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Show Flying - 210 come out of his guardhouse tent at any moment and decide to start his nightly rounds. "There a i n ' t much sense to a l l this shit, you know that," says Jackson. "It don't nake no sense to say sir to officers, i t - d o n ' t nake no sense to wear uniforms, it don't make no sense be i n ' in this nan's arny at a l l ." " I t ' s a gane," says John Henry. "Only if you don't play i t just right you end up in the stockade." "And if you play i t just like they t e l l you, where you end up then, huh?" says Jackson. "Free," says John Henry. "In two years, five months and thirteen days, if I do i t a l l like they say, and don't talk back, and stay out of trouble, I ' l l walk out the gate a free man. Even sooner, if a l l goes well tonorrow norning," says John Henry mysteriously. "I night even end up a free nan sooner than anybody thinks." And how free you going to be, John Henry? Free to do what? To die alongside the railroad tracks? You going to bust your balls for the great white master, like your nan did? Bring on that steam d r i l l , baby, he said, i t don't scare me none. I ' l l prove men can do i t cheaper than machines any day. Just give ne that there hanner and a l i t t l e piece of s t e e l . He played the gane so good they nade up a song about i t . And he died. |