。 In some ways； you know； I wish we'd done it。 It might have changed some of the things that happened later on。
〃Fucking faggot！ I'll teach you to keep your hands off me； you lousy bum…puncher！〃
Whap！ Whap！ Whap！ And now Delacroix was bleeding from one ear and screaming。 I gave up trying to shield him； grabbed him by one shoulder； and hurled him into his cell； where he went sprawling on the bunk。 Percy darted around me and gave him a final hard whap on the butt … one to go on； you could say。 Then Brutal grabbed him … Percy … I mean … by the shoulders and hauled him across the corridor。
I grabbed the cell door and ran it shut on its tracks。 Then I turned to Percy； my shock and bewilderment at war with pure fury。 Percy had been around about several months at that point； long enough for all of us to decide we didn't like him very much； but that was the first time I fully understood how out of control he was。
He stood watching me； not entirely without fear … he was a coward at heart； I never had any doubt of that … but still confident that his connections would protect him。 In that he was correct。 I suspect there are people who wouldn't understand why that was； even after all I've said； but they would be people who only know the phrase Great Depression from the history books。 If you were there； it was a lot more than a phrase in a book； and if you had a steady job； brother； you'd do almost anything to keep it。
The color was fading out of Per