A Clockwork Orange - Burgess, Anthony [32]
“Thank you as always, little 6655321. And what news have you got for me today?” The idea was, I knew, that this charlie was after becoming a very great holy chelloveck in the world of Prison Religion, and he wanted a real horrorshow testimonial from the Governor, so he would go and govoreet quietly to the Governor now and then about what dark plots were brewing among the plennies, and he would get a lot of this cal from me. A lot of it would be all like made up, but some of it would be true, like for instance the time it had come through to our cell on the waterpipes knock knock knockiknockiknock knockiknock that big Harriman was going to break. He was going to tolchock the warder at slop-time and get out in the warder’s platties. Then there was going to be a big throwing about of the horrible pishcha we got in the dining-hall, and I knew about that and told. Then the charlie passed it on and was complimented like by the Governor for his Public Spirit and Keen Ear. So this time I said, and this was not true: “Well, sir, it has come through on the pipes that a consignment of cocaine has arrived by irregular means and that a cell somewhere along Tier 5 is to be the centre of distribution.” I made all that up as I went along, like I made up so many of these stories, but the prison charlie was very grateful, saying: “Good, good, good. I shall pass that on to Himself,” this being what he called the Governor. Then I said:
“Sir, I have done my best, have I not?” I always used my very polite gentleman’s goloss govoreeting with those at the top. “I’ve tried, sir, haven’t I?”
“I think,” said the charlie, “that on the whole you have, 6655321. You’ve been very helpful and, I consider, shown a genuine desire to reform. You will, if you continue in this manner, earn your remission with no trouble at all.”
“But sir,” I said, “how about this new thing they’re talking about? How about this new like treatment that gets you out of prison in no time at all and makes sure that you never get back in again?”
“Oh,” he said, very like wary. “Where did you hear this? Who’s been telling you these things?”
“These things get around, sir,” I said. “Two warders talk, as it might be, and somebody can’t help hearing what they say. And then somebody picks up a scrap of newspaper in the workshops and the newspaper says all about it. How about you putting me in for this thing, sir, if I may make so bold as to make the suggestion?”
You could viddy him thinking about that while he puffed away at his cancer, wondering how much to say to me about what he knew about this veshch I’d mentioned. Then he said: “I take it you’re referring to Ludovico’s Technique.” He was still very wary.
“I don’t know what it’s called, sir,” I said. “All I know is that it gets you out quickly and makes sure that you don’t get in again.”
“That is so,” he said, his eyebrows like all beetling while he looked down at me. “That is quite so, 6655321. Of course, it’s only in the experimental stage at the moment. It’s very simple but very drastic.”
“But it’s being used here, isn’t it, sir?” I said. “Those new like white buildings by the South wall, sir. We’ve watched those being built, sir, when