Meaning of "But were Oedipa some single melted crystal of urban horse” from “The Crying of Lot 49” What does “But were Oedipa some single melted crystal of urban horse” mean? Here is the full quote: > What the road really was, she fancied, was this hypodermic needle, inserted somewhere ahead into the vein of a freeway, a vein nourishing the mainliner L.A., keeping it happy, coherent, protected from pain, or whatever passes, with a city, for pain. **But were Oedipa some single melted crystal of urban horse** , L.A., really, would be no less turned on for her absence.

As per the comments, and so that we have an answer present, "horse" is a slang term for heroin, so the simile being used is comparing the road to a hypodermic needle, and Oedipa as a dose of a drug, but one which would not be missed if not present.