The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris [4]
“I understand.”
They had passed through two more gates and left the natural light behind. Now they were beyond the wards where inmates can mix together, down in the region where there can be no windows and no mixing. The hallway lights are covered with heavy grids, like the lights in the engine rooms of ships. Dr. Chilton paused beneath one. When their footfalls stopped, Starling could hear somewhere beyond the wall the ragged end of a voice ruined by shouting.
“Lecter is never outside his cell without wearing full restraints and a mouthpiece,” Chilton said. “I'm going to show you why. He was a model of cooperation for the first year after he was committed. Security around him was slightly relaxed--- this was under the previous administration, you understand. On the afternoon of July 8, 1976, he complained of chest pain and he was taken to the dispensary. His restraints were removed to make it easier to give him an electrocardiogram. When the nurse bent over him, he did this to her.” Chilton handed Clarice Starling a dogeared photograph. “The doctors managed to save one of her eyes. Lecter was hooked up to the monitors the entire time. He broke her jaw to get at her tongue. His pulse never got over eightyfive, even when he swallowed it.”
Starling didn't know which was worse, the photo?graph or Chilton's attention as he gleaned her face with fast grabby eyes. She thought of a thirsty chicken peck?ing tears off her face.
“I keep him in here,” Chilton said, and pushed a button beside heavy double doors of security glass. A big orderly let them into the block beyond.
Starling made a tough decision and stopped just in?side the doors. “Dr. Chilton, we really need these test results. If Dr. Lecter feels you're his enemy--- if he's fixed on you, just as you've said--- we might have more luck if I approached him by myself. What do you think?”
Chilton's cheek twitched. “That's perfectly fine with me. You might have suggested that in my office. I could have sent an orderly with you and saved the time.”
“I could have suggested it there if you'd briefed me there.”
“I don't expect I'll see you again, Miss Starling--- ?Barney, when she's finished with Lecter, ring for some?one to bring her out.”
Chilton left without looking at her again.
Now there was only the big impassive orderly and the soundless clock behind him and his wire mesh cabi?net with the Mace and restraints, mouthpiece and tran?quilizer gun. A wall rack held a long pipe device with a U on the end for pinioning the violent to the wall.
The orderly was looking at her. “Dr. Chilton told you, don't touch the bars?” His voice was both high and hoarse. She was reminded of Aldo Ray.
“Yes, he told me.”
“Okay. It's past the others, the last cell on the right. Stay toward the middle of the corridor as you go down, and don't mind anything. You can take him his mail, get off on the right foot.” The orderly seemed privately amused. “You just put it in the tray and let it roll through. If the tray's inside, you can pull it back with the cord, or he can send it back. He can't reach you where the tray stops outside.” The orderly gave her two magazines, their loose pages spilling out, three newspa?pers and several opened letters.
The corridor was about thirty yards long, with cells on both sides. Some were padded cells with an observa?tion window, long and narrow like an archery slit; in the center of the door. Others were standard prison cells, with a wall of bars opening on the corridor. Cla?rice Starling was aware of figures in the cells, but she tried not to look at them. She was more than halfway down when a voice hissed, “I can smell your cunt.” She gave no sign that she had heard it, and went on.
The lights were on in the last cell. She moved toward the left side of the corridor to see into it as she ap?proached, knowing her heels announced her.
The Silence of the Lambsr
Chapter 3
Dr. Lecter's cell is well beyond the others, fac?ing only a closet across the corridor, and it is unique