第22部分(第4/7 頁)

after　dark；〃　I　said。　The　priest　looked　up　from　the　stew　and　smiled　at　me。

〃There　he　is；　gone　over　with　the　priest；〃　Rinaldi　said。　〃Where　are　all　the　good　old　priest…baiters？　Where　is　Cavalcanti？　Where　is　Brundi？　Where　is　Cesare？　Do　I　have　to　bait　this　priest　alone　without　support？〃

〃He　is　a　good　priest；〃　said　the　major。

〃He　is　a　good　priest；〃　said　Rinaldi。　〃But　still　a　priest。　I　try　to　make　the　mess　like　the　old　days。　I　want　to　make　Federico　happy。　To　hell　with　you；　priest！〃

I　saw　the　major　look　at　him　and　notice　that　he　was　drunk。　His　thin　face　was　white。　The　line　of　his　hair　was　very　black　against　the　white　of　his　forehead。

〃It's　all　right；　Rinaldo；〃　said　the　priest。　〃It's　all　right。〃

〃To　hell　with　you；〃　said　Rinaldi。　〃To　hell　with　the　whole　damn　business。〃　He　sat　back　in　his　chair。

〃He's　been　under　a　strain　and　he's　tired；〃　the　major　said　to　me。　He　finished　his　meat　and　wiped　up　the　gravy　with　a　piece　of　bread。

〃I　don't　give　a　damn；〃　Rinaldi　said　to　the　table。　〃To　hell　with　the　whole　business。〃　He　looked　defiantly　around　the　table；　his　eyes　flat；　his　face　pale。

〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃To　hell　with　the　whole　damn　business。〃

〃No；　no；〃　said　Rinaldi。　〃You　can't　do　it。　You　can't　do　it。　I　say　you　can't　do　it。　You're　dry　and　you're　empty　and　there's　nothing　else。　There's　nothing　else　I　tell　you。　Not　a　damned　thing。　I　know；　when　I　stop　working。〃

The　priest　shook　his　head。　The　orderly　took　away　the　stew　dish。

〃What　are　you　eating　meat　for？〃　Rinaldi　turned　to　the　priest。　〃Don't　you　know　it's　Friday？〃

〃It's　Thursday；〃　the　priest　said。

〃It's　a　lie。　It's　Friday。　You're　eating　the　body　of　our　Lord。　It's　God…meat。　I　know。　It's　dead　Austrian。　That's　what　you're　eating。〃

〃The　white