From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [335]
“How about this big secret plot?” Prew asked them. “What the hell is this great plan anyway? I’ve been killing myself with curiosity for a week now, wondering about it.”
“Let him tell you,” Jack Malloy deferred gently.
Apparently Prew had addressed the question to Malloy instinctively, although he did not know why because it was Angelo’s idea.
“Its his plan,” Jack Malloy said. “It was his idea, he thought of it, and he deserves the telling of it.”
And Prew thought suddenly that he had never seen such tenderness, in man or woman, as was in Jack Malloy’s eyes looking at Angelo Maggio. It was worth it, he thought exultantly, it was more than worth it, it was worth ten days in the Hole, to be here with these men.
“Come on down here then,” Angelo said, his eyes gone cunning and miserly again. He got up and started down toward the other end where the two commodes were.
“You can tell it here, citizen,” Jack Malloy tried to dissuade him gently.
“Nosir,” Angelo grinned at them crafty-eyed. “Nosiree.”
“Maybe Prew dont feel like getting up,” Jack Malloy suggested gently.
“Then he’ll have to wait,” Angelo said emphatically, and started to come back. “I tell it at all, I tell it down there, where nobody is.”
“I feel okay,” Prew said, and got up and the two of them followed the little guy down. And it was sitting on the closed commodes, with Jack Malloy leaning against the iron sink, that Angelo Maggio unfolded his big secret plan, his great dream.
The rest of the barrack, led by Blues Berry, drifted unobtrusively down toward the far end with their conversations, like healthy people tactfully humoring an invalid. Prew looked at Malloy, then swung his eyes back to Maggio quickly.
“I’ve only told it to Berry and The Malloy,” Angelo explained insistently. “Nobody else knows about it, not a single soul.”
Prew looked at Malloy; Malloy’s face was closed.
“Aint that right, Jack?” Angelo said anxiously.
“Thats right, citizen,” Jack Malloy said gently.
“If they did,” Angelo said fiercely, “I’d kill the cocksuckers, see? Even in here see? Some of these guys find out about it, they liable as not to try it first. And half the chances of success depends on it bein the first guy who tries it. After the first time it wouldnt work. Father Thompson aint no fool. Neither’s Fatso. And I’m the guy who thought of it so I got the right to be the first guy to try it.
“Aint that right, Jack?” he said anxiously.
“That’s right,” Jack Malloy said, his face still closed.
“Well,” Angelo said, “here it is.” He interrupted himself. “You see I’m right,” he said, “Jack says I’m right; you want to try it later, after me, thats okay, although I wouldnt guarantee it, but I got the right to have the first shot.”
“The truth is,” Jack Malloy said, “nobody else has got the guts to try it.”
“Dont kid yourself,” Angelo snarled.
“I’m not,” Jack Malloy said. “They havent the guts because nobody wants out as bad as you do.”
“Dont you believe it,” Angelo said. “I aint takin no chances.” He turned to Prew. “But you see how it is, dont you, Prew?”
“I see,” Prew said.
“Okay. Well heres the deal. Any man who goes in the Hole and stays there 21 days is automatically sent up to the nutward in the Station Hospital and given a Section 8. I never heard of it happening yet, but thats the rule.”
“I’ve heard of it happening,” Jack Malloy interrupted gently. “It happened twice during my first trip. Thats why I like the plan. The idea is, you see, that any man who gets violent in the Stockade—I mean homicidally violent—is too far gone to salvage. I mean, really off his nut. They put him in the Hole to cool him off, but if he doesnt cool off in 21 days (some say 30 days), then they figure its the McCoy and he’s not acting and they Section 8 him. Thats happened twice I know of, during my first trip. But those two guys were really off their nut. The citizen here,” he nodded at Angelo, “proposes to fool them.”
“Thats it,” Angelo said eagerly. “I’m going to flip my lid out on the rockpile and go for the guard with a hammer, see?”
“Aint he hable to shoot you?” Pr