第57部分(第3/7 頁)

he　stand　up　to　the　Sheriff？〃

〃All　he　can　do　by　standing　up　to　him　is　lose　his　job〃；　I　said。　〃Yes；　I　think　that　in　his　heart　he　knows　it　was　Wharton。　But　what　he　says　to　himself　is　that；　if　he　keeps　his　mouth　shut　and　plays　the　game　until　Cribus　either　retires　or　eats　himself　to　death；　he　gets　the　job。　And　things　will　be　different　then。　That's　what　he　tells　himself　to　get　to　sleep；　I　imagine。　And　he's　probably　not　so　much　different　than　Homer　about　one　thing。　He'll　tell　himself；　'After　all；　it's　only　a　Negro。　It's　not　like　they're　going　to　burn　a　white　man　for　it。；　〃

〃Then　you'll　have　to　go　to　them〃；　Janice　said；　and　my　heart　turned　cold　at　the　decisive；　no…doubt…about…it　tone　of　her　voice。　〃Go　and　tell　them　what　you　found　out。〃

〃And　how　should　we　tell　them　we　found　it　out；　Jan？〃　Brutal　asked　her　in　that　same　low　voice。

〃Should　we　tell　them　about　how　Wharton　grabbed　John　while　we　were　taking　him　out　of　the　prison　to　work　a　miracle　on　the　Warden's　wife？〃

〃No　。。。　of　course　not；　but。。。〃　She　saw　how　thin　the　ice　was　in　that　direction　and　skated　in　another　one。　〃Lie；　then；〃　she　said。　She　looked　defiantly　at　Brutal；　then　turned　that　look　on　me。　It　was　hot　enough　to　smoke　a　hole　in　newspaper；　you'd　have　said。

〃Lie；〃　I　repeated。　〃Lie　about　what？〃

〃About　what　got　you　going；　first　up　to　Purdom　County　and　then　down　to　Trapingus。　Go　down　there　to　that　fat　old　Sheriff　Cribus　and　say　that　Wharton　told　you　he　raped　and　murdered　the　Detterick　girls。　That　he　confessed。〃　She　switched　her　hot　gaze　to　Brutal　for　a　moment。　〃You　can　back　him　up；　Brutus。　You　can　say　you　were　there　when　he　confessed；　you　heard　it；　too。　Why；　Percy　probably　heard　it　as　well；　and　that　was　probably　what　set　him　off。　He　shot　Wharton　because　he　couldn't　stand　thinking