第13部分(第2/7 頁)

k　was　allowed　over　to　the　long　room　adjacent　to　the　cafeteria　…　the　Arcade。　It　was　divided　straight　down　the　middle　by　mesh　interwoven　with　strands　of　barbed　wire。　Here　The　Chief　would　visit　with　his　second　wife　and　those　of　his　children　who　would　still　treat　with　him。　It　was　time　for　the　good…byes。

He　was　taken　over　there　by　Bill　Dodge　and　two　other　floaters。　The　rest　of　us　had　work　to　do　…　one　hour　to　cram　in　at　least　two　rehearsals。　Three；　if　we　could　manage　it。

Percy　didn't　make　much　protest　over　being　put　in　the　switch　room　with　Jack　Van　Hay　for　the　Bitterbuck　electrocution；　he　was　too　green　to　know　if　he　was　being　given　a　good　spot　or　a　bad　one。　What　he　did　know　was　that　he　had　a　rectangular　mesh　window　to　look　through；　and　although　he　probably　didn't　care　to　be　looking　at　the　back　of　the　chair　instead　of　the　front；　he　would　still　be　close　enough　to　see　the　sparks　flying。

Right　outside　that　window　was　a　black　wall　telephone　with　no　crank　or　dial　on　it。　That　phone　could　only　ring　in；　and　only　from　one　place：　the　governor's　office。　I've　seen　lots　of　jailhouse　movies　over　the　years　where　the　official　phone　rings　just　as　they're　getting　ready　to　pull　the　switch　on　some　poor　innocent　sap；　but　ours　never　rang　during　all　my　years　on　E　Block；　never　once。　In　the　movies；　salvation　is　cheap。　So　is　innocence。　You　pay　a　quarter；　and　a　quarter's　worth　is　just　what　you　get。　Real　life　costs　more；　and　most　of　the　answers　are　different。

We　had　a　tailor's　dummy　down　in　the　tunnel　for　the　run　to　the　meatwagon；　and　we　had　Old　Toot…Toot　for　the　rest。　Over　the　years；　Toot　had　somehow　bee　the　traditional　stand…in　for　the　condemned；　as　time…honored　in　his　way　as　the　goose　you　sit　down　to　on　Christmas；　whether　you　like　goose　or　not。　Most　of　the　other　screws　like