第18部分(第2/8 頁)

and　his　whitefurred　belly　was　already　distended　from　it。

〃Take　it　away　from　him；　Eddie；〃　Brutal　said；　half…laughing　and　half…horrified。　〃Christ　almighty　Jesus；　he'll　eat　till　he　busts。　I　can　smell　that　peppermint　from　here。　How　many　have　you　let　him　have？〃

〃This　his　second；〃　Delacroix　said；　looking　a　little　nervously　at　Mr。　Jingles's　belly。　〃You　really　think　he　。。。　you　know　。。。　bus'　his　guts？〃

〃Might；〃　Brutal　said。

That　was　enough　authority　for　Delacroix。　He　reached　for　the　half…eaten　pink　mint。　I　expected　the　mouse　to　nip　him；　but　Mr。　Jingles　gave　over　that　mint　…　what　remained　of　it；　anyway　…　as　meek　as　could　be。　I　looked　at　Brutal；　and　Brutal　gave　his　head　a　little　shake　as　if　to　say　no；　he　didn't　understand　it；　either。　Then　Mr。　Jingles　plopped　down　into　his　box　and　lay　there　on　his　side　in　an　exhausted　way　that　made　all　three　of　us　laugh。　After　that；　we　got　used　to　seeing　the　mouse　sitting　beside　Delacroix；　holding　a　mint　and　munching　away　on　it　just　as　neatly　as　an　old　lady　at　an　afternoon　tea…party；　both　of　them　surrounded　by　what　I　later　smelled　in　that　hole　in　the　beam　…　the　half…bitter；　half…sweet　smell　of　peppermint　candy。

There's　one　more　thing　to　tell　you　about　Mr。　Jingles　before　moving　on　to　the　arrival　of　William　Wharton；　which　was　when　the　cyclone　really　touched　down　on　E　Block。　A　week　or　so　after　the　incident　of　the　peppermint　candies　…　around　the　time　when　we'd　pretty　much　decided　Delacroix　wasn't　going　to　feed　his　pet　to　de