第43部分(第2/7 頁)

y　ways　the　strangest　night　of　my　entire　life　…　at　twenty　past　six。　I　thought　I　could　still　smell　the　faint；　lingering　odor　of　burned　flesh　on　the　air。　It　had　to　be　an　illusion　…　the　doors　to　the　outside；　both　on　the　block　and　in　the　storage　room；　had　been　open　most　of　the　day；　and　the　previous　two　shifts　had　spent　hours　scrubbing　in　there　…　but　that　didn't　change　what　my　nose　was　telling　me；　and　I　didn't　think　I　could　have　eaten　any　dinner　even　if　I　hadn't　been　scared　almost　to　death　about　the　evening　which　lay　ahead。

Brutal　came　on　the　block　at　quarter　to　seven；　Dean　at　ten　'til。　I　asked　Dean　if　he　would　go　over　to　the　infirmary　and　see　if　they　had　a　heating　pad　for　my　back；　which　I　seemed　to　have　strained　that　early　morning；　helping　to　carry　Delacroix's　body　down　into　the　tunnel。　Dean　said　he'd　be　happy　to。　I　believe　he　wanted　to　tip　me　a　wink；　but　restrained　himself。

Harry　clocked　on　at　three　minutes　to　seven。

〃The　truck？〃　I　asked。

〃Where　we　talked　about。〃

So　far；　so　good。　There　followed　a　little　passage　of　time　when　we　stood　by　the　duty　desk；　drinking　coffee　and　studiously　not　mentioning　what　we　were　all　thinking　and　hoping：　that　Percy　was　late；　that　maybe　Percy　wasn't　going　to　show　up　at　all。　Considering　the　hostile　reviews　he'd　gotten　on　the　way　he'd　handled　the　electrocution；　that　seemed　at　least　possible。

But　Percy　apparently　subscribed　to　that　old　axiom　about　how　you　should　get　right　back　on　the　horse　that　had　thrown　you；　because　here　he　came　through　the　door　at　six　minutes　past　seven；　resplendent　in　his　blue　uniform；　with　his　sidearm　on　one　hip　and　his　hickory　stick　in　its　ridiculous　custom…made　holster　on　the　other。　He　punched　his　time…card；　then　looked　around　at　us　warily　（except　for　Dean；　who　hadn't　e　back　from　the