第54部分(第4/7 頁)

No；　that's　not　right。　What　I　actually　finished　with　was　the　stuff　that　came　out　of　Percy；　the　bugs　or　the　whatever…it…was。　That　was　a　hard　thing　to　tell；　even　to　your　wife；　but　I　told　it。

As　I　talked；　she　brought　me　black　coffee　by　the　half…cup　at　first　my　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　pick　up　a　whole　one　without　spilling　it。　By　the　time　I　finished；　the　shaking　had　eased　some；　and　I　felt　that　I　could　even　take　some　food　an　egg；　maybe；　or　some　soup。

〃The　thing　that　saved　us　was　that　we　didn't　really　have　to　lie；　any　of　us。〃

〃Just　leave　a　few　things　out；〃　she　said；　and　nodded。　〃Little　things；　mostly；　like　how　you　took　a　condemned　murderer　out　of　prison；　and　how　he　cured　a　dying　woman；　and　how　he　drove　that　Percy　Wetmore　crazy　by　…　what？　…　spitting　a　pureed　brain　tumor　down　his　throat？〃

〃I　don't　know；　Jan；〃　I　said。　〃I　only　know　that　if　you　keep　talking　like　that；　you'll　end　up　either　eating　that　soup　yourself；　or　feeding　it　to　the　dog。〃

〃I'm　sorry。　But　I'm　right；　aren't　I？〃

〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　Except　we　got　away　with　the…〃　The　what？　You　couldn't　call　it　an　escape；　and　furlough　wasn't　right；　either。　〃the　field　trip。　Not　even　Percy　can　tell　them　about　that；　if　he　ever　es　back。〃

〃If　he　es　back；〃　she　echoed。　〃How　likely　is　that？〃

I　shook　my　head　to　indicate　I　had　no　idea。　But　I　did；　actually；　I　didn't　think　he　was　going　to　e　back；　not　in　1932；　not　in　'42　or　'52；　either。　In　that　I　was　right。　Percy　Wetmore　stayed　at　Briar　Ridge　until　it　burned　flat　in　1944。　Seventeen　inmates　were　killed　in　that　fire；　but　Percy　wasn't　one　of　them。　Still　silent　and　blank　in　every　regard…the　word　I　learned　to　describe　that　state　is　catatonic　…　he　was　led　out　by　one　of　the　guards　long　before　the　fire　reached　his　wing。　He　went　on　to　another