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e　ended　up　in　prison　himself。

〃No；〃　I　said。

〃What　do　you　mean；　no？〃　he　asked　me　furiously。　〃How　can　you　say　no？　You　saw　what　he　did！　What　are　you　telling　me？　That　youre　still　going　to　let　his　connections　protect　him？　After　what　he　did？〃

Brutal　stared　at　me；　mouth　agape；　eyes　so　angry　they　were　watering。

〃Listen　to　me；　Brutus　…　you　take　a　poke　at　him；　and　most　likely　we　all　go。　You；　me；　Dean；　Harry；　maybe　even　Jack　Van　Hay。　Everyone　else　moves　a　rung　or　two　up　the　ladder；　starting　with　Bill　Dodge；　and　the　Prison　mission　hires　three　or　four　Breadline　Barneys　to　fill　the　spots　at　the　bottom。　Maybe　you　can　live　with　that；　but…〃　I　cocked　my　thumb　at　Dean；　who　was　staring　down　the　dripping；　brick…lined　tunnel。　He　was　holding　his　specs　in　one　hand；　and　looked　almost　as　dazed　as　Percy。　〃But　what　about　Dean？　Hes　got　two　kids；　one　in　high　school　and　one　just　about　to　go。〃

〃So　whats　it　e　down　to？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃We　let　him　get　away　with　it？〃

〃I　didnt　know　the　sponge　was　supposed　to　be　wet；〃　Percy　said　in　a　faint；　mechanical　voice。　This　was　the　story　he　had　rehearsed　beforehand；　of　course；　when　he　was　expecting　a　painful　prank　instead　of　the　cataclysm　we　had　just　witnessed。　〃It　was　never　wet　when　we　rehearsed。〃

〃Aw；　you　sucker…〃　Brutal　began；　and　started　for　Percy。　I　grabbed　him　again　and　yanked　him　back。　Footsteps　clacked　on　the　steps。　I　looked　up；　desperately　afraid　of　seeing　Curtis　Anderson；　but　it　was　Harry　Terwilliger。　His　cheeks　were　paper…white　and　his　lips　were　purplish；　as　if　hed　been　eating　blackberry　cobbler。

I　switched　my　attention　back　to　Brutal。　〃For　Gods　sake；　Brutal；　Delacroixs　dead；　nothing　can　change　that；　and　Percys　not　worth　it。〃　Was　the　plan；　or　the　beginnings　of　it；　in　my　head　even　then？　Ive　wondered　about　that　since；　let　me　tell　you。　Ive　wondered　over　the　course　of　a　lot　of　years；　and　have　never　been　able　to　e　up　with　a　satisfactory　answer。　I　suppose　it　doesnt　matter　much。　A　lot　of　things　dont　matter；　but　it　doesnt　keep　a　man　from　wondering　about　them；　Ive　noticed。

〃You　guys　talk　about　me　like　I　was　a　chump；〃　Percy　said。　He　still　sounded　dazed　and　winded　…　as　if　someone　had　punched　him　deep　in　the　gut　…　but　he　was　ing　back　a　little。

〃You　are　a　chump；　Percy；〃　I　said。

〃Hey；　you　cant…〃

I　controlled　my　own　urge　to　hit　him　only　with　the　greatest　effort。　Water　dripped　hollowly　from　the　bricks　down　in　the　tunnel；　our　shadows　danced　huge　and　misshapen　on　the　walls；　like　shadows　in　that　Poe　story　about　the　big　ape　in　the　Rue　Morgue。　Thunder　bashed；　but　down　here　it　was　muffled。

〃I　only　want　to　hear　one　thing　from　you；　Percy；　and　thats　you　repeating　your　promise　to　put　in　for　Briar　Ridge　tomorrow。〃

〃Dont　worry　about　that；〃　he　said　sullenly。　He　looked　at　the　sheeted　figure　on　the　gurney；　looked　away；　flicked　his　eyes　up　toward　my　face　for　a　moment；　then　looked　away　again。

〃That　would　be　for　the　best；〃　Harry　said。　〃Otherwise；　you　might　get　to　know　Wild　Bill　Wharton　a　whole　lot　better　than　you　want　to。〃　A　slight　pause。　〃We　could　see　to　it。〃

Percy　was　afraid　of　us；　and　he　was　probably　afraid　of　what　we　might　do　if　he　was　still　around　when　we　found　out　hed　been　talking　to　Jack　Van　Hay　about　what　the　sponge　was　for　and　why　we　always　soaked　it　in　brine；　but　Harrys　mention　of　Wharton　woke　real　terror　in　his　eyes。　I　could　see　him　remembering　how　Wharton　had　held　him；　ruffling　his　hair　and　crooning　to　him。

〃You　wouldnt　dare；〃　Percy　whispered。

〃Yes　I　would；〃　Harry　replied　calmly。　〃And　do　you　know　what？　Id　get　away　with　it。　Because　youve　already　shown　yourself　to　be　careless　as　hell　around　the　prisoners。　Inpetent；　too。〃

Percys　fists　bunched　and　his　cheeks　colored　in　a　thin　pink。　〃I　am　not…〃

〃Sure　you　are；〃　Dean　said；　joining　us。　We　formed　a　rough　semicircle　around　Percy　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　and　even　a　retreat　up　the　tunnel　was　blocked；　the　gurney　was　behind　him；　with　its　load　of　smoking　flesh　hidden　under　an　old　sheet。　〃You　just　burned　Delacroix　alive。　If　that　aint　inpetent；　what　is？〃

Percys　eyes　flickered。　He　had　been　planning　to　cover　himself　by　pleading　ignorance；　and　now　he　saw　he　was　hoist　by　his　own　petard。　I　dont　know　what　he　might　have　said　next；　because　Curtis　Anderson　came　lunging　down　the　stairs　just　then。

We　heard　him　and　drew　back　from　Percy　a　little；　so　as　not　to　look　quite　so　threatening。

〃What　in　the　blue　fuck　was　that　all　about？　Anderson　roared。　〃Jesus　Christ；　theres　puke　all　over　the　floor　up　there！　And　the　smell！　I　got　Magnusson　and　Old　Toot…Toot　to　open　both　doors；　but　that　smell　wont　e　out　for　five　damn　years；　thats　what　Im　betting。　And　that　asshole　Wharton　is　singing　about　it！　I　can　hear　him！〃

〃Can　he　carry　a　tune；　Curt？〃　Brutal　asked。　You　know　how　you　can　bum　off　illuminating　gas　with　a　single　spark　and　not　be　hurt　if　you　do　it　before　the　concentration　gets　too　heavy？　This　was　like　that。　We　took　an　instant　to　gape　at　Brutus；　and　then　we　were　all　howling。　Our　high；　hysterical　laughter　flapped　up　and　down　the　gloomy　tunnel　like　bats。　Our　shadows　bobbed　and　flickered　on　the　walls。　Near　the　end；　even　Percy　joined　in。　At　last　it　died；　and　in　its　aftermath　we　all　felt　a　little　better。　Felt　sane　again。

〃Okay；　boys；〃　Anderson　said；　mopping　at　his　teary　eyes　with　his　handkerchief　and　still　snorting　out　an　occasional　hiccup　of　laughter；　〃what　the　hell　happened？〃

〃An　execution；〃　Brutal　said。　I　think　his　even　tone　surprised　Anderson；　but　it　didnt　surprise　me；　at　least　not　much；　Brutal　had　always　been　good　at　turning　down　his　dials　in　a　hurry。　〃A　successful　one。〃

〃How　in　the　name　of　Christ　can　you　call　a　directcurrent　abortion　like　that　a　success？　Weve　got　witnesses　that　wont　sleep　for　a　month！　Hell；　that　fat　old　broad　probably　wont　sleep　for　a　year！〃

Brutal　pointed　at　the　gurney；　and　the　shape　under　the　sheet。　〃Hes　dead；　aint　he？　As　for　your　witnesses；　most　of　them　will　be　telling　their　friends　tomorrow　night　that　it　was　poetic　justice　…　Del　there　burned　a　bunch　of　people　alive；　so　we　turned　around　and　burned　him　alive。　Except　they　wont　say　it　was　us。　Theyll　say　it　was　the　will　of　God；　working　through　us。　Maybe　theres　even　some　truth　to　that。　And　you　want　to　know　the　best　part？　The　absolute　cats　pajamas？　Most　of　their　friends　will　wish　theyd　been　here　to　see　it。〃　He　gave　Percy　a　look　both　distasteful　and　sardonic　as　he　said　this　last。

〃And　if　their　feathers　are　a　little　ruffled；　so　what？〃　Harry　asked。　〃They　volunteered　for　the　damn　job；　nobody　drafted　them。〃

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