第9部分(第4/8 頁)

　a　lawyer　or　a　minister　…　he　went　over　to　the　room　off　the　messhall　that　was　kept　special　for　that　purpose。　The　Arcade；　we　called　it。　I　don't　know　why。

〃Just　what　in　the　Gorry　do　you　think　you're　doing？〃　Dean　Stanton　asked；　peering　over　the　tops　of　his　spectacles　as　Brutal　opened　the　book　and　paged　grandly　past　years　of　visitors　to　men　now　dead。

〃Obeyin　Regulation　19；〃　Brutal　said；　finding　the　current　page。　He　took　the　pencil　and　licked　the　tip　…　a　disagreeable　habit　of　which　he　could　not　be　broken　…　and　prepared　to　write。　Regulation　19　stated　simply：　〃Each　visitor　to　E　Block　shall　show　a　yellow　Administration　pass　and　shall　be　recorded　without　fail〃

〃He's　gone　nuts；〃　Dean　said　to　me。

〃He　didn't　show　us　his　pass；　but　I'm　gonna　let　it　go　this　time；〃　Brutal　said。　He　gave　the　tip　of　his　pencil　an　extra　lick　for　good　luck；　then　filled　in　9：49　p。m。　under　the　column　headed　TIME　ON　BLOCK。

〃Sure；　why　not；　the　big　bosses　probably　make　exceptions　for　mice；〃　I　said。

〃Course　they　do；〃　Brutal　agreed。　〃Lack　of　pockets。〃　He　turned　to　look　at　the　wall…clock　behind　the　desk；　then　printed　10：01　in　the　column　headed　TIME　OFF　BLOCK。　The　longer　space　between　these　two　numbers　was　headed　NAME　OF　VISITOR。　After　a　moment's　hard　thought　…　probably　to　muster　his　limited　spelling　skills；　as　I'm　sure　the　idea　was　in　his　head　already　…　Brutus　Howell　carefully　wrote　STEAMBOAT　WILLY；　which　was　what　most　people　called　Mickey　Mouse　back　in　those　days。　It　was　because