osc.am2.redprophet-第25部分

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rrison　was　bound　to　take　it　wrong　　but　to　Hooch；　it　was　all　praise。　His　kind　of　man。
　　〃It's　Ta…Kumsaw　and　the　Prophet；　simple　as　that。　I　got　to　kill　them。　No；　no；　I　take　it　back。　I　got　to　beat　them　and　kill　them。　I　got　to　take　them　on　and　make　them　both　look　like　fools　and　then　kill　them。〃
　　〃Good　idea。　I'll　handle　the　betting　on　it。〃
　　〃I　bet　you　would。　Stand　there　taking　bets。　Well；　I　can't　just　take　my　soldiers　up　north　to　Vigor　Church　and　wipe　out　Prophetstown；　cause　Armor…of…God　would　fight　me　every　step　of　the　way；　probably　get　the　army　detachment　at　Fort　Wayne　to　back　him　up。　Probably　get　my　mission　stripped　or　something。　So　I've　got　to　arrange　things　so　the　people　in　Vigor　Church；　all　along　the　Wobbish；　they　all　beg　me　to　e　up　and　get　rid　of　them　Reds。〃
　　Now；　at　last；　Hooch　understood　what　this　was　all　about。　〃You　want　a　provocation。〃
　　〃That's　my　boy；　Hooch。　That's　my　boy。　I　want　some　Reds　to　go　up　north　and　make　some　real　trouble；　and　tell　everybody　that　Ta…Kumsaw　and　the　Prophet　told　them　to　do　it。　Blame　it　all　on　them。〃
　　Hooch　nodded。　〃I　see。　It　couldn't　be　just　running　off　their　cows　or　nothing　like　that。　No；　the　only　thing　that'll　get　those　people　up　north　screaming　for　Red　blood　is　something　real　ugly。　Like　capturing　children　and　torturing　them　to　death　and　then　signing　Ta…Kumsaw's　name　on　them　and　leaving　them　where　they'll　be　found。　Something　like　that。〃
　　〃Well；　I　wouldn't　go　so　far　as　to　tell　anybody　to　do　something　awful　like　that；　Hooch。　In　fact　I　don't　reckon　I'd　give　them　specific　instructions　at　all。　Just　tell　them　to　do　something　that'd　rile　up　the　Whites　up　north；　and　then　spread　the　word　that　Ta…Kumsaw　ordered　it。〃
　　〃But　you　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　it　turned　out　to　be　rape　and　torture。〃
　　〃I　wouldn't　want　them　to　touch　any　White　women；　Hooch。　That's　out　of　line。〃
　　〃Oh；　that's　right；　pure　truth；〃　said　Hooch。　〃So　it's　definitely　torturing　children。　Boy　children。〃
　　〃Like　I　said；　I　wouldn't　ever　tell　somebody　to　do　a　thing　like　that。〃
　　Hooch　nodded　a　little；　his　eyes　closed。　Harrison　might　not　tell　somebody　to　do　it；　but　he　sure　wasn't　telling　him　not　to　do　it；　either。　〃And　of　course　it　couldn't　be　any　Reds　from　around　here；　could　it；　Bill；　cause　they're　all　gone；　and　your　tame　Reds　are　the　most　worthless　scum　that　ever　lived　on　the　face　of　the　earth。〃
　　〃Pretty　much；　that's　true。〃
　　〃So　you　need　Reds　from　south　of　the　river。　Reds　who　still　haven't　heard　the　Prophet's　preaching；　so　they　still　want　likker。　Reds　who　still　have　brains　enough　to　do　the　job　right。　Reds　who　have　the　blood　thirst　to　kill　children　real　slow。　And　you　need　my　cargo　as　a　bribe。〃
　　〃Reckon　so；　Hooch。〃
　　〃You　got　it；　Bill。　Dismiss　charges　against　me；　and　you　got　all　my　likker　free。　Just　give　me　enough　money　to　pay　off　my　poleboys　so　they　don't　knife　me　on　the　way　home；　I　hope　that　ain't　too　much　to　ask。〃
　　〃Now；　Hooch；　you　know　that　ain't　all　I　need。〃
　　〃But　Bill；　that's　all　I'll　do。〃
　　〃I　can't　be　the　one　to　go　ask　them；　Hooch。　I　can't　be　the　one　to　go　tell　them　Cree…Eks　or　Choc…Taws　what　I　need　done。　It's　got　to　be　somebody　else；　somebody　who　if　it　gets　found　out　I　can　say；　I　never　told　him　to　do　that。　He　used　his　own　whisky　to　do　it；　I　didn't　have　any　idea。〃
　　〃Bill；　I　understand　you；　but　you　guessed　right　from　the　start。　You　actually　found　something　so　low　that　I　won't　be　part　of　it。〃
　　Harrison　glowered　at　him。　〃Assaulting　an　officer　is　a　hanging　offense　in　this　fort；　Hooch。　Didn't　I　make　that　clear？〃
　　〃Bill；　I've　lied；　cheated；　and　sometimes　killed　to　get　ahead　in　the　world。　But　one　thing　I've　never　done　is　bribe　somebody　to　go　steal　some　mother's　children　and　torture　them　to　death。　I　honestly　never　did　that；　and　I　honestly　never　will。〃
　　Harrison　studied　Hooch's　face　and　saw　that　it　was　true。　〃Well；　don't　that　beat　all。　There's　actually　a　sin　so　bad　that　Hooch　Palmer　won't　do　it；　even　if　he　dies　because　of　it。〃
　　〃You　won't　kill　me；　Bill。〃
　　〃Oh　yes　I　will；　Hooch。　There's　two　reasons　I　will。　First；　you　gave　me　the　wrong　answer　to　my　request。　And　second；　you　heard　my　request　in　the　first　place。　You're　a　dead　man；　Hooch。〃
　　〃Fine　with　me；〃　said　Hooch。　〃Make　it　a　real　scratchy　rope；　too。　A　good　and　tall　gallows；　with　a　twenty…foot　drop。　I　want　a　hanging　that　folks'll　remember　for　a　long　time。〃
　　〃You'll　get　a　tree　limb　and　we'll　raise　the　rope　up　slow；　so　you　strangle　instead　of　breaking　your　neck。〃
　　〃Just　so　it's　memorable；〃　said　Hooch。
　　Harrison　called　in　some　soldiers　and　had　them　take　Hooch　back　to　jail。　This　time　they　did　a　little　kicking　and　poking；　so　Hooch　had　a　whole　new　batch　of　bruises；　and　maybe　a　broken　rib。
　　He　also　didn't　have　much　time。
　　So　he　lay　down　real　calm　on　the　floor　of　the　jail。　The　drunks　were　gone；　but　the　three　brawlers　were　still　there；　using　all　the　cots；　the　floor　was　all　that　was　available。　Hooch　didn't　much　care。　He　knew　Harrison　would　give　him　an　hour　or　two　to　think　about　it；　then　take　him　out　and　put　the　rope　around　his　neck　and　kill　him。　He　might　pretend　to　give　him　one　last　chance；　of　course；　but　he　wouldn't　mean　it；　because　now　he　wouldn't　trust　Hooch。　Hooch　had　told　him　no；　and　so　he'd　never　trust　him　to　carry　out　the　assignment　if　he　let　him　go。
　　Well；　Hooch　planned　to　use　the　time　wisely。　He　started　out　pretty　simply。　He　closed　his　eyes　and　let　some　heat　build　up　inside　him。　A　spark。　And　then　he　sent　that　spark　outside　himself。　It　was　like　what　doodlebugs　said　they　did；　sending　out　their　bug　to　go　searching　underground　and　see　what　it　could　see。　He　set　his　spark　to　searching　and　pretty　soon　he　found　what　he　was　looking　for。　Governor　Bill's　own　house。　His　spark　was　too　far　away　by　now　for　him　to　find　some　particular　spot　in　the　house。　And　his　aim　couldn't　be　too　tight。　So　instead　he　just　pumped　all　his　hate　and　rage　and　pain　into　the　spark；　built　it　hotter　and　hotter　and　hotter。　He　let　himself　go　like　he　never　done　before　in　his　life。　And　he　kept　pushing　it　and　pushing　it　until　he　started　hearing　that　most　wele　sound。
　　〃Fire！　Fire！〃　The　shouts　came　from　outside；　from　far　away；　but　more　and　more　people　took　up　the　cry。　Gunshots　went　off　　distress　signals。
　　The　three　brawlers　heard　it；　too。　One　of　them　stepped　on　Hooch　where　he　was　lying　on　the　floor；　they　were　in　such　a　hurry。　Stood　at　the　door；　they　did；　rattling　and　shouting　at　the　guard。　〃Let　us　out！　Don't　go　trying　to　fight　that　fire　without　letting　us　out　first！　Don't　let　us　die　in　here！〃
　　Hooch　hardly　noticed　the　man　stepping　on　him；　he　already　hurt　so　bad。　Instead　he　just　lay　there；　using　his　spark　again；　only　this　time　heating　up　the　metal　inside　the　lock　of　the　jail　door。　Now　his　aim　was　tight　and　his　spark　could　get　much　hotter。
　　The　guard　came　in　and　put　his　key　in　the　lock；　turned　it；　opened　the　door。　〃You　boys　can　e　on　out；〃　he　said。　〃Sergeant　said　so；　we　need　you　to　help　with　the　fire　brigade。〃
　　Hooch　struggled　to　his　feet；　but　the　guard　straight…armed　him　and　shoved　him　back　into　the　cell。　Hooch　wasn't　surprised。　But　he　made　the　spark　go　hotter　yet；　so　hot　that　now　the　iron　of　the　lock　melted　inside。　It　even　glowed　red　a　little。　The　guard　slammed　the　door　shut　and　went　to　turn　the　key。　By　now　it　was　so　hot　that　it　burned　his　hand。　He　cussed　and　went　for　his　shirttail　to　try　and　grab　the　key；　but　Hooch　kicked　the　door　open；　knocking　the　guard　down。　He　stomped　the　guard　in　the　face　and　kicked　his　head；　which　probably　broke　his　neck；　but　Hooch　didn't　think　of　that　as　murder。　He　thought　of　it　as　justice；　cause　the　guard　had　been　all　set　to　leave　him　locked　in　his　cell　to　burn　to　death。
　　Hooch　walked　on　out　of　the　jail。　Nobody　paid　him　much　attention。　He　couldn't　see　the　mansion　from　here；　but　he　could　see　the　smoke　rising。　Sky　was　low　and　grey。　Probably　it'd　rain　before　it　burned　the　stockade。　Hooch　sure　hoped　not；　though。　Hoped　the　whole　place　burned　to　the　ground。　It　was　one　thing　to　want　to　kill　off　Reds；　that　was　fine　with　Hooch；　he　and　Harrison　saw　eye　to　eye　on　that。　Kill　them　with　likker　if　you　can；　bullets　if　you　can't。　But　you　don't　go　killing　White　folks；　you　don't　go　hiring　Reds　to　torture　White　babies。　Maybe　to　Harrison　it　was　all　part　of　the　same　thing。　Maybe　to　him　it　was　like　White　soldiers　having　to　die　in　a　war　with　Reds；　only　the　soldiers'd　just　be　a　little　younger。　All　in　a　good　cause；　right？　Maybe　Harrison　could　think　that　way；　but　Hooch　couldn't。　It　actually　took　him　by　surprise；　to　tell　the　truth。　He　was　more　like　Andrew　Jackson　than　he　ever　supposed。　He　had　a　line　he　wouldn't　cross。　He　drew　it　in　a　different　place　than　old　Hickory　did；　but　still；　he　had　a　line；　and　he'd　die　before　he　crossed　it。
　　Of　course　he　didn't　reckon　to　die　if　he　could　help　it。　He　couldn't　go　out　the　stockade　gate；　cause　the　bucket　line　to　the　river　would　go　through　there　and　he'd　be　seen。　But　it　was　easy　enough　to　climb　up　to　the　parapet。　The　soldiers　weren't　exactly　keeping　a　lookout。　He　clambered　over　the　wall　and　dropped　down　outside　the　fort。　Nobody　saw　him。　He　walked　the　ten　yards　into　the　woods；　then　made　his　way　　slowly；　cause　his　ribs　hurt　pretty　bad　and　he　was　a　little　weak　from　so　much　sparking；　it　took　something　out　of　him　　through　the　woods　to　the　riverbank。
　　He　came　out　of　the　woods　on　the　far