第3部分(第3/7 頁)

wer　lip　pooched　out。　Bill　Dodge　and　his　men　were　moving　boxes　and　stacks　of　sheets；　even　the　beds；　the　whole　infirmary　was　going　to　a　new　frame　building　over　on　the　west　side　of　the　prison。　Hot　work；　heavy　lifting。　Percy　Wetmore　wanted　no　part　of　either。

〃They　got　all　the　men　they　need；〃　he　said。

〃Then　get　over　there　and　straw…boss；〃　I　said；　raising　my　voice。　I　saw　Harry　wince　and　paid　no　attention。　If　the　governor　ordered　Warden　Moores　to　fire　me　for　ruffling　the　wrong　set　of　feathers；　who　was　Hal　Moores　going　to　put　in　my　place？　Percy？　It　was　a　joke。　〃I　really　don't　care　what　you　do；　Percy；　as　long　as　you　get　out　of　here　for　awhile！'

For　a　moment　I　thought　he　was　going　to　stick　and　there'd　be　real　trouble；　with　Coffey　standing　there　the　whole　time　like　the　world's　biggest　stopped　clock。　Then　Percy　rammed　his　billy　back　into　its　hand…tooled　holster…foolish　damned　vanitorious　thing　…　and　went　stalking　up　the　corridor。　I　don't　remember　which　guard　was　sitting　at　the　duty　desk　that　day…one　of　the　floaters；　I　guess　…　but　Percy　must　not　have　liked　the　way　he　looked；　because　he　growled；　〃You　wipe　that　smirk　off　your　shitepoke　face　or　I'll　wipe　it　off　for　you〃　as　he　went　by。　There　was　a　rattle　of　keys；　a　momentary　blast　of　hot　sunlight　from　the　exercise　yard；　and　then　Percy　Wetmore　was　gone；　at　least　for　the　time　being。　Delacroix's　mouse　ran　back　and　forth　from　one　of　the　little　Frenchman's　shoulders　to　the　other；　his　filament　whiskers　twitching。

〃Be　still；　Mr。　Jingles；〃　Delacroix　said；　and　the　mouse　stopped　on　his　left　shoulder　just　as　if　he　had　understood。　〃Just　be　so　still　and　so　quiet。〃　In　Delacroix's　lilting　Cajun　accent；　quiet　came　out　sounding　exotic　and　foreign　…　kwaht。

〃You　go　lie　down；　Del；〃　I　said　curtly。　〃Take　you　a　rest。　This　is