第9部分(第3/7 页)

ale　in　which　Popeye；　Bluto；　and　even　Wimpy　the　hamburger　fiend　took　turns　shtupping　Olive　Oyl）。　There　were　craft　items　as　well；　including　the　crayons　Delacroix　later　put　to　some　good　use。　Not　that　he　was　our　problem　yet；　this　was　earlier；　remember。　Also　in　the　restraint　room　was　the　jacket　no　one　wanted　to　wear　…　white；　made　of　double…sewn　canvas；　and　with　the　buttons　and　snaps　and　buckles　going　up　the　back。　We　all　knew　how　to　zip　a　problem　child　into　that　jacket　lickety…larrup。　They　didn't　get　violent　often；　our　lost　boys；　but　when　they　did；　brother；　you　didn't　wait　around　for　the　situation　to　improve　on　its　own。

Brutal　reached　into　the　desk　drawer　above　the　kneehole　and　brought　out　the　big　leather…bound　book　with　the　word　VISITORS　stamped　on　the　front　in　gold　leaf。　Ordinarily；　that　book　stayed　in　the　drawer　from　one　month　to　the　next。　When　a　prisoner　had　visitors　…　unless　it　was　a　lawyer　or　a　minister　…　he　went　over　to　the　room　off　the　messhall　that　was　kept　special　for　that　purpose。　The　Arcade；　we　called　it。　I　don't　know　why。

〃Just　what　in　the　Gorry　do　you　think　you're　doing？〃　Dean　Stanton　asked；　peering　over　the　tops　of　his　spectacles　as　Brutal　opened　the　book　and　paged　grandly　past　years　of　visitors　to　men　now　dead。

〃Obeyin　Regulation　19；〃　Brutal　said；　finding　the　current　page。　He　took　the　pencil　and　licked　the　tip　…　a　disagreeable　habit　of　which　he　could　not　be　broken　…　and　prepared　to　write。　Regulation　19　stated　simply：　〃Each　visitor　to　E　Block　shall　show　a　yellow　Administration　pass　and　shall　be　recorded　without　fail〃

〃He's　gone　nuts；〃　Dean　said　to　me。

〃He　didn't　show　us　his　pass；　but　I'm　gonna　let　it　go　this　time；〃　Brutal　said。　He　gave　the　tip　of　his　pencil　an　extra　lick　for　good　luck；　then　filled　in　9：49　p。m。　under　the　column