Michael Rothenberg

 

"...musical training is a more potent instrument than any other,
because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward
places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting
grace, and making the soul of him which is rightly educated
graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful; and also
because he who has received this true education of the inner
being will most shrewdly perceive omissions or faults in art
and nature, and with a true taste, while he praises and rejoices
over and receives into his soul the good, and becomes noble
and good, he will justly blame and hate the bad, now in the days
of his youth, even before he is able to know the reason why;
and when reason comes he will recognize and salute the
friend with whom his education has made him long familiar."
Plato's REPUBLIC III

IV
MUSIC CITY

 

The Crusaders arrive in Music City at sunset.

The Drum Palace towers shine bright pink above Music City.

"Can you believe that! That's where Queen Harmonia lives" Patsy says. "Exactly like a drum."

"P-pink." Laser says. "Very p-pink."

"All that glitters is not gold." Bubba says.

"Maybe we should go see Harmonia now," Patsy says, fluffing her bouffant.

"She's probably in bed," Bubba says.

"21 Disco Street. Bilkan's house is where we're going." Walter Blue says.

Bubba waves down a clown in a purple suit riding a unicycle.

"Which way to Disco Street?" Bubba says.

The Unicyclist circles and his suit turns green. His red rubber nose glows on and off as he peddles.

Dawg sidesteps nervously.

"North or South Disco Street?" the Circling Unicyclist arms jerk to maintain balance.

"I don't know," Walter Blue says.

"Then it must be North Disco." The Circling Unicyclist rolls back and forth in place. "Take Blues Road to Jazz Street. Then go one block further to Rock Street. At Rock Street make a right and go one block. That's Disco Street. North Disco Street."

"Thank you, Mr. Clown," Patsy says.

"C-Cool," Laser says.

The Circling Unicyclist rides off.

As they walk down Blues Road, the night is fresh and sweet with sounds of drums, flutes, tambourines and bagpipes. Kids on skateboards playing saxophone whiz by. Organ grinders with dancing monkeys sells harp shaped pizza slices. They all eat pizza. Walter Blue buys a double scoop chocolate raspberry dream swirl ice cream cone with toasted almond sprinkles. Al Dreemer should be here, he thinks. The monkey taunts Dawg. Dawg neighs!

The Crusaders travel one block beyond Jazz Street to Rock Street and make a right on North Disco Street.

North Disco Street is a quiet and dark residential street. Each house is the same, with one wrought iron planter box in every yard, illuminated addresses on brick facades and green halogen security lights that turn on and off as they look for Bilkan's.

"N-Number 21," Laser says.

The door to the modest brownstone opens slowly, automatically.

"It's been a long time, Walter. I've been expecting you." Bilkan is a tall, nice looking man with sharp features and uneventful corporate clothes and hair.
"'Expecting us'?" Walter accepts Bilkan's embrace.

"Nobody goes anywhere without Jahlms knowing about it. Come on in."

Laser leans over to Patsy. "This m-might not be such a good idea."

"Excuse me," Bubba says. "Got any idea where I can put a horse?"

Bilkan presses a button. The garage door opens.

"A sink, a bucket, and horse feed," Bilkan says. "Help yourself."

Bilkan's living room is like a museum with richly polished hardwood floors, Kithara rugs, crystal bowls, and Coronach Dynasty vases. There's an original painting by Tecla above the fireplace. And a landscape by Hammerson Plithe above the purple velvet sofa.

"I hope we aren't causing you any trouble, Mr. Bilkan," Patsy says.

"I'm afraid the trouble is yours."

"H-here we go," Laser says.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you in," Bilkan says. "If Jahlms wanted you dead you'd be dead already."

"So much for surprises," Walter Blue says. "So you're one of them."

"If you like."

"I didn't want to believe it."

"It's a living."

"And living well," Patsy says, looking around.

"If you're ever going to get anywhere in life you've got to be able to adapt. I learned to change. I'm fashionable in that way."

A teapot whistles.

"Oh!" Bilkan says. "I forgot the refreshments!"

Laser admires the antiques. Patsy chews on her thumb and fiddles with the crystal candy dish full of fancy mints. Walter thumbs through Silent Futures, an investment magazines, and thinks about Bilkan when they were kids. Bilkan's hair, perfectly combed, dark brown and shiny to his waist, never a strand out of place.

Bilkan returns with a tray of tea, tea sandwiches and cookies and places it on the mahogany coffee table.

"What else could you want?" Bilkan says. "Hospitality with a smile!"

"What about our heroes?" Walter Blue says. "The kidnappings. What about Stella Bright?"

"What about Stella Bright?" Bilkan says. "Tea, cream, sugar?"

"She's disappeared! Dead or locked up somewhere in one of your prisons."

"They aren't my prisons. And Stella Bright isn't in prison. She ran away along with the rest of your heroes."

"Ran where?" Walter Blue tosses Silent Futures on the table.

"Out west, where they all go."

"N-now what?" Laser says. "If you're not g-going to turn us in, are you g-going to help us?"

"You have two choices. Help us or go home." Bilkan hesitates. "Cookie?"

Bubba comes in.

"I hope you found the equestrian accommodations adequate, Mr. Jones."

"More than adequate," Bubba says. He sits on the plush velvet sofa beside Patsy, and grabs a handful of tea sandwiches.

"Help Jahlms?" Patsy says.

"Yes, help him find The Drums of Grace."

"Now I'm confused" Bubba says. His mouth is full.

"The Drums of Grace are some kind of super-drums that belong to Queen Harmonia. She hid them somewhere. And Jahlms is convinced they're the source of music on earth."

"B-Bizzarre," Laser says.

"Jahlms is bizarre," Bilkan says. "But he's not stupid."

"Even if we knew where the Drums of Grace are, what makes Jahlms think we're gonna help him?" asks Patsy.

"Maybe you won't," Bilkan says. "That's what Jahlms wants to know. Every crusader gets a chance to help him."

"If they don't?" Bubba's face reddens.

"If you don't help you go home, but if you continue on your journey doing whatever it is you are doing then you will be killed."

"Now hear this, Cousin," Walter says. "We're not here to help Jahlms."

"We all hear what we want to hear. Musicians, singers, songwriters, producers, they all saw it happening, Jahlms didn't make a secret of his intentions. He wanted music and paid a pretty penny for it. Everyone sold out willingly," Bilkan says.

"Music isn't for sale!" Walter Blue says.

"Easy for you to say now, cousin, when there's no music to sell."

"You're an opportunist!"

"And you're not? Lawyers who manipulate the law without conscience in the name of Liberty!"

"But Jahlms' purpose is only to destroy music. I have no intention of destroying Liberty."

"Jahlms is clear in his purpose and so am I, unlike you Walter, you've never known who you really are. If you wanted to be a musician why did you become a lawyer?"

"I never wanted to be a musician!" Walter Blue lowers his eyes.

"We each hear what we want to hear. Business is business. You have to learn to improvise."

"If Queen Harmonia had done her job. . ." Patsy says.

"Poor Harmonia." Bilkan says. He sips at his tea, pinky in the air. "The buck stops at the Drum Palace."

"We'll stop Jahlms!" Bubba says. He stands and raises a cucumber and butter sandwich in the air.

"You must learn to accept reality, Mr. Jones. This is the natural course of our evolving society," Bilkan says.

"You're a cynical man," Patsy says. "And not very happy. And by the way, your mints are stale."

Bilkan chuckles.

"There's been music from the beginning of time. From the first roll of thunder," Walter Blue says, "And there will always be music, as long as I live."

"As long as w-we live," Laser says.

"What-ever," Bilkan says. "Once Jahlms finds the Drums of Grace, he finds The Music of the Spheres! It's an interplanetary thing. He has The Militia and you have nothing. Jahlms is invincible."

"No one is invincible, " Walter Blue says.

"That may be so," Bilkan says, "but you don't stand a chance if you go on with this idealistic, juvenile, mid-life madness. As for me, it's past my bedtime. The early bird always catches the worm. I hope we have a chance to talk about the old days some other time."

Bilkan face is frighteningly ageless. He begins cleaning up dishes and t-cups. There is one sandwich left. He offers to Bubba.

"Thanks," Bubba says.

"Think over what I said." Bilkan says. "If you want to talk with Jahlms I can arrange that. I hope you make the right decision. There is a room upstairs for each of you. And by the way, you might want to look around town. Music City is quite beautiful."

The four of them stand motionless in the living room and watch Bilkan disappear into the kitchen. Walter knows none of them are in a sightseeing mood but his rallies the group. Figures it can't hurt to go out and explore the city. Maybe, he thinks there are clues out there, that will help them.

Down the road, not far from Queen Harmonia's Drum Palace is Entertainers' Quarter, a star-shaped district with five major entrances. At each entrance there's a sculpture of a musical instrument surrounded by a fountain of dancing waters. As they walk into Entertainers' Quarter, they pass a 60 foot high, silver and gold speckled marble clarinet, surrounded by foamy orange water.

"D-Delicious," Laser says.

"Got a coin?" Patsy says to Bubba.

Patsy turns to the fountain and closes her eyes. She wishes she were home. She opens her eyes and throws the coin into the froth.

Citizens of Music City fill Entertainers' Quarter. They laugh, sing and dance in the streets.

"Let's try that!" Patsy says. She swings her great red blazing mane towards a neon marquee for The Andicali Inn featuring Buddy Lee Randolph, Jim Filbert, and Bobby Trump.

Inside, Buddy Lee Randolph, a country boy sings and plays electric guitar, a rolling blend of country and blues. Jim Filbert, a native of Seraphim City, plays saxophone. Filbert licks the reed and blows. The drummer, Bobby Trump, flails his arms like an electrified octopus.

Bubba takes Patsy onto the dance floor.

A lanky woman in high heels, blue jeans, and white tank top, takes Laser by the hand. He dances with his guitar on his back. He always keeps it close.
Walter Blue orders a beer. A bourbon and a beer. He swings his barstool around and watches his fellow crusaders tearing up the dancefloor, and is somewhat pleased with himself for getting everyone this far. He watches people dance, glowing creations without faces or names thrusting and swinging, pulsing and floating, rolling, and flashing in a transcendental strobe ether.

The bartender brings his drinks. Walter Blue swings back around, sees himself in the mirrored bar top. He notices a few more gray hairs. He leaves them alone.

"Hey, let's boogie!" A woman with long black braids grabs Walter Blue, pulls him to the dancefloor. Walter doesn't resist.

He imagines himself at the center of a snowy sea, boundless and abundant in life. A whale rises and sings. Penguins skim through icy waters, pursued by speckled sea lions. A shark attacks a sea lion. He's a sea lion, pursued by a shark chasing a penguin. The woman with black braids looks at Walter through ecstatic eyes. He sees her running naked through a forest of orchids, draping vines, and ancient fig trees. She stops to take a golden fruit. Bites into the fragrant flesh. Her insides soaked in sweetness.

They keep dancing. Then the woman with black braids drifts away from Walter and the dancefloor, and disappears into the crowd.

Suddenly Bubba and Patsy appear. Cheeks aglow. "Let's check out another place." He leads them out of the Andi Inn.

"O-over here," Laser says. He leans into an open door, his face flickering with multi-colored lights. "Th-they got all k-kinds of sounds in here."

"The Mockingbird Lounge," Patsy says, "Sounds like home."

Laser fuses into the crowd.

Bubba and Patsy take a table by the stage.

Walter heads for the bar and another beer.

 

Onstage, Iced Coffee, a thick necked, barrel bellied rapper, in a silver and green- sequined, oversized sweatshirt with matching baseball cap, low hanging pants, and black sequined sneakers, steps onto the stage.

Uppity up, hippity hop, used to be tip top Music city
Now you go downtown, you wear a frown, slow down
Down sounds, some yo meet, once so bright, played so light
On the street, they ain't so nice, impolite, ain't so witty
It's a pity, they can't hear it, can't clear it, they just fear it
Day, night, do be do, two, three, what do you see?
Jailbird in the lockdown tree he used to sing for free
But Jahlms don't like it, and he won't like it
Cause I can't hack it, The Bully's Racket
But Jahlms don't like it, and he won't like it
Cause I can't hack it, The Bully's Racket…"

The crowd goes wild as Iced Coffee bows off the stage. Bubba is waiting for him, invites him for a drink.

Laser circles the room, checking out the wildlife. He joins up with a family of Heavy Metal folks from an entirely different tribe. He takes his guitar from his shoulder pack so they can admire it.

Another band begins to play. The lights shift from red to blue. Jazz trombonist, bass guitarist, and drummer speak to each other through their instruments, an intelligent and funky conversation.

Stella Bright is alive. Walter Blue thinks. But why did she run? Why didn't she come to Music City?

Patsy taps Walter Blue on the shoulder.

"Brooding again?" she says.

"Am I?"

Patsy signals the bartender to bring another round.

"I want to take Jahlms down." Walter says.

"Here's to heartbreak," Patsy raises a bottle of Dixie Queen Lager to her lips.

Laser joins them.

At the other end of the bar, Bubba and Iced Coffee hit it off, drinking beers and talking about music as if music could never end. They talk about the Bully's Racket and Queen Harmonia.

Iced Coffee tells Bubba it's a Music City historical fact, "The Drums of Grace are what keeps music alive." Iced Coffee has been rapping since he was in diapers, knew his tradition, and told his story with pride.

Bubba is impressed with Iced Coffee. He feels Iced Coffee could add something to the mix. He brings him over to meet the others.

They share their stories, exchange information, and make a plan to meet in the morning and demand to see Queen Harmonia.

Laser, Bubba, Patsy, and Walter Blue, full of resolve, still high from the music laden night and beers, head back to Bilkan's house on North Disco Street.

Bubba drapes his arm around Patsy.

He sings, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

They approach the corner of Blues Road and Rock Street where they run into three Militia Thugs beating up on a street musician.

Walter didn't know the Militia was in Music City.

"Help! Somebody! I'm dying!" A washboard, banjo, harmonica, and synthesizer lay scattered on the ground around him.

Bubba charges Militia Thug #11.

Laser removes his guitar from its pack, turns it toward the moon, then plucks a single note. A translucent rhinoceros emerges from the note and thunders into Thugs #27 and #243, knocking them down. The beast vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

The street musician vanishes like the rhinoceros, leaving his instruments behind.

 

 

Bubba is overpowered by Thug #11.

Patsy picks up the washboard, bangs it on the head of Thug #11. The Thug releases Bubba and turns to grab Patsy. Bubba leaps onto the back of Thug #11 and rides the sinewy creature like a bucking bronco.

Thugs #27 and #243 still reel from the charge of the rhinoceros.

Walter Blue lunges at Thug #243. He tears an eye out of its cyborgean head. The Thug's face sparks.

"One d-down," Laser says. He's knocked to the ground by Thug #27. His guitar flies from his hands and slides across the pavement, slamming against the door of the Save-Mor Music Store.

Thug #27 lifts Laser in the air, and throws him through the window of the music store.

Cymbals crash.

Walter tackles Thug #27.

"Hell," says Patsy. She reaches into the back pocket of her blue jeans and removes a Jaw Harp. She places it between her teeth and plucks it. The twanging resonates against the steel body of Thug #11, mesmerizing it with a hypnotic stream of chants and prayers. It's metal parts bend and fold, break down into a pile of iron ore, limestone and coal, at Bubba's feet.

Walter Blue ponders the alchemical nature of Patsy's harp. Every instrument and every player has it's own manifestation, he thinks.

Thug #27 catches Walter in his reverie and attempts to pin him to the ground but Patsy plays her harp again and another Thug returns to the primary elements from which it came, dissolves back into the earth.

"Tell Jahlms," Walter Blue says to Thug #27, "this is the beginning of the end."

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