Runaway Train (Part II)

Androus' monologue is a fascinating mix of truths, half-truths, wishful thinking, and tall tales. He says he once chased one of his mother's boyfriends with a butcher knife; that his mother once put a gun to his head; that he saved a 5-year-old neighbor girl from her abusive father; that he could communicate with the spirits before he even did LSD; that he is HIV-positive and that Tricia told him she had full-blown AIDS; that the Hell's Angels issued deaths threats to him and Galaxy.

He adds that he experienced a full druidic intiation rite when he was a teen. In Chico.

"I was put face to face with different death possibilities to see how I dealt with it," Androus says. He considers Celtic-paganistic druidism his "religion," and says he was trying to start "the Castro Oi Coven."

"Priests will sometimes play the role of the dark god," Androus says. "Sometimes when people are dying they'll be there at the point of death to assist in the transition.

"Stevie was getting involved with wicca and had asked me to put her religious symbols on her face, so that even when she died her religion would be obvious."

"Do you feel like you did anything wrong?" I ask.
"No. Given the circumstances, I believe that what I did was best," he says. "I feel firmly that she needed to rest. Basically, when she asked me if I'd help her die, she said she was in so much pain, both emotionally and physically. She said she'd do it herself or find someone else to ... She said living was too frightening."

"Didn't you consider her a friend?"
He assumes a haughty expression.
"I wouldn't do what I did for just anybody.