IVIV20: Moving faster than Doc had ever seen him, 354-357

[Paul Nightingale]

>From Joseph:

<<I have a hard time seeing Doc as particularly passive, though I do see
some connection between passivity and pot. He has actively pursued many
leads( Coy, Boards, Sloane Wolfmann, Vegas, Arpanet, Bigfoot, Ouija board
address, Vigilant Cal, El Drano, Adrian)) at many levels and invented
characters to penetrate the worlds of Mickey Wolfmann and of the Golden
Fang.  He frequently has evidence , yet looks for more confirming evidence.
This seems almost scientific, and at least very  legally and logically
thorough.>>

Reactive, I think, rather than passive.

On 354 "the fire bell [going[ off", followed by Doc going to Sauncho,
recalls the phone call from Tariq on 34: here you might expect Doc to be out
and about, rather than "listening to the stereo with his head between the
speakers". There are many similar passages that begin, not with Doc doing
something, but his inactivity disturbed. Throughout, the passage of time
undermines any impression we might have that Doc is urgently engaged with
solving the mystery, encouraging us to infer a lot of hanging out.

Elsewhere, "... as if his head was a 3-D gong just struck by a small hammer"
(111) is nonetheless followed by "home watching division semifinals" (113).
On 120, Doc musing about Shasta's safety, the structure of the paragraph
that ends 8.3 indicates his genuine concern; but then he is found, the other
side of the section break, "asleep on [Penny's] couch in front of the day's
sports highlights". On 145: "Looking  forward to a peaceful morning at the
office ..." etc, Doc is disturbed, on this occasion, by "the antique
intercom".

The fire bell is introduced on 154, waking Doc as later. On 340 Crocker
Fenway calls, "interrupting a dream Doc was having".