sk.everythingseventual-第21节

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　　'Walk　on　your　hands　for　me；　John；'　Jack　said。　'Like　you　used　to。'
　　'In　a　minute；'　Johnnie　said。　He　poured　Jack　a　glass　of　water。
　　'Drink　this　first。　Wet　your　whistle。　Then　I'll　see　if　I　can　still　get　across　the　room　upside　down。　Remember　when　I　used　to　run　on　my　hands　in　the　shirt　factory？　After　I　ran　all　the　way　to　the　gate；　they　stuck　me　in　the　hole。'
　　'I　remember；'　Jack　said。
　　Johnnie　didn't　do　no　walking　on　his　hands　that　night。　By　the　time　he　got　the　glass　of　water　to　Jack's　lips；　the　poor　bugger　had　gone　back　to　sleep　with　his　head　on　Johnnie's　shoulder。
　　'He's　gonna　die；'　I　said。
　　'He's　not；'　Johnnie　said。
　　
　　The　next　morning；　I　asked　Johnnie　what　we　were　going　to　do。　What　we　could　do。
　　'I　got　one　more　name　out　of　McClure。　Joe　Moran。　McClure　says　he　was　the　go…between　on　the　Bremer　kidnapping。　If　he'll　fix　Jack　up；　it's　worth　a　thousand　to　me。'
　　'I　got　six　hundred；'　I　said。　And　I'd　give　it　up；　but　not　for　Jack　Hamilton。　Jack　had　gone　beyond　needing　a　doctor；　what　Jack　needed　by　then　was　a　preacher。　I　did　it　for　Johnnie　Dillinger。
　　'Thanks；　Homer；'　he　said。　'I'll　be　back　in　an　hour。　Meantime；　you　mind　the　baby。'　But　Johnnie　looked　bleak。　He　knew　that　if　Moran　wouldn't　help　us　we'd　have　to　get　out　of　town。　It　would　mean　taking　Jack　back　to　St。　Paul　and　trying　there。　And　we　knew　what　going　back　in　a　stolen　Ford　would　likely　mean。　It　was　the　spring　of　1934　and　all　three　of　us…me；　Jack；　and　especially　Johnnie…were　on　J。　Edgar　Hoover's　list　of　'public　enemies。'
　　'Well；　good　luck；'　I　says。　'See　you　in　the　funny　pages。'
　　He　went　out。　I　mooned　around。　I　was　mighty　sick　of　the　room　by　then。　It　was　like　being　back　in　Michigan　City；　only　worse。　Because　when　you　were　in　stir　they'd　done　the　worst　they　could　to　you。　Here；　hiding　out　in　the　back　of　Murphy's；　things　could　always　get　worse。
　　Jack　muttered；　then　he　dropped　off　again。
　　There　was　a　chair　at　the　foot　of　the　cot；　with　a　cushion。　I　took　the　cushion　and　sat　down　beside　Jack。　It　wouldn't　take　long；　I　didn't　think。　And　when　Johnnie　came　back　I'd　only　have　to　say　that　poor　old　Jack　took　one　final　breath　and　just　copped　out。　The　cushion　would　be　back　on　the　chair。　Really；　it　would　be　doing　Johnnie　a　favor。　Jack；　too。
　　'I　see　you；　Chummah；'　Jack　says　suddenly。　I　tell　you；　it　scared　the　living　hell　out　of　me。
　　'Jack！'　I　says；　putting　my　elbows　on　that　cushion。　'How　you　doing？'
　　His　eyes　drifted　closed。　'Do　the　trick　。　。　。　with　the　flies；'　he　says；　and　then　he　was　asleep　again。　But　he'd　woken　up　at　just　the　right　time；　if　he　hadn't；　Johnnie　would　have　found　a　dead　man　on　that　cot。
　　
　　When　Johnnie　finally　did　e　back；　he　practically　busted　down　the　door。　I　had　my　gun　out。　He　saw　it　and　laughed。　'Put　away　the　bean　shooter；　pal；　and　pack　up　your　troubles　in　your　old　kit　bag！'
　　'What's　up？'
　　'We're　getting　out　of　here；　that's　what。'　He　looked　five　years　younger。　'High　time；　wouldn't　you　say？'
　　'Yeah。'
　　'He　been　all　right　while　I　was　gone？'
　　'Yeah；'　I　said。　The　cushion　lying　on　the　chair　had　SEE　YOU　IN　CHICAGO　written　on　it　in　needlework。
　　'No　change？'
　　'No　change。　Where　are　we　going？'
　　'Aurora；'　Johnnie　said。　'It's　a　little　town　upstate。　We're　going　to　move　in　with　Volney　Davis　and　his　girlfriend。'　He　leaned　over　the　cot。　Jack's　red　hair；　thin　to　start　with；　had　started　falling　out。　It　was　on　the　pillow；　and　you　could　see　the　crown　of　his　head；　white　as　snow。　'You　hear　that；　Jack？'　Johnnie　shouts。　'We're　hot　now；　but　we're　going　to　cool　off　quick！　You　understand？'
　　'Walk　on　your　hands　like　Johnnie　Dillinger　used　to；'　Jack　said；　without　opening　his　eyes。
　　Johnnie　just　kept　smiling。　He　winked　at　me。　'He　understands；'　he　said。　'He's　just　not　awake。　You　know？'
　　'Sure；'　I　said。
　　
　　On　the　ride　up　to　Aurora；　Jack　sat　against　the　window；　his　head　fly…ing　up　and　then　thumping　against　the　glass　every　time　we　hit　a　pothole。　He　was　holding　long；　muttery　conversations　with　folks　we　couldn't　see。　Once　we　were　out　of　town；　me　and　Johnnie　had　to　roll　down　our　windows。　The　smell　was　just　too　bad　otherwise。　Jack　was　rotting　from　the　inside　out；　but　he　wouldn't　die。　I've　heard　it　said　that　life　is　fragile　and　fleeting；　but　I　don't　believe　it。　It　would　be　better　if　it　was。
　　'That　Dr。　Moran　was　a　crybaby；'　Johnnie　said。　We　were　in　the　woods　by　then；　the　city　behind　us。　'I　decided　I　didn't　want　no　crybaby　like　him　working　on　my　partner。　But　I　wasn't　going　to　leave　without　something。'　Johnnie　always　travelled　with　a　。38　pistol　tucked　into　his　belt。　Now　he　pulled　it　out　and　showed　it　to　me；　the　way　he　must　have　shown　it　to　Dr。　Moran。　'I　says；　'If　I　can't　take　away　nothing　else；　Doc；　I'll　just　have　to　take　your　life。'　He　seen　I　meant　business；　and　he　called　someone　up　there。　Volney　Davis。'
　　I　nodded　as　if　that　name　meant　something　to　me。　I　found　out　later　that　Volney　was　another　member　of　Ma　Barker's　gang。　He　was　a　pretty　nice　fella。　So　was　Dock　Barker。　And　Volney's　girlfriend；　the　one　they　called　Rabbits。　They　called　her　Rabbits　because　she　dug　herself　out　of　prison　a　few　times。　She　was　the　best　of　the　lot。　Aces。　Rabbits；　at　least；　tried　to　help　poor　old　troublesome　Jack。　None　of　the　others　would…not　the　pill…rollers；　the　scrapers；　the　face　artists；　and　certainly　not　Dr。　Joseph　（Crybaby）　Moran。
　　The　Barkers　were　on　the　run　after　a　botched　kidnapping；　Dock's　Ma　had　already　left…gone　all　the　way　to　Florida。　The　hideout　in　Aurora　wasn't　much…four　rooms；　no　electricity；　a　privy　out　back…but　it　was　better　than　Murphy's　saloon。　And；　like　I　say；　Volney's　girlfriend　at　least　tried　to　do　something。　That　was　on　our　second　night　there。
　　She　set　up　kerosene　lamps　all　around　the　bed；　then　sterilized　a　paring　knife　in　a　pot　of　boiling　water。　'If　you　boys　feel　pukey；'　she　said；　'you　just　choke　it　back　until　I'm　done。'
　　'We'll　be　okay；'　Johnnie　said。　'Won't　we；　Homer？'
　　I　nodded；　but　I　was　queasy　even　before　she　got　going。　Jack　was　laying　on　his　stomach；　head　turned　to　the　side；　muttering。　It　seemed　he　never　stopped。　Whatever　room　he　happened　to　be　in　was　filled　with　people　only　he　could　see。
　　'I　hope　so；'　she　says；　'because　once　I　start　in；　there's　no　going　back。'　She　looked　up　and　seen　Dock　standing　in　the　doorway。　Volney　Davis；　too。　'Go　on；　baldy；'　she　says　to　Dock；　'and　take…um　heap　big　chief　with　you。'　Volney　Davis　was　no　more　a　Indian　than　I　was；　but　they　used　to　rib　him　because　he　was　born　in　the　Cherokee　Nation。　Some　judge　had　given　him　three　years　for　stealing　a　pair　of　shoes；　which　was　how　he　got　into　a　life　of　crime。
　　Volney　and　Dock　went　out。　When　they　were　gone；　Rabbits　turned　Jack　over　and　then　cut　him　open　in　a　X；　bearing　down　in　a　way　I　could　barely　stand　to　look　at。　I　held　Jack's　feet。　Johnnie　sat　beside　his　head；　trying　to　soothe　him；　but　it　didn't　do　no　good。　When　Jack　started　to　scream；　Johnnie　put　a　dishtowel　over　his　head　and　nodded　for　Rabbits　to　go　on；　all　the　time　stroking　Jack's　head　and　telling　him　not　to　worry；　everything　would　be　just　fine。
　　That　Rabbits。　They　call　them　frails；　but　there　was　nothing　frail　about　her。　Her　hands　never　even　shook。　Blood；　some　of　it　black　and　clotted；　e　pouring　out　of　the　sunken　place　when　she　cut　it。　She　cut　deeper　and　then　out　came　the　pus。　Some　was　white；　but　there　was　big　green　chunks　which　looked　like　boogers。　That　was　bad。　But　when　she　got　to　the　lung　the　smell　was　a　thousand　times　worse。　It　couldn't　have　been　worse　in　France　during　the　gas　attacks。
　　Jack　was　gasping　in　these　big　whistling　breaths。　You　could　hear　it　in　his　throat；　and　from　the　hole　in　his　back；　too。
　　'You　better　hurry　up；'　Johnnie　says。　'He's　sprung　a　leak　in　his　air　hose。'
　　'You're　telling　me；'　she　says。　'The　bullet's　in　his　lung。　You　just　hold　him　down；　handsome。'
　　In　fact；　Jack　wasn't　thrashing　much。　He　was　too　weak。　The　sound　of　the　air　shrieking　in　and　out　of　him　kept　getting　thinner　and　thinner。　It　was　hotter　than　hell　with　those　lamps　set　up　all　around　the　bed；　and　the　stink　of　the　hot　oil　was　almost　as　strong　as　the　gangrene。　I　wish　we'd　thought　to　open　a　window　before　we　got　started；　but　it　was　too　late　by　then。
　　Rabbits　had　a　set　of　tongs；　but　she　couldn't　get　them　in　the　hole。　'Fuck　this！'　she　cried；　and　tossed　them　to　one　side；　and　then　stuck　her　fingers　into　the　bloody　hole；　reached　around　until　she　found　the　slug　that　was　in　there；　pulled　it　out；　and　threw　it　to　the　floor。　Johnnie　started　to　bend　over　for　it　and　she　said；　'You　can　get　your　souvenir　later；　handsome。　For　now　just　hold　him。'
　　She　went　to　work　packing　gauze　into　the　mess　she'd　made。
　　Johnnie　lifted　up　the　dishtowel　and　peeked　underneath　it。　'Not　a　minute　too　soon；'　he　told　her　with　a　grin。　'Old　Red　Hamilton　has　turned　a　wee　bit　blue。'
　　Outside；　a　car　pulled　into　the　driveway。　It　could　have　been　the　cops；　for　all　we　knew；　but　there　wasn't　nothing　we　could　do　about　it　then。
　　'Pinch　this　shut；'　she　told　me；　and　pointed　at　the　hole　with　the　gauze　in　it。　'I　ain't　much　of　a　seamstress；　but　I　guess　I　can　put　in　half　a　dozen。'
　　I　didn't　want　to　get　my　hands　anywhere　near　that　hole；　but　I　wasn't　going　to　tell　her　no。　I　pinched　it　shut；　and　more　watery　pus　ran　out　when　I　did。　My　midsection　clenched　up　and　I　started　making　this　gurk…gur