stoptime , january 20 , 1974 well fred this is it i guess put up or shut up time oh i know in one sense it 's too late to shut up i 've got explosives strung all over the house like birthday decorations a gun in my hand and another one in my belt like fucking john dillinger well what do you say this is the last decision like climbing a tree i pick this fork then i pick that fork now this now that ( the men frozen in tableau outside in the hallway between seconds fenner in a green suit one foot six inches off the pavement as it steps forward good shoes clad in low fashionable rubbers if there is such a thing as fashionable rubbers his green topcoat flapping open like a crusading attorney in a tv lead-in his head is slightly turned slightly cocked the man in back of him has made some comment and fenner is cocking his head to catch it the man who has spoken has a white plume half out of his mouth this second man is wearing a blue blazer and dark brown pants his topcoat is also open and the wind has caught it stoptime has caught his topcoat in midflap and the third man is just turning from the car and the cops are leaning against their black-and-white with their heads turned to one another they could be discussing anything marriage or a tough case or the shitty season the musties had or the state of their balls and the sun has come through the scud overhead just enough to make a single twinkle on a single shell of one policeman 's assigned equipment said shell pushed through one of many little leather loops on said policeman 's belt the other cop is wearing shades and the sun has pricked out a compass point on the right lens and his lips are thick sensual caught at the beginning of a smile : this is the photograph ) i 'm going ahead freddy my boy do you have anything you 'd care to say at this auspicious moment at this point in the proceedings yes says fred you 're going to hold out for the newspeople are n't you i sure am says george the words the pictures the newsreels demolition i know has only the point of visibility but freddy does it strike you how lonely this is how all over this city and the world people are eating and shitting and fucking and scratching their eczema all the things they write books about while we have to do this alone yes i 've considered that george in fact i tried to tell you something about it if you 'll recall and if it 's any consolation to you this seems right right now it seems okay because when you ca n't move you can give them their roadwork but please george do n't kill anybody no not on purpose fred but you see the position i am in yes i see i understand by george i 'm scared now i 'm so scared no do n't be scared i 'm going to handle this and i 'm in perfect control myself january 20 , 1974 `` roll it , '' he said aloud , and everything began to move .