                          Roger Pierce

You are Roger Pierce, a Professor/practitioner
of Psychology at George Washington University. 
You are young but promising, and for serveral
years your 400 level course on Personality
Disorders has been considered the "most fun"
class in the entire psych department.  Many of
your associates consider you to be "that strung
out quack", but you prefer to think of yourself
as a "perceptually enhanced alternative
practitioner."

You are just a tad unorthodox here and
there...you very lost your professional
credentials when you offhandedly remarked
"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

At any rate, you are popular with the student
body, if not with the University Board.  You
concluded recently that the subject of your guest
lecture that year at Georgetown University upset
their "ability to relate to non-culturally
programmed phenomena."  Your lecture was on
psychological dependence on cocaine (drawn
from your extensive experience) and its potential
social merits.  It was well received by the
student body, and even picked up by the Post,
but your book deal fell through.  No one wanted
to handle Hooked and Happy in Upper Middle
Class America.  It is a perfectly respectible
addiction.  No worse than alcohol (which you
also have a passing fondness for).  Freud wrote
very positively about it until he did too much.

You had a degree in Psychiatry back in the early
seventies, but back in eighty, after your "year of
notoreity," the D.C. Board decided to revoke
your medical license.  Your career should have
ended then and there, except for three things. 
The first is that you retained a young graduate
from GWU named Gary Morant as your lawyer. 
Gary was particularly brilliant, and absolutely
without ethical restraint or moral compunction. 
He told you flat out that you were going to lose
your license to practice medicine, and suggested
"spin control." 

For starters, he bribed people left and right in
the University offices to lose all records of your
transgression. Gary had plenty of connections in
the front office, so that wasn't much of a
problem.  Then he found out from Avery
Carson, the campus dealer, who on the D.C.
review Board was addicted to coke.  It wasn't
hard:  virtually everyone in D.C. uses coke,
from the mayor to the street people.  So Gary let
them know in private it would be a good idea if
they filed the paperwork to revoke your license
and never mentioned it again.  

The result is that most people assumed you went
to the hearing and were exonerated.  You
answered all questions by saying "the Board of
Regents asked me not to discuss it."  The Board
never heard about the matter, because the front
office never informed them of it.  Your
colleagues in the department assumed you had
been exonerated.

For the most part, you stopped practicing
medicine.  You are still a PhD, because your
degree was not revoked, and you are still a
Psychologist.  You aren't a Psychiatrist and you
aren't licensed to write prescriptions, but of
course, you know how.  So when you really
need to write a prescription, you just scribble it
out and try to sign it illegibly.

Your favorite addiction has taken some serious
blows recently.  This basketball player named
Len Bias at U. of Maryland was freebasing, and
killed himself.  Not a pursuit you would
reccomend, but what can you expect from the
University of Maryland.  About as similar to
what you do as commuting is to the Indianpolis
500.  At any rate, the press, the politicians and
all are suddenly talking about what a bad thing
coke is.  Which is great for private practice
business, since there are all these important
people rushing to try and break their habit.

The problem with you, and private practice, is
that confedentiality has always seemed, well...a
hindrance...to you.  You understand that it is all
very important, but you would be much better
off financially if you could just publish
everything you hear.  You could go into private
practice.

You have done some private consulting, "on the
side," and all you have requested from your
patients who abuse cocaine was a slight
"continuing consultation fee."  This sort of thing
could be considered blackmail if the wrong
people found out about it, that is to say, the
police.  Fortunately that isn't likely.  Why, you
have had consultations with some very important
people in the city, many of them close friends of
the mayor.  You are in a very good position.

You recently had a chance to return a favor. 
Avery Carter had just returned from Europe,
and he was looking for some contacts to restart
his pharmaceutical business.  You were able to
put him in contact with the just the right people. 


You have also treated Matthew Allen Carter. 
Mr. Carter was sadly not worth blackmailing,
since it is obvious to anyone with even a passing
acquaintance to him that he does drugs, but he
is an interesting case of paranoid schizophrenia.

On the other hand, Gary Morant might be worth
blackmailing, but you are a bit afraid to.  After
all he is a murderer.  You had some reservations
when, a few years after your license fiasco, he
came to you and asked a minor favor.  All he
wanted was a bit of nicotinic acid.  You gave it
to him of course.  You can't say you were
surprised when you read in the paper that the
senior partner of his firm, a well known smoker,
had died of a heart attack.  Nicotinic acid in
large doses causes heart palpitations and failure,
and is usually not detectable in smokers, unless
you are actually looking for it.  You decided
that it would be a good idea not to discuss the
matter with anyone, and didn't.  

Recently, you came into some hard luck.  You
were just heading out for a night on the town,
when some men in dark suits threw you into the
back of a large limousine.  You assumed that
they were from the mafia, and wondered who
you had offended, or who wanted your services.


In fact, it turned out that they were with United
States Naval Counterintelligence, and were
carrying out a complex set of investigations on
arms merchandising.  They had identified you as
having connections with certain cocaine
smugglers who may also have arms smuggling
connections.  They showed you a manilla folder
with copies of all the buried paperwork that
could end your career were it to, say, be mailed
to the Washington Post.  They made up some
headlines like your mother used to do: "Dr.
Snow continues to teach children."  "Major
University keeps drug czar doctor on payroll." 
You got the point.

Fortunately, these men explained, they did not
really care about drugs.  They merely wanted
your complete, utter and dedicated cooperation
in their investigation.  You assured them that
you would be glad to cooperate, especially if
they needed any psychiatric counselling.  They
told you that was not funny in a voice which
suggested that you could end up in a thirty
gallon oil drum at the bottom of the Atlantic. 

You agreed to cooperate of course, and they told
you that you would be contacted.  The codeword
for thier agent to contact you is "Killjoy." 
Yeah, that about sums it up.

In the meantime you are trying to keep up
normal appearances, and figure out who is
actually an arms merchant.  Carter certainly
seems likely.  As doctors go, you are scum, but
you are pretty comfortable scum, so you deal
with it.  

School: You have taught at George Washington
University since 1971.  You know Gary Morant,
Grant Cochran, Avery Carson, Mike Ballistis,
Matthew Allen Carter, and Margot Matthews
from a circle of acquaintances there.

THE OTHERS

What they know about you:

Roger Pierce: a Professor/practitioner of
Psychology at George Washington University. 
Young but promising, for several years his 400
level course on Personality Disorders has been
considered the "most fun" class in the entire
psych department.  Many of Dr. Pierce's
associates consider him to be "that strung out
quack", Dr. Pierce considers himself a
"perceptually enhanced alternative practitioner." 
It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either has
something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  

PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL:

Avery Carson: the consummate campus dealer
in the seventies.  You are glad to know that he
is back in business.

Attended George Washington University and has
many acquaintances from that period, and
immediately afterward.  Avery met most of
Grant's circle of friends in the seventies while
they were working in Washington after
graduation.  Mr. Carson occupied a position in
the staff of the late Darrington Ripley, U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden.  Currently employed by
the State Department, Avery Carson is rumored
to actually work for the Company, or No-such-
agency.

Matthew Allen Carter:  Carter has always
been a subject of interest and wonder to you.  

A well known mystic, Carter is associated with
decadence, drugs, and bizarre mysticism.  It is
unclear where his money comes from, though he
is known to be at least moderately wealthy, and
eccentric.  

M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Grant Cochran:  Grant Cochran is a horror
writer whose early work brought him wealth and
recognition.  His first acclaimed work was a
collection of short stories in 1977 entitled Look
Ma, No Hands!  Grant achieved a more limited
success with The Sickness in John Harrol, 1977;
The Collection, 1979; but his mainstream horror
novels  Dark Symbols,1980; and Trinity, 1982;
were extremely successful.  His Lovecraftian
fantasy-horror The Sightless King, 1984 was
universally panned.  Grant also wrote the
screenplay for the 1981 film The Blinding.
Numerous short stories including The Metallic
Taste of Blood Omni, Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Linda Kane:  Parapsychological researcher for
the Institute for Parapsychological Studies, 1567
23rd St. NW.  Graduate of Columbia Prep, and
Mary Washington College.  M.A. Barnard. 
Kane is a literary agent for Matthew Allen
Carter and is rumored to be his lover.  

Sarah Lamont: Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-
school and College friend of Margot Matthews,
Linda Kane, Emily Breezewood and others. 
Sarah went to work for Gary Morant as a
paralegal, and is now his chief secretary.  

Margot Matthews: Margot was a friend of
Grant Cochran, and several other attendees in
college, but went on to become a prominent
Washington socialite who rose out of the ranks
of minor political followers due to her
connections with the late U.S. ambassador to
Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley.  Margot is
giving this party in honor of Grant Cochran's
birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Gary Morant: got you out of a tight spot a
number of years back, something you
appreciate.

Washington Attorney.  Graduated from George
Washington University in 1974, GW Law in
1978.  Formed Morant and Steele with Harlan
Steel in 1980.  Known for handling some of the
messiest and most prominent divorce and lawsuit
cases in the Washington social spectrum. 
Morant is a rising star in the social constellation
of Washington, and is Grant Cochran's attorney,
and is currently representing him in all of his
sordid legal affairs. 

Mort Nicholson: a well known private
detective.  Nicholson has worked for Gary
Morant, and was a research reference for the
character of Detective George Panopalous in
Grant Cochran's Trinity.

OTHER PEOPLE:

Mike Ballistas:  a wealthy international
consultant with impressive offices downtown. 
Ballistas has numerous prominent government
contacts, and is generally known to be an
influential businessman.  He donated heavily to
the Reagan Campaign.

Anthony Blaine:  A New York writer
considered a protege of Grant Cochran, Blaine
is handled by Jonathan Drake, the same
publisher as Cochran.  It was rumored that
Blaine and Cochran had a very serious argument
while appearing together at a promotional
convention after the publication of Sightless
King.  Blaine is best known for his Fantasy-
Horror novel Wunderking, and his most recent
work The Dinner Guest.  

Emily Breezewood: a college friend of Grant
Cochran, and a prep-school friend of Margot
Matthews, Emily is the daughter of Senator
Breezewood of Connecticut, a very powerful
senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily was married to
Matthew Allen Carter, and divorced him, in a
particularly messy case during which Mr. Carter
was represented by Gary Morant.  They are
reported to be on barely civil speaking terms
now.  Emily is living with Mike Ballistis.


Thomas Cochran:  Grant's failure of a brother. 
Thomas dropped out of school, and was deeply
involved in drugs.  He narrowly avoided jail on
larceny charges.  He lost his share of the family
wealth, and is currently employed by his brother
as a handyman. 

Leda Deerden: A New York author, or visual
artist, guest of Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden
is known for her terra cotta figures, which are
widely sold in gift shops in the Village, and her
work at the 42nd Street Gallery, but is a
newcomer to the writing field.  Her first project
is projected to be a collaboration with Grant
Cochran.

Jonathan Drake: Publisher of Grant Cochran,
Drake is Editor of Horror at Electra publishing,
a division of Robert W. Thormond and Sons,
Inc., one of the nations largest publishing
houses.  Despite the failure of Cochran's latest
novel, Drake is reported to be successful and on
the rise.  He handles many other writers
including Anthony Blaine, and is also in charge
of titles under the smaller, but profitable Medea
imprintaur, for occult paperbacks, which
includes the works of Jeffrey Saxon.

Tony Randall-Smith:  Olympic Equestrian
Medalist, winning two Silver and one Bronze
medal at Los Angeles in 1984.  Native of
McLean Virginia, the child of a former
ambassador to England.  Personally acquainted
with Princess Margaret, has appeared in Sports
Illustrated, and network television.  Currently
holds American and European Championships in
several categories of jumps.  Professional status
has been called into question, but intends to
compete in 1988.  

Jeffrey Saxon: A noted Parapsychology/Occult
writer and Astrologer, author of Health Signs,
Astrology for You, and Psychic Defense, and
several other successful books published in
paperback.  Jeffrey is rumored to be practically
the only person in New York who does not
suffer from an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann:  A New-York literary agent,
Seidmann is not well known in literary circles,
though there are some dark rumors about her
past, including a lawsuit.  Seidman handles
small time occult authors, and until recently her
biggest literary success was Jeffrey Saxon, the
popular occultist and astrologer.

Oliver Stewart:  A comic-book author and
illustrator for Universal Comics, a major
competitor of Marvel and D.C. 
Oliver responsible for the satirical Captain
Flapjack miniseries, but is best known for his
work with Blood Hound, a revitalized 1960's
Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-horror
miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-novel
adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless King,
which was somewhat more successful than the
actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but has
maintained a friendship with horror writer Grant
Cochran, and has come down with some of his
other New York acquaintances to make his
birthday an interesting affair.

Craig Webber: An acquaintance of Margot
Matthews, Mr. Webber is a well-to-do local
business consultant, rumored to have
connections to smuggling and the underworld. 
Webber is said to be a business partner of Avery
Carson.
