第40部分(第4/8頁)

　and　I'd　hate　going　to　jail　…　I　got　a　wife　and　kids　depending　on　me　to　put　bread　in　their　mouths　…　but　I　don't　think　I'd　hate　either　of　those　things　near　as　much　as　having　another　dead　little　girl　on　my　conscience。〃

〃That　won't　happen；〃　I　said。

〃How　in　God's　name　can　you　be　so　sure　of　that？〃

I　didn't　answer。　I　didn't　know　just　how　to　begin。　I　had　known　this　would　e　up；　of　course　I　did；　but　I　still　didn't　know　how　to　start　telling　them　what　I　knew。　Brutal　helped　me。

〃You　don't　think　he　did　it；　do　you；　Paul？〃　He　looked　incredulous。　〃You　think　that　big　lug　is　innocent。〃

〃I'm　positive　he's　innocent；〃　I　said。

〃How　in　the　name　of　Jesus　can　you　be？〃

〃There　are　two　things；〃　I　said。　〃One　of　them　is　my　shoe。〃　I　leaned　forward　over　the　table　and　began　talking。

Part　Five：

Night　Journey

1。

Mr。　H。　G。　Wells　once　wrote　a　story　about　a　man　who　invented　a　time　machine；　and　I　have　discovered　that；　in　the　writing　of　these　memoirs；　I　have　created　my　own　time　machine。　Unlike　Wells's；　it　can　only　travel　into　the　past　…　back　to　1932；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　when　I　was　the　bull…goose　screw　in　E　Block　of　Cold　Mountain　State　Penitentiary　…　but　it's　eerily　efficient；　for　all　that。　Still；　this　time　machine　reminds　me　of　the　old　Ford　I　had　in　those　days：　you　could　be　sure　that　it　would　start　eventually；　but　you　never　knew　if　a　turn　of　the　key　would　be　enough　to　fire　the　motor；　or　if　you　were　going　to　have　to　get　out　and　crank　until