第16部分(第1/7 頁)

。　In　some　ways；　you　know；　I　wish　we'd　done　it。　It　might　have　changed　some　of　the　things　that　happened　later　on。

〃Fucking　faggot！　I'll　teach　you　to　keep　your　hands　off　me；　you　lousy　bum…puncher！〃

Whap！　Whap！　Whap！　And　now　Delacroix　was　bleeding　from　one　ear　and　screaming。　I　gave　up　trying　to　shield　him；　grabbed　him　by　one　shoulder；　and　hurled　him　into　his　cell；　where　he　went　sprawling　on　the　bunk。　Percy　darted　around　me　and　gave　him　a　final　hard　whap　on　the　butt　…　one　to　go　on；　you　could　say。　Then　Brutal　grabbed　him　…　Percy　…　I　mean　…　by　the　shoulders　and　hauled　him　across　the　corridor。

I　grabbed　the　cell　door　and　ran　it　shut　on　its　tracks。　Then　I　turned　to　Percy；　my　shock　and　bewilderment　at　war　with　pure　fury。　Percy　had　been　around　about　several　months　at　that　point；　long　enough　for　all　of　us　to　decide　we　didn't　like　him　very　much；　but　that　was　the　first　time　I　fully　understood　how　out　of　control　he　was。

He　stood　watching　me；　not　entirely　without　fear　…　he　was　a　coward　at　heart；　I　never　had　any　doubt　of　that　…　but　still　confident　that　his　connections　would　protect　him。　In　that　he　was　correct。　I　suspect　there　are　people　who　wouldn't　understand　why　that　was；　even　after　all　I've　said；　but　they　would　be　people　who　only　know　the　phrase　Great　Depression　from　the　history　books。　If　you　were　there；　it　was　a　lot　more　than　a　phrase　in　a　book；　and　if　you　had　a　steady　job；　brother；　you'd　do　almost　anything　to　keep　it。

The　color　was　fading　out　of　Percy's　face　a　little　by　then；　but　his　cheeks　were　still　flushed；　and　his　hair；　which　was　usually　swept　back　and　gleaming　with　brilliantine；　had　tumbled　over　his　forehead。

〃What　in　the　Christ　was　that　all　about？〃　I　asked。　〃I　have　never　…　I　have　never！　…　had　a　prisoner　beaten　onto　my　block　before