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He did that so many times, “Your Uncle Marty's calling!” I finally lost my
bike messenger's job.
Nowearlier,IhadoncetoldMarty,“Man,Iwouldlovetotryopium.”Every-
oneelse,itseemed,hadbeengoingtovisitMartyinThailand,andhewasturning
them on to opium there. But I was so broke and so strung out that I couldn't go.
So I said, “If you ever get hold of some opium, I would love to try it.”
Sooneday,whenIwaslivingoverontheEastSidewiththisguyJerrodfrom
the band Chem Lab, I got a phone call. It was Marty.
“I'm at the Chelsea,” he said. “I've got a business proposition.”
I was thinking he had gotten a bunch of heroin. He wanted help selling it all,
and we could both make a lot of money. So I went over there, and he was in his
room with Gregory Corso and Herbert Huncke. The three wise men of dope!
I walked into Marty's room, and he announced, “I've got opium!”
“Opium!” I said. He remembered that I had gotten that amount of heroin for
him, that I had once done him a favor.
Heveryjudiciouslypouredmeoutsomeopiummixedwithcognac,inalittle
glass.
Herbert Huncke was with him, and he warned Marty, “Be careful with these
kids. It's very potent. They could OD really easily.”
So I drank it down and I started to feel it a little bit. Then I asked for some
more. After a few times, I eventually got a really great buzz. Then some more
people started showing up. This tiny room was filling up with everyone, from
homeless people to fashion models. They let everyone in!
Huncke said, “Let's go get some coke!” Huncke had been doing this opium,
andhewasalreadywantingcoke.Despiteallthepeoplepartyingintheroom,we
got out and got some coke, which took us about an hour and a half.
When we got back to Marty's room, I saw that Marty was now wasted. He
waspouringtumblersofthisopiumandcognacandhandingitouttopeoplewho
had never done opiates in their lives!
JAMES RASIN
Marty had made laudanum by dissolving the opium in his cognac. He made it
very strong because he had a big habit, and he kept it in a flask for this very long
flight.
Now back when I had visited him in Thailand, I had smoked some opium
with him, and it was no big deal. But now, back in New York, he and I and a
couple of others drank almost a whole big bottle of cognac, and then he said,
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