I rose to a knee, lifting a hand to my brow. I felt something wet and tacky there. Pulling away I saw fingers bright with blood. Something rustled in the trash beside me. "Done near run me down you sonofabitch! Masta' oughta' beat the shit outta you! Dumb cracka bitch mothafucka bitch." A large behemoth lumbered away, it's shaggy hide swinging from side to side. I could barely make out the face of the urban nomad beneath the layers of rags, blankets, and tapestries slung over his shoulders. I glimpsed the nose of the Louisville Sugger that floored me disappear in the folds of his bohemian garb. The city hummed, unaffected, evoking images of Buddha expiring the monosyllable "Aum" beneath the Bodhi tree. The squeal of tires and groan of a car engine snapped me back to reality. They found me!