第39部分(第6/7 頁)

。　She　does　a　lot　of　munity　things；　she's　a　good　friend；　and　she's　religious。　More　than　that；　she's　funny。　Used　to　be；　anyway。　She　could　tell　you　things　that'd　make　you　laugh　until　the　tears　rolled　down　your　cheeks。　But　none　of　those　things　are　the　reason　I　want　to　help　save　her；　if　she　can　be　saved。　What's　happening　to　her　is　an　offense；　goddammit；　an　offense。　To　the　eyes　and　the　ears　and　the　heart。〃

〃Very　noble；　but　I　doubt　like　hell　if　that's　what　put　this　bee　in　your　bon；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　think　it's　what　happened　to　Del。　You　want　to　balance　it　off　somehow。〃

And　he　was　right。　Of　course　he　was。　I　knew　Melinda　Moores　better　than　the　others　did；　but　maybe　not；　in　the　end；　well　enough　to　ask　them　to　risk　their　jobs　for　her　…　and　possibly　their　freedom；　as　well。　Or　my　own　job　and　freedom；　for　that　matter。　I　had　two　children；　and　the　last　thing　on　God's　earth　that　I　wanted　my　wife　to　have　to　do　was　to　write　them　the　news　that　their　father　was　going　on　trial　for。。。　well；　what　would　it　be？　I　didn't　know　for　sure。　Aiding　and　abetting　an　escape　attempt　seemed　the　most　likely。

But　the　death　of　Eduard　Delacroix　had　been　the　ugliest；　foulest　thing　I　had　ever　seen　in　my　life　…　not　just　my　working　life　but　my　whole；　entire　life　…　and　I　had　been　a　party　to　it。　We　had　all　been　a　party　to　it；　because　we　had　allowed　Percy　Wetmore　to　stay　even　after　we　knew　he　was　horribly　unfit　to　work　in　a　place　like　E　Block。　We　had　played　the　game。　Even　Warden　Moores　had　been　a　party　to　it。　〃His　nuts　are　going　to　cook　whether　Wetmore's　on　the　team　or　not；〃　he　had　said；　and　maybe　that　was　well　enough；　considering　what　the　little　Frenchman　had　done；　but　in　the　end　Percy　had　done　a　lot　more　than　cook　Del's　nuts；　he　had　blown　the　little　man's　eyeballs　right　out　of　their　sockets　and　se