И проиграли бой

           Macpickedupthecoffin-lidandsetitinplaceagain."Idon’tknowwhywesay’poorlittleguy’.Hewasn’tpoor.Hewasgreaterthanhimself.Hedidn’tknowit—didn’tcare.Buttherewasakindofecstasyinhimallthetime,evenwhentheybeathim.AndJimsaysit—hewasn’tafraid."Mackpickedupascrew,andstuckitthroughtheholeandturneditdownwithhisknife.

           Londonsaid,"Thatsoundslikeaspeech.Maybeyoubettergivethespeech.Idon’tknownothin’abouttalkin’.Thatwasaprettyspeech.Itsoundednice."

           MaclookedupguiltilyandsearchedLondonforsarcasm,andfoundnone."Thatwasn’taspeech,"hesaidquietly."Iguessitcouldbe,butitwasn’t.It’sliketellin’theguyhehasn’tbeenwasted."

           "Whydon’tyoumakethespeechtomorrow?Youcantalk."

           "Hell,no.You’retheboss.Theguys’dbesoreifIsoundedoff.Theyexpectyoutodoit."

           "Well,whatdoIgottosay?"

           Macdrovethescrewsin,oneafteranother."Tell’emtheusualstuff.Tell’emJoydiedfor’em.Tell’emhewastryin’tohelp’em,andthebesttheycandoforhimistohelp’emselvesbystickin’together,see?"

           "Yeah,Igetit."

           Macstoodupandregardedthegrainedwoodofthelid."Ihopesomebodytriestostopus,"hesaid."Ihopesomeofthemdamnvigilantesgetsinourway.God,Ihopetheytrytostopusparadin’throughtown."

           "Yeah,Isee,"saidLondon.

           Jim’seyesglowed.Herepeated,"Ihopeso."