第11部分(第2/7 頁)

n　the　regional　head　of　an　outfit　called　Mid…South　Realty　Associates；　and　had　thought　himself　smart　enough　to　be　able　to　get　away　with　pushing　his　half…senile　father　out　a　third…story　window　and　collect　on　a　double…indemnity　whole…life　policy。　On　that　he　had　been　wrong；　but　maybe　not　by　much。

〃Shut　up；　you　lugoon；〃　Percy　said；　but　that　was　pretty　much　automatic。　He　had　his　eye　on　the　mouse。　He　had　re…holstered　his　baton　and　taken　out　one　of　his　magazines；　but　now　he　tossed　the　magazine　on　the　duty　desk　and　pulled　the　baton　out　of　its　holster　again。　He　began　tapping　it　casually　against　the　knuckles　of　his　left　hand。

〃Son　of　a　bitch；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃I've　never　seen　a　mouse　in　here　before。〃

〃Aw；　he's　sort　of　cute；〃　Dean　said。　〃And　not　afraid　at　all。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃He　was　in　the　other　night。　Percy　saw　him；　too。　Brutal　calls　him　Steamboat　Willy。〃

Percy　kind　of　sneered　at　that；　but　for　the　time　being　said　nothing。　He　was　tapping　the　baton　faster　now　on　the　back　of　his　hand。

〃Watch　this；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　came　all　the　way　up　to　the　desk　before。　I　want　to　see　if　he'll　do　it　again。〃

It　did；　skirting　wide　of　The　Pres　on　its　way；　as　if　it　didn't　like　the　way　our　resident　parricide　smelled。　It　checked　two　of　the　empty　cells；　even　ran　up　onto　one　of　the　bare；　unmattressed　cots　for　a　sniff；　then　came　back　to　the　Green　Mile。　And　Percy　standing　there　the　whole　time；　tapping　and　tapping；　not　talking　for　a　change；　wanting　to　make　it　sorry　for　ing　back。　Wanting　to　teach　it　a　lesson。

〃Good　thing　you　guys　don't　have　to　put　him　in　Sparky；〃　Bill　said；　interested　in　spite　of　himself。　〃You'd　have　a　hell　of　a　time　getting　the　clamps　and　the　cap　on。〃

Percy　said　nothing　still；　but　he　very　slowly　gripped　the　baton　between　h