第4部分(第2/7 頁)

wes　…　it　still　gave　me　a　chill。

〃I　couldn't　help…it；　boss；〃　he　said。　〃I　tried　to　take　it　back；　but　it　was　too　late！'

3。

〃You're　going　to　have　you　some　trouble　with　Percy；〃　Harry　said　as　we　walked　back　up　the　hall　and　into　my　office。　Dean　Stanton；　sort　of　my　third　in　mand　…　we　didn't　actually　have　such　things；　a　situation　Percy　Wetmore　would　have　fixed　up　in　a　flash　…　was　sitting　behind　my　desk；　updating　the　files；　a　job　I　never　seemed　to　get　around　to。　He　barely　looked　up　as　we　came　in；　just　gave　his　little　glasses　a　shove　with　the　ball　of　his　thumb　and　dived　back　into　his　paperwork。

〃I　been　having　trouble　with　that　peckerwood　since　the　day　he　came　here；〃　I　said；　gingerly；　pulling　my　pants　away　from　my　crotch　and　wincing。　〃Did　you　hear　what　he　was　shouting　when　he　brought　that　big　galoot　down？〃

〃Couldn't　very　well　not；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　was　there；　you　know。〃

〃I　was　in　the　john　and　heard　it　just　fine；〃　Dean　said。　He　drew　a　sheet　of　paper　to　him；　held　it　up　into　the　light　so　I　could　see　there　was　a　coffee…ring　as　well　as　typing　on　it；　and　then　tossed　it　into　the　waste　basket。　'Dead　man　walking。'　Must　have　read　that　in　one　of　those　magazines　he　likes　so　much！〃

And　he　probably　had。　Percy　Wetmore　was　a　great　reader　of　Argosy　and　Stag　and　Men's　Adventure。　There　was　a　prison　tale　in　every　issue；　it　seemed；　and　Percy　read　them　avidly；　like　a　man　doing　research。　It　was　like　he　was　trying　to　find　out　how　to　act；　and　thought　the　information　was　in　those　magazines。　He'd　e　just　after　we　did　Anthony　Ray；　the　hatchet…killer　…　and　he　hadn't　actually　participated　in　an　execution　yet；　although　he'd　witnessed　one　from　the　switch…room。

〃He　knows　people；〃　Harry　said。　〃He's　connected。　You'll　have　to　answer　for　sending　him　off　the　block；　a