Ballistic Kiss (Sandman Slim 11)

“The shit I’ve seen this man do,” continues Carlos. “Those Vegas hotel magician pendejos, they’d piss themselves.”

“Okay. You’re done now, thank you.”

Janet smiles at me, a little uncertain.

“Is everybody here Sub Rosa?”

I point to Carlos.

“Everyone except him. He’s a bartender.”

“Fuck you, Criss Angel. You try pouring two hundred drinks a night.”

“Who else?” says Janet.

“I dabble,” says Ray. “But I’m not really Sub Rosa.”

“You still helped save my life.”

“Yeah. You were a mess when I met you.”

Janet says, “Who else?”

I take a pull from my drink.

“Candy is the only other official Sub Rosa. But pretty much everyone here can do something . . . unusual.”

“What can you do?”

I think about it.

“Mostly, not die. I’m pretty good at that. Except for the one time I wasn’t.”

Janet looks around.

“This is amazing. All these people.”

“There’s actually a lot of people like us. Some not even human. But we don’t like to spread it around, so don’t go talking about this. Okay?”

Janet shakes her head. “Not a word. But can you show me one trick? Please?”

“Perhaps you should show her something,” says Vidocq.

Carlos says, “Yeah. Don’t leave her hanging. Do your shadow trick.”

“Yes. Please. Do something with shadows.”

I swirl my drink for a minute and set it down.

“Okay. I’m going to do this one thing and then we’re not going to talk about it anymore. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” says Janet.

I walk to a shadow at the far side of the room and step through it. Come out behind Janet.

“Boo.”

She jumps like she saw a rattlesnake.