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第53部分（第2页）

Yes。　Results　hadnt　been　half…bad；　either。

Harry　undid　the　last　buckle　on　the　straitjacket。　Grimacing　with　disgust　and　rage；　Percy　pawed　it　off　and　let　it　drop　at　his　feet。　He　wouldnt　look　at　any　of　us；　not　directly。

〃Give　me　my　gun　and　my　baton；〃　he　said。　I　handed　them　over。　He　dropped　the　gun　into　its　holster　and　shoved　the　hickory　stick　into　its　custom　loop。

〃Percy；　if　you　think　about　it　…　〃

〃Oh；　I　intend　to；〃　he　said；　brushing　past　me。　〃I　intend　to　think　about　it　very　hard。　Starting　right　now。　On　my　way　home。　One　of　you　boys　can　clock　me　out　at　quitting　time。〃　He　reached　the　door　of　the　restraint　room　and　turned　to　survey　us　with　a　look　of　angry；　embarrassed　contempt　…　a　deadly　bination　for　the　secret　wed　had　some　fools　hope　of　keeping。

〃Unless；　of　course；　you　want　to　try　explaining　why　I　left　early。〃

He　left　the　room　and　went　striding　up　the　Green　Mile；　forgetting　in　his　agitation　why　that　green　floored　central　corridor　was　so　wide。　He　had　mad　this　mistake　once　before　and　had　gotten　away　with　it。　He　would　not　get　away　with　it　again。

I　followed　him　out　the　door；　trying　to　think　of　a　way　to　soothe　him　down　…　I　didnt　want　him　leaving　E　Block　the　way　he　was　now；　sweaty　and　dishevelled；　with　the　red　print　of　my　hand　still　on　his　cheek。　The　other　three　followed　me。

What　happened　then　happened　very　fast　…　it　was　all　over　in　no　more　than　a　minute；　perhaps　even　less。　Yet　I　remember　all　of　it　to　this　day　…　mostly；　I　think；　because　I　told　Janice　everything　when　I　got　home　and　that　set　it　in　my　mind。　What　happened　afterward　…　the　dawn　meeting　with　Curtis　Anderson；　the　inquest；　the　press…meeting　Hal　Moores　set　up　for　us　（he　was　back　by　then；　of　course）；　and　the　eventual　Board　of　Enquiry　in　the　state　capital　…　those　things　have　blurred　over　the　years　like　so　much　else　in　my　memory。　But　as　to　what　actually　happened　next　there　on　the　Green　Mile；　yes；　that　I　remember　perfectly　well。

Percy　was　walking　up　the　right　side　of　the　Mile　with　his　head　lowered；　and　Ill　say　this　much：　no　ordinary　Prisoner　could　have　reached　him。　John　Coffey　wasnt　an　ordinary　prisoner；　though。　John　Coffey　was　a　giant；　and　he　had　a　giants　reach。

I　saw　his　long　brown　arms　shoot　out　from　between　the　bars　and　yelled；　〃Watchit；　Percy；　watch　it！〃　Percy　started　to　turn；　his　left　hand　dropping　to　the　butt　of　his　stick。　Then　he　was　seized　and　yanked　against　the　front　of　John　Coffeys　cell；　the　right　side　of　his　face　smashing　into　the　bars。

He　grunted　and　turned　toward　Coffey；　raising　the　hickory　club。　John　was　certainly　vulnerable　to　it；　his　own　face　was　pressed　so　strenuously　into　the　space　between　two　of　the　center　bars　that　he　looked　as　if　he　was　trying　to　squeeze　his　entire　head　through。　It　would　have　been　impossible；　of　course；　but　that　was　how　it　looked。　His　right　hand　groped；　found　the　nape　of　Percys　neck；　curled　around　it；　and　yanked　Percys　head　forward。　Percy　brought　the　club　down　between　the　bars　and　onto　John　s　temple。　Blood　flowed；　but　John　paid　no　attention。　His　mouth　pressed　against　Percys　mouth。　I　heard　a　whispering　rush　…　an　exhalatory　sound；　as　of　long…held　breath。　Percy　jerked　like　a　fish　on　a　hook；　trying　to　get　away；　but　he　never　had　a　chance；　John　s　right　hand　was　pressed　to　the　back　of　his　neck；　holding　him　firm。　Their　faces　seemed　to　melt　together；　like　the　faces　of　lovers　I　have　seen　kissing　passionately　through　bars。

Percy　screamed；　the　sound　muffled　as　it　had　been　through　the　tape；　and　made　another　effort　to　pull　back。　For　an　instant　their　lips　came　apart　a　little；　and　I　saw　the　black；　swirling　tide　that　was　flowing　out　of　John　Coffey　and　into　Percy　Wetmore。　What　wasnt　going　into　him　through　his　quivering　mouth　was　flowing　in　by　way　of　his　nostrils。　Then　the　hand　on　the　nape　of　his　neck　flexed；　and　Percy　was　pulled　forward　onto　John　s　mouth　again；　was　almost　impaled　on　it。

Percys　left　hand　sprang　open。　His　treasured　hickory　baton　fell　to　the　green　linoleum。　He　never　picked　it　up　again。

I　tried　to　lunge　forward；　I　guess　I　did　lunge　forward；　but　my　movements　felt　old　and　creaky　to　myself。　I　grabbed　for　my　gun；　but　the　strap　was　still　across　the　burled…walnut　grip；　and　at　first　I　couldnt　get　it　out　of　its　holster。　Beneath　me；　I　seemed　to　feel　the　floor　shake　as　it　had　in　the　back　bedroom　of　the　Wardens　neat　little　Cape　Cod。　That　Im　not　sure　of；　but　I　know　that　one　of　the　caged　lightbulbs　overhead　broke。　Fragments　of　glass　showered　down。　Harry　yelled　in　surprise。

At　last　I　managed　to　thumb　loose　the　safety　strap　over　the　butt　of　my　。38；　but　before　I　could　pull　it　out　of　its　holster；　John　had　thrust　Percy　away　from　him　and　stepped　back　into　his　cell。　John　was　grimacing　and　rubbing　his　mouth；　as　if　he　had　tasted　something　bad。

〃Whatd　he　do？〃　Brutal　shouted。　〃Whatd　he　do；　Paul？〃

〃Whatever　he　took　out　of　Melly；　Percys　got　it　now；〃　I　said。

Percy　was　standing　against　the　bars　of　Delacroixs　old　cell。　His　eyes　were　wide　and　blank…double　zeros。　I　approached　him　carefully；　expecting　him　to　start　coughing　and　choking　the　way　John　had　after　hed　finished　with　Melinda；　but　he　didnt。　At　first　he　only　stood　there。

I　snapped　my　fingers　in　front　of　his　eyes。　〃Percy！　Hey；　Percy！　Wake　up！〃

Nothing。　Brutal　joined　me；　and　reached　toward　Percys　empty　face　with　both　hands。

〃That　isnt　going　to　work；〃　I　said。

Ignoring　me；　Brutal　clapped　his　hands　sharply　together　twice；　right　in　front　of　Percys　nose。　And　it　did　work；　or　appeared　to　work。　His　eyelids　fluttered　and　he　stared　around　…dazed；　like　someone　hit　over　the　head　struggling　back　to　consciousness。　He　looked　from　Brutal　to　me。　All　these　years　later；　Im　pretty　sure　he　didnt　see　either　of　us；　but　I　thought　he　did　then；　I　thought　he　was　ing　out　of　it。

He　pushed　away　from　the　bars　and　swayed　a　little　on　his　feet。　Brutal　steadied　him。　〃Easy；　boy；