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Chapter 24
«Julepicked’emout,"saidTom.
«Hell,nowonder,"saidWillie.«HisInjunbloodsmelled’em.Well,I’llpoint’emouttotheboys.»
Asixteen-year-oldboycamerunningthroughthecrowd.Hestopped,panting,infrontofHuston.«MistaHuston,"hesaid.«Ibeenlikeyousaid.They’sacarwithsixmenparkeddownbytheeuc’lyptustrees,an’they’sonewithfourmenupthatnorth-sideroad.Iast’emforamatch.Theygotguns.Iseen’em.»
Huston’seyesgrewhardandcruel.«Willie,"hesaid,«yousureyougotever’thingready?»Williegrinnedhappily.«Sure.have,Mr.Huston.Ain’tgonnabenotrouble.»
«Well,don’thurt’em.’Membernow.Ifyoukin,quietan’nice,Ikindaliketosee’em.Beinmytent.»
«I’llseewhatwekindo,"saidWillie.Dancinghadnotformallystarted,butnowWillieclimbedontotheplatform.«Chooseupyoursquares,"hecalled.Themusicstopped.Boysandgirls,youngmenandwomen,ranaboutuntileightsquareswerereadyonthebigfloor,readyandwaiting.Thegirlsheldtheirhandsinfrontofthemandsquirmedtheirfingers.Theboystappedtheirfeetrestlessly.Aroundthefloortheoldfolkssat,smilingslightly,holdingthechildrenbackfromthefloor.AndinthedistancetheJesus-loverssatwithhardcondemningfacesandwatchedthesin.
MaandRoseofSharonsatonabenchandwatched.AndaseachboyaskedRoseofSharonaspartner,Masaid,«No,sheain’twell.»AndRoseofSharonblushedandhereyeswerebright.
