— Man like what are you trying to, I mean what do you mean what is it it’s this Indian hat what does it look like.
— Mister Gibbs? Is it all right if I, I’ve been wearing these shirts you left here once and…
— No by all means, neck size makes you look a little cadaverous and those trousers are, where in God’s name did you get that outfit anyhow.
— Man like what’s the matter with his outfit I mean look at yours, like you’re wearing this old summer suit of somebody’s man.
— Yes well it’s all right Mister Gibbs I can’t stop to, you don’t know what time it is do you?
— It’s like ten after man I mean don’t ask me ten after what, and I mean before you go like can you leave me some coin? Like I have to go to this vietrinary before they stuff him.
— But I thought you, when I gave you that five dol…
— Five dollars I mean like that new razor I got you was like three ninety-eight and those pants were like eighteen dollars and that jacket man, I mean you’ve got all these checks in there like just tell your friend to like cash them.
— Yes well if he, if you could Mister Gibbs they’re just some dividend checks and, oh and wait this check here I meant to give you this check for the rent sixty-one forty, I think Mister Eigen said…
— Didn’t expect you to pay it all though Bast after all we…
— No no that’s all right it’s all made out and, I mean it’s really not exactly me anyway it’s…
— But who’s, who the hell is the J R Shipping Corp.
— Yes well it’s just a, just I don’t have time to explain Mister Gibbs it’s all too, if you could move your knee I just have to get that music there and…
— What this whole pile? Good Lord what’s, is this your what was it? your oratorio? No wonder you look, Bast that’s great you’ve finished your oratorio?
— No well the, the oratorio, it’s not exactly an oratorio now it’s, it’s just going to be a suite for small orchestra but it’s not exactly finished I, I’m…
— Small orchestra good God, must be enough parts here for a whole Berlioz…
— Yes but, but this isn’t it this is, this is just something else I’ve been working on so I could…
— Man like don’t let him get started I mean when he starts explaining like why he can’t do this one thing until he does this other thing he’s not doing either because there’s like something else he has to do as soon as he finishes this other thing I mean can you move your foot…
— Yes if can you just hand me that Indian…
— Better help your squaw with her blanket in back there too Bast wouldn’t want people in the street to…
— Look man I’m just going in the tub I mean where do you think I’m going.
— Oh and Mister Gibbs I meant to say if you’re going to be here if any phone calls come they may sound like business I mean they are business and…
— You mean that phone in there works?
— Yes oh and that’s something else if you can keep something hung over it, I mean it’s a picturephone and if somebody’s in the tub or anything I wrote a number down there you can just tell them to call Mister Piscator he’s a lawyer, I wrote his number down there too if he calls about a movie company called Erebus somebody called Mister Leva if you could just help me with this box here I…
— Look Bast I’ll do anything I can for you but God damn it can you take two minutes to sit down and tell me what this is all about? This business these dividend checks what’s…
— They’re in the icetray yes if you could just cash them for her I’ll try to explain it all when I get back oh and don’t let Al answer the phone anymore he…
— Al who wait look how long are you going to be gone where the hell are you going?
— It’s just, it’s something I said I’d do Mister Gibbs so I, I have to do it if you could hold the door for me…
— Yes here but listen Bast there are some other things I wanted to talk to good God no is that a hearing aid?
— Yes no Rhoda can tell you goodbye thank you Mister Gibbs goodbye…
— Good, good luck… his weight and the door’s supported one another till it shuddered back in place, — good… God.
— Man like could you hand me one of those red cups by the sink?
— With grape drink? Look will you tell me…
— Like I just want it to dip over me man I mean all this real sudsing power, like do you want to get in?
— In, the tub?
— Well like what do you think I…
— No look Rhoda I just came up here to get some work done, I thought Bast was shut up here alone writing music find all this going on and him never seen him looking worse, never saw anybody look worse what the hell was that hearing aid he’s wearing.
— Like that’s this little ear radio man I mean it’s this job he has on the side, like he writes down every record this station plays so these musicians don’t get screwed on like royalties and…
— But of what, this job on the side of what you mean he composes with that thing playing in his ear all the time?
