第30部分(第2/8 頁)

ared　to　live　out　dans　la　foret。　I　know；　because…〃

〃I　think　I　can　guess　how　you　know；　Del；〃　I　said。

Delacroix　nodded；　smiling。　〃But　we　gonna　figure　this　out。　You　bet！〃　He　threw　the　spool。　Mr。　Jingles　clittered　after　it。　I　tried　not　to　wince。

In　the　end　it　was　Brutal　who　saved　the　day。　He　had　been　up　by　the　duty　desk；　watching　Dean　and　Harry　play　cribbage。　Percy　was　there；　too；　and　Brutal　finally　tired　of　trying　to　start　a　conversation　with　him　and　getting　nothing　but　sullen　grunts　in　response。　He　strolled　down　to　where　I　sat　on　a　stool　outside　of　Delacroix's　cell　and　stood　there　listening　to　us　with　his　arms　folded。

〃How　about　Mouseville？〃　Brutal　asked　into　the　considering　silence　which　followed　Del's　rejection　of　my　spooky　old　house　out　in　the　woods。　He　threw　the　ment　out　in　a　casual　just…an…idea　tone　of　voice。

〃Mouseville？〃　Delacroix　asked；　giving　Brutal　a　look　both　startled　and　interested。　〃What　Mouseville？〃

〃It's　this　tourist　attraction　down　in　Florida；〃　he　said。　〃Tallahassee；　I　think。　Is　that　right；　Paul？　Tallahassee？〃

〃Yep；〃　I　said；　speaking　without　a　moment's　hesitation；　thinking　God　bless　Brutus　Howell。　〃Tallahassee。　Right　down　the　road　apiece　from　the　dog　university。〃　Brutal's　mouth　twitched　at　that；　and　I　thought　he　was　going　to　queer　the　pitch　by　laughing；　but　he　got　it　under　control　and　nodded。　I'd　hear　about　the　dog　university　later；　though；　I　imagined。

This　time　Del　didn't　throw　the　spool；　although　Mr。　Jingl