第13部分(第4/7 頁)

he　court　and　of　the　state　of　blah…blah；　I　have　a　warrant　for　blah…blah；　such　execution　to　be　carried　out　at　twelve…oh…one　on　blah…blah；　will　you　step　forward？〃

Toot　got　off　the　bunk。　〃I'm　steppin　forward；　I'm　steppin　forward；　I'm　steppin　forward；〃　he　said。

〃Turn　around；〃　Dean　said；　and　when　Toot…Toot　turned；　Dean　examined　the　dandruffy　top　of　his　head。　The　crown　of　The　Chief's　head　would　be　shaved　tomorrow　night；　and　Dean's　check　then　would　be　to　make　sure　he　didn't　need　a　touch…up。　Stubble　could　impede　conduction；　make　things　harder。　Everything　we　were　doing　today　was　about　making　things　easier。

〃All　right；　Arlen；　let's　go；〃　I　said　to　Toot…Toot；　and　away　we　went。

〃I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；　I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；　I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；〃　Toot　said。　I　flanked　him　on　the　left；　Dean　on　the　right。　Harry　was　directly　behind　him。　At　the　head　of　the　corridor　we　turned　right；　away　from　life　as　it　was　lived　in　the　exercise　yard　and　toward　death　as　it　was　died　in　the　storage　room。　We　went　into　my　office；　and　Toot　dropped　to　his　knees　without　having　to　be　asked。　He　knew　the　script；　all　right；　probably　better　than　any　of　us。　God　knew　he'd　been　there　longer　than　any　of　us。

〃I'm　prayin；　I'm　prayin；　I'm　prayin；〃　Toot…Toot　said；　holding　his　gnarled　hands　up。　They　looked　like　that　famous　engraving；　you　probably　know　the　one　I　mean。　〃The　Lord　is　my　shepherd；　so　on　'n　so　forth。〃

〃Who's　Bitterbuck　got？〃　Harry　asked。　〃We're　not　going　to　have　some　Cherokee　medicine　man　in　here　shaking　his　dick；　are　we？〃

〃Actually　…　〃

〃Still　prayin；　still　prayin；　still　gettin　right　with　Jesus；〃　Toot　overrode　me。

〃Shut　up；　you　old　gink；〃　Dean　said。

〃I'm　prayin！〃

〃Then　pray　to　yourself。〃

〃What's　keepin　you　guys？