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第39部分（第2页）

〃Shes　a　writer；　you　nit；〃　Brutal　told　him。　〃Been　dead　practically　since　Betsy　Ross　basted　the　stars　on　the　first　flag。〃

〃Oh。〃　Harry　looked　embarrassed。　〃Im　not　much　of　a　reader。　Radio　manuals；　mostly。〃

〃Whats　on　your　mind；　Paul？〃　Dean　asked。

〃John　Coffey　and　Mr。　Jingles；　to　start　with。〃　They　looked　surprised；　which　I　had　expected　…　theyd　been　thinking　I　wanted　to　discuss　either　Delacroix　or　Percy。　Maybe　both。　I　looked　at　Dean　and　Harry　〃The　thing　with　Mr。　Jingles　…　what　Coffey　did　…　happened　pretty　fast。　I　dont　know　if　you　got　there　in　time　to　see　how　broken　up　the　mouse　was　or　not。〃

Dean　shook　his　head。　〃I　saw　the　blood　on　the　floor；　though。〃

I　turned　to　Brutal。

〃That　son　of　a　bitch　Percy　crushed　it；〃　he　said　simply。　〃It　should　have　died；　but　it　didnt。　Coffey　did　something　to　it。　Healed　it　somehow。　I　know　how　that　sounds；　but　I　saw　it　with　my　own　eyes。〃

I　said：　〃He　healed　me；　as　well；　and　I　didnt　just　see　it；　I　felt　it。〃　I　told　them　about　my　urinary　infection　…　how　it　had　e　back；　how　bad　it　had　been　（I　pointed　through　the　window　at　the　woodpile　Id　had　to　hold　onto　the　morning　the　pain　drove　me　to　my　knees）；　and　how　it　had　gone　away　pletely　after　Coffey　touched　me。　And　stayed　away。

It　didnt　take　long　to　tell。　When　I　was　done；　they　sat　and　thought　about　it　awhile；　chewing　on　their　sandwiches　as　they　did。　Then　Dean　said；　〃Black　things　came　out　of　his　mouth。　Like　bugs。〃

〃Thats　right；〃　Harry　agreed。　〃They　were　black　to　start　with；　anyway。　Then　they　turned　white　and　disappeared。〃　He　looked　around；　considering。　〃Its　like　I　damned　near　forgot　the　whole　thing　until　you　brought　it　up；　Paul。　Aint　that　funny？〃

〃Nothing　funny　or　strange　about　it；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　think　thats　what　people　most　always　do　with　the　stuff　they　cant　make　out　…　just　forget　it。　Doesnt　do　a　person　much　good　to　remember　stuff　that　doesnt　make　any　sense。　What　about　it；　Paul？　Were　there　bugs　when　he　fixed　you？〃

〃Yes。　I　think　theyre　the　sickness　。。。　the　pain　。。。　the　hurt。　He　takes　it　in；　then　lets　it　out　into　the　open　air　again。〃

〃Where　it　dies；〃　Harry　said。

I　shrugged。　I　didnt　know　if　it　died　or　not；　wasnt　sure　it　even　mattered。

〃Did　he　suck　it　out　of　you？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃He　looked　like　he　was　sucking　it　right　out　of　the　mouse。　The　hurt。　The　。。。　you　know。　The　death。〃

〃No；〃　I　said。　〃He　just　touched　me。　And　I　felt　it。　A　kind　of　jolt；　like　electricity　only　not　painful。　But　I　wasnt　dying；　only　hurting。〃

Brutal　nodded。　〃The　touch　and　the　breath。　Just　like　you　hear　those　backwoods　gospel…shouters　going　on　about。〃

〃Praise　Jesus；　the　Lord　is　mighty；〃　I　said。

〃I　dunno　if　Jesus　es　into　it；〃　Brutal　said；　〃but　it　seems　to　me　like　John　Coffey　is　one　mighty　man。〃

〃All　right；〃　Dean　said。　〃If　you　say　all　this　happened；　I　guess　I　believe　it。　God　works　in　mysterious　ways　His　wonders　to　perform。　But　whats　it　got　to　do　with　us？〃

Well；　that　was　the　big　question；　wasnt　it？　I　took　in　a　deep　breath　and　told　them　what　I　wanted　to　do。　They　listened；　dumbfounded。　Even　Brutal；　who　liked　to　read　those　magazines　with　the　stories　about　little　green　men　from　space；　looked　dumbfounded。　There　was　a　longer　silence　when　I　finished　this　time；　and　no　one　chewing　any　sandwiches。

At　last；　in　a　gentle　and　reasonable　voice；　Brutus　Howell　said：　〃Wed　lose　our　jobs　if　we　were　caught；　Paul；　and　wed　be　very　goddam　lucky　if　that　was　all　that　happened。　Wed　probably　end　up　over　in　A　Block　as　guests　of　the　state；　making　wallets　and　showering　in　pairs。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃That　could　happen。〃

〃I　can　understand　how　you　feel；　a　little；〃　he　went　on。　〃You　know　Moores　better　than　us　…　hes　your　friend　as　well　as　the　big　boss　…　and　I　know　you　think　a　lot　of　his　wife。。。〃

〃Shes　the　sweetest　woman　you　could　ever　hope　to　meet；〃　I　said；　〃and　she　means　the　world　to　him。〃

〃But　we　dont　know　her　the　way　you　and　Janice　do；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Do　we；　Paul？〃

〃Youd　like　her　if　you　did；〃　I　said。　〃At　least；　youd　like　her　if　youd　met　her　before　this　thing　got　its　claws　into　her。　She　does　a　lot　of　munity　things；　shes　a　good　friend；　and　shes　religious。　More　than　that；　shes　funny。　Used　to　be；　anyway。　She　could　tell　you　things　thatd　make　you　laugh　until　the　tears　rolled　down　your　cheeks。　But　none　of　those　things　are　the　reason　I　want　to　help　save　her；　if　she　can　be　saved。　Whats　happening　to　her　is　an　offense；　goddammit；　an　offense。　To　the　eyes　and　the　ears　and　the　heart。〃

〃Very　noble；　but　I　doubt　like　hell　if　thats　what　put　this　bee　in　your　bon；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　think　its　what　happened　to　Del。　You　want　to　balance　it　off　somehow。〃

And　he　was　right。　Of　course　he　was。　I　knew　Melinda　Moores　better　than　the　others　did；　but　maybe　not；　in　the　end；　well　enough　to　ask　them　to　risk　their　jobs　for　her　…　and　possibly　their　freedom；　as　well。　Or　my　own　job　and　freedom；　for　that　matter。　I　had　two　children；　and　the　last　thing　on　Gods　earth　that　I　wanted　my　wife　to　have　to　do　was　to　write　them　the　news　that　their　father　was　going　on　trial　for。。。　well；　what　would　it　be？　I　didnt　know　for　sure。　Aiding　and　abetting　an　escape　attempt　seemed　the　most　likely。

But　the　death　of　Eduard　Delacroix　had　been　the　ugliest；　foulest　thing　I　had　ever　seen　in　my　life　…　not　just　my　working　life　but　my　whole；　entire　life　…　and　I　had　been　a　party　to　it。　We　had　all　been　a　party　to　it；　because　we　had　allowed　Percy　Wetmore　to　stay　even　after　we　knew　he　was　horribly　unfit　to　work　in　a　place　like　E　Block。　We　had　played　the　game。　Even　Warden　Moores　had　been　a　party　to　it。　〃His　nuts　are　going　to　cook　whether　Wetmores　on　the　team　or　not；〃　he　had　said；　and　maybe　that　was　well　enough；　considering　what　the　little　Frenchman　had　done；　but　in　the　end　Percy　had　done　a　lot　more　than　cook　Dels　nuts；　he　had　blown　the　little　mans　eyeballs　right　out　of　their　sockets　and　set　his　damned　face　on　fire。　And　why？　Because　Del　was　a　murderer　half　a　dozen　times　over？　No。　Because　Percy　had　wet　his　pants　and　the　little　Cajun　had　had　the　temerity　to　laugh　at　him。　Wed　been　part　of　a　monstrous　act；　and　Percy　was　going　to　get　away　with　it。　Off　to　Briar　Ridge　he　would　go；　happy　as　a　clam　at　high　tide；　and　there　he　would　have　a　whole　asylum　filled　with　lunatics　to　practice　his　cruelties　upon。　There　was　nothing　we　could　do　about　that；　but　perhaps　it　was　not　too　late　to　wash　some　of　the　muck　off　our　own　hands。

〃In　my　church　they　call　it　atonement　instead　of　balancing；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　guess　it　es　to　the　same　thing。〃

〃Do　you　really　think　Coffey　could　save　her？〃　Dean　asked　in　a　soft；　awed　voice。　〃Just　。。。　what？　。。。　suck　that　brain　tumor　out　of　her　head？　Like　it　was　a　。。。　a　peach…pi