Таинственная история Билли Миллигана

           WhenTommylearnedthatmanyoftheotherprisonershadtheirgirlfriendsonthevisitors’listascommon-lawwivessotheywouldbeallowedtovisittheprison,hetoldRagenhewantedMarlenedownashiswife.Arthurwasopposedatfirst,butRagenoverruledhim.AsMilliganswife,shecouldbringthingstotheprison.

           "Writetoher,"Ragensaid,"tobringoranges.Butfirsttousehypodermicandinjectvodka.Isverygood.""Lee"tookthespotforthefirsttimeinLebanon.Comedian,wit,practicaljoker,heexemplifiedArthur’stheorythatlaughterwasasafetyvalveappreciatedbymostinmates.TheteasingbyotherinmatesthathadafirstfrightenedDannyandangeredRagenwasnowpracticedbyLee.RagenhadheardofBilly’sfather,thestand-upcomicandM.C.whohadbilledhimselfas"halfmusicandhalfwit."RagenhaddecidedthatLeehadaroletoplayinprison.

           ButLeewentbeyondfunnystories.HeloadedAllenscigarettesbyscrapingthesulfuroffacoupleofmatches,soakingamatchstickinsugarwater,rollingitinsulfurandburyingitinthetobacco.He’dcarryacoupleoftheseinAllen’spack,andwhenaninmatewouldaskforacigarette,Leewouldhandoveraloadedone.Bythetimehewasdownthecorridororleavingthecafeteria,hecouldheartheshoutofragefromthevictimasthecigaretteflared.SeveralofthemexplodedinAllen’sface.