grieves or prays。 He said something then in his strange； almost Southern voice。 I heard it with perfect clarity； and although I didn't know much about what he'd done then … you don't need to know about what a man's done in order to feed him and groom him until it's time for him to pay off what he owes … it still gave me a chill。
〃I couldn't help…it； boss；〃 he said。 〃I tried to take it back； but it was too late！'
3。
〃You're going to have you some trouble with Percy；〃 Harry said as we walked back up the hall and into my office。 Dean Stanton； sort of my third in mand … we didn't actually have such things； a situation Percy Wetmore would have fixed up in a flash … was sitting behind my desk； updating the files； a job I never seemed to get around to。 He barely looked up as we came in； just gave his little glasses a shove with the ball of his thumb and dived back into his paperwork。
〃I been having trouble with that peckerwood since the day he came here；〃 I said； gingerly； pulling my pants away from my crotch and wincing。 〃Did you hear what he was shouting when he brought that big galoot down？〃
〃Couldn't very well not；〃 Harry said。 〃I was there； you know。〃
〃I was in the john and heard it just fine；〃 Dean said。 He drew a sheet of paper to him； held it up into the light so I could see there was a coffee…ring as well as typing on it； and then tossed it into the waste basket。 'Dead man walking。' Must have read that in one of those magazines he