(Untitled)

[mynameismarlowe]

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, mid June, with the sun shining and the ocean nothing more than a brilliant blue glare in the distance. I was wearing an offensively orange Aloha shirt, khaki Bermuda shorts and a pair of worn leather sandals. I looked like I belonged in the same travel brochure that I imagined once featured the Hub

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[neptune_noir]

"Morning," Keith said, out on an afternoon walk. It had actually started out as his morning walk, but that was the island for you. Maybe he'd call it a patrol, do some paperwork, and split the difference.

He nodded at the man, and noted the unlit cigarette; you saw that a fair bit, actually. "Making it last?"

[mynameismarlowe]

I looked up at the sound of the voice. It belonged to a man older than I and he was remarkable only in the way that he was so unremarkable. Stocky and not overly tall, he was balding and nearing middle age. He looked like an ordinary guy thrown into the most extraordinary of circumstances. I wondered how he was coping.

"Afternoon," I said. "I'm saving it for a special occasion. Today's not it."

[neptune_noir]

Keith liked the way the guy talked. Had a good rhythm to it.

"When every day's a Magical Mystery Island Tour, it stops being special, huh?" Keith said, looking about the place.

[mynameismarlowe]

I laughed. It was nothing more than a short sigh but the corners of my mouth lifted. I plucked the cigarette out of my mouth and I tipped my head back and I offered the man a wide grin. The hand still holding the cigarette dropped into my lap.

I said: "It stops being special."

[gonnajumpnomore]

George Luz was doing an admirable job of resisting the urge to openly salivate at the sight of the unlit cigarette. However, just how long he could keep it up was a completely different matter. He casually shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled up to the other guy. He looked kinda home-y in a weird sorta way. Like he wouldn't have been too out of place with the guys Luz had known back home if he only had some decent clothes. It was certainly enough to merit striking up a conversation with him.

"Hey hey whaddyasay? You gonna smoke that or are you just gonna tease the rest of us poor saps with it?" Not exactly Shakespeare, but whether or not the man looked at George like he was an idiot would prove if they were from around the same time.

[mynameismarlowe]

I looked up to see the cause of the noise. It belonged to a young guy, average in build and height. He had dark hair and dark eyes and there was an air about him that made me wonder if he was a distant relation of Loki.

I plucked the cigarette out of my mouth and held it at about eye level and I stared at it hard. Then I pushed it back between my lips and I tipped my head back and offered the guy a wide grin. The cigarette dangled dangerously.

I said: "Maybe I have a sense of humor on me."

[gonnajumpnomore]

Luz laughed and shoved one hand deeper into his pocket to keep it from reaching out to just snatch the cigarette from the other guy. He wasn't that desperate. Yet. Besides, he still had a fresh batch of Triple B's as he was starting to call them. Burgess' Bible-rolled Butts. Luz thought it was catchy enough to merit a radio jingle at least.

"You're a sick sonovvabitch, even if you have a sense of humor, man. Some of us haven't seen a real smoke in months."

[mynameismarlowe]

I shrugged and the grin stayed plastered on my face. His words were like water off of a duck's back. I once again plucked the cigarette from my mouth and I once again held it loosely between forefinger and thumb.

I said: "If it's of any consolation, this is my last one. I'm saving it for a special occasion. I'll give you a hint. This isn't it."

[persian_sass]

"Not a bad look for you," Sasan said, appraising Marlowe's attire as he walked up from behind. Sure, the man might have looked like Orlando threw up on a lounge singer, but when everything around him resembled a Trader Vic's, it really wasn't so bad.

"Need a light or something?" he asked, glancing at the unlit cigarette.

[mynameismarlowe]

I nodded my greeting to Sasan and I plucked the cigarette out of my mouth before I said: "No. I'm saving it for a special occasion."

[persian_sass]

"Are you really expecting one to come along?" Sasan asked. Near as he could tell, they were few and far between, and he wasn't much of a smoker, but there had to be easier ways of avoiding temptation than sitting around with one in your mouth.

[mynameismarlowe]

It was a question that I had finally stopped asking myself about a week ago. I had a lot of practice ignoring it.

"Are you really expecting one not to?"