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第30部分（第1页）

him　then？　No；　no；　Aunt　Hermione　just　wouldnt　do。

Well；　then；　I　asked；　suppose　one　of　us　took　it？　One　of　us　guards？　We　could　keep　him　right　here　on　E　Block。　No；　Delacroix　said；　he　thanked　me　kindly　for　the　thought；　certainement；　but　Mr。　Jingles　was　a　mouse　that　yearned　to　be　free。　He；　Eduard　Delacroix；　knew　this；　because　Mr。　Jingles　had　…　you　guessed　it　…　whispered　the　information　in　his　ear。

〃All　right；〃　I　said；　〃one　of　us　will　take　him　home；　Del。　Dean；　maybe。　Hes　got　a　little　boy　that　would　just　love　a　pet　mouse；　I　bet。〃

Delacroix　actually　turned　pale　with　horror　at　the　thought。　A　little　kid　in　charge　of　a　rodent　genius　like　Mr。　Jingles？　How　in　the　name　of　le　bon　Dieu　could　a　little　kid　be　expected　to　keep　up　with　his　training；　let　alone　teach　him　new　tricks？　And　suppose　the　kid　lost　interest　and　forgot　to　feed　him　for　two　or　three　days　at　a　stretch？　Delacroix；　who　had　roasted　six　human　beings　alive　in　an　effort　to　cover　up　his　original　crime；　shuddered　with　the　delicate　revulsion　of　an　ardent　anti…vivisectionist。

All　right；　I　said；　Id　take　him　myself　（promise　them　anything；　remember；　in　their　last　forty…eight　hours；　promise　them　anything）。　How　would　that　be？

〃No；　sir；　Boss　Edgebe；〃　Del　said　apologetically。　He　threw　the　spool　again。　It　hit　the　wall；　bounced；　spun；　then　Mr。　Jingles　was　on　it　like　white　on　rice　and　nosing　it　back　to　Delacroix。　〃Thank　you　kindly　…　merci　beaucoup　…　but　you　live　out　in　the　woods；　and　Mr。　Jingles；　he　be　scared　to　live　out　dans　la　foret。　I　know；　because…〃

〃I　think　I　can　guess　how　you　know；　Del；〃　I　said。

Delacroix　nodded；　smiling。　〃But　we　gonna　figure　this　out。　You　bet！〃　He　threw　the　spool。　Mr。　Jingles　clittered　after　it。　I　tried　not　to　wince。

In　the　end　it　was　Brutal　who　saved　the　day。　He　had　been　up　by　the　duty　desk；　watching　Dean　and　Harry　play　cribbage。　Percy　was　there；　too；　and　Brutal　finally　tired　of　trying　to　start　a　conversation　with　him　and　getting　nothing　but　sullen　grunts　in　response。　He　strolled　down　to　where　I　sat　on　a　stool　outside　of　Delacroixs　cell　and　stood　there　listening　to　us　with　his　arms　folded。

〃How　about　Mouseville？〃　Brutal　asked　into　the　considering　silence　which　followed　Dels　rejection　of　my　spooky　old　house　out　in　the　woods。　He　threw　the　ment　out　in　a　casual　just…an…idea　tone　of　voice。

〃Mouseville？〃　Delacroix　asked；　giving　Brutal　a　look　both　startled　and　interested。　〃What　Mouseville？〃

〃Its　this　tourist　attraction　down　in　Florida；〃　he　said。　〃Tallahassee；　I　think。　Is　that　right；　Paul？　Tallahassee？〃

〃Yep；〃　I　said；　speaking　without　a　moments　hesitation；　thinking　God　bless　Brutus　Howell。　〃Tallahassee。　Right　down　the　road　apiece　from　the　dog　university。〃　Brutals　mouth　twitched　at　that；　and　I　thought　he　was　going　to　queer　the　pitch　by　laughing；　but　he　got　it　under　control　and　nodded。　Id　hear　about　the　dog　university　later；　though；　I　imagined。

This　time　Del　didnt　throw　the　spool；　although　Mr。　Jingles　stood　on　Dels　slipper　with　his　front　paws　raised；　clearly　lusting　for　another　chance　to　chase。　The　Cajun　looked　from　Brutal　to　me　and　back　to　Brutal　again。　〃What　dey　do　in　Mouseville？〃　he　asked。

〃You　think　theyd　take　Mr。　Jingles？〃　Brutal　asked　me；　simultaneously　ignoring　Del　and　drawing　him　on。　〃Think　hes　got　the　stuff；　Paul？〃

I　tried　to　appear　considering。　〃You　know；〃　I　said；　〃the　more　I　think　of　it；　the　more　it　seems　like　a　brilliant　idea。〃　From　the　er　of　my　eye　I　saw　Percy　e　partway　down　the　Green　Mile　（giving　Whartons　cell　a　very　wide　berth）。　He　stood　with　one　shoulder　leaning　against　an　empty　cell；　listening　with　a　small；　contemptuous　smile　on　his　lips。

〃What　dis　Mouseville？〃　Del　asked；　now　frantic　to　know。

〃A　tourist　attraction；　like　I　told　you；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Theres；　oh　I　dunno；　a　hundred　or　so　mice　there。　Wouldnt　you　say；　Paul？〃

〃More　like　a　hundred　and　fifty　these　days；〃　I　said。　〃Its　a　big　success。　I　understand　theyre　thinking　of　opening　one　out　in　California　and　calling　it　Mouseville　West；　thats　how　much　business　is　booming。　Trained　mice　are　the　ing　thing　with　the　smart　set；　I　guess　…　I　dont　understand　it；　myself。〃

Del　sat　with　the　colored　spool　in　his　hand；　looking　at　us；　his　own　situation　forgotten　for　the　time　being。

〃They　only　take　the　smartest　mice；〃　Brutal　cautioned；　〃the　ones　that　can　do　tricks。　And　they　cant　be　white　mice；　because　those　are　pet…shop　mice。〃

〃Pet…shop　mice；　yeah；　you　bet！〃　Delacroix　said　fiercely。　〃I　hate　dem　pet…shop　mice！〃

〃And　what　they　got；〃　Brutal　said；　his　eyes　distant　now　as　he　imagined　it；　〃is　this　tent　you　go　into…〃