第31部分(第1/7 頁)

When　I　walked　back　up　the　path　twenty　minutes　later；　I　could　feel　a　worm　of　hunger　stirring　in　my　belly；　and　thought　I　could　eat　something　a　little　more　substantial　than　toast。　A　dish　of　oatmeal；　perhaps　even　a　scrambled　egg　with　a　sausage　on　the　side。　I　love　sausage；　always　have；　but　if　I　eat　more　than　one　these　days；　I'm　apt　to　get　the　squitters。　One　would　be　safe　enough；　though。　Then；　with　my　belly　full　and　with　the　damp　air　still　perking　up　my　brain　（or　so　I　hoped）；　I　would　go　up　to　the　solarium　and　write　about　the　execution　of　Eduard　Delacroix。　I　would　do　it　as　fast　as　I　could；　so　as　not　to　lose　my　courage。

It　was　Mr。　Jingles　I　was　thinking　about　as　I　crossed　the　croquet　course　to　the　kitchen　door　…　how　Percy　Wetmore　had　stamped　on　him　and　broken　his　back；　and　how　Delacroix　had　screamed　when　he　realized　what　his　enemy　had　done　…　and　I　didn't　see　Brad　Dolan　standing　there；　half…hidden　by　the　Dumpster；　until　he　reached　out　and　grabbed　my　wrist。

〃Out　for　a　little　stroll；　Paulie？〃　he　asked。

I　jerked　back　from　him；　yanking　my　wrist　out　of　his　hand。　Some　of　it　was　just　being　startled　…　anyone　will　jerk　when　they're　startled　…　but　that　wasn't　all　of　it。　I'd　been　thinking　about　Percy　Wetmore；　remember；　and　it's　Percy　that　Brad　always　reminds　me　of。　Some　of　it's　how　Brad　always　goes　around　with　a　paperback　stuffed　into　his　pocket　（with　Percy　it　was　always　a　men's　adventure　magazine；　with　Brad　it's　books　of　jokes　that　are　only　funny　if　you're　stupid　and　mean…hearted）；　some　of　it's　how　he　acts　like　he's　King　Shit　of　Turd　Mountain；　but　mostly　it's　that　he's　sneaky；　and　he　likes　to　hurt。

He'd　just　gotten　to　work；　I　saw；　hadn't　even　changed　into　his　orderly's　whites　yet。　He　was　wearing　jeans　and　a　cheesy…looking　Western…style　shirt。　In　one　hand　wa