第12部分(第2/7 頁)

turned　out　to　be　a　kind　of　prophecy。　〃Wetmore　don't　understand　that　he　hasn't　got　any　power　over　them；〃　Dean　said。　〃That　nothing　he　does　can　really　make　things　worse　for　them；　that　they　can　only　be　electrocuted　once。　Until　he　gets　his　head　around　that；　he's　going　to　be　a　danger　to　himself　and　to　everyone　else　down　here。〃

Percy　went　into　my　office　and　slammed　the　door　behind　him。

〃My；　my；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃Ain't　he　the　swollen　and　badly　infected　testicle。〃

〃You　don't　know　the　half　of　it；〃　Dean　said。

〃Oh；　look　on　the　bright　side；〃　Bill　said。　He　was　always　telling　people　to　look　on　the　bright　side；　it　got　so　you　wanted　to　punch　his　nose　every　time　it　came　out　of　his　mouth。　〃Your　trick　mouse　got　away；　at　least。〃

〃Yeah；　but　we　won't　see　him　no　more；〃　Dean　said。　〃I　imagine　this　time　goddam　Percy　Wetmore's　scared　him　off　for　good。〃

3。

That　was　logical　but　wrong。　The　mouse　was　back　the　very　next　evening；　which　just　happened　to　be　the　first　of　Percy　Wetmore's　two　nights　off　before　he　slid　over　to　the　graveyard　shift。

Steamboat　Willy　showed　up　around　seven　o'clock。　I　was　there　to　see　his　reappearance；　so　was　Dean。　Harry　Terwilliger；　too。　Harry　was　on　the　desk。　I　was　technically　on　days；　but　had　stuck　around　to　spend　an　extra　hour　with　The　Chief；　whose　time　was　getting　close　by　then。　Bitterbuck　was　stoical　on　the　outside；　in　the　tradition　of　his　tribe；　but　I　could　see　his　fear　of　the　end　growing　inside　him　like　a　poison　flower。　So　we　talked。　You　could　talk　to　them　in　the　daytime　but　it　wasn't　so　good；　with　the　shouts　and　conversation　（not　to　mention　the　occasional　fist…fight）　ing　from　the　exercise　yard；　the　chonk…chonk…chonk　of　the　stamping　machines　in　the　plate…shop；　the　occasional　yell　of　a　guard　for　someone　to　put　down　th