第14部分(第8/8頁)

had　begun　talking　in　those　low　voices　again；　most　sat　with　their　heads　down；　looking　at　the　floor；　as　if　stunned。　Or　ashamed。

Harry　and　Dean　came　up　with　the　stretcher。　It　was　actually　Percy's　job　to　take　one　end；　but　he　didn't　know　and　no　one　had　bothered　to　tell　him。　The　Chief；　still　wearing　the　black　silk　hood；　was　loaded　onto　it　by　Brutal　and　me；　and　we　whisked　him　through　the　door　which　led　to　the　tunnel　as　fast　as　we　could　manage　it　without　actually　running。　Smoke　…　too　much　of　it　…　was　rising　from　the　hole　in　the　top　of　the　mask；　and　there　was　a　horrible　stench。

〃Aw；　man！〃　Percy　cried；　his　voice　wavering。　'What's　that　smell？〃

〃Just　get　out　of　my　way　and　stay　out　of　it；〃　Brutal　said；　shoving　past　him　to　get　to　the　wall　where　there　was　a　mounted　fire　extinguisher。　It　was　one　of　the　old　chemical　kind　that　you　had　to　pump。　Dean；　meanwhile；　had　stripped　off　the　hood。　It　wasn't　as　bad　as　it　could　have　been；　Bitterbuck's　left　braid　was　smouldering　like　a　pile