第36部分(第4/7 頁)

s　happening；　and　why　didn't　I　order　jack　to　shut　down？

〃Because　I　can't；〃　I　said。　〃We've　gone　too　far　to　turn　back；　can't　you　see　that？　It'll　be　over　in　a　few　more　seconds；　anyway。〃

But　it　was　at　least　two　minutes　before　it　was　over；　the　longest　two　minutes　of　my　whole　life；　and　through　most　of　it　I　think　Delacroix　was　conscious。　He　screamed　and　jittered　and　rocked　from　side　to　side。　Smoke　poured　from　his　nostrils　and　from　a　mouth　that　had　gone　the　purple…black　of　ripe　plums。　Smoke　drifted　up　from　his　tongue　the　way　smoke　rises　from　a　hot　griddle。　All　the　buttons　on　his　shirt　either　burst　or　melted。　His　undershirt　did　not　quite　catch　fire；　but　it　charred　and　smoke　poured　through　it　and　we　could　smell　his　chest…hair　roasting。　Behind　us；　people　were　heading　for　the　door　like　cattle　in　a　stampede。　They　couldn't　get　out　through　it；　of　course　…　we　were　in　a　damn　prison；　after　all　…　so　they　simply　clustered　around　it　while　Delacroix　fried　（Now　I'm　fryin；　Old　Toot　had　said　when　we　were　rehearsing　for　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　I'm　a　done　tom　turkey）　and　the　thunder　rolled　and　the　rain　ran　down　out　of　the　sky　in　a　perfect　fury。

At　some　point　I　thought　of　the　doc　and　looked　around　for　him。　He　was　still　there；　but　crumpled　on　the　floor　beside　his　black　bag。　He'd　fainted。

Brutal　came　up　and　stood　beside　me；　holding　the　fire　extinguisher。

〃Not　yet；〃　I　said。

〃I　know。〃

We　looked　around　for　Percy　and　saw　him　standing　almost　behind　Sparky　now；　frozen；　eyes　huge；　one　knuckle　crammed　into　his　mouth。

Then；　at　last；　Delacroix　slumped　back　in　the　chair；　his　bulging；　misshapen　face　lying　over　on　one　shoulder。　He　was　still　jittering；　but　we'd　seen　this　before；　it　was　the　current　running　through　him。　The　cap　had　e　askew　on　his　head；　but　when　we　to