第43部分(第8/8頁)

n　waiting　that　way　in　bus　stations　for　their　buses　to　be　called。

Percy　came　in　from　the　storage　room　around　quarter　to　eleven　and　handed　me　a　report　which　had　been　laboriously　written　in　pencil。　Eraser…crumbs　lay　over　the　sheet　of　paper　in　gritty　smears。　He　saw　me　run　my　thumb　over　one　of　these；　and　said　hastily：　〃That's　just　a　first　pass；　like。　I'm　going　to　copy　it　over。　What　do　you　think？〃

What　I　thought　was　that　it　was　the　most　outrageous　goddam　whitewash　I'd　read　in　all　my　born　days。　What　I　told　him　was　that　it　was　fine；　and　he　went　away；　satisfied。

Dean　and　Harry　played　cribbage；　talking　too　loud；　squabbling　over　the　count　too　often；　and　looking　at　the　crawling　hands　of　the　clock　every　five　seconds　or　so。　On　at　least　one　of　their　games　that　night；　they　appeared　to　go　around　the　board　three　times　instead　of　twice。　There　was　so　much　tension　in　the　air　that　I　felt　I　could　almost　have　carved　it　like　clay；　and　the　only　people　who　didn't　seem　to　feel　it　were　Percy　and　Wild　Bill。

Then　it　got　to　be　ten　of　twelve；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　gave　Dean　a　li