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第43部分（第2页）

I　went　over　the　previous　shift　report；　saw　nothing　that　concerned　me；　and　then　took　a　walk　down　to　Whartons　cell。　He　was　sitting　there　on　his　bunk　with　his　knees　drawn　up　and　his　arms　clasped　around　his　shins；　looking　at　me　with　a　bright；　hostile　smile。

〃Well；　if　it　aint　the　big　boss；〃　he　said。　〃Big　as　life　and　twice　as　ugly。　You　look　happiern　a　pig　kneedeep　in　shit；　Boss　Edgebe。　Wife　give　your　pecker　a　pull　before　you　left　home；　did　she？〃

〃How　you　doing；　Kid？〃　I　asked　evenly；　and　at　that　he　brightened　for　real。　He　let　go　of　his　legs；　stood　up；　and　stretched。　His　smile　broadened；　and　some　of　the　hostility　went　out　of　it。

〃Well；　damn！〃　he　said。　〃You　got　my　name　right　for　once！　Whats　the　matter　with　you；　Boss　Edgebe？　You　sick　or　sumpin？〃

No；　not　sick。　Id　been　sick；　but　John　Coffey　had　taken　care　of　that。　His　hands　no　longer　knew　the　trick　of　tying　a　shoe；　if　they　ever　had；　but　they　knew　other　tricks。　Yes　indeed　they　did。

〃My　friend；〃　I　told　him；　〃if　you　want　to　be　a　Billy　the　Kid　instead　of　a　Wild　Bill；　its　all　the　same　to　me。〃

He　puffed　visibly；　like　one　of　those　loathsome　fish　that　live　in　South　American　rivers　and　can　sting　you　almost　to　death　with　the　spines　along　their　backs　and　sides。　I　dealt　with　a　lot　of　dangerous　men　during　my　time　on　the　Mile；　but　few　if　any　so　repellent　as　William　Wharton；　who　considered　himself　a　great　outlaw；　but　whose　jailhouse　behavior　rarely　rose　above　pissing　or　spitting　through　the　bars　of　his　cell。　So　far　we　hadnt　given　him　the　awed　respect　he　felt　was　his　by　right；　but　on　that　particular　night　I　wanted　him　tractable。　If　that　meant　lathering　on　the　softsoap；　I　would　gladly　lather　it　on。

〃I　got　a　lot　in　mon　with　the　Kid；　and　you　just　better　believe　it；〃　Wharton　said。　〃I　didnt　get　here　for　stealing　candy　out　of　a　dimestore。〃　As　proud　as　a　man　whos　been　conscripted　into　the　Heroes　Brigade　of　the　French　Foreign　Legion　instead　of　one　whose　ass　has　been　slammed　into　a　cell　seventy　long　steps　from　the　electric　chair。　〃Wheres　my　supper？〃

〃e　on；　Kid；　report　says　you　had　it　at　five…fifty。　Meatloaf　with　gravy；　mashed；　peas。　You　dont　con　me　that　easy。〃

He　laughed　expansively　and　sat　down　on　his　bunk　again。　〃Put　on　the　radio；　then。〃　He　said　radio　in　the　way　people　did　back　then　when　they　were　joking；　so　it　rhymed　with　the　fifties　slang　word　〃Daddy…O。〃

Its　funny　how　much　a　person　can　remember　about　times　when　his　nerves　were　tuned　so　tight　they　almost　sang。

〃Maybe　later；　big　boy；〃　I　said。　I　stepped　away　from　his　cell　and　looked　down　the　corridor。　Brutal　had　strolled　down　to　the　far　end；　where　he　checked　to　make　sure　the　restraint…room　door　was　on　the　single　lock　instead　of　the　double。　I　knew　it　was；　because　Id　already　checked　it　myself。　Later　on；　wed　want　to　be　able　to　open　that　door　as　quick　as　we　could。　There　would　be　no　time　spent　emptying　out　the　attic…type　rick…rack　that　had　accumulated　in　there　over　the　years；　wed　taken　it　out；　sorted　it；　and　stored　it　in　other　places　not　long　after　Wharton　joined　our　happy　band。　It　had　seemed　to　us　the　room　with　the　soft　walls　was　apt　to　get　a　lot　of　use；　at　least　until　〃Billy　the　Kid〃　strolled　the　Mile。

John　Coffey；　who　would　usually　have　been　lying　down　at　this　time；　long；　thick　legs　dangling　and　face　to　the　wall；　was　sitting　on　the　end　of　his　bunk　with　his　hands　clasped；　watching　Brutal　with　an　alertness　…　a　thereness　…　that　wasnt　typical　of　him。　He　wasnt　leaking　around　the　eyes；　either。

Brutal　tried　the　door　to　the　restraint　room；　then　came　on　back　up　the　Mile。　Hie　glanced　at　Coffey　as　he　passed　Coffeys　cell；　and　Coffey　said　a　curious　thing：　〃Sure。　Id　like　a　ride。〃　As　if　responding　to　something　Brutal　had　said。

Brutals　eyes　met　mine。　He　knows；　I　could　almost　hear　him　saying。　Somehow　he　knows。

I　shrugged　and　spread　my　hands；　as　if　to　say　Of　course　he　knows。

5。

Old　Toot…Toot　made　his　last　trip　of　the　night　down　to　E　Block　with　his　cart　at　about　quarter　to　nine。　We　bought　enough　of　his　crap　to　make　him　smile　with　avarice。

〃Say；　you　boys　seen　that　mouse？〃　he　asked。

We　shook　our　heads。

〃Maybe　Pretty　Boy　has；〃　Toot　said；　and　gestured　with　his　head　in　the　direction　of　the　storage　room；　where　Percy　was　either　washing　the　floor；　writing　his　report；　or　picking　his　ass。

〃What　do　you　care？　Its　none　of　your　affair；　either　way；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Roll　wheels；　Toot。　Youre　stinkin　the　place　up。〃

Toot　smiled　his　peculiarly　unpleasant　smile；　toothless　and　sunken；　and　made　a　business　of　sniffing　the　air。　〃That　aint　me　you　smell；〃　he　said。　〃That　be　Del；　sayin　so…long。〃

Cackling；　he　rolled　his　cart　out　the　door　and　into　the　exercise　yard。　And　he　went　on　rolling　it　for　another　ten　years；　long　after　I　was　gone　…　hell；　long　after　Cold　Mountain　was　gone　…　selling　Moon　Pies　and　pops　to　the　guards　and　prisoners　who　could　afford　them。　Sometimes　even　now　I　hear　him　in　my　dreams；　yelling　that　hes　fryin；　hes　fryin；　hes　a　done　tom　turkey。

The　time　stretched　out　after　Toot　was　gone；　the　clock　seeming　to　crawl。　We　had　the　radio　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　Wharton　braying　laughter　at　Fred　Allen　and　Allens　Alley；　even　though　I　doubt　like　hell　he　understood　many　of　the　jokes。　John　Coffey　sat　on　the　end　of　his　bunk；　hands　clasped；　eyes　rarely　leaving　whoever　was　at　the　duty　desk。　I　have　seen　men　waiting　that　way　in　bus　stations　for　their　buses　to　be　called。

Percy　came　in　from　the　storage　room　around　quarter　to　eleven　and　handed　me　a　report　which　had　been　laboriously　written　in　pencil。　Eraser…crumbs　lay　over　the　sheet　of　paper　in　gritty　smears。　He　saw　me　run　my　thumb　over　one　of　these；　and　said　hastily：　〃Thats　just　a　first　pass；　like。　Im　going　to　copy　it　over。　What　do　you　think？〃

What　I　thought　was　that　it　was　the　most　outrageous　goddam　whitewash　Id　read　in　all　my　born　days。　What　I　told　him　was　that　it　was　fine；　and　he　went　away；　satisfied。

Dean　and　Harry　played　cribbage；　talking　too　loud；　squabbling　over　the　count　too　often；　and　looking　at　the　crawling　hands　of　the　clock　every　five　seconds　or　so。　On　at　least　one　of　their　games　that　night；　they　appeared　to　go　around　the　board　three　times　instead　of　twice。　There　was　so　much　tension　in　the　air　that　I　felt　I　could　almost　have　carved　it　like　clay；　and　the　only　people　who　didnt　seem　to　feel　it　were　Percy　and　Wild　Bill。

Then　it　got　to　be　ten　of　twelve；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　gave　Dean　a　li