the jacket (the star-rover)-第48章

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that　covered　it　was　of　the　colour　of　dry　mud。　　His　sharp；　yellow…

gray　eyes　seemed　the　only　part　of　him　that　was　alive。　　They　were

never　at　rest。　　He　lay　on　his　back；　and　the　eyes　darted　hither　and

thither；　following　the　flight　of　the　several　flies　that　disported　in

the　gloomy　air　above　him。　　I　noted；　too；　a　scar；　just　above　his

right　elbow；　and　another　scar　on　his　right　ankle。



After　a　time　he　yawned；　rolled　over　on　his　side；　and　inspected　an

angry…looking　sore　just　above　his　hip。　　This　he　proceeded　to　cleanse

and　dress　by　the　crude　methods　men　in　solitary　must　employ。　　I

recognized　the　sore　as　one　of　the　sort　caused　by　the　strait…jacket。

On　my　body；　at　this　moment　of　writing；　are　hundreds　of　scars　of　the

jacket。



Next；　Oppenheimer　rolled　on　his　back；　gingerly　took　one　of　his　front

upper　toothan　eye　teethbetween　thumb　and　forefinger；　and

consideratively　moved　it　back　and　forth。　　Again　he　yawned；　stretched

his　arms；　rolled　over；　and　knocked　the　call　to　Ed　Morrell。



I　read　the　code　as　a　matter　of　course。



〃Thought　you　might　be　awake；〃　Oppenheimer　tapped。　　〃How　goes　it　with

the　Professor？〃



Then；　dim　and　far；　I　could　hear　Morrell's　taps　enunciating　that　they

had　put　me　in　the　jacket　an　hour　before；　and　that；　as　usual；　I　was

already　deaf　to　all　knuckle　talk。



〃He　is　a　good　guy；〃　Oppenheimer　rapped　on。　　〃I　always　was　suspicious

of　educated　mugs；　but　he　ain't　been　hurt　none　by　his　education。　　He

is　sure　square。　　Got　all　the　spunk　in　the　world；　and　you　could　not

get　him　to　squeal　or　double　cross　in　a　million　years。〃



To　all　of　which；　and　with　amplification；　Ed　Morrell　agreed。　　And　I

must；　right　here；　ere　I　go　a　word　further；　say　that　I　have　lived

many　years　and　many　lives；　and　that　in　those　many　lives　I　have　known

proud　moments；　but　that　the　proudest　moment　I　have　ever　known　was

the　moment　when　my　two　comrades　in　solitary　passed　this　appraisal　of

me。　　Ed　Morrell　and　Jake　Oppenheimer　were　great　spirits；　and　in　all

time　no　greater　honour　was　ever　accorded　me　than　this　admission　of

me　to　their　comradeship。　　Kings　have　knighted　me；　emperors　have

ennobled　me；　and；　as　king　myself；　I　have　known　stately　moments。　　Yet

of　it　all　nothing　do　I　adjudge　so　splendid　as　this　accolade

delivered　by　two　lifers　in　solitary　deemed　by　the　world　as　the　very

bottom…most　of　the　human　cesspool。



Afterwards；　recuperating　from　this　particular　bout　with　the　jacket；

I　brought　up　my　visit　to　Jake's　cell　as　a　proof　that　my　spirit　did

leave　my　body。　　But　Jake　was　unshakable。



〃It　is　guessing　that　is　more　than　guessing；〃　was　his　reply；　when　I

had　described　to　him　his　successive　particular　actions　at　the　time

my　spirit　had　been　in　his　cell。　　〃It　is　figuring。　　You　have　been

close　to　three　years　in　solitary　yourself；　Professor；　and　you　can

come　pretty　near　to　figuring　what　any　guy　will　do　to　be　killing

time。　　There　ain't　a　thing　you　told　me　that　you　and　Ed　ain't　done

thousands　of　times；　from　lying　with　your　clothes　off　in　hot　weather

to　watching　flies；　tending　sores；　and　rapping。〃



Morrell　sided　with　me；　but　it　was　no　use。



〃Now　don't　take　it　hard；　Professor；〃　Jake　tapped。　　〃I　ain't　saying

you　lied。　　I　just　say　you　get　to　dreaming　and　figuring　in　the　jacket

without　knowing　you're　doing　it。　　I　know　you　believe　what　you　say；

and　that　you　think　it　happened；　but　it　don't　buy　nothing　with　me。

You　figure　it；　but　you　don't　know　you　figure　itthat　is　something

you　know　all　the　time；　though　you　don't　know　you　know　it　until　you

get　into　them　dreamy；　woozy　states。〃



〃Hold　on；　Jake；〃　I　tapped。　　〃You　know　I　have　never　seen　you　with　my

own　eyes。　　Is　that　right？〃



〃I　got　to　take　your　word　for　it；　Professor。　　You　might　have　seen　me

and　not　known　it　was　me。〃



〃The　point　is；〃　I　continued；　〃not　having　seen　you　with　your　clothes

off；　nevertheless　I　am　able　to　tell　you　about　that　scar　above　your

right　elbow；　and　that　scar　on　your　right　ankle。〃



〃Oh；　shucks；〃　was　his　reply。　　〃You'll　find　all　that　in　my　prison

description　and　along　with　my　mug　in　the　rogues'　gallery。　　They　is

thousands　of　chiefs　of　police　and　detectives　know　all　that　stuff。〃



〃I　never　heard　of　it；〃　I　assured　him。



〃You　don't　remember　that　you　ever　heard　of　it；〃　he　corrected。　　〃But

you　must　have　just　the　same。　　Though　you　have　forgotten　about　it；

the　information　is　in　your　brain　all　right；　stored　away　for

reference；　only　you've　forgot　where　it　is　stored。　　You've　got　to　get

woozy　in　order　to　remember。〃



〃Did　you　ever　forget　a　man's　name　you　used　to　know　as　well　as　your

own　brother's？　　I　have。　　There　was　a　little　juror　that　convicted　me

in　Oakland　the　time　I　got　handed　my　fifty…years。　　And　one　day　I

found　I'd　forgotten　his　name。　　Why；　bo；　I　lay　here　for　weeks

puzzling　for　it。　　Now；　just　because　I　could　not　dig　it　out　of　my

memory　box　was　no　sign　it　was　not　there。　　It　was　mislaid；　that　was

all。　　And　to　prove　it；　one　day；　when　I　was　not　even　thinking　about

it；　it　popped　right　out　of　my　brain　to　the　tip　of　my　tongue。

'Stacy；'　I　said　right　out　loud。　　'Joseph　Stacy。'　　That　was　it。　　Get

my　drive？



〃You　only　tell　me　about　them　scars　what　thousands　of　men　know。　　I

don't　know　how　you　got　the　information；　I　guess　you　don't　know

yourself。　　That　ain't　my　lookout。　　But　there　she　is。　　Telling　me

what　many　knows　buys　nothing　with　me。　　You　got　to　deliver　a　whole

lot　more　than　that　to　make　me　swallow　the　rest　of　your　whoppers。〃



Hamilton's　Law　of　Parsimony　in　the　weighing　of　evidence！　　So

intrinsically　was　this　slum…bred　convict　a　scientist；　that　he　had

worked　out　Hamilton's　law　and　rigidly　applied　it。



And　yetand　the　incident　is　deliciousJake　Oppenheimer　was

intellectually　honest。　　That　night；　as　I　was　dozing　off；　he　called

me　with　the　customary　signal。



〃Say；　Professor；　you　said　you　saw　me　wiggling　my　loose　tooth。　　That

has　got　my　goat。　　That　is　the　one　thing　I　can't　figure　out　any　way

you　could　know。　　It　only　went　loose　three　days　ago；　and　I　ain't

whispered　it　to　a　soul。〃







CHAPTER　XXI







Pascal　somewhere　says：　　〃In　viewing　the　march　of　human　evolution；

the　philosophic　mind　should　look　upon　humanity　as　one　man；　and　not

as　a　conglomeration　of　individuals。〃



I　sit　here　in　Murderers'　Row　in　Folsom；　the　drowsy　hum　of　flies　in

my　ears　as　I　ponder　that　thought　of　Pascal。　　It　is　true。　　Just　as

the　human　embryo；　in　its　brief　ten　lunar　months；　with　bewildering

swiftness；　in　myriad　forms　and　semblances　a　myriad　times　multiplied；

rehearses　the　entire　history　of　organic　life　from　vegetable　to　man；

just　as　the　human　boy；　in　his　brief　years　of　boyhood；　rehearses　the

history　of　primitive　man　in　acts　of　cruelty　and　savagery；　from

wantonness　of　inflicting　pain　on　lesser　creatures　to　tribal

consciousness　expressed　by　the　desire　to　run　in　gangs；　just　so；　I；

Darrell　Standing；　have　rehearsed　and　relived　all　that　primitive　man

was；　and　did；　and　became　until　he　became　even　you　and　me　and　the

rest　of　our　kind　in　a　twentieth　century　civilization。



Truly　do　we　carry　in　us；　each　human　of　us　alive　on　the　planet　to…

day；　the　incorruptible　history　of　life　from　life's　beginning。　　This

history　is　written　in　our　tissues　and　our　bones；　in　our　functions

and　our　organs；　in　our　brain　cells　and　in　our　spirits；　and　in　all

sorts　of　physical　and　psychic　atavistic　urgencies　and　compulsions。

Once　we　were　fish…like；　you　and　I；　my　reader；　and　crawled　up　out　of

the　sea　to　pioneer　in　the　great；　dry…land　adventure　in　the　thick　of

which　we　are　now。　　The　marks　of　the　sea　are　still　on　us；　as　the

marks　of　the　serpent　are　still　on　us；　ere　the　serpent　became　serpent

and　we　became　we；　when　pre…serpent　and　pre…we　were　one。　　Once　we

flew　in　the　air；　and　once　we　dwelt　arboreally　and　were　afraid　of　the

dark。　　The　vestiges　remain；　graven　on　you　and　me；　and　graven　on　our

seed　to　come　after　us　to　the　end　of　our　time　on　earth。



What　Pascal　glimpsed　with　the　vision　of　a　seer；　I　have　lived。　　I

have　seen　myself　that　one　man　contemplated　by　Pascal's　philosophic

eye。　　Oh；　I　have　a　tale；　most　true；　most　wonderful；　most　real　to　me；

although　I　doubt　that　I　have　wit　to　tell　it；　and　that　you；　my

reader；　have　wit　to　perceive　it　when　told。　　I　say　that　I　have　seen

myself　that　one　man　hinted　at　by　Pascal。　　I　have　lain　in　the　long

trances　of　the　jacket　and　glimpsed　myself　a　thousand　living　men

living　the　thousand　lives　that　are　themselves　the　history　of　the

human　man　climbing　upward　through　the　ages。



Ah；　what　royal　memories　are　mine；　as　I　flutter　through　the　aeons　of

the　long　ago。　　In　single　jacket　trances　I　have　lived　the　many　lives

involved　in　the　thousand…years…long　Odysseys　of　the　early　drifts　of

men。　　Heavens；　before　I　was　of　the　flaxen…haired　Aesir；　who　dwelt　in

Asgard；　and　before　I　was　of　the　red…haired　Vanir；　who　dwelt　in

Vanaheim；　long　before　those　times　I　have　memories　（living　memories）

of　earlier　drifts；　when；　like　thistledown　before　the　breeze；　we

drifted　south　before　the　face　of　the　descending　polar　ice…cap。



I　have　died　of　frost　and　famine；　fight　and　flood。　　I　have　picked

berries　on　the　bleak　backbone　of　the　world；　and　I　have　dug　roots　to

eat　from　the　fat…soiled　fens　and　meadows。　　I　have　scratched　the

reindeer's　semblance　and　the　semblance　of　the　hairy　mammoth　on　ivory

tusks　gotten　of　the　chase　and　on　the　rock　walls　of　cave　shelters

when　the　winter　storms　moaned　outside。　　I　have　cracked　marrow…bones

on　the　sites　of　kingly　cities　that　had　perished　centuries　before　my

time　or　that　were　destined　to　be　builded　centuries　after　my　passing。

And　I　have　left　the　bones　of　my　transient　carcasses　in　pond　bottoms；

and　glacial　gravels；　and　asphaltum　lakes。



I　have　lived　through　the　ages　known　to…day　among　the　scientists　as

the　Paleolithic；　the　Neolithic；　and　the　Bronze。　　I　remember　when

with　our　domesticated　wolves　we　herded　our　reindeer　to　pasture　on

the　north　shore　of　the　Mediterranean　where　now　are　France　and　Italy

and　Spain。　　This　was　before　the　ice…sheet　melted　backward　toward　the

pole。　　Many　processions　of　the　equinoxes　have　I　lived　through　and

died　in；　my　reader　。　。　。　only　that　I　remember　and　that　you　do　not。



I　have　been　a　Son　of　the　Plough；　a　Son　of　the　Fish；　a　Son　of　the

Tree。　　All　religions　from　the　beginnings　of　man's　religious　time

abide　in　me。　　And　when　the　Dominie；　in　the　chapel；　here　in　Folsom　of

a　Sunday；　worships　God　in　his　own　good　modern　way；　I　know　that　in

him；　the　Dominie；　still　abide　the　worships　of　the　Plough；　the　Fish；

the　Treeay；　and　also　all　worships　of　Astarte　and　the　Night。



I　have　been　an　Aryan　master　in　old　Egypt；　when　my　soldiers　scrawled

obscenities　on　the　carven　tombs　of　kings　dead　and　gone　and　forgotten

aforetime。　　And　I；　the　Aryan　master　in　old　Egypt；　have　myself

builded　my　two　burial　placesthe　one　a　false　and　mighty　pyramid　to

which　a　generation　of　slaves　could　attest；　the　other　humble；　meagre；

secret；　rock…hewn　in　a　desert　valley　by　slaves　who　died　immediately

their　work　was　done。　。