alue；　Marie；　oui；　pleine　de　grace；　le　Seigneur　est　avec　vous；　vous　etes　benie　entre　toutes　les　femmes；　et　mon　cher　Jesus；　le　fruit　de　vos　entrailles；　est　beni。〃　He　was　crying　again；　but　I　don't　think　he　knew　it。　〃Sainte　Marie；6　ma　mere；　Mere　de　Dieu；　priez　pour　moi；　priez　pour　nous；　pauv'　pecheurs；　maint'ant　et　l'heure　。。。　l'heure　de　notre　mort。　L'heure　de　mon　mort。〃　He　took　a　deep；　shuddering　breath。　〃Ainsi　soit…il。〃

Lightning　spilled　through　the　room's　one　window　in　a　brief　blue…white　glare　as　Delacroix　got　to　his　feet。　Everyone　jumped　and　cringed　except　for　Del　himself；　he　still　seemed　lost　in　the　old　prayer。　He　reached　out　with　one　hand；　not　looking　to　see　where　it　went。　Brutal　took　it　and　squeezed　it　briefly。　Delacroix　looked　at　him　and　smiled　a　little。　〃Nous　voyons　…　〃　he　began；　then　stopped。　With　a　conscious　effort；　he　switched　back　to　English。　〃We　can　go　now；　Boss　Howell；　Boss　Edgebe。　I'm　right　wit　God；〃

〃That's　good；〃　I　said；　wondering　how　right　with　God　Del　was　going　to　feel　twenty　minutes　from　now；　when　he　stood　on　the　other　side　of　the　electricity。　I　hoped　his　last　prayer　had　been　heard；　and　that　Mother　Mary　was　praying　for　him　with　all　her　heart　and　soul；　because　Eduard　Delacroix；　rapist　and　murderer；　right　then　needed　all　the　praying　he　could　get　his　hands　on。　Outside；　thunder　bashed　across　the　sky　again。　〃e　on；　Del。　Not　far　now。〃

〃Fine；　boss；　dat　fine。　Because　I　ain't　ascairt　no　more。〃　So　he　said；　but　I　saw　in　his　eyes　that　…　Our　Father　or　no　Our　Father；　Hail　Mary　or　no　Hail　Mary　…　he　lied。　By　the　time　they　cross　the　rest　of　the　green　carpet　and　duck　through　the　little　door；　almost　all　of　them　are　scared。

〃Stop　at　the　bottom；　Del；〃　I　told　him　in　a　low　voice　as　he　went　through；　but　it　was　advice　I　needn't　have　given　him。　He　stop