第29部分(第4/7 頁)

inished。　He　left；　instead；　head　down；　to　go　into　the　storage　room　and　look　for　a　dry　pair　of　pants。

〃He's　so　purty；〃　Wharton　said　in　a　dreamy　voice。　Harry　told　him　to　shut　the　fuck　up　before　he　went　down　to　the　restraint　room　just　on　general　damned　principles。　Wharton　folded　his　arms　on　his　chest；　closed　his　eyes；　and　appeared　to　go　to　sleep。

9。

The　night　before　Delacroix's　execution　came　down　hotter　and　muggier　than　ever　…　eighty…one　degrees　by　the　thermometer　outside　the　Admin　readyroom　window　when　I　clocked　in　at　six。　Eighty…one　degrees　at　the　end　of　October；　think　of　that；　and　thunder　rumbling　in　the　west　like　it　does　in　July。　I'd　met　a　member　of　my　congregation　in　town　that　afternoon；　and　he　had　asked　me；　with　apparent　seriousness；　if　I　thought　such　unseasonable　weather　could　be　a　sign　of　the　Last　Times。　I　said　that　I　was　sure　not；　but　it　crossed　my　mind　that　it　was　Last　Times　for　Eduard　Delacroix；　all　right。　Yes　indeed　it　was。

Bill　Dodge　was　standing　in　the　door　to　the　exercise　yard；　drinking　coffee　and　smoking　him　a　little　smoke。　He　looked　around　at　me　and　said；　〃Well；　lookit　here。　Paul　Edgebe；　big　as　life　and　twice　as　ugly。〃

〃How'd　the　day　go；　Billy？〃

〃All　right。〃

〃Delacroix？〃

〃Fine。　He　seems　to　understand　it's　tomorrow；　and　yet　it's　like　he　don't　understand。　You　know　how　most　of　em　are　when　the　end　finally　es　for　them。〃

I　nodded。　〃Wharton？'

Bill　laughed。　〃What　a　edian。　Makes　Jack　Benny　sound　like　a　Quaker。　He　told　Rolfe　Wettermark　that　he　ate　strawberry　jam　out　of　his　wife's　pussy。〃

〃What　did　Rolfe　say？〃

〃That　he　wasn't　married。　Said　it　must　have　been　his　mother　Wharton　was　thinking　of。〃

I　laughed；　and　hard。　That　really　was　funny；　in　a　low　sort　of　way。　And　it　was　good　jus