"You earned it, brother-straight bull flush. Were you really holding?"

"Nope."

Weeks laughed, dusting himself off. "I didn't think so. Shee-it. A'ight, let's put this puppy to bed."

It was almost 10 P.M., an hour before lockdown. Now the animals would be returned to their pens and the weary and battered inmates to their cells-those who weren't already at the prison infirmary or being ambulanced to the state hospital. Now the hootenanny would begin: Bands would play, free men and women would dance and drink until midnight on the red dirt of the arena, then it would all be over but for the fireworks. No inmates invited.

Voodooman was helping corral the bull when the first screams started in the stands.

He looked up in astonishment to see rioting among the spectators: men and women grappling with one another, and the prison guards and trusties rushing to intervene. At first he thought it was a joke, some kind of mass prank: Several hundred women were straddling men-bodily pinning them down-and smothering them with what looked to be passionate kisses. But clearly there was nothing funny about it-some folks were just angry, telling their children not to look, but the ones nearest the trouble were plainly scared about something. Other audience members were frantically trying to pull the pairs apart and shouting for help.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," said the announcer, "I'M AFRAID I HAVE TO ASK YOU TO REFRAIN FROM CAUSING A DISTURBANCE. I KNOW IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND WE'VE ALL HAD A FEW DRINKS, BUT REMEMBER THAT WE ARE ON THE GROUNDS OF A PENITENTIARY AND MUST ACT IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES-IT'S FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. THIS IS A FAMILY SHOW. WE'RE ALL HERE TO HAVE FUN, BUT ROWDINESS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED."

Marcus watched as five people, two of them state troopers, managed to wrestle one of the women off, fighting for all they were worth to get her into a headlock and cuffs. Other men were interfering with the woman's arrest, offended by the rough treatment she was receiving. They were trying to be gallant. Meanwhile, the man she had been kissing looked like a broken doll, sprawled on the bench.