jg.atimetokill-第109部分

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　〃I　just　don't　feel　lucky。　I'm　waiting　on　the　miracle。〃
　〃Jake；　my　boy；　the　miracle　happens　tomorrow。〃
　〃Tomorrow？〃
　〃Yes。　Early　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃Would　you　care　to　elaborate？〃
　〃By　noon　tomorrow；　Jake；　there　will　be　ten　thousand　angry　blacks　swarming　like　ants　around　the　Ford　County　Courthouse。　Maybe　more。〃
　〃Ten　thousand！　Why？〃
　〃To　scream　and　shout　and　chant　'Free　Carl　Lee；　Free　Carl　Lee。'　To　raise　hell；　to　scare　everybody；　to　intimidate　the　jury。　To　just　disrupt　the　hell　out　of　everything。　There'll　be　so　many　blacks；　white　folks　will　run　for　cover。　The　governor　will　send　in　more　troops。〃
　〃And　how　do　you　know　all　this？〃
　〃Because　I　planned　it；　Jake。〃
　〃You？〃
　〃Listen；　Jake；　when　I　was　in　my　prime　I　knew　every　black　preacher　in　fifteen　counties。　I've　been　in　their　churches。　Prayed　with　them；　marched　with　them；　sang　with　them。　They　sent　me　clients；　and　I　sent　them　money。　I　was　the　only　white　radical　NAACP　lawyer　in　north　Mississippi。　I'　filed　more　race　discrimination　lawsuits　than　any　ten　firms　in　Washington。　These　were　my　people。　I've　just　made　a　few
　phone　calls。　They'll　start　arriving　in　the　morning；　and　by　noon　you　won't　be　able　to　stir　niggers　with　a　stick　in　downtown　Clanton。〃
　〃Where　will　they　e　from？〃
　〃Everywhere。　You　know　how　tracks　love　to　march　and　protest。　This　will　be　great　for　them。　They're　looking　forward　to　it。〃
　〃You're　crazy；　Lucien。　My　crazy　friend。〃
　〃I　win；　bubba。〃
　In　Room　163；　Barry　Acker　and　Clyde　Sisco　finished　their　last　game　of　gin　rummy　and　made　preparations　for　bed。　Acker　gathered　some　coins　and　announced　he　wanted　a　soft　drink。　Sisco　said　he　was　not　thirsty。
　Acker　tiptoed　past　a　guardsman　asleep　in　the　hall。　The　machine　informed　him　it　was　out　of　order；　so　he　quietly　opened　the　exit　dqpr　and　walked　up　the　stairs　to　the　second　floor；　where　he　found　another　machine　next　to　an　ice　maker。　He　inserted　his　coins。　The　machine　responded　with　a　diet　Coke。　He　bent　over　to　pick　it　up。
　Out　of　the　darkness　two　figures　charged。　They　knocked　him　to　the　floor；　kicked　him　and　pinned　him　in　a　dark　corner　beside　the　ice　maker；　next　to　a　door　with　a　chain　and　padlock。　The　large　one　grabbed　Acker's　collar　and　threw　him　against　the　cinder　block　wall。　The　smaller　one　stood　by　the　Coke　machine　and　watched　the　dark　hall。
　〃You're　Barry　Acker！〃　said　the　large　one　through　clenched　teeth。
　〃Yeah！　Let　go　of　me！〃　Acker　attempted　to　shake　free；　but　his　assailant　lifted　him　by　the　throat　and　held　him　to　the　wall　with　one　hand。　He　used　the　other　hand　to　unsheathe　a　shiny　hunting　knife；　which　he　placed　next　to　Acker's　nose。　The　wiggling　stopped。
　〃Listen　to　me；〃　he　demanded　in　a　loud　whisper；　〃and　listen　good。　We　know　you're　married　and　you　live　at　1161　Forrest　Drive。　We　know　you　got　three　kids；　and　we　know　where　they　play　and　go　to　school。　Your　wife　works　at　the　bank。〃
　Acker　went　limp。
　〃If　that　nigger　walks　free；　you'll　be　sorry。　Your　family　will　be　sorry。　It　may　take　years；　but　you'll　be　awfully　sorry。〃　He　dropped　him　to　the　floor　and　grabbed　his　hair。　〃You
　breathe　one　word　of　this　to　anyone；　and　you'll　lose　a　kid。
　Understand？〃
　They　vanished。　Acker　breathed　deeply；　almost　gasping
　for　breath。　He　rubbed　his　throat　and　the　back　of　his　head。
　He　sat　in　the　darkness；　too　scared　to　move。
　At　hundreds　of　small　black　churches　across　north　Mississippi；　the　faithful　gathered　before　dawn　and　loaded　picnic　baskets；　coolers；　lawn　chairs；　and　water　jugs　into　converted　school　buses　and　church　vans。　They　greeted　friends　and　chatted　nervously　about　the　trial。　For　weeks　they　had　read　and　talked　about　Carl　Lee　Hailey；　now；　they　were　about　to　go　help。　Many　were　old　and　retired；　but　there　were　entire　families　with　children　and　playpens。　When　the　buses　were　full；　they　piled　into　cars　and　followed　their　preachers。　They　sang　and　prayed。　The　preachers　met　other　preachers　in　small　towns　and　county　seats；　and　they　set　out　in　force　down　the　dark　highways。　When　daylight　materialized；　the　highways　and　roads　leading　to　Ford　County　were　filled　with　caravans　of　pilgrims。
　They　jammed　the　side　streets　for　blocks　around　the　square。　They　parked　where　they　stopped　and　unloaded。
　The　fat　colonel　had　just　finished　breakfast　and　stood　in　the　gazebo　watching　intently。　Buses　and　cars；　many　with　horns　honking；　were　ing　from　all　directions　to　the　square。　The　barricades　held　firm。　He　barked　mands　and　the　soldiers　jumped　into　high　gear。　More　excitement。　At　seven…thirty；　he　called　Ozzie　and　told　him　of　the　invasion。　Ozzie　arrived　immediately　and　found　Agee；　who　assured　him　it　was　a　peaceful　march。　Sort　of　like　a　sit…in。　How　many　were　ing？　Ozzie　asked。　Thousands；　said　Agee。　Thousands。
　'They　set　up　camp　under　the　stately　oaks；　and　milled　around　the　lawn　inspecting　things。　They　arranged　tables　and　chairs　and　playpens。　They　were　indeed　peaceful；　until　a　group　began　the　familiar　cry　of　〃Free　Carl　Lee！〃　They　cleared　their　throats　and　joined　in。　It　was　not　yet　eight　o'clock。
　A　black　radio　station　in　Memphis　flooded　the　airwaves　early　Tuesday　with　a　call　for　help。　Black　bodies　were　needed　to　march　and　demonstrate　in　Clanton；　Mississippi；　an　hour　away。　Hundreds　of　cars　met　at　a　mall　and　headed　south。
　Every　civil　rights　activist　and　black　politician　in　the　city　made　the　trip。
　Agee　was　a　man　possessed。　He　used　a　bullhorn　to　shout　orders　here　and　there。　He　herded　new　arrivals　into　their　places。　He　organized　the　black　preachers。　He　assured　Ozzie　and　the　colonel　everything　was　okay。
　Everything　was　okay　until　a　handful　of　Klansmen　made　their　routine　appearance。　The　sight　of　the　white　robes　was　new　to　many　of　the　blacks；　and　they　reacted　loudly。　They　inched　forward；　screaming　and　jeering。　The　troops　surrounded　the　robes　and　protected　them。　The　Kluxers　were　stunned　and　scared；　and　did　not　yell　back。
　By　eight…thirty；　the　streets　of　Clanton　were　gridlocked。　Deserted　cars；　vans；　and　buses　were　scattered　haphazardly　through　parking　lots　and　along　the　quiet　residential　streets。　A　steady　stream　of　blacks　walked　toward　the　square　from　all　directions。　Traffic　did　not　move。　Driveways　were　blocked。　Merchants　parked　blocks　away　from　their　shops。　The　mayor　stood　in　the　center　of　the　gazebo；　wringing　his　hands　and　begging　Ozzie　to　do　something。　Around　him　thousands　of　blacks　swarmed　and　yelled　in　perfect　unison。　Ozzie　asked　the　mayor　if　he　wanted　him　to　start　arresting　everybody　on　the　courthouse　lawn。
　Noose　parked　at　a　service　station　a　half　mile　south　of　the　jail；　and　walked　with　a　group　of　blacks　to　the　courthouse。　They　watched　him　curiously；　but　said　nothing。　No　one　would　suspect　he　was　a　person　of　authority。　Buckley　and　Musgrove　parked　in　a　driveway　on　Adams　Street。　They　cursed　and　walked　toward　the　square。　They　noticed　the　pile　of　rubble　that　had　been　Jake's　house　but　said　nothing。　They　were　too　busy　cursing。　With　state　troopers　leading　the　way；　the　Greyhound　from　Temple　reached　the　square　at　twenty　minutes　after　nine。　Through　the　dark　windows；　the　fourteen　passengers　stared　in　disbelief　at　the　carnival　around　the　courthouse。
　Mr。　Pate　called　the　packed　courtroom　to　order；　and　Noose　weled　his　jury。　He　apologized　for　the　trouble　outside；　but　there　was　nothing　he　could　do。　If　there　were　no　problems　to　report；　they　could　continue　deliberations。
　〃Very　well；　you　may　retire　to　the　jury　room　and　get　to　work。　We　will　meet　again　just　before　lunch。〃
　The　jurors　filed　out　and　went　to　the　jury　room。　The　Hailey　children　sat　with　their　father　at　the　defense　table。　The　spectators；　now　predominantly　black；　remained　seated　and　struck　up　conversations。　Jake　returned　to　his　office。
　Foreman　Acker　sat　at　the　end　of　the　long；　dusty　table　and　thought　of　the　hundreds；　perhaps　thousands；　of　Ford　Countians　who　had　served　in　this　room　and　sat　around　this　table　and　argued　about　justice　over　the　past　century。　Any　pride　he　may　have　felt　for　serving　on　the　jury　of　the　most　famous　case　was　greatly　overshadowed　by　what　happened　last　night。　He　wondered　how　many　of　his　predecessors　had　been　threatened　with　death。　Probably　a　few；　he　decided。
　The　others　fixed　their　coffee　and　slowly　found　seats　around　the　tables。　The　room　brought　back　fond　memories　for　Clyde　Sisco。　Prior　jury　duty　had　proved　lucrative　for　him；　and　he　relished　the　t