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第45部分（第2页）

I　nodded　at　Brutal；　who　opened　the　cell　door；　then　turned　to　Harry；　who　was　more　or　less　pointing　Percys　。45　at　Coffey　as　Coffey　emerged　from　his　cell。

〃Give　those　to　Dean；〃　I　said。

Harry　blinked　like　someone　awakening　from　a　momentary　doze；　saw　Percys　gun　and　stick　still　in　his　hands；　and　passed　them　over　to　Dean。　Coffey；　meanle；　hulked　in　the　corridor　with　his　bald　skull　almost　brushing　one　of　the　caged　overhead　lights。

Standing　there　with　his　hands　in　front　of　him　and　his　shoulders　sloped　forward　to　either　side　of　his　barrel　chest；　he　made　me　think　again；　as　I　had　the　first　time　I　saw　him；　of　a　huge　captured　bear。

〃Lock　Percys　toys　in　the　duty　desk　until　we　get　back；〃　I　said。

〃If　we　get　back；〃　Harry　added。

〃I　will；〃　Dean　said　to　me；　taking　no　notice　of　Harry。

〃And　if　someone　shows　up　…　probably　no　one　will；　but　if　someone　does　…　what　do　you　say？〃

〃That　Coffey　got　upset　around　midnight；〃　Dean　said。　He　looked　as　studious　as　a　college　student　taking　a　big　exam。　〃We　had　to　give　him　the　jacket　and　but　him　in　the　restraint　room。　If　theres　noise；　who　ever　hears　itll　just　think　its　him。〃　He　raised　his　chin　to　John　Coffey。　〃And　what　about　us？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃Pauls　over　in　Admin；　pulling　Dels　file　and　going　over　the　witnesses；〃　Dean　said。　〃Its　especially　important　this　time；　because　the　execution　was　such　a　balls…up。　He　said　hed　probably　be　there　the　rest　of　the　shift。　You　and　Harry　and　Percy　are　over　in　the　laundry；　washing　your　clothes。〃

Well；　that　was　what　folks　said；　anyway。　There　was　a　crap…game　in　the　laundry　supply　room　some　nights；　on　others　it　was　blackjack　or　poker　or　acey…deucey。　Whatever　it　was；　the　guards　who　participated　were　said　to　be　washing　their　clothes。　There　was　usually　moonshine　at　these　get…togethers；　and　on　occasion　a　joystick　would　go　around　the　circle。　Its　been　the　same　in　prisons　since　prisons　were　invented；　I　suppose。　When　you　spend　your　life　taking　care　of　mudmen；　you　cant　help　getting　a　little　dirty　yourself。　In　any　case；　we　werent　likely　to　be　checked　up　on。　〃Clothes　washing〃　was　treated　with　great　discretion　at　Cold　Mountain。

〃Right　with　Eversharp；〃　I　said；　turning　Coffey　around　and　putting　him　in　motion。　〃And　if　it　all　falls　down；　Dean；　you。　dont　know　nothing　about　nothing。〃

〃Thats　easy　to　say；　but　…　〃

At　that　moment；　a　skinny　arm　shot　out　from　between　the　bars　of　Whartons　cell　and　grabbed　Coffeys　slab　of　a　bicep。　We　all　gasped。　Wharton　should　have　been　dead　to　the　world；　all　but　atose；　yet　here　he　stood；　swaying　back　and　forth　on　his　feet　like　a　hard…tagged　fighter；　grinning　blearily。

Coffeys　reaction　was　remarkable。　He　didnt　pull　away；　but　he　also　gasped；　pulling　air　in　over　his　teeth　like　someone　who　has　touched　something　cold　and　unpleasant。　His　eyes　widened；　and　for　a　moment　he　looked　as　if　he　and　dumb　had　never　even　met；　let　alone　got　up　together　every　morning　and　lain　down　together　every　night。　He　had　looked　alive　…　there　…　when　he　had　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　touch　me。　Help　me；　in　Coffeyspeak。　He　had　looked　that　way　again　when　hed　been　holding　his　hands　out　for　the　mouse。　Now；　for　the　third　time；　his　face　had　lit　up；　as　if　a　spotlight　had　suddenly　been　turned　on　inside　his　brain。　Except　it　was　different　this　time。　It　was　colder　this　time；　and　for　the　first　time　I　wondered　what　might　happen　if　John　Coffey　were　suddenly　to　run　amok。　We　had　our　guns；　we　could　shoot　him；　but　actually　taking　him　down　might　not　be　easy　to　do。

I　saw　similar　thoughts　on　Brutals　face；　but　Wharton　just　went　on　grinning　his　stoned；　loose…lipped　grin　…　〃Where　do　you　think　youre　going？〃　he　asked。　It　came　out　something　like　Wherra　fink　yerr　gone？

Coffey　stood　still；　looking　first　at　Wharton；　then　at　Whartons　hand；　then　back　into　Whartons　face。　I　could　not　read　that　expression。　I　mean　I　could　see　the　intelligence　in　it；　but　I　couldnt　read　it。　As　for　Wharton；　I　wasnt　worried　about　him　at　all。　He　wouldnt　remember　any　of　this　later；　he　was　like　a　drunk　walking　in　a　blackout。

〃Youre　a　bad　man；〃　Coffey　whispered；　and　I　couldnt　tell　what　I　heard　in　his　voice　…　pain　or　anger　or　fear。　Maybe　all　three。　Coffey　looked　down　at　the　hand　on　his　arm　again；　the　way　you　might　look　at　a　bug　which　could　give　you　a　really　nasty　bite；　had　it　a　mind。

〃Thats　right；　nigger；〃　Wharton　said　with　a　bleary；　cocky　smile。　〃Bad　as　youd　want。〃

I　was　suddenly　positive　that　something　awful　was　going　to　happen；　something　that　would　change　the　planned　course　of　this　early　morning　as　pletely　as　a　cataclysmic　earthquake　can　change　the　course　of　a　river。　It　was　going　to　happen；　and　nothing　I　or　any　of　us　did　would　stop　it。

Then　Brutal　reached　down；　plucked　Whartons　hand　off　John　Coffeys　arm；　and　that　feeling　stopped。　It　was　as　if　some　potentially　dangerous　circuit　had　been　broken。　I　told　you　that　in　my　time　in　E　Block；　the　governors　line　never　rang。　That　was　true；　but　I　imagine　that　if　it　ever　had；　I　would　have　felt　the　same　relief　that　washed　over　me　when　Brutal　removed　Whartons　hand　from　the　big　man　towering　beside　me。　Coffeys　eyes　dulled　over　at　once；　it　was　as　if　the　searchlight　inside　his　head　had　been　turned　off。

〃Lie　down；　Billy；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Take　you　some　rest。〃　That　was　my　usual　line　of　patter；　but　under　the　circumstances；　I　didnt　mind　Brutal　using　it。

〃Maybe　I　will；〃　Wharton　agreed。　He　stepped　back；　swayed；　almost　went　over；　and　caught　his　balance　at　the　last　second。　〃Whoo；　daddy。　Whole　rooms　spinnin　around。　Like　bein　drunk。〃

He　backed　toward　his　bunk；　keeping　his　bleary　regard　on　Coffey　as　he　went。　〃Niggers　ought　to　have　they　own　lectric　chair；〃　he　opined。　Then　the　backs　of　his　knees　struck　his　bunk　and　he　swooped　down　onto　it。　He　was　snoring　before　his　head　touched　his　thin　prison　pillow；　deep　blue　shadows　brushed　under　the　hollows　of　his　eyes　and　the　tip　of　his　tongue　lolling　out。

〃Christ；　howd　he　get　up　w