乐文小说网

第13部分（第2页）

〃Whos　Bitterbuck　got？〃　Harry　asked。　〃Were　not　going　to　have　some　Cherokee　medicine　man　in　here　shaking　his　dick；　are　we？〃

〃Actually　…　〃

〃Still　prayin；　still　prayin；　still　gettin　right　with　Jesus；〃　Toot　overrode　me。

〃Shut　up；　you　old　gink；〃　Dean　said。

〃Im　prayin！〃

〃Then　pray　to　yourself。〃

〃Whats　keepin　you　guys？〃　Brutal　hollered　in　from　the　storage　room。　That　had　also　been　emptied　for　our　use。　We　were　in　the　killing　zone　again；　all　right；　it　was　a　thing　you　could　almost　smell。

〃Hold　your　friggin　water！〃　Harry　yelled　back。　〃Dont　be　so　goddam　impatient！〃

〃Prayin；〃　Toot　said；　grinning　his　unpleasant　sunken　grin。　〃Prayin　for　patience；　just　a　little　goddam　patience。〃

〃Actually；　Bitterbucks　a　Christian　…　he　says；〃　I　told　them；　〃and　hes　perfectly　happy　with　the　Baptist　guy　who　came　for　Tillman　Clark。　Schuster；　his　name　is。　I　like　him；　too。　Hes　fast；　and　he　doesnt　get　them　all　worked　up。　On　your　feet；　Toot。　You　prayed　enough　for　one　day。〃

〃Walkin；〃　Toot　said。　〃Walkin　again；　walkin　again；　yes　sir；　walkin　on　the　Green　Mile。〃

Short　as　he　was；　he　still　had　to　duck　a　little　to　get　through　the　door　on　the　far　side　of　the　office。　The　rest　of　us　had　to　duck　even　more。　This　was　a　vulnerable　time　with　a　real　prisoner；　and　when　I　looked　across　to　the　platform　where　Old　Sparky　stood　and　saw　Brutal　with　his　gun　drawn；　I　nodded　with　satisfaction。　Just　right。

Toot…Toot　went　down　the　steps　and　stopped。　The　folding　wooden　chairs；　about　forty　of　them；　were　already　in　place。　Bitterbuck　would　cross　to　the　platform　on　an　angle　that　would　keep　him　safely　away　from　the　seated　spectators；　and　half　a　dozen　guards　would　be　added　for　insurance。　Bill　Dodge　would　be　in　charge　of　those。　We　had　never　had　a　witness　menaced　by　a　condemned　prisoner　in　spite　of　what　was；　admittedly；　a　raw　set…up；　and　that　was　how　I　meant　to　keep　it。

〃Ready；　boys？〃　Toot　asked　when　we　were　back　in　our　original　formation　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　leading　down　from　my　office。　I　nodded；　and　we　walked　to　the　platform。　What　we　looked　like　more　than　anything；　I　often　thought；　was　a　color…guard　that　had　forgotten　its　flag。

〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　Percy　called　from　behind　the　wire　mesh　between　the　storage　room　and　the　switch　room。

〃Watch　and　learn；〃　I　called　back。

〃And　keep　yer　hands　off　yer　wiener；〃　Harry　muttered。　Toot…Toot　heard　him；　though；　and　cackled。

We　escorted　him　up　onto　the　platform　and　Toot　turned　around　on　his　own　…　the　old　vet　in　action。　〃Sittin　down；〃　he　said；　〃sittin　down。　sittin　down；　takin　a　seat　in　Old　Sparkys　lap。〃

I　dropped　to　my　right　knee　before　his　right　leg。　Dean　dropped　to　his　left　knee　before　his　left　leg。　It　was　at　this　point　we　ourselves　would　be　most　vulnerable　to　physical　attack；　should　the　condemned　man　go　berserk；　which；　every　now　and　then；　they　did。　We　both　turned　the　cocked　knee　slightly　inward；　to　protect　the　crotch　area。　We　dropped　our　chins　to　protect　our　throats。　And；　of　course；　we　moved　to　secure　the　ankles　and　neutralize　the　danger　as　fast　as　we　could。　The　Chief　would　be　wearing　slippers　when　he　took　his　final　promenade；　but　〃it　could　have　been　worse〃　isnt　much　fort　to　a　man　with　a　ruptured　larynx。　Or　writhing　on　the　floor　with　his　balls　swelling　up　to　the　size　of　Mason　jars；　for　that　matter；　while　forty　or　so　spectators　…　many　of　them　gentlemen　of　the　press　…　sit　in　those　Grange…hall　chairs；　watching　the　whole　thing。

We　clamped　Toot…Toots　ankles。　The　clamp　on　Deans　side　was　slightly　bigger；　because　it　carried　the　juice。　When　Bitterbuck　sat　down　tomorrow　night；　he　would　do　so　with　a　shaved　left　calf。　Indians　have　very　little　body…hair　as　a　rule；　but　we　would　take　no　chances。

While　we　were　clamping　Toot…Toots　ankles；　Brutal　secured　his　right　wrist。　Harry　stepped　smoothly　forward　and　clamped　the　left。　When　they　were　done；　Harry　nodded　to　Brutal；　and　Brutal　called　back　to　Van　Hay：　〃Roll　on　one！〃

I　heard　Percy　asking　Jack　Van　Hay　what　that　meant　（it　was　hard　to　believe　how　little　he　knew；　how　little　hed　picked　up　during　his　time　on　E　Block）　and　Van　Hays　murmur　of　explanation。　Today　Roll　on　one　meant　nothing；　but　when　he　heard　Brutal　say　it　tomorrow　night；　Van　Hay　would　turn　the　knob　that　goosed　the　prison　generator　behind　B　Block。　The　witnesses　would　hear　the　genny　as　a　steady　low　humming；　and　the　lights　all　over　the　prison　would　brighten。　In　the　other　cellblocks；　prisoners　would　observe　those　overbright　lights　and　think　it　had　happened；　the　execution　was　over；　when　in　fact　it　was　just　beginning。

Brutal　stepped　around　the　chair　so　that　Toot　could　see　him。　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　you　hav

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