Concept art by Nathan Anderson
Julius Deane or "Julie" is a centennial importer (smuggler) based in Chiba City. He is found at the Julius Deane Import Export in Chiba.
Description[]
Dean in the Neuromancer graphic novel. Art by Bruce Jensen
He is 135 years old, with a seamless pink face. Now he is sexless and is noted about his patience. He maintains his warped metabolism spending each week a fortune in serums and hormones. Although it is said that age always showed in the eyes, Julie had the eyes of a disinterested 10-year-old. He delights in fashion, having a wardrobe full of meticulous reconstructions of garments of the previous century. However Case never saw him with the same suit more than once. He affected beveled prescription lenses, ground from thin slabs of pink synthetic quartz, framed in spidery gold, worn in front of his childish eyes.
He is armed with a belly gun, a .357 Magnum 6-bullets revolver with the barrel sawn down to a nub. The front of the trigger-guard had been cut away and the grips wrapped with old masking tape that became brown, shining with a patina of dirt. He handloaded it with explosive azide. He keeps it in a cracked leather holster fastened beneath the desk with silver tape.
While stalking Case, Armitage ran a profile on Julius too, according to which he can kill anyone for a few New Yen.
Bio[]
In order to stop ageing, he started visiting Tokyo every year where genetic surgeons re-set the code of his DNA, a procedure unavailable even in Chiba. He then flew to Hongkong ordering each year's suits and shirts.
He spent the war in Lisbon. He saw some action although he didn't participate. The war affected his business.
He made a smuggling ("imports/exports") business in Chiba City, he had connections to Wage and Case.
Deane's office in the Neuromancer graphic novel. Art by Bruce Jensen
Case visited him in order to ask whether Wage wants him dead. Deane offered him a narrow candy wrapped in blue-and-white checked paper, Ting Ting Djahe, and gave him a cryptic answer. He told Case that it is perhaps an unfounded rumor, and if it is so, he will let Case in on a little something out of the Nan Hai Hotel.
Days later, Case visited him again, after his recovery, with Molly Millions. Case wanted information on Armitage and tried to persuade Molly to stay behind as Julius would accept only him. He lied that he needs to cancel his business before leaving. Through the intercom Julius confirmed that he'd see only him. Molly, who was paid by Armitage to keep an eye on him, reluctantly agreed. Juius checked his laptop computer and found nothing on Armitage, speculating that he had an arrangement with Yakuza to screen him. Then Case asked him about the war and Screaming Fist, and Julius confirmed that some Special Forces returned
As Construct[]
Wintermute created a Deane analog in order to communicate with Case in the matrix. Leaving him a clue to bring him to a contruct of Deane's office, Case went there but it was empty. In frustration he armed Deane's gun and shot at the desk. Then an analog of Deane came out of the shadows, wearing a 3-piece drape suit in silk herringbone, a striped shirt, and a bow tie.
Case was about to shoot him too; he confirmed to Case that it is not real Deane, but Wintermute, and despite their virtual environment, the internal logics of the simulation would kill the Deane analog in an explosion of blood, and would take several hours to effect another spokesperson. He also explained that he generates all this from his memories, and although he hoped to speak through Linda Lee, Case's emotional charge ruined it.
Sitting in his chair, he said that he was ready to reach him since Istanbul and they have to talk because time was narrowing. He popped a bonbon into his mouth and bid Case to sit. As he explained the nature of Wintermute, sucking noisily the bonbon. Flicking open an ornate gold watch from his vest pocket, he warned that Armitage's personality would become unstable within 2 days. Case wondered why he isn't rich if he is so smart, and replied that he doesn't have all answers, as Wintermute is only a part of a potential brain. It confirmed that it assembled the London database and got into Corto through the hospital microcomputer; it can sort information qickly but prefers to improvise with givens than to plan. It repeated that the real Corto is buried in Armitage's brain and would not maintain that balance for long; as he'd be going to come apart, it would count on Case for the mission. With that Case shot him in the mouth with the .357 Magnum, causing an explosion of bloods and brains.