第14部分(第3/8 頁)

s　widest　diameter。　Then　Brutal　leaned　over；　picked　the　wet　circle　of　sponge　out　of　the　bucket；　pressed　one　finger　against　it；　then　licked　the　tip　of　the　finger。　That　done；　he　put　the　sponge　back　in　the　bucket。　Tomorrow　he　wouldn't。　Tomorrow　he　would　tuck　it　into　the　cap　perched　on　the　back　of　the　chair。　Not　today；　though；　there　was　no　need　to　get　Toot's　old　head　wet。

The　cap　was　steel；　and　with　the　straps　dangling　down　on　either　side；　it　looked　sort　of　like　a　dough　boy's　helmet。　Brutal　put　it　on　Old　Toot…Toot's　head；　snugging　it　down　over　the　hole　in　the　black　headcovering。

〃Gettin　the　cap。　gettin　the　cap；　gettin　the　cap；〃　Toot　said；　and　nouffled。　The　straps　held　his　jaw　almost　closed；　and　I　suspected　Brutal　had　snugged　it　down　a　little　tighter　than　he　strictly　had　to　for　purposes　of　rehearsal。　He　stepped　back；　faced　the　empty　seats；　and　said：　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　electricity　shall　now　be　passed　through　your　body　until　you　are　dead；　in　accordance　with　state　law。　May　God　have　mercy　on　your　soul。〃

Brutal　turned　to　the　mesh…covered　rectangle。　〃Roll　on　two。〃

Old　Toot；　perhaps　trying　to　recapture　his　earlier　flare　of　ic　genius；　began　to　buck　and　flail　in　the　chair；　as　Old　Sparky's　actual　customers　almost　never　did。　〃Now　I'm　fryin！〃　he　cried。　〃Fryin！　Fryyyin！　Geeeaah！　I'm　a　done　tom　turkey！〃

Harry　and　Dean；　I　saw；　were　not　watching　this　at　all。　They　had　turned　away　from　Sparky　and　were　looking　across　the　empty　storage　room　at　the　door　leading　back　i