jg.atimetokill-第93部分

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ught　he　was　adorable。　He　was　the　first　kid　on　the　street　to　purchase　a　lawn　mower　on　credit　at　the　Western　Auto　and　knock　on　doors　in　February　to　line　up_yard　work　for　the　summer。　He　was　the　first　kid　to　pay　for　his　own　bike；　which
　he　used　for　morning　and　afternoon　paper　routes。　He　sent　Christmas　cards　to　old　ladies　in　August。　He　sold　fruitcakes　door　to　door　in　November。　On　Saturday　mornings　when　his　friends　were　watching　cartoons；　he　was　at　the　flea　markets　at　the　courthouse　selling　roasted　peanuts　and　corn　dogs。　At　the　age　of　twelve　he　bought　his　first　certificate　of　deposit。　He　had　his　own　banker。　At　fifteen；　he　paid　cash　for　his　new　pickup　the　same　day　he　passed　his　driver's　license　exam。　He　bought　a　trailer　to　follow　the　truck　and　filled　it　with　lawn　equipment。　He　sold　T…shirts　at　high　school　football　games。　He　was　a　hustler；　a　millionaire　to　be。
　In　Clanton；　his　name　was　Hinky　Myrick；　age　sixteen。　He　waited　nervously　in　the　rotunda　until　Noose　broke　for　lunch；　then　moved　past　the　deputies　and　entered　the　courtroom。　Seating　was　so　precious　that　almost　none　of　the　spectators　left　for　lunch。　Some　would　stand；　glare　at　their　neighbors；　point　at　their　seats　and　make　sure　everybody　knew　it　was　theirs　for　the　day；　then　leave　for　the　rest　room。　But　most　of　them　sat　in　their　highly　treasured　spaces　on　the　pews；　and　suffered　through　lunch。
　Hinky　could　smell　opportunity。　He　could　sense　people　in　need。　On　Thursday；　just　as　he　had　on　Wednesday；　he　rolled　a　shopping　cart　down　the　aisle　to　the　front　of　the　courtroom。　It　was　filled　with　a　wide　assortment　of　sandwiches　and　plate　lunches　in　plastic　containers。　He　began　yelling　toward　the　far　end　of　the　rows；　then　passing　food　down　to　his　customers。　He　worked　his　way　slowly　toward　the　rear　of　the　courtroom。　He　was　a　vicious　scalper。　A　tuna　salad　on　white　bread　went　for　two　dollars；　his　cost；　eighty　cents。　A　plate　lunch　of　cold　chicken　with　a　few　peas　went　for　three　dollars；　his　cost；　a　buck　twenty…five。　A　canned　soft　drink　was　one…fifty。　But　they　gladly　paid　his　prices　and　kept　their　seats。　He　sold　out　before　he　reached　the　fourth　row　from　the　front；　and　began　taking　orders　from　the　rest　of　the　courtroom。　Hinky　was　the　man　of　the　hour。
　With　a　fistful　of　orders；　he　raced　from　the　courthouse；　across　the　lawn；　through　the　crowd　of　blacks；　across　Caffey　Street　and　into　Claude's。　He　ran　to　the　kitchen；　shoved　a　twenty…dollar　bill　at　the　cook　and　handed　him　the　orders。　He　waited　and　watched　his　watch。　The　cook　moved　slowly。　Hinky　gave　him　another　twenty。
　The　trial　ushered　a　wave　of　prosperity　Claude　naa　never　dreamed　of。　Breakfast　and　lunch　in　his　small　cafe　became　happenings　as　demand　greatly　exceeded　the　number　of　chairs　and　the　hungry　lined　the　sidewalk；　waiting　in　the　heat　and　haze　for　a　table。　After　the　lunch　recess　on　Monday；　he　had　dashed　around　Clanton　buying　every　folding　card　table　and　matching　chair　set　he　could　find。　At　lunch　the　aisles　disappeared；　forcing　his　waitresses　to　maneuver　nimbly　among　and　between　the　rows　of　people；　virtually　all　of　whom　were　black。
　The　trial　was　the　only　topic　of　conversation。　On　Wednesday；　the　position　of　the　jury　had　been　hotly　condemned。　By　Thursday；　the　talk　centered　on　the　growing　dislike　for　the　prosecutor。
　〃I　hear　tell　he　wants　to　run　for　governor。〃
　〃He　Democrat　or　Republican？〃
　〃Democrat。〃
　〃He　can't　win　without　the　black　vote；　not　in　this　state。〃
　〃Yeah；　and　he　ain't　likely　to　get　much　after　this　trial。〃
　〃I　hope　he　tries。〃
　〃He　acts　more　like　a　Republican。〃
　In　pretrial　Clanton；　the　noon　hour　began　ten　minutes　before　twelve　when　the　young；　tanned；　pretty；　coolly　dressed　secretaries　from　the　banks；　law　offices；　insurance　agencies；　and　courthouse　left　their　desks　and　took　to　the　sidewalks。　During　lunch　they　ran　errands　around　the　square。　They　went　to　the　post　office。　They　did　their　banking。　They　shopped。　Most　of　them　bought　their　food　at　the　Chinese　Deli　and　ate　on　the　park　benches　under　the　shade　trees　around　the　courthouse。　They　met　friends　and　gossiped。　At　noon　the　gazebo　in　front　of　the　courthouse　attracted　more　beautiful　women　than　the　Miss　Mississippi　pageant。　It　was　an　unwritten　rule　in　Clanton　that　an　office　girl　on　the　square　got　a　headstart　on　lunch　and　did　not　have　to　return　until　one。　The　men　followed　at　twelve；　and　watched　the　girls。
　But　the　trial　changed　things。　The　shade　trees　around　the　courthouse　were　in　a　bat　zone。　The　cafes　were　full　from　eleven　to　one　with　soldiers　and　strangers　who　couldn't　get　seats　in　the　courtroom。　The　Chinese　Deli　was　packed　with　foreigners。　The　office　girls　ran　their　errands　and　ate　at　their　desks。
　At　the　Tea　Shoppe　the　bankers　and　other　white　collars　discussed　the　trial　more　in　terms　of　its　publicity　and　how　the　town　was　being　perceived。　Of　particular　concern　was　the　Klan。　Not　a　single　customer　knew　anyone　connected　with　the　Klan；　and　it　had　long　been　forgotten　in　north　Mississippi。　But　the　vultures　loved　the　white　robes；　and　as　far　as　the　outside　world　knew；　Clanton；　Mississippi；　was　the　home　of　the　Ku　Klux　Klan。　They　hated　the　Klan　for　being　there。　They　cussed　the　press　for　keeping　them　there。
　For　lunch　Thursday；　the　Coffee　Shop　offered　the　daily　special　of　country…fried　pork　chops；　turnip　greens；　and　either　candied　yams；　creamed　corn；　or　fried　okra。　Dell　served　the　specials　to　a　packed　house　that　was　evenly　divided　among　locals；　foreigners；　and　soldiers。　The　unwritten　but　firmly　established　rule　of　not　speaking　to　anyone　with　a　beard　or　funny　accent　was　strictly　enforced；　and　for　a　friendly　people　it　was　awkward　not　to　smile　and　carry　on　with　those　from　the　outside。　A　tight…lipped　arrogance　had　long　since　replaced　the　warm　reception　given　to　the　visitors　in　the　first　few　days　after　the　shootings。　Too　many　of　the　press　hounds　had　betrayed　their　hosts　and　printed　unkind；　unflattering；　and　unfair　words　about　the　county　and　its　people。　It　was　amazing　how　they　could　arrive　in　packs　from　all　over　and　within　twenty…four　hours　bee　experts　on　a　place　they　had　never　heard　of　and　a　people　they　had　never　met。
　The　locals　had　watched　them　as　they　scrambled　like　idiots　around　the　square　chasing　the　sheriff；　the　prosecutor；　the　defense　lawyer；　or　anybody　who　might　know　anything。　They　watched　them　wait　at　the　rear　of　the　courthouse　like　hungry　wolves　to　pounce　on　the　defendant；　who　was　invariably　surrounded　by　cops；　and　who　invariably　ignored　them　as　they　yelled　the　same　ridiculous　questions　at　him。　The　locals　watched　with　distaste　as　they　kept　their　cameras　on　the　Kluxers　and　the　rowdier　blacks；　always　searching　for　the　most　radical　elements；　and　then　making　those　elements　appear　to　be　the　norm。
　They　watched　them；　and　they　hated　them。
　〃What's　that　orange　crap　all　over　her　face？〃　Tim　Nunley　asked；　looking　at　a　reporter　sitting　in　a　booth　by　the　window。　Jack　Jones　crunched　on　his　okra　and　studied　the　orange　face。
　〃I　think　it's　something　they　use　for　the　cameras。　Makes　her　face　look　white　on　TV。〃
　〃But　it's　already　white。〃
　〃I　know；　but　it　don't　look　white　on　TV　unless　it's　painted　orange。〃
　Nunley　was　not　convinced。　〃Then　what　do　the　niggers　use　on　TV？〃　he　asked。
　No　one　could　answer。
　〃Did　you　see　her　on　TV　last　night？〃　asked　Jack　Jones。
　〃Nope。　Where's　she　from？〃
　〃Channel　Four；　Memphis。　Last　night　she　interviewed　Cobb's　mother；　and　of　course　she　kept　on　pushing　till　the　old　woman　broke　down。　All　they　showed　on　TV　was　the　cryin'。　It　was　sickenin'。　Night　before　she　had　some　Klansmen　from　Ohio　talkin'　about　what　we　need　here　in　Mississippi。　She's　the　worst。〃
　The　State　finished　its　case　against　Carl　Lee　Thursday　afternoon。　After　lunch　Buckley　put　Murphy　on　the　stand。　It　was　gut…wrenching；　nerve…wracking　testimony　as　the　poor　little　man　stuttered　uncontrollably　for　an　hour。
　〃Calm　down；　Mr。　Murphy；〃　Buckley　said　a　hundred　times。
　He　would　nod；　and　take　a　drink　of　water。　He　nodded　affirmatively　and　shook　negatively　as　much　as　possible；　but　the　court　reporter　had　an　awful　time　picking　up　the　nods　and　shakes。
　〃I　didn't　get　that；〃　she　would　say；　her　back　to　the　witness　stand。　So　he　would　try　to　answer　and　get　hung；　usually　on　a　hard　consonant　like　a　〃P〃　or　〃T。〃　He　would　blurt　out　something；　then　stutter　and　spit　incoherently。
　〃I　didn't　get　that；〃　she