jg.atimetokill-第46部分

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　〃You　look　worried；〃　Carl　Lee　said。　〃Bad　news　about　your　case？〃
　〃Naw。　Just　can't　make　my　bail。　Jake　says　it'll　be　a　few　days。〃
　〃Jake　talk　about　me？〃
　〃Naw。　Not　much。〃
　〃Not　much？　What'd　he　say？〃
　〃Just　ask　how　you　was。〃
　〃That　all？〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃He's　not　mad　at　me？〃
　〃Naw。　He　might　be　worried　about　you；　but　I　don't　think　he's　mad。〃
　〃Why's　he　worried　about　me？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Leroy　answered　as　he　stretched　out　on　his　bunk；　folding　his　hands　behind　his　head。
　〃e　on；　Leroy。　You　know　somethin'　you　ain't　tellin'。　What'd　Jake　say　about　me？〃
　〃Jake　said　I　can't　tell　you　what　we　talk　about。　He　says　it's　confidential。　You　wouldn't　want　your　lawyer　repeatin'　what　y'all　talk　about；　would　you？〃
　〃I　ain't　seen　my　lawyer。〃
　〃You　had　a　good　lawyer　till　you　fired　him。〃
　〃I　gotta　good　one　now。〃
　…　〃How　do　you　know？　You　ain't　ever　met　him。　He's　too　busy　to　e　talk　to　you；　and　if　he's　that　busy；　he　ain't　got　time　to　work　on　your　case。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　about　him？〃
　〃I　asked　Jake。〃
　〃Yeah。　What'd　he　say？〃
　Leroy　was　silent。
　〃I　wanna　know　what　he　said；〃　demanded　Carl　Lee　as　he　sat　on　the　edge　of　Leroy's　bunk。　He　glared　at　his　smaller；　weaker　cellmate。　Leroy　decided　he　was　frightened　and　now　had　a　good　excuse　to　tell　Carl　Lee。　Either　talk　or　get　slapped。
　〃He's　a　crook；〃　Leroy　said。　〃He's　a　big…shot　crook　who'll　sell　you　out。　He　don't　care　about　you　or　your　case。　He　just　wants　the　publicity。　He　hasn't　touched　your　case　all　week。　Jake　knows；　he　checked　in　the　courthouse　this　afternoon。　Not　a　sign　of　Mr。　Big　Shot。　He's　too　busy　to　leave　Memphis　and　check　on　you。　He's　got　too　many　other　crooked　clients　in　Memphis；　includin'　your　friend　Mr。　Bruster。〃
　〃You're　crazy；　Leroy。〃
　〃Okay；　I'm　crazy。　Wait　and　see　who　pleads　insaneness。　Wait　and　see　how　hard　he　works　on　your　case。〃
　〃What　makes　you　such　an　expert？〃
　〃You　asked　me　and　I'm　tellin'　you。〃
　Carl　Lee　walked　to　the　door　and　grabbed　the　bars；　gripping　them　tightly　with　his　huge　hands。　The　cell　had　shrunk　in　three　weeks；　and　the　smaller　it　became　the　harder　it　was　for　him　to　think；　to　reason；　to　plan；　to　react。　He　could　not　concentrate　in　jail。　He　knew　only　what　was　told　to　him　and　had　no　one　to　trust。　Gwen　was　irrational。　Ozzie　was　nonmittal。　Lester　was　in　Chicago。　There　was　no　other　person　he　trusted　except　Jake；　and　for　some　reason　he　had　found　a
　new　lawyer。　Money；　that　was　the　reason。　Nineteen　hundred　dollars　cash；　paid　by　the　biggest　pimp　and　dope　dealer　in　Memphis；　whose　lawyer　specialized　in　defending　pimps　and　dope　dealers；　and　all　kinds　of　cutthroats　and　hoodlums。　Did　Marsharfsky　represent　decent　people？　What　would　the　jury　think　when　they　watched　Carl　Lee　sit　at　the　defense　table　next　to　Marsharfsky？　He　was　guilty；　of　course。　Why　else　would　he　hire　a　famous；　big…city　crook　like　Marsharfsky？
　〃You　know　what　them　rednecks　on　the　jury'H　say　when　they　see　Marsharfsky？〃　Leroy　asked。
　〃What？〃
　〃They're　gonna　think　this　poor　nigger　is　guilty；　and　he's　sold　his　soul　to　hire　the　biggest　crook　in　Memphis　to　tell　us　he　ain't　guilty。〃
　Carl　Lee　mumbled　something　through　the　bars。
　〃They're　gonna　fry　you；　Carl　Lee。〃
　Moss　Junior　Tatum　was　on　duty　at　six…thirty　Saturday　morning　when　the　phone　rang　in　Ozzie's　office。　It　was　the　sheriff。
　〃What're　you　doing　awake？〃　asked　Moss。
　〃I'm　not　sure　I'm　awake；〃　answered　the　sheriff。　〃Listen；　Moss；　do　you　remember　an　old　black　preacher　named　Street；　Reverend　Isaiah　Street？〃
　〃Not　really。〃
　〃Yeah　you　do。　He　preached　for　fifty　years　at　Springdale　Church；　north　of　town。　First　member　of　the　NAACP　in　Ford　County。　He　taught　all　the　blacks　around　here　how　to　march　and　boycott　back　in　the　sixties。〃
　〃Yeah；　now　I　remember。　Didn't　the　Klan　catch　him　once？〃
　〃Yeah；　they　beat　him　and　burned　his　house；　but　nothin'　serious。　Summer　of　'65。〃
　〃I　thought　he　died　a　few　years　back。〃
　〃Naw；　he's　been　half　dead　for　ten　years；　but　he　still　moves　a　little。　He　called　me　at　five…thirty　and　talked　for　an　hour。　Reminded　me　of　all　the　political　favors　I　owe　him。〃
　〃What's　he　want？〃
　〃He'll　be　there　at　seven　to　see　Carl　Lee。　Why；　I　don't　know。　But　treat　him　nice。　Put　them　in　my　office　and　let　them　talk。　I'll　be　in　later。〃
　ouic；　oneriii。
　In　his　heyday　in　the　sixties；　the　Reverend　Isaiah　Street　had　been　the　moving　force　behind　civil　rights　activity　in　Ford　County。　He　walked　with　Martin　Luther　King　in　Memphis　and　Montgomery。　He　organized　marches　and　protests　in　Clanton　and　Karaway　and　other　towns　in　north　Mississippi。　In　the　summer　of　'64　he　greeted　students　from　the　North　and　coordinated　their　efforts　to　register　black　voters。　Some　had　lived　in　his　home　that　memorable　summer；　and　they　still　visited　him　from　time　to　time。　He　was　no　radical。　He　was　quiet；　passionate；　intelligent；　and　had　earned　the　respect　of　all　blacks　and　most　whites。　His　was　a　calm；　cool　voice　in　the　midst　of　hatred　and　controversy。　He　unofficially　officiated　the　great　public　school　desegregation　in　'69；　and　Ford　County　saw　little　trouble。
　A　stroke　in　'75　deadened　the　right　side　of　his　body　but　left　his　mind　untouched。　Now；　at　seventy…eight；　he　walked　by　himself；　slowly　and　with　a　cane。　Proud；　dignified；　erect　as　possible。　He　was　ushered　into　the　sheriffs　office　and　seated。　He；declined　coffee；　and　Moss　Junior　left　to　get　the　defendant。
　〃You　awake；　Carl　Lee？〃　he　whispered　loudly；　not　wanting　to　wake　the　other　prisoners；　who　would　begin　screaming　for　breakfast；　medicine；　lawyers；　bondsmen；　and　girlfriends。
　Carl　Lee　sat　up　immediately。　〃Yeah；　I　didn't　sleep　much。〃
　〃You　have　a　visitor。　e　on。〃　Moss　quietly　unlocked　the　cell。
　Carl　Lee　had　met　the　reverend　years　earlier　when　he　addressed　the　last　senior　class　at　East　High；　the　black　school。　Desegregation　followed；　and　East　became　the　junior　high。　He　had　not　seen　the　reverend　since　the　stroke。
　〃Carl　Lee；　do　you　know　Reverend　Isaiah　Street？〃　Moss　asked　properly。
　〃Yes；　we　met　years　ago。〃
　〃Good；　I'll　close　the　door　and　let　y'all　talk。〃
　〃How　are　you；　sir？〃　Carl　Lee　asked。　They　sat　next　to　each　other　on　the　couch。
　〃Finej　my　son；　and　you？〃
　〃As　good　as　possible。〃
　〃I've　been　in　jail　too；　you　know。　Years　ago。　It's　a　terri…
　ble　place；　but　I　guess　it's　necessary。　How　are　they　treating　you？〃
　〃Fine；　just　fine。　Ozzie　lets　me　do　as　I　please。〃
　〃Yes；　Ozzie。　We're　very　proud　of　him；　aren't　we？〃
　〃Yes；　sub。　He's　a　good　man。〃　Carl　Lee　studied　the　frail；　feeble　old　man　with　the　cane。　His　body　was　weak　and　tired；　but　his　mind　was　sharp；　his　voice　strong。
　〃We're　proud　of　you　too；　Carl　Lee。　I　don't　condone　violence；　but　at　times　it's　necessary　too；　I　guess。　You　did　a　good　deed；　my　son。〃
　〃Yes；　suh；〃　answered　Carl　Lee；　uncertain　of　the　appropriate　response。
　〃I　guess　you　wonder　why　I'm　here。〃
　Carl　Lee　nodded。　The　reverend　tapped　his　cane　on　the　floor。
　〃I'm　concerned　about　your　acquittal。　The　black　munity　is　concerned。　If　you　were　white；　you　would　most　likely　go　to　trial；　and　most　likely　be　acquitted。　The　rape　of　a　child　is　a　horrible　crime；　and　who's　to　blame　a　father　for　rectifying　the　wrong？　A　white　father；　that　is。　A　black　father　evokes　the　same　sympathy　among　blacks；　but　there's　one　problem：　the　jury　will　be　white。　So　a　black　father　and　a　white　father　would　not　have　equal　chances　with　the　jury。　Do　you　follow　me？〃
　〃I　think　so。〃
　〃The　jury　is　all　important。　Guilt　versus　innocence。　Freedom　versus　prison。　Life　versus　death。　All　to　be　determined　by　the　jury。　It's　a　fragile　system；　this　trusting　of　lives　to　twelve　average；　ordinary　people　who　do　not　understand　the　law　and　are　intimidated　by　the　process。〃
　〃Yes；　suh。〃
　〃Your　acquittal　by　a　white　jury　for　the　killings　of　two　white　men　will　do　more　for　the　black　folk　of　Mississippi　than　any　event　since　we　integrated　the　schools。　And　it's　not　just　Mississippi；　it's　black　folk　everywhere。　Yours　is　a　most　famous　case；　and　it's　being　watched　carefully　by　many　people。〃
　〃I　just　did　what　I　had　to　do。〃
　〃Precisely。　You　did　what　you　thought　was　right。　It　was　right；　although　it　was　brutal　and　ugly；　it　was　right。　And　most　folks；　black　and　white；　believe　that。　But　will　you　be　treated　as　though　you　were　white？　That's　the　question。〃
　〃Ana　11　I'm　convicted？〃
　〃Your　conviction　would　be　another　slap　at　us；　a　symbol