小说园

第11部分（第2页）

〃Nah；〃　Dean　said；　〃he　knows　youre　a　floater；　thats　all。〃

〃Floater；　am　I？　I　like　that！　Im　here　almost　as　much　as　Harry　Terwilliger！　Maybe　more！〃

〃Simmer　down；　old…timer；　simmer　down；〃　Dean　said；　grinning。　〃But　watch　and　see　if　Im　not　right。〃　He　bombed　another　piece　of　cracker　over　the　side。　Sure　enough；　the　mouse　picked　that　one　up　and　began　to　eat　again；　still　ignoring　Bill　Dodges　contribution　pletely。　But　before　it　had　done　more　than　take　a　preliminary　nibble　or　two；　Percy　threw　his　baton　at　it；　launching　it　like　a　spear。

The　mouse　was　a　small　target；　and　give　the　devil　his　due…it　was　a　wickedly　good　shot；　and　might　have　taken　〃Willys〃　head　clean　off；　if　its　reflexes　hadnt　been　as　sharp　as　shards　of　broken　glass。　It　ducked　…　yes；　just　as　a　human　being　would　have　…　and　dropped　the　chunk　of　cracker。　The　heavy　hickory　baton　passed　over　its　head　and　spine　close　enough　so　its　fur　ruffled　（thats　what　Dean　said；　anyway；　and　so　I　pass　it　on；　although　Im　not　sure　I　really　believe　it）；　then　hit　the　green　linoleum　and　bounced　against　the　bars　of　an　empty　cell。　The　mouse　didnt　wait　to　see　if　it　was　a　mistake；　apparently　remembering　a　pressing　engagement　elsewhere；　it　turned　and　was　off　down　the　corridor　toward　the　restraint　room　in　a　flash。

Percy　roared　with　frustration　…　he　knew　how　close　he　had　e　…　and　chased　after　it　again。　Bill　Dodge　grabbed　at　his　arm；　probably　out　of　simple　instinct；　but　Percy　pulled　away　from　him。　Still；　Dean　said；　it　was　probably　that　grab　which　saved　Steamboat　Willys　life；　and　it　was　still　a　near　thing。　Percy　wanted　not　just　to　kill　the　mouse　but　to　squash　it；　so　he　ran　in　big；　ical　leaps；　like　a　deer；　stamping　down　with　his　heavy　black　workshoes。　The　mouse　barely　avoided　Percys　last　two　jumps；　first　zigging　and　then　zagging。　It　went　under　the　door　with　a　final　flick　of　its　long　pink　tail；　and　so　long；　stranger　…　it　was　gone。

〃Fuck！〃　Percy　said；　and　slammed　the　flat　of　his　hand　against　the　door。　Then　he　began　to　sort　through　his　keys；　meaning　to　go　into　the　restraint　room　and　continue　the　chase。

Dean　came　down　the　corridor　after　him；　deliberately　walking　slow　in　order　to　get　his　emotions　under　control。　Part　of　him　wanted　to　laugh　at　Percy；　he　told　me；　but　part　of　him　wanted　to　grab　the　man；　whirl　him　around；　pin　him　against　the　restraint…room　door；　and　whale　the　living　daylights　out　of　him。　Most　of　it；　of　course；　was　just　being　startled；　our　job　on　E　Block　was　to　keep　rumpus　to　a　minimum；　and　rumpus　was　practically　Percy　Wetmores　middle　name。　Working　with　him　was　sort　of　like　trying　to　defuse　a　bomb　with　somebody　standing　behind　you　and　every　now　and　then　clashing　a　pair　of　cymbals　together。　In　a　word；　upsetting。　Dean　said　he　could　see　that　upset　in　Arlen　Bitterbucks　eyes　。。。　even　in　The　Presidents　eyes；　although　that　gentleman　was　usually　as　cool　as　the　storied　cucumber。

And　there　was　something　else；　as　well。　In　some　part　of　his　mind；　Dean　had　already　begun　to　accept　the　mouse　as　…　well；　maybe　not　as　a　friend；　but　as　a　part　of　life　on　the　block。　That　made　what　Percy　had　done　and　what　he　was　trying　to　do　not　right。　Not　even　if　it　was　a　mouse　he　was　trying　to　do　it　to。　And　the　fact　that　Percy　would　never　understand　how　e　it　wasnt　right　was　pretty　much　the　perfect　example　of　why　he　was　all　wrong　for　the　job　he　thought　he　was　doing。

By　the　time　Dean　reached　the　end　of　the　corridor；　he　had　gotten　himself　under　control　again；　and　knew　how　he　wanted　to　handle　the　matter。　The　one　thing　Percy　absolutely　couldnt　stand　was　to　look　foolish；　and　we　all　knew　it。

〃Coises；　foiled　again；〃　he　said；　grinning　a　little；　kidding　Percy　along。

Percy　gave　him　an　ugly　look　and　flicked　his　hair　off　his　brow。　〃Match　your　mouth；　Four…Eyes。　Im　riled。　Dont　make　it　worse！〃

〃So　its　moving　day　again；　is　it？〃　Dean　said；　not　quite　laughing　。。。　but　laughing　with　his　eyes。　〃Well；　when　you　get　everything　out　this　time；　would　you　mind　mopping　the　floor？〃

Percy　looked　at　the　door。　Looked　at　his　keys。　Thought　about　another　long；　hot；　fruitless　rummage　in　the　room　with　the　soft　walls　while　they　all　stood　around　and　watched　him　。。。　The　Chief　and　The　Pres；　too。

〃Ill　be　damned　if　I　understand　whats　so　funny；〃　he　said。　〃We　dont　need　mice　in　the　cellblock　…　we　got　enough　vermin　in　here　already；　without　adding　mice。〃

〃Whatever　you　say；　Percy；〃　Dean　said；　holding　up　his　hands。　He　had　a　moment　right　there；　he　told　me　the　next　night；　when　he　believed　Percy　might　just　take　after　him。

Bill　Dodge　strolled　up　then　and　smoothed　it　over。　〃Think　you　dropped　this；〃　he　said；　and　handed　Percy　his　baton。　〃An　inch　lower；　you　woulda　broken　the　little　barstids　back。〃

Percys　chest　expanded　at　that。　〃Yeah；　it　wasnt　a　bad　shot　；　〃　he　said；　carefully　re…seating　his　headknocker　in　its　foolish　holster。　〃I　used　to　be　a　pitcher　in　high　school。　Threw　two　no…hitters。〃

〃Is　that　right；　now？〃　Bill　said；　and　the　respectful　tone　of　voice　（although　he　winked　at　Dean　when　Percy　turned　away）　was　enough　to　finish　defusing　the　situation。

〃Yep；〃　Percy　said。　〃Threw　one　down　in　Knoxville。　Those　city　boys　didnt　know　what　hit　em。　Walked　two。　Could　have　had　a　perfect　game　if　the　ump　hadnt　been　such　a　lugoon。〃

Dean　could　have　left　it　at　that；　but　he　had　seniority　on　Percy　and　part　of　a　seniors　job　is　to　instruct；　and　at　that　time　…　before　Coffey；　before　Delacroix　…　he　still　thought　Percy　might　be　teachable。　So　he　reached　out　and　grasped　the　younger　mans　wrist。　〃You　want　to　think　about　what　you　was　doing　just　now；〃　Dean　said。　His　intention；　he　said　later；　was　to　sound　serious　but　not　disapproving。　Not　too　disapproving；　anyway。

Except　with　Percy；　that　didnt　work。　He　might　not　learn　。。。　but　we　would　eventually。

〃Say；　Four…Eyes；　I　know　what　I　was　doing　…　trying　to　get　that　mouse！　Whatre　you；　blind？〃

〃You　also　scared　the　cheese　out　of　Bill；　out　of　me；　and　out　of　them；〃　Dean　said；　pointing　in　the　direction　of　Bitterbuck　and　Flanders。

〃So　what？〃　Percy　asked；　drawing　himself　up。　〃They　aint　in　cradle…school；　in　case　you　didnt　notice。　Although　you　guys　treat　them　that　way　half　the　time。〃

〃Well；　I　dont　like　to　be　scared；〃　Bill　rumbled；　〃and　I　work　here；　Wetmore；　in　case　you　didnt　notice。　I　ain