PRINCETON HHH HASH #565.4

Date: July 24, 1996
Weather: Pensive, Pentecostal, and Pendulous
Venue: Pennington
Time: 0:52 
Set By: Throatwarbler Mangrove
Hashers: The Delay LLLama, Mike Arnone, Geezer, TFM, Wacko, I'm SO Dirty,
Tabletoes, Wrong Way, 242, Greg Boner, Pushnermaybe, Guilty by Association

Rookie: Brian Dirtyspal

Descriptions, comments, polemics, and lies:  The Warbler sent us from
deepest sub-urban Pennington past the hash iconic site of Jack and Jill's
frantic efforts to increase the population of New Jersey, to a finish at
the abandoned house in Rosedale Park. Someone knew we were finishing there,
because a letter was found pinned to the door of the house, impaled with a
six-inch spike and sealed with yellow crime scene tape. It was from the
Cuban Assassin.

Dear PH3:

        I've been worried about my old buddy A. G. Zaire lately, so I
dropped by the Belle Meade Inn the other day to see how he was doing. I
knew he was supposed to set next week, and I thought I should check him out
to be sure he was in good enough shape to do it. The Inn was closed, but I
got in easily enough through the hole in the front door that looks like it
was made by several shotgun blasts; you know the one. Despite the "Closed"
sign, the place was filled with most of the usual folks, but it was a
somber group and there was no sign of Zaire. Jorge the waiter was sitting
at Zaire's back room table, his back to the wall, and a bandage around his
head. The place reeked of ganja, and Jorge looked even more distraught than
usual. We talked in Spanish, of course, and Jorge speaks with an abominable
Portuguese accent, but I'll translate as best I can. "I don't know about
the boss," said Jorge, "he ain't been around much lately, and he's been
acting strange. In fact, he's been away so much that the fridge is filled
with Stegmaier. No one else will drink that stuff. How 'bout having a few -
take it off my hands, sort of?" I demurred, knowing well how Zaire reacts
if someone touches his Steg stash, and already feeling the effects of the
weed-saturated atmosphere. After a while, Jorge continued, mumbling to
himself with his chin tucked into his long, rancid beard, "He never even
came back to pick up them geese; we finally had to throw them out. You
know, he ain't acting natural."

        It's not clear to me what "natural" means in the context of someone
like Zaire. Remember all those years he spent in the Congo and what
happened to that pathetic Pygmy!  So, Jorge's concern strikes me as very
worrisome. For someone already so close to the edge, so disconnected from
reality, to be driven even further outside the bounds of what we might call
civilization is surely frightening. It's hard for me to imagine what a
Zaire set might be like under such circumstances. I thought I should warn
you all. 

See you Wednesday, On On!

                                       Your friend, The Cuban Assassin

Next Hashes:

#566.4  Wednesday, July 31, 6 pm, Behind Stevenson Hall. A. G. Zaire sets. 
Notify your next of kin.

#567.4 Wednesday, August 7, 6 pm, LFBB sets if there is anyone left
alive.

#568.4  WEDNESDAY AUG 14  - 6PM - ??? Sets
#569.4  WEDNESDAY AUG 21  - 6PM - ??? Sets
#570.4  WEDNESDAY AUG 28  - 6PM - ??? Sets

BACK TO SUNDAYS after AUGUST 28th - SO SOON?!?!