jg.atimetokill-第71部分

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er　nigger　I　know　that　you're　a　lyin'　crook。　I'll　call　ever　member　of　your　church；　and　I'm　one　too；　remember；　and　tell　them　we　ain't　？　got　a　dime　from　you；　and　when　I　get　through　you　won't　be　able　to　raise　two　dollars　on　Sunday　mornin'。　You'll　lose　your　fancy　Cadillacs　and　your　fancy　suits。　You　may　even　lose　your　church；　'cause　I'll　ask　everbody　to　leave。〃
　〃You　finished？〃　Agee　asked。　〃If　you　are；　I　just　wanna　say　that　I'm　hurt。　Hurt　real　bad　that　you　and　Gwen　feel　this　way。〃
　〃That's　the　way　we　feel；　and　I　don't　care　how　hurt　you　are。〃
　Ozzie　stepped　forward。　〃I　agree　with　them；　Reverend　Agee；　you　ain't　done　right；　and　you　know　it。〃
　〃That　hurts；　Ozzie；　in'　from　you。　It　really　hurts。〃
　〃Lemme　tell　you　what's　gonna　hurt　a　whole　lot　worse　than　that。　Next　Sunday　me　and　Carl　Lee　will　be　in　your
　church。　I'll　sneak　him　outta　the　jail　early　Sunday　and　we'll　take　a　little　drive。　Just　about　the　time　you　get　ready　to　preach；　we'll　walk　in　the　front　door；　down　the　aisle　and　up　to　the　pulpit。　If　you　get　in　my　way；　I'll　put　handcuffs　on　you。　Carl　Lee　will　do　the　preachin'。　He'll　tell　all　your　people　that　the　money　they've　given　so　generously　has　so　far　not　left　your　pocket；　that　Gwen　and　the　kids　are　about　to　lose　their　house　'cause　you're　tryin'　to　big…shot　with　the　NAACP。　He'll　tell　them　that　you　lied　to　them。　He　may　preach　for　an　hour　or　so。　And　when　he　gets　through；　I'll　say　a　few　words。　I'll　tell　them　what　a　lyin'；　sleazy　nigger　you　are。　I'll　tell　them　about　the　time　you　bought　that　stolen　Lincoln　in　Memphis　for　a　hundred　dollars　and　almost　got　indicted。　I'll　tell　them　about　the　kickbacks　from　the　funeral　home。　I'll　tell　them　about　the　DUI　charge　in　Jackson　I　got　dismissed　for　you　two　years　ago。　And；　Reverend；　I'll　tell…〃
　〃Don't　say　it；　Ozzie；〃　Agee　begged。
　〃I'll　tell　them　a　dirty　little　secret　that　only　you　and　me　and　a　certain　woman　of　ill　repute　know　about。〃
　〃When　do　y'all　want　the　money？〃
　〃How　soon　can　you　get　it？〃　Carl　Lee　demanded。
　〃Awfully　damned　quick。〃
　Jake　and　Ozzie　left　the　Haileys　to　themselves　and　went　upstairs　to　the　big　office；　where　Ellen　was　buried　in　law　books。　Jake　introduced　Ozzie　to　his　law　clerk；　and　the　three　sat　around　the　big　desk。
　〃How　are　my　buddies？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃The　dynamite　boys？　They're　recuperatin'　nicely。　We'll　keep　them　in　the　hospital　until　the　trial's　over。　We　fixed　a　lock　on　the　door；　and　I　keep　a　deputy　in　the　hall。　They　ain't　goin'　anywhere。〃
　〃Who's　the　main　man？〃
　〃We　still　don't　know。　Fingerprint　tests　haven't　e　back　yet。　There　may　be　no　prints　to　match。　He　ain't　talkin'。〃
　〃The　other　is　a　local　boy；　isn't　he？〃　asked　Ellen。
　〃Yeah。　Terrell　Grist。　He　wants　to　sue　because　he　got　hurt　during　the　arrest。　Can　you　imagine？〃
　〃I　can't　believe　it's　been　kept　quiet　so　far；〃　Jake　said。
　〃Me　neither。　Of　course；　Grist　and　Mr。　X　ain't　talkin'。　My　men　are　quiet。　That　leaves　you　and　your　clerk　here。〃
　〃And　Lucien；　but　I　didn't　tell　him。〃
　〃Figures。〃
　〃When　will　you　process　them？〃
　〃After　the　trial　we'll　move　them　to　the　jail　and　start　the　paperwork。　It's　up　to　us。〃
　〃How's　Bud？〃　Jake　asked。
　〃I　stopped　by　this　mornin'　to　check　on　the　other　two；　and　I　went　downstairs　to　see　Ethel。　He's　still　critical。　No　changes。〃
　〃Any　suspects？〃
　〃Gotta　be　the　Klan。　With　the　white　robes　and　all。　It　all　adds　up。　First　there　was　the　burnin'　cross　in　your　yard；　then　the　dynamite；　and　now　Bud。　Plus　all　the　death　threats。　I　figure　it's　them。　And　we　got　an　informant。〃
　〃You　what！〃
　〃You　heard　me。　Calls　himself　Mickey　Mouse。　He　called　me　at　home　Sunday　and　told　me　that　he　saved　your　life。　'That　nigger's　lawyer'　is　what　he　called　you。　Said　the　Klan　has　officially　arrived　in　Ford　County。　They've　set　up　a　klavern；　whatever　that　is。〃
　〃Who's　in　it？〃
　〃He　ain't　much　on　details。　He　promised　to　call　me　only　if　someone　is　about　to　get　hurt。〃
　〃How　nice。　Can　you　trust　him？〃
　〃He　saved　your　life。〃
　〃Good　point。　Is　he　a　member？〃
　〃Didn't　say。　They've　got　a　big　march　planned　Thursday。〃
　〃The　Klan？〃
　〃Yep。　NAACP　has　a　rally　tomorrow　in　front　of　the　courthouse。　Then　they're　gonna　march　for　a　while。　The　Klan's　supposed　to　show　up　for　a　peaceful　march　on　Thursday。〃
　〃How　many？〃
　〃The　Mouse　didn't　say。　Like　I　said；　he　ain't　much　on　details。〃
　〃The　Klan；　marching　in　Clanton。　I　can't　believe　it。〃
　〃This　is　heavy　stuff；〃　Ellen　said。
　〃It'll　get　heavier；〃　Ozzie　replied。　〃I've　asked　the　gover…
　nor　to　keep　the　highway　patrol　on　standby。　It　could　be　a　rough　week。〃
　〃Can　you　believe　Noose　is　willing　to　try　this　case　in　this　town？〃　asked　Jake。
　〃It's　too　big　to　move；　Jake。　It　would　draw　marches；　and　protests；　and　Klansmen　anywhere　you　tried　it。〃
　〃Maybe　you're　right。　How　about　your　jury　list？〃
　〃I'll　have　it　tomorrow。〃
　After　supper　Tuesday　Joe　Frank　Ferryman　sat　on　his　front　porch　with　the　evening　paper　and　a　fresh　chew　of　Red　Man；　and　spat　carefully；　neatly　through　a　small　hand…carved　hole　in　the　porch。　This　was　the　evening　ritual。　Lela　would　finish　the　dishes　and　fix　them　a　tall　glass　of　iced　tea；　and　they　would　sit　on　the　porch　until　dark　and　talk　about　the　crops；　the　grandchildren；　the　humidity。　They　lived　out　from　Karaway　on　eighty　acres　of　neatly　trimmed　and　cultivated　farmland　that　Joe　Frank's　father　had　stolen　during　the　Depression。　They　were　quiet；　hardworking　Christian　folks。
　After　a　few　discharges　through　the　hole；　a　pickup　slowed　out　on　the　highway　and　turned　into　the　Perrymans'　long　gravel　driveway。　It　parked　next　to　the　front　lawn；　and　a　familiar　face　emerged。　It　was　Will　Tierce；　former　president　of　the　Ford　County　Board　of　Supervisors。　Will　had　served　his　district　for　twenty…four　years；　six　consecutive　terms；　but　had　lost　the　last　election　in　'83　by　seven　votes。　The　Perrymans　had　always　supported　Tierce　because　he　took　care　of　them　with　an　occasional　load　of　gravel　or　a　culvert　for　the　driveway。
　〃Evenin'；　Will；〃　said　Joe　Frank　as　the　ex…supervisor　walked　across　the　lawn　and　up　the　steps。
　〃Evenin'；　Joe　Frank。〃　They　shook　hands　and　relaxed　on　the　porch。
　〃Gimme　a　chew；〃　Tierce　said。
　〃Sure。　What　brings　you　around　here？〃
　〃Just　passin'　by。　Thought　about　Lela's　iced　tea　and　got　real　thirsty。　Hadn't　seen　you　folks　in　a　while。〃
　They　sat　and　talked；　chewed　and　spat；　and　drank　iced　tea　until　it　was　dark　and　time　for　the　mosquitoes。　The　drought　required　most　of　their　time　and　Joe　Frank　talked　at
　length　of　the　dry　spell　and　how　it　was　the　worst　in　ten　years。　Hadn't　had　a　drop　of　rain　since　the　third　week　of　June。　And　if　it　didn't　let　up；　he　could　forget　the　cotton　crop。　The　beans　might　make　it；　but　he　was　worried　about　the　cotton。
　〃Say；　Joe　Frank；　I　hear　you　got　one　of　those　jury　summons　for　the　trial　next　week。〃
　〃Yeah；　afraid　so。　Who　told　you？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I　just　heard　it　around。〃　tf
　〃I　didn't　know　it　was　public　knowledge。〃
　〃Well；　I　guess　I　must've　heard　it　in　Clanton　today。　I　had　business　at　the　courthouse。　That's　where　I　heard　it。　It's　that　nigger's　trial；　you　know。〃
　〃That's　what　I　figured。〃
　〃How　do　you　feel　about　that　nigger　shootin'　them　boys　like　he　did？〃
　〃I　don't　blame　him；〃　inserted　Lela。
　〃Yeah；　but　you　can't　take　the　law　into　your　own　hands；〃　explained　Joe　Frank　to　his　wife。　〃That's　what　the　court　system　is　for。〃
　〃I'll　tell　you　what　bothers　me；〃　said　Tierce；　〃is　this　insanity　crap。　They're　gonna　say　the　nigger　was　crazy　and　try　to　get　him　off　by　insanity。　Like　that　nut　who　shot　Reagan。　It's　a　crooked　way　to　get　off。　Plus　it's　a　lie。　That　nigger　planned　to　kill　them　boys；　and　just　sat　there　and　waited　on　them。　It　was　cold…blooded　murder。〃
　〃What　if　it　was　your　daughter；　Will？〃　asked　Lela。
　〃I'd　let　the　courts　handle　it。　When　we　catch　a　rapist　around　here；　especially　a　nigger；　we　generally　lock　him　up。　Parchman's　full　of　rapists　who'll　never　get　out。　This　ain't　New　York　or　California　or　some　crazy　place　where　criminals　go　free。　We've　got　a　good　system；　and　old　Judge　Noose　hands　down　tough　sentences。　You　gotta　let　the　courts　handle　it。　Our　system　won't　survive　if　we　allow　people；　especially　niggers；　to　take　the　law　into　their　own　hands。　That's　what　really　scares　me。　Suppose　this　nigger　gets　off；　walks　out　of　the　courthouse　a　free　man。　Everbody　in　the　country　will　know　it；　and　the　niggers　w