第46部分(第5/8頁)

er　was　still　breathing。　About　halfway　along　…　under　the　highway；　we　would　have　been；　and　able　to　hear　the　muffled　drone　of　passing　cars；　had　there　been　any　at　that　hour　…　John　began　to　smile。　〃Say；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　fun。〃　He　wouldn't　think　so　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　that　was　the　thought　which　crossed　my　mind。　In　fact；　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　he　wouldn't　think　or　feel　anything。　Or　would　he？　There　are　pieces　of　them　still　in　there；　he　had　said；　he　could　hear　them　screaming。

Walking　behind　the　others　and　unseen　by　them；　I　shivered。

〃I　hope　you　remembered　Aladdin；　Boss　Edgebe；〃　Brutal　said　as　we　reached　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。

〃Don't　worry；〃　I　said。　Aladdin　looked　no　different　from　the　other　keys　I　carried　in　those　days　…　and　I　had　a　bunch　that　must　have　weighed　four　pounds　…　but　it　was　the　master　key　of　master　keys；　the　one　that　opened　everything。　There　was　one　Aladdin　key　for　each　of　the　five　cellblocks　in　those　days；　each　the　property　of　the　block　super。　Other　guards　could　borrow　it；　but　only　the　bull…goose　screw　didn't　have　to　sign　it　out。

There　was　a　steel…barred　gate　at　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。　It　always　reminded　me　of　pictures　I'd　seen　of　old　castles；　you　know；　in　days　of　old　when　knights　were　bold　and　chivalry　was　in　flower。　Only　Cold　Mountain　was　a　long　way　from　Camelot。　Beyond　the　gate；　a　flight　of　stairs　led　up　to　an　unobtrusive　bulkhead…style　door　with　signs　reading　No　TRESPASSING　and　STATE　PROPERTY　and　ELECTRIFIED