We gather in an alley behind the Greyhound bus station where a man who resembles an earthy version of The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob Terwilliger has surreptitiously parked the Green Tortoise Popcorn bus. Instantly, a man named Satan with a flame-trimmed blazer, red beard, and red and yellow contact lenses, places a dead weasel on my photographer's head, and I know I'm in the right place. The padded benches and tables, which double as bunk beds at night, are quickly occupied, and the remaining folks spread out on a padded sleeping area in the back of the bus, or climb into overhead luggage racks that double as lofts. Charlie, a New Yorker who works in computers, and his cohort Texan Davy break out a backgammon board and open the gaming table for a dollar a point. A late-arriving patron offers everyone finger sandwiches and focaccia bread while Adawna Divine offers her fellow audience members condoms in assorted flavors and dimensions.
Someone busts out a bottle of vodka.
Lilly Pond Sex Therapist demonstrates the art of placing a condom on a dildo with her mouth. Satan passes out contracts for us to sign, one for Green Tortoise and one for our souls. Along the way, we may be breaking some subtle laws. If you see authorities looking our way, please remember to say this is an art school field trip and refer them to one of us. Repeat after me.