第55部分(第4/8 頁)

d。　〃I　just　can't　imagine　why　John　did　it；　that's　all。　It's　not　as　if　he's　violent　by　nature。　Which　leads　to　another　question；　Paul：　how　can　you　execute　him　if　you're　right　about　those　girls？　How　can　you　possibly　put　him　in　the　electric　chair　if　someone　else

I　jerked　in　my　chair。　My　elbow　struck　my　bowl　and　knocked　it　off　onto　the　floor；　where　it　broke。　An　idea　had　e　to　me。　It　was　more　intuition　than　logic　at　that　point；　but　it　had　a　certain　black　elegance。

〃Paul？〃　Janice　asked；　alarmed。　〃What's　wrong？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　〃I　don't　know　anything　for　sure；　but　I'm　going　to　find　out　if　I　can。〃

4。

The　aftermath　of　the　shooting　was　a　three…ring　circus　with　the　governor　in　one　ring；　the　prison　in　another；　and　poor　brain…blasted　Percy　Wetmore　in　the　third。　And　the　ringmaster？　Well；　the　various　gentlemen　of　the　press　took　turns　at　that　job。　They　weren't　as　bad　then　as　they　are　now　…　they　didn't　allow　themselves　to　be　as　bad　…　but　even　back　then　before　Geraldo　and　Mike　Wallace　and　the　rest　of　them；　they　could　gallop　along　pretty　good　when　they　really　got　the　bit　in　their　teeth。　That　was　what　happened　this　time；　and　while　the　show　lasted；　it　was　a　good　one。

But　even　the　liveliest　circus；　the　one　with　the　scariest　freaks；　funniest　clowns；　and　wildest　animals；　has　to　leave　town　eventually。　This　one　left　after　the　Board　of　Enquiry；　which　sounds　pretty　special　and　fearsome；　but　actually　turned　out　to　be　pretty　tame　and　perfunctory。　Under　other