。 She does a lot of munity things； she's a good friend； and she's religious。 More than that； she's funny。 Used to be； anyway。 She could tell you things that'd make you laugh until the tears rolled down your cheeks。 But none of those things are the reason I want to help save her； if she can be saved。 What's happening to her is an offense； goddammit； an offense。 To the eyes and the ears and the heart。〃
〃Very noble； but I doubt like hell if that's what put this bee in your bon；〃 Brutal said。 〃I think it's what happened to Del。 You want to balance it off somehow。〃
And he was right。 Of course he was。 I knew Melinda Moores better than the others did； but maybe not； in the end； well enough to ask them to risk their jobs for her … and possibly their freedom； as well。 Or my own job and freedom； for that matter。 I had two children； and the last thing on God's earth that I wanted my wife to have to do was to write them the news that their father was going on trial for。。。 well； what would it be？ I didn't know for sure。 Aiding and abetting an escape attempt seemed the most likely。
But the death of Eduard Delacroix had been the ugliest； foulest thing I had ever seen in my life … not just my working life but my whole； entire life … and I had been a party to it。 We had all been a party to it； because we had allowed Percy Wetmore to stay even after we knew he was horribly unfit to work in a place like E Block。 We had played the game。 Even Warden Moores had been a party to it。 〃His nuts are going to cook whether Wetmore's on the team or not；〃 he had said； and maybe that was well enough； considering what the little Frenchman had done； but in the end Percy had done a lot more than cook Del's nuts； he had blown the little man's eyeballs right out of their sockets and se