Sirens, page 9
the ning silent traffic through which they slid like a sleek through a
school of timid fish. ', you don't mind he said, turning back, ' not
bein' here do you? ...' He spread his hands, palms up. aina smiled. ',
it's all right. Anyway I needed to get from there for a while.' e ,
right. Goodo.' He shook his head, his thick hair like mane of some
mythological creature. ' -? He slapped ighs. ' you could come.' e seemed
ill at ease and Daina thought, Christ, he's not g to leave Maggie. Not
now. I don't need to hear that of confession.
,.:Overpasses darkened the interior even further now and then,
I-reinforced concrete clouds lifting above a metal landscape. IDaina was
on the verge of asking him if something was the tter when he blurted,
"So what did'ja think of th' last m?, 78 79 Daina stared out the window
for a moment. The traffic had slackened as they approached the Pacific.
She wondered whether to tell him the truth. As with all artists it was
often difficult to know what he really wanted to hear. Far too ma were
greedy to settle for the easy lies, the smooth alibis by which they
survived in this dreamland. What kind of person was Chris really?
Abruptly she realized the fallacy in this line of thought. Who cares
what he wants to hear, she said to herself. If he's upset by what I say,
too bad. But I won't lie to him. ' tell you the truth I was
disappointed.' ')' He regarded her impassively. '.' For just an instant
she wondered whether he was serious. ' right. I think you've done that
stuff before. And better. Songs like
"Face on the Floor", come on, it's retreading old ideas. "Barroom Blitz"
is far better and you wrote that, when? Two years ago?' '.' There was
silence for a time.
They wound down the Pacific Palisades on to the Coast Highway. ', I'm
not sorry I said any of that. You asked me and ''okay.' He waved a hand
at her. ' you said it really.' His head turned towards her.
"Cause I've been thinkin' th' same thing an' it's been hammerin' away
inside my skull.' He snorted in derision. ', th' fact is, th' new
album's goin' all t' shit an' you wanna. know why? It's th' same bloody
thing all over again. I've told those sods overn'over t' quit fuckin'
around but it does no good. We've got a balls-up anyway. Got nuthin'on
their minds.. ''d they say?' He rubbed his palms down his thighs.
"First they ignored me. Then when I didn't shut up we got into fights -
you know over dumb things like if dollies can come t' th' session which
everyone knows they can't. Hard'n'fast rule but - Christ, I put Rollie's
head through his snare drum one night last week. Took two engineers t'
separate us.' ' about Nigel? You two are such good friends ', yah
Nigel,' Chris laughed. ''s some bloody help he is. Got so much blow up
his nose, he doesn't know whether 80 yout an' every time I try t' tell
him what's what y bitch Tie sticks her nose in just like she's been th'
beginning.' He clasped his large, long-fingered front of him. ''s no
good for the bleedin' music Daina. I'm tellin' you is, isn't this mess
something your manager should be up? After all, he head went back and he
laughed sardonically. ', Benno's th' bloody instigator he is. I went to
see him ago, when all this shit came flushin' out the loo -' He into his
boot top, plucked out a joint. He lit up, offered her the joint. She
refused and he continued. '01.4e never met Benno have you? Well, he can
charm th' out of a cobra if it suits him. I know that, see? Even ',Sat
down with him, mano a mano like they say on the d, an' told him
everything. Promised he'd take care ,,"But you gotta be patient," he
said. "You know how they Chris. Volatile as hell. So it'll take time.
But you know So like a first-class berk I waited. en Nigel comes in with
th' most diabolical lyrics I've heard. I mean it sounded like he'd
cribbed all th! ideas last album an' there I am holdin' my prick an' ten
for th' sessions that can't even got off th' ground. Bloody y began to
pull into a Jack in the Box along the right the highway and Chris leaned
forward, pounding on rtition with his fists until it zipped down just
enough to shout, ', damnit, I said, the Polynesian place!' rtition slid
up and the limo swerved out into the sparse gaining speed again.
at's when th' fights started,' Chris continued as if there , no
interruption. ' mean they're all actin' like right ds. So then one night
Nigel comes to me an' tells me Benno's pissed because we're way behind
in th' studio an' don't get the bloody LP out on schedule we'll miss th'
for the kickoff of th' tour - you know how they like t'do it.
se a single just before the start of th' tour; then blast ith th' album
part way through. Business hums, babe. said, "You dimwit, if you'd done
your bleedin' job we'd 81 have th' songs t'get this thing done but
instead everyone's coppin' an attitude an' it's a complete balls-up!"
"An' you know what that bleedin' sod had th' cheek to say t, me? "Yer
right, Chris. But you're th' one's coppin' an attitude. We've got this
formula, man, an' it's bringing us a shit-load of bread every time out."
He points a finger at me. "Nobody in this band's gonna change that.
We're gonna go on makin' th' music we've been makin' until th' kids tell
us they don't wanna hear it no more an' that's thl end of it, clear?" '
They came up on a long, low, thatched structure on the sea side of the
highway. The limo slowed and stopped, waiting for traffic to clear, then
it arced gracefully, grandly into the rough gravel driveway. The
chauffeur, an older man with a jowly, pockmarked face, opened the door
for them. They got out, went up the wide dark-stained wooden steps, past
the twin nine-foot carved Tiki gods guarding the entrance. Inside it was
as dark as midnight. A light-haired woman in a green and blue sarong met
them, guiding them through the mock-thatch-walled main dining room out
on to a glassenclosed patio. A hammock was slung from the sloping
ceiling. She sat them at a table overlooking the Pacific, rolling
unendingly on to the brown beach. The spindrift, flung as if reluctantly
into the air, caught'the sun, sowing the sea with tiny rainbows,
insubstantial bridges to nowhere. Daina waited until the drinks -
combinations of rum and rich fruit juices served in hollowed-out coconut
shells - had been served. She removed the brown plastic Tiki-shaped
swizzle stick, bent it against the edge of the table. ', I have to ask
you something and it's not because I'm not interested, because I am, but
- why haven't you talked this over with Maggie?' ' d'you know I
haven't?' ' wouldn't,' she said, ' talking to me then. This isn't the
kind of thing you take a poll on.' He smiled thinly, sipped at his
drink. ''s true enough.' He put his hands flat on the table so that they
covered the menus. ' look, Dain, don't get me wrong. I love Maggie, I
really do. But sometimes, well, she just has trouble gettin' past th' -
well, you know how she feels about th' music. ust not on for her so she
a worm in th' candy jar's j e it know what I mean?' knew.
"How d'you know I will?' the swizzle stick from her, broke it in two,
shrugged. feelin' is all. An' th' truth is ...' He grinned like t's so
funny?' well, when Maggie first introduced us, I remembered t off."
embered me from where? We'd never met before.' but I knew I had seen you
somewhere. Woodstock.' laughed. ', that's crazy. There were more than a
, million people there. How could you ou were down in front, very near
th' stage, an' it's so odd, w, ' I still remember thinkin', Now where
th' hell that bird get those black jeans. I'd been lookin' for a pair
Aose since I'd come to America.' e rubbed at his nose. ' went on late
th' third day ... ay, I think it was. Yeah, yeah. There was some kinda
le with th' Airplane's management, that's right.' I don't get it.
You remember me just from my jeans?' e grinned..'Don't tell me you've
forgotten? Christ, just as broke into th' first number you stood up,
stripped off your an' -' hat's enough! I remernberv ris laughed. ' could
I forget that body?' wish I could say I was there for all the peace and
love.' e looked at her oddly. ' difference does it make why -were theref
It was a bad time for me. I was running away from everyg I didn't want
to face. All I could think of when the ds weren't playing was a piano
piece my father used to to. I went to sleep hearing it when I was
little. It always de me cry then. Afterwards, it reminded me of him.'
hich one is it?' Waurice Ravel's
"Pavane Pour Une Infante I)Uunte".' Chris nodded. ', sure. I know th'
piece. In Soho, I ran ss an old geezer. Wasted on gin all th' time but
he ght me how t'play th' piano a little. Used t'play th' 82 83 "Pavane"
all night long, cryin' inta his glass. "Quel triste," he used t'say t'
me. Quel triste. Poor bloody bugger. He ', man, Chris Kerr! I don't
believe it!' They both looked up to see a beefy, slouching individual
with a handlebar moustache yellowed around its lower edge by nicotine.
His long greasy hair was tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing a pair
of stained and faded jeans and a San Diego State sweatshirt with the
sleeves cut off at the shoulders. ' Kerr. Hey. Far fuckin' out!' His
smile was full of brown teeth and red gums. He completely ignored Daina.
' Bates. Hey, you remember, man. We met backstage in New York. The
Academy of Music - you know, now it's the Palladium. Back in, oh yeah,
sixty-six. Winter, man. You guys were nothin' then. Playin' second bill
to Chuck Berry.' ' don't think I remember.' ', sure you do.' The smile
had turned into a grin. ' Jamaican ganja. Primo stuff.'He made the
motions of smoking grass. ' know, we're right in the middle of lunch.
We're discussing .2 ', but meeting you like this,' Bates interrupted. ',
it must be karma.' He was twisting the wide leather watchband he had on.
', yeah, it was wintertime all right. Snow on the streets, colder than a
witch's tit, and you guys were nothin' over here. Now look at you.' He
put his hands on the back of a chair at a nearby table. ', I wasn't
doing much of anything then, and now' - his meaty shoulders lifted, fell
- ' the same.' He began to pull the chair over. '' a little dealin' here
and there, nothin' much but if you -' ''t do that," Chris said. ' I told
you, we're in the middle of discussing something important. If you don't
mind -' '. But hey, it'll only take a couple minutes of your time, I
promise.' He began to sit down. The chair groaned beneath his bulk. '
got a scheme I've been hatchin' for a while now. It's all worked out -'
''t you listen?' Daina could feel the tension flooding through Chris. ',
man, all it needs to get rollin' is a bit o' bread. You 84 d to bum,
Chris, I know that. just a little financin'.' t's it for you,' Chris
said. He took the man by the back sweatshirt, jerked him to his feet.
aina pushed her chair back, ran to the doorway of the ace, calling for
the manager. He appeared in a moment, a rthv-skinned individual with a
burly Mexican bouncer de him.
He snapped his fingers and the Mexican went the steps on the balls of
his feet. e manager called out something to him in rapid street nish,
and the Mexican reached out -with both bluntred hands. They gripped Mike
Bates' shoulders in a -like embrace, jerking him backwards so violently
Daina hear his teeth click. t Chris merely leaped forward, his fingers
grasping at ' chest. Daina moved towards them and, despite the ager's
sharp warning, slipped between them, wound her around Chris'. She was
very close to him, could feel his ing breath on her cheek, see his eyes,
pupils dilated wildly. ris,' she said softly, putting more strength into
her grip, him go now. Let the Mexican handle it. They have him Chris."
It sounded like the crooning a mother uses to e her child. ''ll get him
away as soon as you let go. on now.' let go reluctantly and the Mexican
hefted Bates off his hustling him out of the terrace area.
astard!' Bates called. ''t you believe in sharing the ? What's a couple
of thousand to you! You didn't act that when we blew weed back ih
sixty-six, you cock- V Then he was gone, hurtled by the Mexican through
arkness of the restaurant and out the front door. am so sorry,' the
manager said, wringing his hands. He to smile, did not quite make it.
"Stardom, eh?' he said ay of apology. ' is with you always, no? Such a
burden.' tongue clucked against the roof of his mouth as if he were
dened old woman. He reached up, slicked back his dark, hair. ' try not
to think toobadly of us. Eat. Eat! ch is on the house.' He turned,
clicked his fingers as if they castanets. The waiter appeared. loody
parasites,' Chris said as Daina led him back to the 85 table. ' meet
you once an' think you owe ' for life. Christ, but they make my blood
boil.' The food came: steaming platters of half-shelled shrimp,
thick-cut spare ribs in a glaze as bright as red lacquer, sweetand-sour
fried wonton, roast duck, fried rice; and more dri nks in their
split-coconut-shell containers. An endless parade marching towards them
until the table was overflowing and still the manager, standing in the
shadows discreetly watching over them, clicked his fingers and the
waiter arrived and k departed again and again like the sorcerer's
apprentice, staggering under his load. ',' Chris said at length,
throwing the last of the denuded ribs on to the mound he had built up.
''m in a stinkin' hole, I am.' Daina put her coffee cup down.
"You talk as if you've got no control over the situation. The solution's
simple. If you don't like it in the band any more, get out.' He looked
at her. ''s th' first thing Maggie told me.' He wiped his greasy lips on
a crumpled paper napkin. The manager clicked his fingers and the waiter
began to clear away the piles of plates. When they were alone, Chris sai
Id, ' didn't think th' two o' you would have th' same opinion. I mean
she's only a child, really.' He gestured vaguely. ''re not as naive as
all that, Dain. You know nuthin's as simple as that. Not in this life.'
' are you saying,? That you can't just walk out? Any contract can be
broken; you know that.' He said nothing, looked out the window. The blue
of the Pacific had vanished in the brilliant sun dazzle. ' I want to
know, Chris, is what you want to do.' ''mean if I had my druthers?' She
nodded. His gaze turned inward and this somehow made his face sad. Her
heart broke to see him that way. Now he was another person, totally at
odds with the brash, exuberant pop star who pranced across the high
stage to the screams of fifty thousand adolescent throats. ' dunno,' he
said after what seemed a long time. He was 86 .'I don't wanna lose th'
band. We're a team ... they're friends I've known for close t' fifteen
years. Th' hangers- e'n'go, bringin' their dope so they c'n be next
t'you. re part o' th' business, y'know, an' after a while y'get able
tpeel ' off just like leeches. They think they're an inside look but
they're not. None of us would let ' far; we're too insular.' He laughed
shortly. ' it's what makes us so weird, like inbreedin'. But th' we love
each other ... they love me more than any or dad ever did. I want all of
us t' stay together for all Yknow, us against th' world, like it's been
since th' t' - he clenched his fist and she could see the cords of k
standing out with the strain - ' know somethin's ,. I don't know what it
is but I cn feel it.' His eyes straight into hers and she felt an odd
premonitory shiver down her spine. ' it's got a life of its own, it's
already control, ready to eat us alive.' He was shaking with a of inner
tension Daina could readily understand. To her the emotional charge she
built up inside herself just she went in front of the cameras. It began
in her legs, the muscles jump and ping and when the spasms reached ees,
it was time to go. ruptly Chris hit the table with the flat of his hand
so the coffee jumped from her cup. ',' he cried, 'you what we're gonna
do? I got that bloody elephant Harley boot o' th' limo.' He grinned
broadly, the carefree boy He reached over, grabbed her hdnd in his.
''mon! gonna hit th' road!' out above the slow pearling spread of the
sea they sped the blood-red motorcycle, its bulging clear central
