You Only Live Until You Die

You Only Live Until You Die

by

Sol Weinstein

The characters, places and events in this masterwork are wholly fictional. Any resemblance, by name or otherwise, to persons living or dead, about to be conceived, about to be born or about to die is purely coincidental.

This edition has been reedited by the original author from his 1968 novel.

© Sol Weinstein 1968, 2011. All rights reserved.

Smashwords edition.

Published by Combustoica, a prose project of About Comics.

www.Combustoica.com

Rights inquiries? rights@AboutComics.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedications

Prologue

1. Mondo Bondo

2. The Historical Verity

3. Making Rove On Me—Fast! Fast!

4. Tag Day In Tokyo

5. Forget About the Black Room!

6. Night of Treemandous Terror

7. Fisherman Overboard!

8. A Crawler, a Baller

9. Kopy Enraged, Kopy Engaged

10. Shimon Sez

11. Shell Shock

12. When You’ve Been in the Biggest Oyster There Is...

13. The Dane Talks

14. A Fitting Climax Requires a Fitting

15. Brolly Brawl On The Bullet

16. Bowling Brawl in the Bathhouse

17. Games Xerox People Play

18. Bondo Limbo

19. Israel Bond Is Dead

20. Mr. Tambourine Man

21. Not All Lox Is Smoked Salmon

22. Loves Of A Bond

23. The Quest Ends

24. Neck Check

25. Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones

26. Now Heah de Wud of de Lawd

27. How to Talk to a Jewish Mother

Epis-A-Logue

About the Author

Dedications

RONNIE AXE

In Memoriam.

SAM and CHAI SOORA WEINSTEIN, ELLIE, DAVID and JUDY WEINSTEIN, DR. and MRS. HOWARD FRIEDMAN, HARRY and BESS EISNER, STAN and RHODA EISNER, JOE E. LEWIS, DON and SANDY BARNETT, JACKIE (RATFINK ROOM) GANNON, LOUIE and CAROLE KAMER, WALT and MATTI MYERS, BEVERLEY GITHENS, LAURA LANE, SANDY LESBERG, DR. HERMAN CORN, DR. JULIUS SOBEL, IDA BLITMAN BOB BOOKER and GEORGE FOSTER, LOU JACOBI, MARJORIE RUTH BERNSTEIN, LINDA LATZ, SHIRLEY TABACKMAN, ART HOPPE, BOB and VICKI LANE. DICK and ANDY MATHEWS, HERBERT EDELMAN, SAM JACOBS, MRS. E. LAUREN HOWIE TEDDER, BOB TEDDER, WARREN RENSHAW, ALPHA EPSILON PI of EMORY U. and RABBI HERBERT HENDEL.

MR and MRS. I. (DICK) AXE, CAROLE AXE, MORT SLAKOFF, BILL LEWIS, AUSTIN MACK HANNAH GRATZ, JAMES R. LOWELL, MAX LERNER, ROSARA BERMAN, MRS. ABRAHAM E. WEINBERG, ETTA KLEINER, BILLY GARBER, JEFF KELLER, JOAN KARPINSKI, MARCELLA TRUDNAK, MR. and MRS. SID LUTZKER, TED and SYBIL COOPER, LEN and HELENA BOGARDE, DENIS P. DORSEY, LAWRENCE OKAMURA, LEO RUTKOFF, JACK and MARY SHERMAN, JACK and DORIS SHERMAN, JOSH SHERMAN, HARRY and JOHN HOLLAND, IRWIN and MARGIE WEINSTEIN JOHNNY COATES JR., JOHNNY COATES SR., BOB (SMOKEY) STOVER, IRWIN MOSES, ART SHAINES, JERRY NEELMAN, FRANK SADOFSKY, JAMES M. STILL JR., MARVIN and BERNIE BLUMENTHAL, HERB and SAM BLUMENTHAL, DANNY ROTH, BEN MELZER, STAN LEDERMAN, NEWMAN HOFFMAN, GEORGE GORDON, PAULA MELZER, JULIA HECKEL, MARILYNN FULTON and DR. BERNIE AMSTER.

EARL WILSON, SAMMY DAVIS, KARL BARRIE, MORTY GUNTY, LEE TULLY, SOUPY SALES, VIC LaVOLPE, DON and BEV PALMER, SAM PLUMERI, ROSE (SAM) DeWOLF, HARRY HARRIS, PAUL LEVINE, CLAIRE HUFF, WALT CANTER, STEVE FLANDERS, MAL WEST, MARK MONSKY, CIRO TORCHIA, KIRK NUROCK, CHUCK WIECHARD, ERIC COHEN, FRANK ZUBACK, BILL PETTIT, STEVE (THE SCENE) PAUL, SANDY OPPENHEIMER, BILL WINTERS and JACK (NIGHT TALK) McKINNEY. SY and MALVINA VOGEL, NATHAN A. FRIEDMAN, ESQ., MARV and MARSHA ROSENBERG, ARNIE SOMERS, STEVE SCHENKEL, FRED BERK, ALLEN DELIN, HARVEY and HARRIETT BLATT, LIPPY and SYLVIA EISNER, LEONARD G. FELDMAN, HARRIET HOROWITZ, SAM and BOOTSI COLODNY, MILTON LEVINE, BILL and LIL HOLSTEIN, MONIQUE VAUGEL, MARIO and MARGE PASCUCCI, NICK TOLKACH, ANN BOEKER, LEE J. MALTENFORT, LES ROBERTS, MIKE ROSENFELD and SUKEMASA YAGIHASHI and MICHIHIKO YAMATO, collegians.

SID SHLAK, LEON BROWN, JOE FRANKLIN, GODFREY (WEIGHT-WATCHER) CAMBRIDGE ED BROWN, JUDY EDELMAN, DEBBIE BAKER, CARMELA CANDELA, JACK CURTIS, JOEL DORN, LEN and NORA FISCHMAN, HARRY BOTOFF, BERNIE GOLDBERG, NEIL LEVENSON, DR. HOWARD LEVENSON, JULIUS (YUDEL) KAPLAN, IRWIN and HERBIE SPIEGEL, MARV HABAS, FRANK MARRERO, JIM TIGHE, DEBBIE MILLER, CHARLIE TRESKY, CHICK HALFON, FLORENCE FRIEDMAN, LENNIE WERKSTELL, FRAN SHANKIN, LILLIAN STUDNIA, WALT LAMOND, MARTIN and MIRIAM LAIBOW, KATHY MICHEL, LENNIE ORLAND, MEL (SHAKY) KUSHNER, METZ BERGER, ALVIN BERGER, SELMA FEGELSON, NORMAN LEIGHTON, BOB GOLDMAN, ARTHUR (TEN COPIES) AZARCHI, BUDDY (FLASH) MYERS, and JIM FRASCELLA of the A & P.

WILLIAM and DOLLY BANKS, JACK DASH, GEORGE WILSON, SID MARK, STEW CHASE, GEORGE LYLE, JIMMY CARTER, JOE HUNTER, BOB EVANS and RICK FRIEDMAN (all of WHAT-FM, Philadelphia), LOU DEITCH, NORMAN, PHYLLIS, MARK, DANA and JULIE SHAVIN.

CONG. CHARLES LONGSTREET WELTNER, DON TUCKER, BILL, MIKE and JEFF WILLIAMS, MR. and MRS. FORREST DUKE, LAURA TRACY, BOB JOYCE of KRAM, Vegas, DR. MICHAEL DEAN, COAST GUARD LT. COMDR. ED ARD, DR. and MRS. SEYMOUR LEDIS, BRUCE HUFF, MRS. DONALD L. RANSOM JR., PAMELA and GERALDINE LANDOU, PAUL S. HAYNIE, SID BRUMMEL, AL and THELMA BARON, CARL (KUSHELEH) ROSENTHAL, DAVID R. WEISMAN, PAUL DOBISH, RON LEVASSEUR, CHRISTIAN JACOBSEN, GEORGE COHEN, HUMPSIE and ABE FINKLE, MICKEY and HELEN DANER, GEORGE (JEEBEE) TEMKIN, LEW and EVELYN MARSHALL, KEN and CAROLE SYME, NORM and MARGE WEINSTEIN, LABRON SHUMAN (and his burnoose), and LINDA BILLINGTON.

JOE and CEIL BERKOWITZ, DR. RICHARD E. SELZNICK, LEN FEINBERG, LEON ROSENBERG, MEL (TWINKLE) STARR, IRWIN BODEE, WILLIE COHEN, MUFFY COHEN, HERBIE CLARK, NORM WISHNOW, JACK HAVESON, EUGENE HAVESON, LEN (FLOPPY) SWERDLOW, HERMAN KRAHN, HERB BRODY, JOE BELLITZ, MEYER BLOOM, JERRY HEYMAN, IRVING BUDDINE, RABBI WILLIAM FIERVERKER, ARLENE BERLIN, WALLACE WEINSTEIN, WARREN REDNOR, JERRY REDNOR, ABBIE BASH, IZZY POLLACK, RED NUSSBLATT, JOE ROGOFF, SHARKY ROSENTHAL, ACE AARONSON, TEDDY SNYDER, BARRY SNYDER, LON FRIEDMAN, GIL SUSSMAN, LOUISE STARK, ALAN HARRIS, BOB COWART, WILLIAM M. COWAN, MARC DROGIN, JEFFREY BYERLY, LEWIS LIPPIN, DR. EDWARD JAFFEE, RABBI BENJAMIN SINCOFF, CLEVELAND AMORY, ART ABRAMSOHN, JACK SHAW, and DAVE WISNIA.

ROBERT PINCUS, BILL and TURK TASHLIK, MAURICE POTOSKY, MRS. NELLIE GOETTEL, LARRY FUCHSBERG, CECE DANTZIG, MAX YOUNG, MARK, DIANA, SHIRA and MICHAEL GOLDMAN, BILL (VELVEL) SCHULMAN, BENNIE KEINER, SAMMY MORRIS, LARRY GELMAN, JACK and FRANCES ROSENBERG, JACK and SOPHIE ROSENBERG, DAVID NYMAN, DAVID VAN METER, CAROLE WOLFORD, SHYRLEE DALLARD, JOHN CARTER of A.G.A.C., VIC WOOLF, MRS. KIM MARSH, JOAN ALBERT of the Fontainebleau, PHIL ZELT, MO JAFFE and SGT. RICHARD LIPSHUTZ. PAUL GALLAGHER, EDDIE GOLDSTEIN, SAM BUSHMAN, HILDE SIMMONS, CONNIE KRATZOK, GWENDA TALENS, HAROLD (HESHY) STRAUSE, JOE and CHARLOTTE NASSAU, JERRY and MURIEL HIMMEL, JOSEPH McNAMARA, MAURY LEVY, MATT SLEEPER, MOISHE and BOOMIE SEGAL, IRV KERN, DR. LEONARD PHILLIPS, ARNOLD TOMOR, ISRAEL (COKE) RUBIN, DR. MILTON PALAT, DR. GEORGE ISAACSON, DR. ARNOLD KIMMEL, MARTIN and MINNA SAVAR, ABE and JERRY HERSH, ANDY FLAGER, BUS SAIDT, YALE RABINOWITZ, SAUL ROSSIEN, MILTON FEINBERG, PHIL (FIFEL) BLOOM, NATE, SAM and FRED MELMAN, TEDDY FLAER, PHIL MILLSTEIN, IRV DANA, NORMAN STERN, HARVEY STERN, SHIRLEY MERRIMAN, and NICK MEGLIN.

JACK (ELEPHANT BOY) WALSH, BARRY REISMAN, MELVIN KARTZMER, LEON KARTZMER, CHARLIE PAPIER, DONNIE PAPIER, BARBARA SYKES, MOLLY LEVINE, JOE CANNON, HAZEL SWEENEY, ROGER GLACKIN, CLAIRE MILLER, MR. and MRS. GERRY FINN, BENNIE MOSKOWITZ and JULES RESNICK.

MRS. HELEN MEYNER, HAROLD MAY, BOB BURTON, JIM POWERS, JACK HELSEL, J. WELLINGTON PIDCOCK, HORACE GREELEY McNAB, COUSIN DAVE GOMBERG, DAVE (OLDTIMER) HORWITZ, RON SCOTT, CHRIS WINNER, GABE ROSEN, CARL (KIVVY) ABROMOVITZ, DR. LEWIS HIRSH, SCOTTY MOSOVICH, MAYNARD BARKER, BOB AMOROS, SAM (TAMMI) KAPLAN, JACKIE and ARNOLD HODES, DAVE PITASKY, DAVE, WILLIE and MENDY KRAVITZ, JOE BERGER, JERRY, SIDNEY, MARTY, RALPH, ALFRED and IVAN POPKIN, IRV WARACH, ELI WARACH, ROBERT OLINSKY, BENNY OLINSKY, LOUIE OLINSKY, MILTON OLINSKY, IRV OLIN, CHARLIE BYER, RABBI WILLIAM, NATIE, JERRY and SIDNEY GORDON, JACKIE and WALTER HARRISON, WALT BELLAK, JACK POLLACK, PAT POLLACK, PAUL CAGAN, HARVEY SILK, MARK LITOWITZ, HARRY ZOLTICK, ALLAN and WALLY PLAPINGER, ERWIN WAINER, HYMAN (COWBOY) BALITZ, SHELDON SEAVEY, ZIGGY WALDMAN, CLYDE LEIB, EMIL SLABODA, HARVEY YAVENER, JOE LOGUE, EDDIE GOLDEN, ED (DUFFY) RAMSEY, EDDIE SOLAN, STEVE MERVISH and GEORGE MOLDOVAN. MURRAY BURNETT, BOB MENEFEE, TED REINHART, MIKE McGRADY, ABEL GREEN, NORMA NANNINI, BILL KARDALEY, ANDY ETTINGER, NATE ROBERTS, NORM BROOKS, ELAINE BELK, DURWARD EARLY, BERT and MIKE WEILAND, MARK VAN BROOKS, TOMMY THOMPSON, BETTY STEVENS, JAY (FINE SWISS WATCHES) GOLD, SYLVIA MANDELL, B. A. BERGMAN, FRANK BROOKHOUSER, WAYNE and AGNES ROBINSON, DAVID and STEVE KUSHELOFF, MURRAY, MARILYN, DEBBY and HOLLY ARNOLD, FREDERICK WERTHEIMER, AL FINGERMAN, HY and MARILYN GARDNER, FLORENCE BLOCK, DAVE WEST, CHARLIE SCOTT, EARL JOSEPHSON, MURRAY FISHER, JULI BAINBRIDGE, SHELDON WAX, ED, ROSE, WENDY and STEVEN BURTON, BOBBY DARIN, DON BARBER, TEDDI LEVISON, MICKIE SILVERSTEIN, RALPH COLLIER, BILL STRETCH, STEVE O’KEEFE, COL. CHARLES GREGG, CHARLIE PETZOLD, DON SCOTT, RUTH OLIS, FRANK MULLOY, HILDA SHIVERS, BOB RITCHIE, HOWARD MacDOUGALL, RALPH PEARL, JOE STEAD, FRANK WATRING, BOB (BOOKSTORES) CRAIG, BILL LINK and DICK LEVINSON, and SID and BUNNY SHORE.

MERV GRIFFIN and TONY GAROFALO, RUBE VERIN, BEN GRAFF, CHARLIE HERB and AL AMBERG of RUBE’S BARBER SHOP, Levittown, Pa., FRANK BISANZIO, LOU EMANUEL, EARL GEORGE of A.F.T.R.A., RON POLAO, LOU SCHEINFELD and JAY SARNO, JIMMIE (THE GREEK) SNYDER, RON AMOS, NATHAN JACOBSON, DAVID VICTORSON and MAURY, MURIEL and BRUCE STEVENS of Caesar’s Palace, Vegas. JOHN HUEGHNERGARTH, artist, MR. and MRS. JERRY GAGHAN, SID SHUCKER, GEORGE BLAISDELL, JACK McCUTCHEON, LEWIS CHARLES WENDELL JR., JERRY VERBEL, WILLIAM B. WILLIAMS, FLORENCE LONDONER, DR. JULES K. LEVY, JERRY SCHLOSS, ROBERT (LAUGHTRACK) PEET, BERNARD ZELL, MICHAEL SPOLL, APRIL AARONS, ISADORE SOLOVAY, MARTY MOSKOWITZ, JANE SCHULZE, CY and CLAIRE NEIBURG, JACK and BARBARA GILL, BARBARA KELLMAN, DON PHILLIPS, TOM (CONTACT, KYW-TV, Philly) SNYDER, DONALD E. KNOX, STAN BERK, DIANE ACTMAN, JIM TATE, and DR. WALDO FIELDING, ART MOGER, GEORGE ESTES, AL SHERMAN, MILT YAKUS, MIKE REINGOLD, GEORGE ROBERTS, DAVID HOFF, IRA GOLDBLATT, RICHARD C. JACOBS, AL KORN, JESS CAIN and LENNY MEYERS of the TUB THUMPERS, Boston.

And... NANCY BROWN LEVINE of Plainfield, NJ.-Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Prologue

We have an old saying in the Israeli Secret Service well worth committing to memory, Mr. Bond. Briefly, it is this:

If you meet a man for the first time and he discharges a pistol in your direction it could be he’s a nervous, insecure person hungering for some attention or even sympathy in this increasingly dehumanized world.

If on your second meeting he makes a threatening gesture with a machete it could be a manifestation of a severe sexual aberration since, as we now know from Hollywood films, a knife is a penile symbol.

But should you meet the same man a third time and he attempts to take your life by using curare, cyanide, low-yield nuclear weapon or one of those extra-fat-drenched hamburgers sold by a firm whose name will not be mentioned here, and cries out, Die, Israeli dog! then such behavior can only be construed as out and out bellicosity, justifying at the very least a nasty letter to the New York Times (no more than 500 words please), or even a physical response of some sort. - M

1. Mondo Bondo

Two hours to Tokyo, where he would rendezvous with Baron Cockimamiyama Sanka, the ichi-ban* of the Kyodo Kikaku,** Israel Bond was jolted out of a demon-haunted nap by a rapid-fire sequence of sounds:

* Number one

** Japanese Secret Service

... The snatch of song in a lilting, ingenuous Irish brogue:

Ivory liquid helps yer hands feel young again…

... A horrified shriek.

... A metallic thump against the left wing of the Japan Air Lines superjet.

Gottenu! The realization of what had occurred cast him into utter despair.

We’ve collided with Mary Mild.

He awoke in a chilling sweat to find upon him the solicitous eyes of the enchanting kimonoed and obied stewardess, the maiden called Festering Wind.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, Mr. Bond. Miss Mild’s frequent, haphazard flights as a soap company's television spokeswoman through congested air corridors have endangered hundreds of commercial planes. However—and her manner was reassuring—it was just a glancing blow. I am confident of her ability to make it to Guam or Wake for any necessary repairs to her body or starched apron.

Quite the charmer, this Festering Wind, Bond thought; something more than the typical, efficient JAL servant of the sky dispensing her ever-handy supply of fluffy pillows and bowls of green tea. For Festering Wind was also one of Baron Sanka’s most trusted agents and under orders to accord Bond the super-deluxe treatment a guest of his stature warranted. When the Baron called for VIP service he did not stint. The jet’s first-class compartment, customarily catering to sixteen people, had been revamped for Bond’s sole use and closed off from the tourist section by a bamboo curtain. Its seats had been ripped out to make space for a contoured swivel-chair bed under which thrummed a Relaxacizor unit; an ofuro, the deep, tiled Japanese bath now abubble with lethal chunks of Blofeld blowfish; a well-stocked bar with such offbeat libations as Creme de Mousse (the tiny antlers had been removed); a massage table; and a stereo corner which had already regaled him with Senator Dirksen and Congressman Powell Recite the All-Time Top Forty Hymns and at present was pumping out a catchy medley, You’re the Top, You Can Do Anything Better than We Can and What Can We Say, Sir, After We Say We’re Sorry? all from the new LP The Beatles Apologize to Jesus at the Astrodome.

In her frequent capacity as a masseuse Festering Wind had become accustomed and therefore indifferent to the bodies of magnificent men—sumo wrestlers, karate masters, kendo stick experts and the like—yet she shivered whenever her fingers strayed over the musculature of this gaijin* clad only in an extra-long, extra-wide Carnaby Street Mod tie (all he actually needed in the way of clothing, so generous was the amount of the tie’s material). But aroused as she was by the massive shoulders, a trim waist that was more Hebraic than wasp, and long, tapering fingers, she found herself transfixed again and again by the cruel, darkly handsome face marked by a whitish scar on the left cheek (or was it the right? It seemed to be constantly shifting!) and the sorrow misting the gray eyes. Surely, she deduced, this man has suffered a monumental loss in his recent past.

* Foreigner

Bond extracted a filter-tipped Raleigh from a pack Scotch-taped to his left thigh and ignited a blue-tipped Ohio match with a rub inside an abrasive furrow of skin perched atop his right shoulder, a memento of a madman’s Luger bullet in the unbelievable Loxfinger business of 1965. How long was I in dreamy Dreamsville, my pet?

You shuttered those haunted eyes an hour before we landed in Hawaii to refuel, Mr. Bond. I had not the heart to wake you. And Baron Sanka’s orders were explicit. I am to let you rest whenever possible.

Man, that Sanka really lets you sleep, Bond marveled.

On chopsticks whittled from the softest balsa wood that grows in the gardens of the Meiji Shrine, she fed him hershi-sushi, those succulent squares of chocolate-covered squid so highly prized by Japan’s upper class. Then it was time for his hourly massage, and to make up for the ones