第4部分(第4/7 頁)

ater　on　that　afternoon　I　did。

The　prison　library　was　in　back　of　the　building　that　was　going　to　bee　the　prison　auto　shop　…　at　least　that　was　the　plan。　More　pork　in　someone's　pocket　was　what　I　thought；　but　the　Depression　was　on；　and　I　kept　my　opinions　to　myself　…　the　way　I　should　have　kept　my　mouth　shut　about　Percy；　but　sometimes　a　man　just　can't　keep　it　clapped　tight。　A　man's　mouth　gets　him　in　more　trouble　than　his　pecker　ever　could；　most　of　the　time。　And　the　auto　shop　never　happened；　anyway　…　the　next　spring；　the　prison　moved　sixty　miles　down　the　road　to　Brighton。　More　backroom　deals；　I　reckon。　More　barrels　of　pork。　Wasn't　nothing　to　me。

Administration　had　gone　to　a　new　building　on　the　east　side　of　the　yard；　the　infirmary　was　being　moved　（whose　country…bumpkin　idea　it　had　been　to　put　an　infirmary　on　the　second　floor　in　the　first　place　was　just　another　of　life's　mysteries）；　the　library　was　still　partly　stocked　…　not　that　it　ever　had　much　in　it　…　and　standing　empty。　The　old　building　was　a　hot　clapboard　box　kind　of　shouldered　in　between　A　and　B　Blocks。　Their　bathrooms　backed　up　on　it　and　the　whole　building　was　always　swimming　with　this　vague　pissy　smell；　which　was　probably　the　only　good　reason　for　the　move。　The　library　was　L…shaped；　and　not　much　bigger　than　my　office。　I　looked　for　a　fan；　but　they　were　all　gone。　It　must　have　been　a　hundred　degrees　in　there；　and　I　could　feel　that　hot　throb　in　my　groin　when　I　sat　down。　Sort　of　like　an　infected　tooth。　I　know　that's　absurd；　considering　the　region　we're　talking　about　here；　but　it's　the　only　thing　I　could　pare　it　to。　It　got　a　lot　worse　during　and　just　after　taking　a　leak；　which　I　had　done　just　before　walking　over。

There　was　one　other　fellow　there　after　all　…　a　scrawny　old　trusty　named　Gibbons　dozing　away　in　t