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he called charles manson, "charlie." the old cooler closed with a wet pop. with no other immediate reply i opened the cold beer, intending to do it as quietly as possible, but, as with all noises in the desert, a surprisingly amplified crack split the dusty room. "heh heh, there ya go", he coughed. "mm hmm, 2 dollars, just like everything else 'round here." i dropped the money in an old coffee can as he stiffly ambled to the open doors. i fished for something engaging to say. coming up short i queried about the twin radar arrays we passed on the way in. "first 'un went up way back, just finished the second not more'n two months ago", he replied. i asked whether they got a lot of fighter jets in the area. still for a moment and then a tremor of thought rolled up his neck, loosening, "not s'much any more, can't figure why they built it." the wind kicked up fierce, i saw ofer and pete grab their hats.