tanding　between　us　that　needs　no　words。　It　could　be　a　stroke；　yes。　It　could　also　be　a　cancer　growing　in　her　brain；　and　if　it　was　that；　the　chances　that　the　doctors　at　Indianola　could　do　anything　about　it　were　slim　going　on　none。　This　was　'32；　remember；　when　even　something　as　relatively　simple　as　a　urinary　infection　was　either　sulfa　and　stink　or　suffer　and　wait。

〃I　thank　you　for　your　concern；　Paul。　Now　let's　talk　about　Percy　Wetmore！'

I　groaned　and　covered　my　eyes。

〃I　had　a　call　from　the　state　capital　this　morning；〃　the　warden　said　evenly。　〃It　was　quite　an　angry　call；　as　I'm　sure　you　can　imagine。　Paul；　the　governor　is　so　married　he's　almost　not　there；　if　you　take　my　meaning。　And　his　wife　has　a　brother　who　has　one　child。　That　child　is　Percy　Wetmore。　Percy　called　his　dad　last　night；　and　Percy's　dad　called　Percy's　aunt。　Do　I　have　to　trace　the　rest　of　this　out　for　you？〃

'No；〃　I　said。　〃Percy　squealed。　Just　like　the　schoolroom　sissy　telling　teacher　he　saw　Jack　and　Jill　smooching　in　the　cloakroom。〃

〃Yep；〃　Moores　agreed；　〃that's　about　the　size　of　it。〃

〃You　know　what　happened　between　Percy　and　Delacroix　when　Delacroix　came　in？〃　I　asked。　〃Percy　and　his　damned　hickory　billy…club？〃

〃Yes；　but　…　〃

〃And　you　know　how　he　runs　it　along　the　bars　sometimes；　just　for　the　pure　hell　of　it。　He's　mean；　and　he's　stupid；　and　I　don't　know　how　much　longer　I　can　take　him。　That's　the　truth。〃

We'd　known　each　other　five　years。　That　can　be　a　long　time　for　men　who　get　on　well；　especially　when　part　of　the　job　is　trading　life　for　death。　What　I'm　saying　is　that　he　understood　what　I　meant。　Not　that　I　would　quit；　not　with　the　Depression　walking　around　outside　the　prison　walls　like　a　dangerous　criminal；　one　that　couldn't　be　caged　as　our　charges　were