owner； a genial man named Ginelli with a soft voice and these odd； gleeful eyes； is a mafioso） and told him about Herb's visit to me that afternoon。 I pointed out to Herb that it was ridiculous for him to be as frightened as he obviously is （it's sort of funny…under his steely Joe Pyne Exterior； the resident Neanderthal turns out to be Walter Mitty after all） and Herb agreed。 Then； after a cert