第18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。

　all　the　earth　to　execute　a　man。　It　was　a　matter　of　two　days；　I　think；　from　the　twenty…seventh　of　October　to　the　twenty…fifth。　Don't　hold　me　to　it　exactly；　but　I　know　that's　close；　I　remember　thinking　that　Toot　was　going　to　get　his　Corona　box　back　even　sooner　than　he　had　expected。

Wharton；　meanwhile；　got　to　us　later　than　expected。　For　one　thing；　his　trial　ran　longer　than　Anderson's　usually　reliable　sources　had　thought　it　would　（when　it　came　to　Wild　Billy；　nothing　was　reliable；　we　would　soon　discover；　including　our　time…tested　and　supposedly　foolproof　methods　of　prisoner　control）。　Then；　after　he　had　been　found　guilty　…　that　much；　at　least；　went　according　to　the　script　…　he　was　taken　to　Indianola　General　Hospital　for　tests。　He　had　had　a　number　of　supposed　seizures　during　the　trial；　twice　serious　enough　to　send　him　crashing　to　the　floor；　where　he　lay　shaking　and　flopping　and　drumming　his　feet　on　the　boards。　Wharton's　court…appointed　lawyer　claimed　he　suffered　from　〃epilepsy　spells〃　and　had　mitted　his　crimes　while　of　unsound　mind；　the　prosecution　claimed　the　fits　were　the　sham　acting　of　a　coward　desperate　to　save　his　own　life。　After　observing　the　so…called　〃epilepsy　spells〃　at　first　hand；　the　jury　decided　the　fits　were　an　act。　The　judge　concurred　but　ordered　a　series　of　pre…sentencing　tests　after　the　verdict　came　down。　God　knows　why；　perhaps　he　was　only　curious。

It's　a　blue…eyed　wonder　that　Wharton　didn't　escape　from　the　hospital　（and　the　irony　that　Warden　Moore's　wife；　Melinda；　was　in　the　same　hospital　at　the　same　time　did　not　escape　any　of　us）；　but　he　didn't。　They　had　him　surrounded　by　guards；　I　suppose；　and　perhaps　he　still　had　hopes　of　being　declared　inpetent　by　reason　of　epilepsy；　if　there　is　such　a　thing。

He　wasn't。　The　doctors　found　nothing　wrong