Jude by Kate Morgenroth

Author:Kate Morgenroth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 2004-08-27T04:00:00+00:00

25

THE NEXT DAY was Sunday, and as they were filing back into the cellblock after breakfast Old Man River asked Jude if he wanted to attend the morning service.

“No thanks,” Jude declined politely.

“All denominations welcome,” River said. “There’s something for everyone. We even have a moment of silence for a Quaker in the congregation.”

“A Quaker?” Jude repeated.

“You got something against Quakers?”

“No, I just didn’t expect to find any in prison.”

River clucked his tongue. “You got to rid your mind of those chains, boy. Look around you. We don’t discriminate at North Central. Everyone can find a place here.” He looked slyly at Jude. “Even you.” Then he turned and followed the last of the men out the door.

With the departure of the religious, there weren’t many left in the cellblock. Jude smiled cynically at all those men faithfully attending service every Sunday, like all true gamblers, hedging their bets, but after about ten minutes of lounging in his cell Jude realized maybe they went just because it was something to do.

Most of the men who stayed behind remained in their cells. There were a couple of scattered groups at the metal tables. Two men were playing chess, another three had cards. Someone on the third tier was picking out a tune on a guitar.

Then he saw them—three men sitting at a table. They had no cards, no chessboard. They were just sitting there … staring at Jude. They were big men, their sleeves rolled up to show their bunched muscles and their stretched and faded tattoos. Two had cigarettes dangling from loose mouths, and they watched him with the intense but empty stare of wolves watching a rabbit. The third one, younger than the others, waved at Jude, fluttering his fingers coyly, and when he smiled, Jude could see that he was missing all four of his front teeth.

Jude looked away. He knew that wasn’t a good sign.

He was right. Later they trailed him on the way to lunch and ousted other inmates to sit at the table just behind him. They followed close on his heels on the way back as well. They made no secret of their intentions; they were out to get him. The question was, what did they want him for? Jude tallied up how many days were left until the election. Sixteen days. All he had to do was survive for another sixteen days.

Jude spent most of that afternoon at the table closest to the guard’s station. He didn’t go into his cell. He didn’t use the bathroom. He just sat and watched the ebb and flow of the inmates as they milled around the floor—and of course he kept a close eye on the three men. They were sitting at a table playing cards, and they were loud enough with the insults and threats they tossed back and forth that Jude was able to learn their names and the general hierarchy of their group. They were called Lefty, Slim Slam, and the Professor. The

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