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Escape from Spiderhead & More

Escape from Spiderhead/Exhortation

Spiderhead disturbing story. A chemical drip is inserted into subjects. One of the substances added to the blood stream makes main character fall in love.  He has sex with a couple of women under the influence of the drip. Drip shut off, love disappears. To "check" that the drip works properly, they then have main character decide which girl will receive the "drip from hell," a chemical causing depression and suicidal actions.  Main character doesn't care, but they give the drug to one of the girls anyway. She seems to kill or come close to killing herself.  Our main character, appalled by the life he's being forced to live, gives himself a dose of the "Darkenfloxx." He has a vision of the craziness of life:  are murderers, at birth, murderers? Had they chosen their path of harm or was it foisted upon them?  He has a moment, apparently, when he could save himself, but he chooses to (apparently) die rather than return.

Exhoratation

Memo from boss tells workers to keep at it, whatever it is, because they need to do their best.  They seem to be involved in some murderous cruelty; they seem to be in danger of becoming the victims rather than the perpetrators.  The "bosss" exhorts them in language that distorts, rather than carries, meaning.  Kafka.

Al Roosten

Fund raiser. Al is part of show for LAUGHKIDSOFF CRACK.  He gives his performance, thinks it's fine, but then Larry tells him not to worry, that everyone will forget about his fiasco within a week.  Al slips out early, then kicks Larry's keys and wallet under the risers. Leaves in a hurry. Lots of speculation on what would happen if . . . if he returned and "found" them . . . about the wild boys who are his nephews . . .  about his dysfunctional sister . . . Family history:  Al:  "Everyone is calling me bossy and fat. Plus they say I'm sneaky."  Mom:  "Well, Al, you are bossy, you are fat. And I'm guessing you can be pretty sneaky."  He thinks about Mom watching him from heaven, then performs for her . . . becomes friend of Donfrey .  . . confesses he kicked the keys and wallet under . . . mind goes off into world he wants to exist . . .

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