emb.seethemdie-第8节

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　Proudly；　Papa　said；　〃My　fodder's　a　merchan'　marine。〃
　〃Who　the　hell　are　you　snowing？〃　Zip　asked。　〃He's　a　waiter。〃
　〃On　a　boat！　Tha'　makes　him　a　merchan'　marine。〃
　〃That　makes　him　a　waiter！　Listen；　we've　wasted　enough　time　already。　Let's　lay　this　out。　We're　gonna　have　to　move　if　we　want　to　catch　that　eleven　o'clock　Mass。〃　He　turned　suddenly　to　Sixto　who　had　been　staring　blankly　at　the　street。　〃You　with　us；　Sixto？〃
　〃Wah？　Oh；　yes。　I'm　。。。　I'm　with　you；　Zip。〃
　〃You　looked　like　you　was　on　the　moon。〃
　〃I　wass　thinkin'　。。。　well；　you　know。　This　Alfredo　kid；　he　not　sush　a　bad　guy。〃
　〃He's　getting　washed　and　that's　it；〃　Zip　said。　〃I　don't　even　want　to　hear　talk　about　it。〃　He　paused。　〃What　the　hell　are　you　looking　at；　would　you　please　mind　telling　me？〃
　〃The　organ…grinder；〃　Sixto　said。
　The　organ…grinder　had　rounded　the　corner　and　stopped　just　outside　the　luncheonette。　His　parrot　had　bright…green　feathers。　The　parrot　perched　on　the　instrument；　accepted　coins　in　his　beak；　gave　them　to　his　master；　and　then　reached　down　to　select　a　fortune　slip　from　the　rack　of　slips　on　top　of　the　hand　organ。　A　crowd　immediately　gathered　around　the　organ…grinder　and　his　trained　bird。　The　crowd　was　a　Sunday　churchgoing　crowd；　bedecked　in　bright　summer　colors。　The　girls　shrieked　each　time　they　read　a　fortune。　The　old　men　and　the　old　ladies　grinned　knowingly。　Jeff　walked　out　of　the　luncheonette　and　handed　the　parrot　a　nickel。　The　parrot　reached　into　the　rack；　peck；　a　narrow　white　slip　appeared　in　his　beak。　Jeff　took　the　slip　and　began　reading　it。　The　girls　squealed　in　delight。　There　was　an　innocence　surrounding　the　organ…grinder；　the　mechanical　music　he　produced　was　countered　by　the　skill　of　the　bird　and　the　faith　of　the　crowd。　For　this　was　Sunday　morning；　and　this　was　a　time　to　believe　in　fortunes；　a　time　to　believe　that　the　future　would　be　good。　And　so　they　crowded　the　man　and　his　bird；　crowded　around　the　sailor　who　read　his　fortune　from　the　card　and　grinned；　laughed　again　in　delight　as　the　parrot　dipped　his　beak　for　another　fortune。　There　was　innocence　here；　and　it　shimmered　on　the　summer　air　like　truth。
　Not　ten　feet　from　the　organ…grinder；　not　ten　feet　from　the　crowd　in　their　gay　Sunday　clothes；　Zip　stood　in　a　whispering　circle　with　three　other　boys　who　wore　purple　silk　jackets。　The　backs　of　the　jackets　were　lettered　with　the　words　THE　LATIN　PURPLES。　The　words　were　cut　from　yellow　felt　and　stitched　to　the　purple　silk。　The　Latin　Purples；　The　Latin　Purples；　The　Latin　Purples；　The　Latin　Purples；　four　jacket　backs　and　four　young　men　who　huddled　close　together　and　spoke　in　low　whispers　while　the　organ…grinder　filled　the　air　with　the　music　of　innocence　and　truth。
　〃I　。。。　I　wass　thinkin'；〃　Sixto　said；　〃maybe　we　shoul'　jus'；　you　know；　maybe　warn　him。〃
　〃For　messing　with　one　of　the　debs？〃　Cooch　whispered；　astonished。
　〃So；　he　dinn　really　do　nothin'；　Cooch。　He　jus'　ony　say　hello　to　her。　Thass　not　so　bad。〃
　〃He　made　a　grab；〃　Cooch　said　with　finality。
　〃Thass　not　what　she　say。　I　ask　her。　She　say　he　ony　jus'　say　hello　to　her。〃
　〃What　right　did　you　have　to　go　asking　her　questions？〃　Zip　wanted　to　know。　〃Whose　girl　is　she？　Yours　or　mine？〃　Sixto　remained　silent。　〃Well？〃
　〃Well；　Zip；〃　Sixto　said；　after　long　deliberation；　〃I　tink　。。。　well；　I　don'　tink　she　knows。　I　mean；　I　don'　tink　she　got　no　understanding　with　you。〃
　〃I　don't　need　no　understanding　with　a　chick。　I'm　telling　you　she's　my　girl；　and　that's　good　enough。〃
　〃But　she　don'　tink　so！〃
　〃I　don't　care　what　she　thinks。〃
　〃Anyway；〃　Sixto　said；　〃no　matter　whose　girl　she　is；　if　Alfie　don'　do　nothin'　to　her；　why　we　got　to　shoot　him？〃
　The　boys　were　silent　for　a　moment；　as　if　mention　of　the　word；　as　if　translation　of　their　plan　into　sound；　into　a　word　which　immediately　delivered　the　image　of　a　pistol；　had　shocked　them　into　silence。
　In　a　very　low　voice；　Zip　asked；　〃You　going　turkey？〃　Sixto　did　not　answer。　〃I　thought　you　was　a　down　cat；　Sixto。　I　thought　you　had　heart。〃
　〃I　do　got　heart。〃
　〃He　gah　heart；　Zeep；〃　Papa　said；　defending　Sixto。
　〃Then　why's　he　backing　out？　How'd　you　like　it　if　this　was　your　girl；　Sixto？　How'd　you　like　it　if　Alfie　went　messing　around　with　your　girl？〃
　〃But　he　dinn　mess　with　her。　He　ony　say　hello。　So　wha's　so　bad　about　dat？〃
　〃You　in　this　club？〃　Zip　asked。
　〃Sure。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃I。。。　I　don'　know。　You　got　to　belong　to。。。〃　Sixto　shrugged。　〃I　don'　know。〃
　〃If　you're　in　this　club；　if　you　wear　that　purple　jacket；　you　do　what　I　say。　Okay。　I　say　the　Latin　Purples　are　washing　Alfredo　Gomez　right　after　eleven　o'clock　Mass。　You　want　to　turkey　out；　go　ahead。〃　He　paused　meaningfully。　〃All　I　know　is　that　Alfie　give　China　a　rough　time。　China's　my　girl　whether　she　knows　it　or　not；　you　dig？　China's　my　girl；　and　that　means　Alfie　got　himself　trouble。〃
　Cooch　nodded。　〃Big　trouble。〃
　〃And　that　don't　mean　a　burn。　I　don't　want　him　burned。　I　want　him　washed！　You　can　turkey　out；　Sixto；　go　ahead。　Only　you　better　watch　your　step　around　here　afterwards；　that's　all　I'm　telling　you。〃
　〃I　jus'　thought　。。。　oh；　I　jus'　thought　。。。　well；　Zip；　cann　we　talk　to　him？〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；　for　Christ's　sake！〃　Zip　said　angrily。
　〃Cann　we　jus'　tell　him　to　stop　。。。　to　stop　talking　to　her　no　more？　Cann　we　do　dat？　Why　we　have　to　。。。　to　kill　him？〃
　There　was　another　long　silence；　for　another　word　had　been　spoken；　and　this　word　was　stronger　than　the　first。　And　this　word　meant　exactly　what　it　said；　this　word　meant　kill；　to　take　someone's　life；　kill；　to　murder。　This　was　not　a　euphemism；　a　handy　substitute　like　〃wash。〃　This　was　kill。　And　the　word　hung　between　them；　the　sentence　hung　between　them　on　the　still　July　air：　〃Why　we　have　to　。。。　to　kill　him？〃
　〃Because　I　say　so；〃　Zip　said　softly。
　〃It　be　diff　ren　if　he　really　was。。。〃
　〃What　else　you　going　to　do；　huh？　Get　pushed　around？〃　Zip　asked。　〃Man；　ain't　you　sick　of　all　the　time　getting　pushed　around？〃
　〃I　dinn　say　that。　I　said。。。〃
　〃Everybody　in　the　neighborhood　knows　he　made　a　pass　at　China！〃　Zip　said　plaintively。　〃Am　I　supposed　to。。。？〃
　〃He　dinn　make　no　pass！　He　ony　say　hello！〃
　〃Am　I　supposed　to　go　over　and　have　a　chat　with　him？　How　are　you；　Alfie　old　boy；　how　you　been？　I　understand　you　was　feeling　up　China　the　other　day；　was　it　good？　Am　I　supposed　to　hold　his　goddamn　hand；　Sixto？〃
　〃No；　but。。。〃
　〃Don't　you　want　these　other　clubs　to　notice　us？　Don't　you　want　them　to　know　we　got　self…respect？〃
　〃Sure；　but。。。〃
　〃So　we　going　to　let　a　creep　like　Alfie　go　around　screwing　our　debs？〃
　Sixto　shook　his　head。　〃Zip；　Zip；　he　dinn　even。。。〃
　〃Okay；　listen　to　me；〃　Zip　said。　〃After　we　pull　this　today；　we're　in。　You　understand　that？　We　wash　this　creep；　and　there　ain't　nobody　in　this　neighborhood　who　don't　know　the　Latin　Purples　from　then　on　in。　They'll　know　we　don't　get　pushed　around　by　anybody！　Every　damn　kid　on　this　block'll　want　to　be　in　the　club　after　today。　We're　gonna　be　。。。　something！　Something！〃　He　paused　to　catch　his　breath。　His　eyes　were　glowing。　〃Am　I　right；　Cooch？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Cooch　answered。
　〃Okay；　Alfie's　going　to　eleven　o'clock　Mass；　like　he　always　does。　Mass'11　break　around　eleven…forty；　a　quarter　to　twelve。　I　want　to　get　him　on　the　steps　as　he's　ing　out。〃
　〃On　dee…！〃
　〃On　the　steps！　All　four　of　us　blast　together；　and　nobody　stops　until　Alfie's　down。　You　better　shoot　straight　'cause　there'll　be　a　lot　of　innocent　people　around。〃
　〃Zip；　on　dee　church　steps？〃　Sixto　said。　His　face　was　twisted　in　pain。　〃Ave　Maria；　cann　we。。。？〃
　〃On　the　steps；　I　said！　Where　everybody'll　see　him　die。　We've　got　fou'r　pieces。　I'm　using　the　。45　because　I　want　to　blow　that　creep's　head　off。〃
　The　organ…grinder　stopped　his　music。　The　street　seemed　suddenly　silent。
　〃There's　two　。38s　and　the　Luger；〃　Zip　whispered。　〃Take　whatever　you　want。〃
　〃The　Luger；〃　Cooch　said。
　〃You　got　it。　Sixto；　you　and　Papa'11　use　the　。38s。　The　pieces　are　up　at　my　pad。　We　get　them　first；　and　then　round　up　a　couple　of　gun　bearers。〃　He　paused　for　a　moment。　〃Second　thought；　you　better　stay　here；　Sixto。　Keep　an　eye　on　Alfie's　house。　Right　around　the　corner。　The　first　building。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Sixto　said　blankly。
　〃Make　sure　he　don't　leave。　If　he　does；　follow　him。　If　you　ain't　here　when　we　get　back；　we'll　start　looking　for　you。〃
　〃Okay。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃I　said　okay。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Zip　repeated。　〃e　on。〃　He　put　his　arm　around　Cooch　as　they　began　walking　toward　his　building；　Papa　shuffling　along　beside　them。　〃You　excited；　Cooch？〃　he　asked。
　〃Huh？　Oh；　yeah；　I　guess。　A　little。〃
　〃Man；　I'm　excited。　This　day　is　beginning　to　tick；　you　know　what　I　mean？　Things　are　moving！〃
　〃Yeah；　that's　true；〃　Cooch　said。
　〃Some　Sundays；　you　can　sit　on　that　front　stoop　and　go　nuts。　Especially　like　now　in　the　summer。　But　today　is　different。　Today；　there's　like　a　million　things　to　do；　ain't　there？　What　I'm　trying　to　say；　Cooch；　this　makes　me　feel　good。　This　action；　you　know？　Man；　it　makes　me　feel　real　good！〃
　Cooch　grinned　as　the　three　boys　entered　the　tenement。　〃It　ain't　gonna　make　Alfie　feel　so　good；〃　he　said。
　Sixto　stood　on　the　corner　outside　the　luncheonette；　watching　Alfredo's　building；　nervously　biting　his　lower　lip。
　Inside　the　luncheonette；　Jeff　handed　his　fortune　slip　to　Luis　and　said；　〃How　do　you　like　that？〃
　〃Be　patient　and　of　firm　resolve；〃　Luis　read；　〃and　you　will