The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer Page A

novel techniques in his field. He was able, for instance, to take old newspapers and produce high-quality insulation for homes and commercial buildings. At present, he was working on a plan to take in all the county garbage for recy cling. He had been trying to interest people in such projects for twenty years. Now, the field had begun to open up. Just two and a half years ago, Devon Industries in Orem arranged with Spencer McGrath to transfer his operation from Vancouver, Washington, to Utah County.
     
    Spencer had fifteen people in his employ. They were engaged in building the machinery he would need to fulfill his contract with Devon Industries. It was a large contract and McGrath was working very hard. He knew it had become one of those times in a man’s life when he could advance his career and his finances ten years in two years. Or he could fail, and have gained very little beyond the knowl edge of how hard he could work.
     
    So his social activities were minimal. Seven days a week, he worked from seven in the morning into the night. Once in a while, in the late spring, he would go water-skiing in Utah Lake, or have friends over for a barbecue, but for days in a row he wouldn’t even get home in time to see the ten o’clock news on TV.
     
    Maybe he could have gotten away with less work, but it was Spencer’s idea that you gave the time that was necessary to each per son who came before you in the day. So it was natural that he not only kept an eye on Gilmore after he hired him, but talked to him quite a bit, and so far as he could see, nobody was trying to down grade him in any way. The men knew, of course, that he was an ex-con — Spencer thought it was only fair to them (and to Gary for that matter) to have it known-but they were a good crew. If anything, this kind of knowledge could work in Gilmore’s favor.
     
    Yet it was all of a week before Spencer McGrath learned that Gary was walking to work whenever he couldn’t hitch a ride, and he only found out because there had been some snow that morning and Gilmore came in late. It had taken him longer to walk all the way.
     
    62 p>
    THE EXECUTIONER’S SONG THE FIRST MONTH
     
    That got to Spencer. Gilmore had never told a soul. Such pride was the makings of decent stuff. McGrath made sure he had a ride home that night.
     
    Later that day, they had a little talk. Gilmore wasn’t real anxious to get into the fact that he didn’t have a car while most people did. That got to Spencer too. He thought that with another paycheck or two, he could take Gary to Val J. Conlin, a used-car dealer he knew. Conlin sold cars for a little down and small weekly payments there after. Gilmore seemed to be appreciative of this conversation.
    Monday, when he got into the shop, he told Spencer that the Drivers’ Bureau said he would have to take a training course unless he had a previous driver’s license. Gary told them he had one in Oregon, and they were going to send for it. In the meantime he would wait on the car. ‘
     
    Wednesday, however, he picked up the Mustang after work. That night, to celebrate, he had an arm-wrestling contest with Rikki Baker at Sterling’s house. Rikki tried pretty hard but Gary won and kept bragging it up through the poker game.
     
    Spencer felt all right. It had taken a week but Gilmore appeared to be loosening up. He was coming to see that Spencer didn’t like his people to think of him as a boss. He did the same work they did, and didn’t want any superior relationship. If, as expected, his employees were faithful to what they were all trying to do, that was enough. No need to ride anybody.
    Rikki felt embarrassed at losing and stayed away. When, a few days later, he dropped in again, it was to hear that his sister Nicole had gone to visit Sterling one evening, and Gary had been there. Nicole and Gary ended up with each other that night. Now, they were staying out in Spanish Fork. His sister Nicole, who always had to go her own way,