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  Anarchists and heads of state being defined these days as natural enemies, Lew by this logic became the natural gumshoe to be taking aim at Anarchists, wherever they happened to pop up in the shooting gallery of day-to-day history.

* * * * * * * * * *

There it is explicit. Everybody assumes, since Lew was Ferdinand's handler, that he's pro the rich and powerful while anti the poor and working class. So Nate sent him to the Anarchy meeting expecting that Lew couldn't sympathize with people he found disgusting and so would learn some intel that would help stop them in their fight against their employers. But it probably works the other way too. If anybody at the meeting recognized Lew as somebody who has been seen around town with the foreign leader, they'll automatically assume he's trying to infiltrate the movement. But all that other stuff I said about Line 104 is the part of this that's unstated. By saying that it's hanging out with the Archduke that caused everybody to think he's the enemy of the working class, Lew is suggesting that it isn't true at all. As we've seen, he's actually gained sympathy for the movement by attending the meeting.

So his job as handler of the Archduke has led to another job to keep an eye on the Anarchists simply because of the assumptions made about the job he was paid to do. As if somebody being paid has to believe in the work they're doing! If that were true, nothing would ever get done in America!

I'm not saying people should be taking jobs they find unethical! I'm just saying you don't have to love feeding people hamburgers just to throw a fucking slab of meat on a grill at Burger King. I guess it helps though. Man, I'd love to get off on feeding people hamburgers! I'd be king of the King, slinging Whoppers while singing and dancing.

Man, I just wish I loved doing anything as much as I love doing absolutely nothing.

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 Look after one royal, everybody starts making assumptions.

* * * * * * * * * *

Okay, okay! I made my own assumption as to what happened because of the Austrian Archduke! This clarifies the "it" a little more (although not yet spelling it out). "It" must be the way people are now treating Lew because he was the handler of Franz Ferdinand. Perhaps it's the way they reveal their true terrible natures to him, thinking, "This guy hangs out with the rich and powerful so he must hate poor people too!" Or maybe people just assume Lew is rich now and expect him to buy drinks down at the corner bar.

Sometimes there are benefits to reading a book one line at a time and considering carefully every line. And then sometimes there are moments where a line is just building up to the next line and I really should read more before I open my stupid mouth (via my stupid typing fingers).

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 It must have been that Austrian Archduke.

* * * * * * * * * *

This is the first sentence after an asterisked break from the last scene. Without further context, I'm guessing the "it" refers to Lew's suddenly sympathetic attitude toward the workers and anarchists. After spending so much time up close to a rich and powerful man who treats people in the world as his play things and hunting prey, Lew has begun to see the world differently. The rich aren't making the world a better place, no matter how many jobs they create or how little they give to charity while making as large a public spectacle as they can about their philanthropy. They don't bring order or law or justice. They bring chaos and cause poverty and abuse anybody they can for whatever whim comes over them.

It's also possible the "it" refers to something else which the next sentence will explain!

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 The Archduke, pouting like a child whose mischief has been interrupted, did not offer comment.

* * * * * * * * * *

The stinger on the entire episode, painting Archduke like the babysittee he's been this whole time. Maybe this entire scene was a parody of Adventures in Babysitting that I didn't recognize because it's been way too long since I've seen the movie. Or maybe now I'm just making connections between various words that I've used in sentences previous because I don't have much to say about any of this! Or maybe I've just been traumatized by knowing and hanging out with a guy just like the Archduke! A guy who, every time you turned around to see what he was up to, you'd wind up muttering, "For fuck's sake." The kind of friend you've never actually punched but fucking hell it was a close call at times! And the worst part is that all those feelings of fun with that guy tinged with feelings of annoyance and irritation and anger are now stained with grief as well since he killed himself about a year ago! Fucking hell, Larry. You were a wild ride of a human being.

Chapter 1: Section 6: Pages 48-49: Line 78 (872)

 As they were speeding along dodging grip cars, private carriages, police patrol wagons with their gongs banging, and so forth, Khäutsch casually offered, "If you're ever in Vienna, and for any reason need a favor, please do not hesitate."

* * * * * * * * * *

Are we almost done with this section? It's my least favorite section. It must be satirizing some genre of story telling of which I'm not a fan. Noir detective stories, maybe? Although I do like the sort of interdimensional, science fiction, Philip K. Dick weirdness of Lew's life. Maybe if I were a bigger fan of world history and World War I, I'd be really into it. I'd probably be all, "Yeah! Teach that arrogant bastard Ferdinand a lesson! Man, I wish I didn't already know he dies in 1917 because I want him to die so badly in this story! At least I know he'll eventually get his comeuppance! Good riddance!"

But this story might be really important! Because Lew has become close with an assassin who now owes him a favor! And since this novel is going to span a couple of decades, Lew has plenty of time to wind up in Vienna and finding he needs somebody killed!

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 Outside they found Trabant Khäutsch ready with a two-horse hack poised for instant departure, and the Archduke's own double-barreled Mannlicher resting nonchalantly but visibly on one shoulder.

* * * * * * * * * *

Obviously the Archduke is known for the violent troubles he starts among his own people. He's the kind of guy you have to pay people to protect him because if he even had any friends, they'd all just let him get his ass kicked rather than have his back. I've mentioned it before because it sometimes needs saying. Friendship and loyalty only go so far. They aren't a free pass to have somebody defend you when you act like a complete asshole. A good friend shrugs and thinks, "You reap what you sow," preferably in a Maine accent while sort of miming Herman Munster. A bad friend thinks, "Oh boy! I get to beat up on some people who are totally within their rights at being angry with the moron I'm backing up!" I guess, in this world, there are more bad friends than good ones.

At least the assassin Khäutsch seems to be on Lew's side in trying to keep violence to a minimum. Otherwise he wouldn't have pulled up just displaying the rifle, he would have tossed it to the Archduke and cheered him on as he went on a shooting spree. Which he'd totally be forgiven for in 1893. Hell, Stand Your Ground Laws being the horrendous thing they are, he'd get away with it today. Get a bunch of people angry at you and then you get to shoot them in the face if they approach you because you can declare that you feared for your life. And white on black murders like this are what cops call "Open and shut stand your ground cases" because they're mostly racist pieces of garbage.

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 Sure enough, just before sliding out the door, Der F.F. with a demonic grin screamed, "And when Franz Ferdinand pays, everybody pays!" whereupon he disappeared, and it was a near thing that Lew got out with his keester intact.

* * * * * * * * * *

What did Thomas Pynchon have against Franz Ferdinand that he would libel him so? Being that I'm not one of those people who pretends to do their own research in the belief that it will make their subjective opinions seem more authoritative, I'm going to simply assume that Pynchon read a biography of Ferdinand and realized, at the core of the book, was the revelation that Franz Ferdinand was a gigantic asshole. Which then allows Pynchon to portray him, in a speculative fictional piece, in a way that says to the reader, "This never happened. Don't even for a second imagine this ever happened. But knowing Franz Ferdinand and how huge an asshole he was, it could have happened!"

At least this final sentence to the scene puts all of my confusion about Franz's previous actions to rest. He never intended to make peace with the locals. He never intended to make a gesture of goodwill. He never intended to do anything except be a huge disruptive prick.

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 Lew, however, noticing the way the Archduke seemed to keep inching stealthily but unmistakably toward the street door, thought it wise to do the same.

* * * * * * * * * *

Looks like the Archduke is still interested in causing trouble; he just didn't want to cause trouble around his bodyguards or his American watchers. Now that everybody seems to have forgotten his upsetting behavior, he's off to find another bar in which to start a fight.

Chapter 1: Section 6: Page 48: Line 73 (867)

 Which helped to restore a level of civility in the room, and soon even of cheer, as smart neckties were soaked in suds, the piano player came back out from under the bar, and people in the room resumed dancing syncopated two-steps.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Alcohol heals all wounds" is a saying, right? Or is it "Alcohol has charms to soothe the savage breast"? Maybe "An alcohol in time saves nine"? These all seem pretty apt for this moment so maybe they're all sayings, probably by Benjamin "I Love Alcohol" Franklin.

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 Turning to the room, "When Franz Ferdinand drinks," he cried, "everybody drinks!"

* * * * * * * * * *

I'm not sure why the Archduke went so quickly from wanting to start some shit to trying to smooth everything over. Maybe the Archduke was insulting a little guy and the large, dangerous-looking man took the brunt of the insult, causing Ferdinand to back down when he realized he actually could get killed. Starting shit with everybody in a bar is a bit different than shooting a rifle at unarmed workers just getting off their shift at the Stockyards.

I must say, after the way the Archduke has been acting, I'm kind of seeing Gavrilo Princip's side of things.

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 "Ah, I understand," murmured the imperial scapegrace.

* * * * * * * * * *

"scapegrace"
"A mischievous or wayward person, especially a young person or child; a rascal." "Mischievous" is being kind. "Wayward," definitely. "A young person or child," no . . . but, as I kept pointing out, outrageously immature. "Racist," yes, but that wasn't part of the definition.

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 "Hopelessly insane," he announced, waving a thumb F.F.'s way, "escaped in his time from some of the fanciest bughouses of Europe, very little remaining of the brains he was born with, except possibly," lowering his voice, "how much money you bring with you, there, Highness?"

* * * * * * * * * *

Whenever a white guy displays terrible social skills or goes on dangerous rants or just makes a complete and utter ass of himself, he's always got a Get Out of Jail Free card (that he doesn't even have to play; it just gets played for him by all the other white guys defending him): mental illness! But God forbid you're a Black American who once got caught shoplifting when you were eight years old because that shit will be with you for the rest of your life to prove what a burden you were on society, and it'll be used to justify any violence perpetrated on you by some GD cop.
    And, of course, if the "This guy is crazy!" bit doesn't get Franz out of trouble, there's always the second option for rich folk, which Lew partakes in here: buy your way out of trouble! If you're a rich white guy, the only time you're going to pay for your crimes is if you might implicate other rich white guys. And then you won't see justice in the courts; you'll be swinging from your jail cell.

Chapter 1: Section 6: Page 48: Lines 64-68 (858-862)

 "It is all right! I know how to talk to these people! I have studied their culture! Listen—'st los, Hund? Boogie-boogie, ja?"

* * * * * * * * * *

This sounds more racist than it actually is (which is very racist). But I think Archduke is saying, in his attempt at Black American vernacular (again, quite a racist attempt. I'm not defending this jerk! We established he was a racist monster a few pages ago. This is just racist icing on his racist cake), "How is going, dog? Are you dancing?"

I mean, maybe I'm wrong about the translation of "boogie-boogie, ja" to "Are you dancing?" He might simply be voicing gibberish in his attempt to mimic some tribal language.

I mean, what am I even doing?! Discussing the degrees of racism of the Archduke Ferdinand? A man who, by the way, is a known racist monster and 19th century hipster, according to all of the historical documents I've read on him (this one. Against the Day. It's the only one I've read. And, again, I know it's historical fiction. But it's Pynchon which means anything he says must be proven untrue after I've already accepted it as fact. Which means I probably won't be convinced. It's how human logic works. He got to me first so I'm more apt to believe him than some Johnny-Come-Lately supposedly trumpeting the truth. I'm sorry. It's just the rules of American rationalization).

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 "Um, Your Royal Highness?" Lew murmured, "if we could just have a word—"

* * * * * * * * * *

It's Lew's job to protect the Archduke so I get why he's trying to calm the situation. But if this were a friend of mine (and he wouldn't be a friend of mine after this, I assure you), I would just sit back and chalk this beating up to "He deserved it." When people say they have somebody's back no matter what, it usually means they value loyalty over justice. Fuck that. Loyalty is like faith: its worth is only in how people can use it to control other people.

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 "Whatchyou doin, you fool, you can get y'ass killed talking like that, what are you, from England or some shit?"

* * * * * * * * * *

Even though the Archduke is purposefully trying to anger this man by insulting him in the most immature and hostile way, he still realizes, as I noted before I knew he would actually think this way, this guy is a foreigner and, first and foremost, tries to help him out. "You can't act like that in America, buddy." I mean, people can and still do. But we all know they're assholes. And while they probably won't get killed for it, it's likely they'll kill somebody because they feel threatened by anybody not like them and our country has decided that stupid ideals like killing somebody you think was threatening before they kill you is some kind of defense. Actually, it's the perfect defense because the defender is dead and can't defend themselves so I sort of see why the worst assholes in America are for that kind of law. If they assault somebody, they have to face them in court and the jury might be sympathetic to the victim's story. But if they kill that person, they completely control the narrative! And when you're spewing that narrative to a bunch of racist assholes, it's pretty easy to get away with murdering the right people in America. Especially if you're a dumb jerk violent cop.

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 "Something about . . . your . . . wait . . . deine Mutti, as you would say, your . . . your mama, she plays third base for the Chicago White Stockings, nicht wahr?" as customers begin tentatively to move toward the egresses, "a quite unappealing woman, indeed she is so fat, that to get from her tits to her ass, one has to take the 'El'! Tried once to get into the Exposition, they say, no, no, lady, this is the World's Fair, not the World's Ugly!"

* * * * * * * * * *

How'd Archduke Ferdinand become familiar with the game of dozens? He pulls some pretty standard dozens insults here: your mom has a masculine job, your mom is fat, your mom is ugly.

I never understood that this sort of adolescent behavior was a contest so I always lost because I'd walk away upset after being insulted. Here are a few that were used on me in junior high school:

"Your mother wears combat boots." (Pretty standard in the era in which I grew up. I don't think it was just a local Bay Area traditional dozens move to indicate your mom was a lesbian. But maybe?)
"Your sister jerked me off in the bushes behind the school." (This one was too specific to be a random insult and maybe it was just some kid my sister jerked off catching me up on some local facts.)
"How many skinny people can fit in a shower? I don't know; they keep slipping down the drain." (No, wait. That was a Garfield strip.)
"Your cousin Jason is the son I never had." (I don't know why my mother wanted to play the dozens with me but it kind of hurt.)

Normally, a game of dozens takes place between two people who understand that they're engaging in some mutual ball busting. What Archduke Ferdinand is doing here isn't really a game of dozens. It's being a racist asshole. He's being the guy at the bar who purposefully bumps into other guys so that when they mouth off, he feels he has an excuse to beat their ass. Archduke is just looking for an excuse to kill somebody, and he's doing it among the local Black population because the Chicago police probably won't give a shit.

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 His mouth began to open slowly as the Austrian prince continued—

* * * * * * * * * *

As Huckleberry Finn once said, "As long as I was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog." Which maybe isn't an apt quote to use on a man who is going whole hog in being racist where as Huck Finn was kind of doing the opposite. He was going against what he had been told was right (being a racist prick), presuming he'll go to Hell for his actions, to do a thing that was actually just. But see, the point is that he did the right thing not because he thought it was the right thing but that he did the right thing thinking that doing that thing would condemn him to Hell. See how that's more important? A whole lot of people who claim they're patriots should maybe take a long weekend to read Twain's book. Although they'll probably just take the opportunity to read it out loud so they can justify saying that one word. You know the word. You're thinking it right now, you monster.

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 The insultee, a large and dangerous-looking individual, could not believe he was hearing this.

* * * * * * * * * *

Even living in a country full of racist pricks, it's probably still surprising to hear somebody actually give voice to a stupid stereotype. Also, can I point out, Pynchon, that one of the systemic problems we have in this country is cultivating this idea that large black men are "dangerous-looking." I don't want to suggest that you're part of the problem, Mr. Pynchon, so I'll assume the man being insulted is wearing a huge chain around his arm with a large hook dangling from the end and one knee pad shaped like a skull and huge biker boots and long hair and face make-up like a clown. And for some reason, he's surrounded by penguins and telling somebody about his pet space dolphin.

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 "Ooooo," went several folks in earshot.

* * * * * * * * * *

Pretty standard reaction to a 7th grade level insult. If the Archduke wasn't being cut some slack because he's so obviously a foreigner, he probably would have gotten his face punched. Maybe he'll still get his face punched. Lew's got to be in this scene to drag him out of a scrape, after all.

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 "What here are you looking at, you wish to steal eine . . . Wassermelone, perhaps?"

* * * * * * * * * *

Oh shit. Where did my opinions about soda go?! I wasn't expecting the Archduke, no matter how racist and sociopathic he's been described up until this point, to go so hard so fast! I mean, technically, it's not the worst thing he could have said. It's a pretty immature stereotype. It's also kind of dumb because doesn't everybody love watermelon? I suppose like the story I once heard about a mother who refused to buy their child a rainbow sticker because rainbows mean gay, there must be racist assholes out there who refuse to eat a delicious watermelon because of this dumb stereotype. I can't imagine how hard it must be for a Black American to simply enjoy some watermelon in public without a bunch of stupid assholes making some kind of racist joke about it. I'm white and I bet even if I were eating some watermelon in public, some stupid asshole would make a racist joke about it. And that stupid asshole might be my father! And probably just two minutes after going on some rant about not being able to make jokes anymore!
    Anyway, the point is that Archduke Ferdinand is a racist asshole looking for trouble. You might have learned that earlier if you'd been paying attention to how he wanted to hunt Hungarian immigrants for sport.