第60部分

請關閉瀏覽器的閱讀/暢讀/小說模式並且關閉廣告遮蔽過濾功能，避免出現內容無法顯示或者段落錯亂。

plets　of　sweat　standing　out　on　the　curve　of　his　naked　skull。　As　big　as　robin's　eggs；　they　looked。

〃Please；　boss；　don't　put　that　thing　over　my　face；〃　he　said　in　a　moaning　little　whisper。　〃Please　don't　put　me　in　the　dark；　don't　make　me　go　into　the　dark；　I's　afraid　of　the　dark。〃

Brutal　was　looking　at　me；　eyebrows　raised；　frozen　in　place；　the　mask　in　his　hands。　His　eyes　said　it　was　my　call；　he'd　go　either　way。　I　thought　as　fast　as　I　could　and　as　well　as　I　could　…hard　to　do；　with　my　head　pounding　the　way　it　was。　The　mask　was　tradition；　not　law。　It　was；　in　fact；　to　spare　the　witnesses。　And　suddenly　I　decided　that　they　did　not　need　to　be　spared；　not　this　once。　John　；　after　all；　hadn't　done　a　damned　thing　in　his　life　to　warrant　dying　under　a　mask。　They　didn't　know　that；　but　we　did；　and　I　decided　I　was　going　to　grant　this　last　request。　As　for　Marjorie　Detterick；　she'd　probably　send　me　a　thank…you　note。

〃All　right；　John　；〃　I　murmured。

Brutal　put　the　mask　back。　From　behind　us；　Homer　Cribus　called　out　indignantly　in　his　deep…dish　cracker　voice：　〃Say；　boy！　Put　that…air　mask　on　him！　Think　we　want　to　watch　his　eyes　pop？〃

〃Be　quiet；　sir；〃　I　said　without　turning。　〃This　is　an　execution；　and　you're　not　in　charge　of　it。〃

〃Any　more　than　you　were　in　charge　of　catching　him；　you　tub　of　guts；〃　Harry　whispered。　Harry　died　in　1982；　close　to　the　age　of　eighty。　An　old　man。　Not　in　my　league；　of　course；　but　few　are。　It　was　intestinal　cancer　of　some　kind。

Brutal　bent　over　and　plucked　the　disk　of　sponge　out　of　its　bucket。　He　pressed　a　finger　into　it　and　licked　the　tip；　but　he　hardly　had　to；　I　could　see　the　ugly　brown　thing　dripping。　He　tucked　it　into　the　cap；　then　put　the　cap　on　John　's　head。　For　the　first　time　I　saw　that　Brutal　was　pale；　too　…　pasty　whi