第14部分(第3/7 頁)

in　the　cap。　gettin　the　cap；　gettin　the　cap；〃　Toot　said；　and　nouffled。　The　straps　held　his　jaw　almost　closed；　and　I　suspected　Brutal　had　snugged　it　down　a　little　tighter　than　he　strictly　had　to　for　purposes　of　rehearsal。　He　stepped　back；　faced　the　empty　seats；　and　said：　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　electricity　shall　now　be　passed　through　your　body　until　you　are　dead；　in　accordance　with　state　law。　May　God　have　mercy　on　your　soul。〃

Brutal　turned　to　the　mesh…covered　rectangle。　〃Roll　on　two。〃

Old　Toot；　perhaps　trying　to　recapture　his　earlier　flare　of　ic　genius；　began　to　buck　and　flail　in　the　chair；　as　Old　Sparky's　actual　customers　almost　never　did。　〃Now　I'm　fryin！〃　he　cried。　〃Fryin！　Fryyyin！　Geeeaah！　I'm　a　done　tom　turkey！〃

Harry　and　Dean；　I　saw；　were　not　watching　this　at　all。　They　had　turned　away　from　Sparky　and　were　looking　across　the　empty　storage　room　at　the　door　leading　back　into　my　office。　〃Well；　I'll　be　goddamned；〃　Harry　said。　〃One　of　the　witnesses　came　a　day　early。〃

Sitting　in　the　doorway　with　its　tail　curled　neatly　around　its　paws；　watching　with　its　beady　black　oilspot　eyes；　was　the　mouse。

5。

The　execution　went　well　…　if　there　was　ever　such　a　thing　as　〃a　good　one〃　（a　proposition　I　strongly　doubt）；　then　the　execution　of　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　council　elder　of　the　Washita　Cherokee；　was　it。　He　got　his　braids　wrong　…　his　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　make　a　good　job　of　it　…　and　his　eldest　daughter；　a　woman　of　thirty…odd；　was　allowed　to　plait　them　nice　and　even。　She　wanted　to　weave　feathers　in　at　the　tips；　the　pinfeathers　of　a　hawk；　his　bird；　but　I　couldn't　allow　it。　They　might　catch　fire　and　burn。　I　didn't　tell　her　that；　of　course；　just　said　it　was　against　regulations。　She　made　no　protest；　only　bowed　her　head　and　put　her　hands　to　her　temples