第35部分(第1/7 頁)

ar。　〃The　only　thing　most　of　these　people　will　remember　about　you　is　how　you　go　out；　so　give　them　something　good。〃

The　loudest　crack　of　thunder　yet　broke　overhead　at　that　moment；　loud　enough　to　make　the　storage　room's　tin　roof　vibrate。　Percy　jumped　as　if　someone　had　goosed　him；　and　Del　gave　a　small；　contemptuous　snort　of　laughter。　〃It　get　much　louder　dan　dat；　he　gonna　piddle　in　his　pants　again；〃　he　said；　and　then　squared　his　shoulders　…　not　that　he　had　much　to　square。　〃e　on。　Let's　get　it　over。〃

We　walked　to　the　platform。　Delacroix　ran　a　nervous　eye　over　the　witnesses　…　about　twenty…five　of　them　this　time　…　as　we　went；　but　Brutal；　Dean；　and　I　kept　our　own　eyes　trained　on　the　chair。　All　looked　in　order　to　me。　I　raised　one　thumb　and　a　questioning　eyebrow　to　Percy；　who　gave　a　little　one…sided　grimace；　as　if　to　say　What　do　you　mean；　is　everything　all　right？　Of　course　it　is。

I　hoped　he　was　right。

Brutal　and　I　reached　automatically　for　Delacroix's　elbows　as　he　stepped　up　onto　the　platform。　It's　only　eight　or　so　inches　up　from　the　floor；　but　you'd　be　surprised　how　many　of　them；　even　the　toughest　of　tough　babies；　need　help　to　make　that　last　step　up　of　their　lives。

Del　did　okay；　though。　He　stood　in　front　of　the　chair　for　a　moment　（resolutely　not　looking　at　Percy）；　then　actually　spoke　to　it；　as　if　introducing　himself：　〃C'est　moi；〃　he　said。　Percy　reached　for　him；　but　Delacroix　turned　around　on　his　own　and　sat　down。　I　knelt　on　what　was　now　his　left　side；　and　Brutal　knelt　on　his　right。　I　guarded　my　crotch　and　my　throat　in　the　manner　I　have　already　described；　then　swung　the　clamp　in　so　that　its　open　jaws　encircled　the　skinny　white　flesh　just　above　the　Cajun's　ankle。　Thunder　bellowed　and　I　jumped。　Sweat　ran　in　my　eye；　stinging。　Mouseville；　I　kept　t