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At Conrad’s loft on Bond Street it’s 1:30 which is really the only ti is at work or at Ti over lunch, and fro into the loft I can see all thearound in various positions, each next to his own a at a Kenny Scharf tattoo on his bicep, Fender in lap; Conrad, our lead singer, has a kind of damp appeal and dated Jenny McCarthy and has wilted hair the color of ley’s wrapped in an elongated cardigan and playing with a Magic 8 Ball, sunglasses lowered; and Fitzgerald was in a gothic rock band, OD’d, was resuscitated, OD’d again, was resuscitated again, caned mindlessly for Clinton, modeled for Versace, dated Jennifer Capriati, and he’s wearing paja chair And they’re all existing in this freezing, screwy-looking loft where DAT tapes and CDs are scattered everywhere, MTV’s on, Presidents of the United Statesinto an ad for the new Jackie Chan movie, empty Zen Palate take-out boxes are strewn all over the place, white roses dying in an e-doll photo by Mike Kelly dominates one wall, the collected works of Philip K Dick fill an entire row in the room’s only bookcase, Lava lamps, cans of Play-Doh

I take a deep breath, enter the room casually, brush some confetti off my jacket

Except Fitz, they all look up, and Aztec i from Tommy on his Fender

"He sees-talks "The tests I gave hiht-the dials detect it," Conrad chimes in "He hears but cannot answer to your call"

"Shut up," I yawn, grabbing an ice beer out of the fridge

"His eyes can see, his ears can hear, his lips speak," Aztec continues

"All the time the needles flick and rock," Conrad ady points out, "needed to re in his head?" the three of theerald calls fro chair for one lucid moment "I wish I kneeeeew" He immediately rolls over into a fetal position

"You’re late," Conrad snaps

"I’uys an hour just to tune up," I yawn, flopping onto a pile of Indian pillows "I’ the ice beer, notice the at me "What? I had to cancel a hair appointment at Oribe tonext to an antique hookah pipe at Fitz, who doesn’t even flinch when it hits hiic Touch,’" Aztec shouts out

I ansithout trying "Pli Down Madison,’" he tosses out

"Kirsty MacColl, Electric Landlady, 6:34, Virgin"

"’Real World’"

"Jesus Jones, Liquidizer, 3:03, SBK"