Homeland

Chapter 7

Austin, TX is one of those cities that turns out to be an unlikely and distant suburb of Berkeley, a counterculture town where "Keep Austin Weird" is the citywide mantra. Of course, it's got a lot of great places to buy books, but man, Book People is a hell of a store. I visit most of these stores as a touring author, but stepping through their doors instantly turns me into a reader, and all I want to do is browse the shelves, read the staff reviews, and pick over the staff-picks. Book People is one of the stores where the urge to do this is strongest.  

Book People: 603 N. Lamar, Austin TX 78703, +1 512 472 50

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I've always done my best work at night, and I knew all the tricks -- combining careful doses of coffee, catnaps and showers to get my tortured, sleep-deprived brain to perform during daylight, while still cranking away through the vampire hours, where inspiration lurked in every shadow.

Jolu was the same, and that was one reason we got along so well. I can't count how many 3 A.M.s I'd shared with him over Skype or IM, or in person as we snuck out of the house to go dingledodie around the streets of San Francisco. So even though it was 8 P.M. when Ange and I finally finished arguing, I didn't worry about whether he'd be free for the evening.

Though I did feel a little weird as my finger hovered over his icon in my speed dial. That thing, you know it: you haven't called someone in a long time, so it's weird to call them, so you don't call them, and more time goes by, and it gets weirder...

"Marcus!" he said. There was a lot of noise in the background, clinking bottles and glasses and loud talk.

"Jolu!" I said. "Look, man, I'm sorry to call you out of the blue --"

"One sec," he said. "Let me go somewhere quieter." I heard him navigate what sounded like a busy party. "Hey dude! Long time no speak!"

"I'm sorry to call you out of the blue --"

"No, no, it's cool. It's great, actually! Nice to hear from you."

Wonder if you'll feel the same way after I turn your life upside down.

"Can I meet you somewhere? It's important."

"Marcus?" he said. "Important how?"

"Important important. The kind of important I don't want to talk about on the phone."

I distinctly heard him say Oh shit under his breath. "Of course," he said. "Right now?"

"Yeah, now would be good."

"Um." A long pause. "What about the place where you met Ange?"

"You mean --" I stopped myself. Good old Jolu. Anyone listening in wouldn't know where I met Ange. He was more paranoid than I was, and that was before I told him what was up. He really was the right man for the job. "Okay, when?"