Conversation · Call Me Mañana

"Olá, Tequila Sunset, boiadeiro grande!" He looks at you with soft and hazy eyes.

"I've come to Martinaise investigating a murder."

"Murder, huh? That sounds like a lot of hard work. You'd never see me investigating a murder."

"You're right. It's almost impossible. I'm 91% sure I'll never get it solved."

"Probably not." He nods. "I wouldn't even know where to start with that. Much better here at the harbour -- for an honest Union man like me."

"Maybe you want to help me solve it by telling me who did it?"

"Of course, policía." He gives you a sly smile. "It wasn't me. You can rule me out. Easier that way."

Should we? He's nice. I don't like nice.

He didn't do it. It's the truth.

(Whisper) "I have no idea what I'm doing."

He whispers back: "That's okay. I have no idea what I'm doing either. I don't even know what day it is..." He thinks and then decides: "Don't tell me. It's a better day that way."

"It's actually very fun and easy."

"I don't believe you. Poste L'Aventurier said the same thing. They tried to get me to be their postman. So fun, so easy, they said. It's just walking." He shakes his head at the memory.

"It wasn't. I'm doing much better here at the harbour. Being an honest Union man with a lot of free time on his hands."

He doesn't have the stamina to deliver mail on these tough streets. But you do. Maybe if this cop thing doesn't work out...

"Okay, I have a name for myself, it's..."

The encroaching doom is golden red. It is inside you, but also outside, on the horizon, by the water's edge. Innermost but yet to happen -- things make sense from that angle...

You're Tequila Sunset. You have always been Tequila Sunset. It has always been too late.

No. I don't want to be Tequila Sunset.

What's there not to want? It's got range, meaning, layers, colours, associations, the whole works!

"Yeah... okay, I'm totally Tequila Sunset."

He reaches his hand out to you and shouts: "Boiadeiro!"

The man is deeply moved. You see his eyes turn teary with appreciation. He is extremely happy for you.

Leave him hanging.

"Well, boiadeiro --" He pauses to think a moment on the situation. "I guess I don't really have a claim to your hand or anything."

"What's a... boiadeiro?"

"A really cool guy."

It feels like there's an entire history behind the word... but it doesn't really matter. You got it. You know what it means.

Nod knowingly.

He takes a swig from his flask, then offers you some.

Yeah! Let's get this party started, it's your chance to shine, boy!

"I have no interest in drinking while on duty."

"A man walking on the edge of a razor, eh? Leaves more for me!" He laughs and takes another sip from the flask.

"So, anything else you wanted to discuss, boiadeiro?"

"Thanks, I'll pass. I'd just go wild."

"And then we might go wild together, which sounds fun. But I guess I have a strike to watch."

"Oh yeah!" (Take a swig.)

"Keeps you warm on a day like this. Or any day, for that matter."

Surely a step in the right direction -- feel that smooth texture, savour that flavour. How it flows down your gullet, like a warm caress. That's the sunset. By the time you arrived in this world it was already late.

The idea of alcoholic swill sloshing around in your bloodstream feels fairly unappealing.

"What kind of a cool guy exactly? It's not just a cool guy, is it?"

"Like me and you. Exactly so." He takes a swig from his flask, then offers you some.

Have a moment of silence.

Shake his hand.

You receive a good, strong handshake in return.

"Name-invention feels too dangerous."

"Yeah," he nods. "A name's the kind of shit that can kill a man. Mañana's a good name in that regard."

"The name's... Tequila Sunset."

You're Tequila Sunset. You have been Tequila Sunset for a long time now.

Your mind can only conjure up Hunk Handy, Fucke Waldéz, Bosco... you might want to decide to keep quiet about these.

"Uhhhh.... I actually don't have a name."

"It can take time to come up with a good one, for sure."

"I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"The name's done! It's Raphaël Ambrosius Costeau."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Well, better than the other names I can come up with at least."

"Hold on, man. Keep it slow and steady, don't succumb to fate. It can take time to come up with a really good one..."

"You can't tell a Raphaël what to do."

"If you say so." He shrugs and looks about at the surroundings.

"Fine, perhaps I'll try again... later."