the jacket (the star-rover)-第65章

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demean　myself　nor　so　degrade　my　spittle。〃



〃I've　reached　the　limit　of　my　patience！〃　he　bellowed。　　〃I　will　kill

you；　Standing！〃



〃You've　been　drinking；〃　I　retorted。　　〃And　I　would　advise　you；　if　you

must　say　such　things；　not　to　take　so　many　of　your　prison　curs　into

your　confidence。　　They　will　snitch　on　you　some　day；　and　you　will

lose　your　job。〃



But　the　wine　was　up　and　master　of　him。



〃Put　another　jacket　on　him；〃　he　commanded。　　〃You　are　a　dead　man；

Standing。　　But　you'll　not　die　in　the　jacket。　　We'll　bury　you　from

the　hospital。〃



This　time；　over　the　previous　jacket；　the　second　jacket　was　put　on

from　behind　and　laced　up　in　front。



〃Lord；　Lord；　Warden；　it　is　bitter　weather；〃　I　sneered。　　〃The　frost

is　sharp。　　Wherefore　I　am　indeed　grateful　for　your　giving　me　two

jackets。　　I　shall　be　almost　comfortable。〃



〃Tighter！〃　he　urged　to　Al　Hutchins；　who　was　drawing　the　lacing。

〃Throw　your　feet　into　the　skunk。　　Break　his　ribs。〃



I　must　admit　that　Hutchins　did　his　best。



〃You　WILL　lie　about　me；〃　the　Warden　raved；　the　flush　of　wine　and

wrath　flooding　ruddier　into　his　face。　　〃Now　see　what　you　get　for　it。

Your　number　is　taken　at　last；　Standing。　　This　is　your　finish。　　Do

you　hear？　　This　is　your　finish。〃



〃A　favour；　Warden；〃　I　whispered　faintly。　　Faint　I　was。　　Perforce　I

was　nearly　unconscious　from　the　fearful　constriction。　　〃Make　it　a

triple　jacketing；〃　I　managed　to　continue；　while　the　cell　walls

swayed　and　reeled　about　me　and　while　I　fought　with　all　my　will　to

hold　to　my　consciousness　that　was　being　squeezed　out　of　me　by　the

jackets。　　〃Another　jacket　。　。　。　Warden　。　。　。　It　。　。　。　will　。　。　。　be

。　。　。　so　。　。　。　much　。　。　。　er　。　。　。　warmer。〃



And　my　whisper　faded　away　as　I　ebbed　down　into　the　little　death。



I　was　never　the　same　man　after　that　double…jacketing。　　Never　again；

to　this　day；　no　matter　what　my　food；　was　I　properly　nurtured。　　I

suffered　internal　injuries　to　an　extent　I　never　cared　to

investigate。　　The　old　pain　in　my　ribs　and　stomach　is　with　me　now　as

I　write　these　lines。　　But　the　poor；　maltreated　machinery　has　served

its　purpose。　　It　has　enabled　me　to　live　thus　far；　and　it　will　enable

me　to　live　the　little　longer　to　the　day　they　take　me　out　in　the

shirt　without　a　collar　and　stretch　my　neck　with　the　well…stretched

rope。



But　the　double…jacketing　was　the　last　straw。　　It　broke　down　Warden

Atherton。　　He　surrendered　to　the　demonstration　that　I　was

unkillable。　　As　I　told　him　once：



〃The　only　way　you　can　get　me；　Warden；　is　to　sneak　in　here　some　night

with　a　hatchet。〃



Jake　Oppenheimer　was　responsible　for　a　good　one　on　the　Warden　which

I　must　relate：



〃I　say；　Warden；　it　must　be　straight　hell　for　you　to　have　to　wake　up

every　morning　with　yourself　on　your　pillow。〃



And　Ed　Morrell　to　the　Warden：



〃Your　mother　must　have　been　damn　fond　of　children　to　have　raised

you。〃



It　was　really　an　offence　to　me　when　the　jacketing　ceased。　　I　sadly

missed　that　dream　world　of　mine。　　But　not　for　long。　　I　found　that　I

could　suspend　animation　by　the　exercise　of　my　will；　aided

mechanically　by　constricting　my　chest　and　abdomen　with　the　blanket。

Thus　I　induced　physiological　and　psychological　states　similar　to

those　caused　by　the　jacket。　　So；　at　will；　and　without　the　old

torment；　I　was　free　to　roam　through　time。



Ed　Morrell　believed　all　my　adventures；　but　Jake　Oppenheimer　remained

sceptical　to　the　last。　　It　was　during　my　third　year　in　solitary　that

I　paid　Oppenheimer　a　visit。　　I　was　never　able　to　do　it　but　that

once；　and　that　one　time　was　wholly　unplanned　and　unexpected。



It　was　merely　after　unconsciousness　had　come　to　me　that　I　found

myself　in　his　cell。　　My　body；　I　knew；　lay　in　the　jacket　back　in　my

own　cell。　　Although　never　before　had　I　seen　him；　I　knew　that　this

man　was　Jake　Oppenheimer。　　It　was　summer　weather；　and　he　lay　without

clothes　on　top　his　blanket。　　I　was　shocked　by　his　cadaverous　face

and　skeleton…like　body。　　He　was　not　even　the　shell　of　a　man。　　He　was

merely　the　structure　of　a　man；　the　bones　of　a　man；　still　cohering；

stripped　practically　of　all　flesh　and　covered　with　a　parchment…like

skin。



Not　until　back　in　my　own　cell　and　consciousness　was　I　able　to　mull

the　thing　over　and　realize　that　just　as　was　Jake　Oppenheimer；　so　was

Ed　Morrell；　so　was　I。　　And　I　could　not　but　thrill　as　I　glimpsed　the

vastitude　of　spirit　that　inhabited　these　frail；　perishing　carcasses

of　usthe　three　incorrigibles　of　solitary。　　Flesh　is　a　cheap；　vain

thing。　　Grass　is　flesh；　and　flesh　becomes　grass；　but　the　spirit　is

the　thing　that　abides　and　survives。　　I　have　no　patience　with　these

flesh…worshippers。　　A　taste　of　solitary　in　San　Quentin　would　swiftly

convert　them　to　a　due　appreciation　and　worship　of　the　spirit。



But　to　return　to　my　experience　m　Oppenheimer's　cell。　　His　body　was

that　of　a　man　long　dead　and　shrivelled　by　desert　heat。　　The　skin

that　covered　it　was　of　the　colour　of　dry　mud。　　His　sharp；　yellow…

gray　eyes　seemed　the　only　part　of　him　that　was　alive。　　They　were

never　at　rest。　　He　lay　on　his　back；　and　the　eyes　darted　hither　and

thither；　following　the　flight　of　the　several　flies　that　disported　in

the　gloomy　air　above　him。　　I　noted；　too；　a　scar；　just　above　his

right　elbow；　and　another　scar　on　his　right　ankle。



After　a　time　he　yawned；　rolled　over　on　his　side；　and　inspected　an

angry…looking　sore　just　above　his　hip。　　This　he　proceeded　to　cleanse

and　dress　by　the　crude　methods　men　in　solitary　must　employ。　　I

recognized　the　sore　as　one　of　the　sort　caused　by　the　strait…jacket。

On　my　body；　at　this　moment　of　writing；　are　hundreds　of　scars　of　the

jacket。



Next；　Oppenheimer　rolled　on　his　back；　gingerly　took　one　of　his　front

upper　toothan　eye　teethbetween　thumb　and　forefinger；　and

consideratively　moved　it　back　and　forth。　　Again　he　yawned；　stretched

his　arms；　rolled　over；　and　knocked　the　call　to　Ed　Morrell。



I　read　the　code　as　a　matter　of　course。



〃Thought　you　might　be　awake；〃　Oppenheimer　tapped。　　〃How　goes　it　with

the　Professor？〃



Then；　dim　and　far；　I　could　hear　Morrell's　taps　enunciating　that　they

had　put　me　in　the　jacket　an　hour　before；　and　that；　as　usual；　I　was

already　deaf　to　all　knuckle　talk。



〃He　is　a　good　guy；〃　Oppenheimer　rapped　on。　　〃I　always　was　suspicious

of　educated　mugs；　but　he　ain't　been　hurt　none　by　his　education。　　He

is　sure　square。　　Got　all　the　spunk　in　the　world；　and　you　could　not

get　him　to　squeal　or　double　cross　in　a　million　years。〃



To　all　of　which；　and　with　amplification；　Ed　Morrell　agreed。　　And　I

must；　right　here；　ere　I　go　a　word　further；　say　that　I　have　lived

many　years　and　many　lives；　and　that　in　those　many　lives　I　have　known

proud　moments；　but　that　the　proudest　moment　I　have　ever　known　was

the　moment　when　my　two　comrades　in　solitary　passed　this　appraisal　of

me。　　Ed　Morrell　and　Jake　Oppenheimer　were　great　spirits；　and　in　all

time　no　greater　honour　was　ever　accorded　me　than　this　admission　of

me　to　their　comradeship。　　Kings　have　knighted　me；　emperors　have

ennobled　me；　and；　as　king　myself；　I　have　known　stately　moments。　　Yet

of　it　all　nothing　do　I　adjudge　so　splendid　as　this　accolade

delivered　by　two　lifers　in　solitary　deemed　by　the　world　as　the　very

bottom…most　of　the　human　cesspool。



Afterwards；　recuperating　from　this　particular　bout　with　the　jacket；

I　brought　up　my　visit　to　Jake's　cell　as　a　proof　that　my　spirit　did

leave　my　body。　　But　Jake　was　unshakable。



〃It　is　guessing　that　is　more　than　guessing；〃　was　his　reply；　when　I

had　described　to　him　his　successive　particular　actions　at　the　time

my　spirit　had　been　in　his　cell。　　〃It　is　figuring。　　You　have　been

close　to　three　years　in　solitary　yourself；　Professor；　and　you　can

come　pretty　near　to　figuring　what　any　guy　will　do　to　be　killing

time。　　There　ain't　a　thing　you　told　me　that　you　and　Ed　ain't　done

thousands　of　times；　from　lying　with　your　clothes　off　in　hot　weather

to　watching　flies；　tending　sores；　and　rapping。〃



Morrell　sided　with　me；　but　it　was　no　u