1931 The Grand Punk Railroad: Local Read Online Free Page B

existence of the traitor who has made our master crawl through the land of humiliation!”
    Even after he’d said that much, there was no change. Not in the light in Goose’s eyes, nor in the expressions of the fifty men who listened attentively.
    “I investigated the existence of the traitor personally. However, even so, Master Huey is merciful. It is my intent to emulate him.”
    Clasping his hands behind him and turning his back on the ranks, Goose asked a question. A quiet, simple question.
    “Let me ask the traitor. If he has realized his error, let him take one step forward, without saying a word. If he does not have that courage, know that neither sophistry nor lament will reach me any longer.”
    At that, for the first time, expressions appeared on the faces of the ranks of men.
    The face of one man who had been standing at the head of a line twisted into a smirk, and he took a step forward.
    Then, the instant they saw that gesture, every remaining member of the ranks
smirked
, and
all fifty men stepped forward together
.
    “Well, Goose? How does it feel to be betrayed by everybody?”
    With an ironic smirk, the young man who’d taken the first step drew his gun.
    “After you tried to trick us with that painfully obvious bluff, too. My apologies. Still, you couldn’t have anticipated this outcome, could you?”
    However, Goose was unruffled. The dark glint in his eyes merely writhed, understated.
    “Let me ask you one final question, foolish Nader.”
    Possibly, he’d taken those words as surrender. Nader’s face twisted into happiness.
    “What might that be, Goose? Just so you know, if it’s about how you can be saved, I’ll tell you—there’s no way.”
    “So you dislike Master Huey and myself. Very well. However, on what sort of ideals do you intend to base your revolution? How will you bring it about?”
    As he posed his question, Goose’s expression was solemn. The traitors sneered at him with truly relaxed attitudes. Not even bothering to speak politely anymore, they answered him in tones mixed of pity and scorn.
    “Ha-ha, revolution? You’re well aware of the answer to that… It’s not even possible! Listen, we’re not gonna follow either you or Huey. We’re going to go sign on with Chicago’s Russo Family. With this many of us, all skilled fighters, we just might be able to take over the whole outfit one of these days. Actually, now that the feds have pinched Scarface, we could grab all of Chicago! From now on, the times belong to power, Goose, not ideals! At the very least, I’m more fit to use this group’s strength than you, who got booted out of the army,
or
Huey, who’s a total enigma.”
    Giving a faint sigh at that reply, Goose shook his head and told Nader:
    “Your answer is one I’d anticipated, but to think you’d try to join the mafia’s movement at this late date… What utter foolishness. Capone’s fall is an opportunity, you say? On the contrary. It’s robbed the Chicago mafia of any opportunities for the time being. Besides, without instructions from Master Huey or myself, do you imagine that greenhorns such as yourselves could last a single day in the shadows of Chicago?”
    “…Thanks for the warning. Is that all you had to say?”
    “No, there’s more. You called my words a bluff, but I wasn’t lying.”
    As he spoke, Goose lightly raised a hand.
    “Hmm?”
    “I told you, I’d investigated all the traitors. …As well as the friendly members who’d had enough of you.”
    As he brought his hand down, a ferocious roar rang out. It was the sound of several dozen guns firing at once, and after the roar had repeated several times, silence returned to the factory.
    “Wha…?”
    When Nader turned around, fearfully, the ash-gray floor had been stained a murky red.
    The men at the front of the ranks had acquired ventilation holes here and there on their bodies and lost their lives and were lying in the sea of red.
    The thirty or so men who were still