Таинственная история Билли Миллигана

           "You’reinchargehere,"Arthursaid,"butI’dliketopointoutthatagreatdealofthatteasingandjokingismerelyprisoners’lettingoffsteaminapressure-cookersituation.Anythingtogetabitoflaughter.Youwoulddowelltodiscriminatebetweentheprisoncomediansandthosewhomightreallybedangerous."

           Ragennodded."IsexactlyvatIamthinking."

           "Ihaveanothersuggestion."

           Ragenlistenedwithahalfsmile.ItamusedhimtohearArthurmakingsuggestionsinsteadofissuingorders.

           "Inoticedthatthoseinmateswearinggreenhospitaluniformsaretheonlyones—exceptfortheguards—allowedtowalkinthecenterofthecorridors.Whenthetimecomestoapplyforaworkdetail,itmightbeadvisabletohaveAllenrequestassignmenttotheprisonhospital."

           "Forvatreason?"

           "Workingasamediccouldprovideamarginofsafety—especiallyforthechildren.Yousee,inaprisoncommunityamedicalattendantisrespected,sinceeveryinmateknowsthatsomedayhemightneedemergencytreatment.Iwoulddothework,usingAllentocommunicate."

           Ragenagreeditwasagoodidea.

           Thenextday,whentheguardstalkedtothenewprisonersaboutworkexperienceandpreviousspecialization,Allensaidhethoughthewouldliketoworkintheprisonhospital.

           "Y’allgottraining?"askedCaptainLeach.