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第54部分（第1页）

He　pushed　away　from　the　bars　and　swayed　a　little　on　his　feet。　Brutal　steadied　him。　〃Easy；　boy；　you　all　right？〃　Percy　didnt　answer；　just　stepped　past　Brutal　and　turned　toward　the　duty　desk。　He　wasnt　staggering；　exactly；　but　he　was　listing　to　port。

Brutal　reached　out　for　him。　I　pushed　his　hand　away。　〃Leave　him　alone。〃　Would　I　have　said　the　same　if　Id　known　what　was　going　to　happen　next？　Ive　asked　myself　that　question　a　thousand　times　since　the　fall　of　1932。　Theres　never　any　answer。

Percy　made　twelve　or　fourteen　paces；　then　stopped　again；　head　lowered。　He　was　outside　of　Wild　Bill　Whartons　cell　by　then。　Wharton　was　still　making　those　sousaphone　noises。　He　slept　through　the　whole　thing。　He　slept　through　his　own　death；　now　that　I　think　of　it；　which　made　him　a　lot　luckier　than　most　of　the　men　who　ended　up　here。　Certainly　luckier　than　he　deserved。

Before　we　knew　what　was　happening；　Percy　drew　his　gun；　stepped　to　the　bars　of　Whartons　cell；　and　emptied　all　six　shots　into　the　sleeping　man〃　just　bam…bam…bam；　bam…bam…bam；　as　fast　as　he　could　pull　the　trigger。　The　sound　in　that　enclosed　space　was　deafening；　when　I　told　Janice　the　story　the　next　morning；　I　could　still　hardly　hear　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　for　the　ringing　in　my　ears。

We　ran　at　him；　all　four　of　us。　Dean　got　there　first　…　I　dont　know　how；　as　he　was　behind　Brutal　and　me　when　Coffey　had　hold　of　Percy　…　but　he　did。　He　grabbed　Percys　wrist；　prepared　to　wrestle　the　gun　out　of　Percys　hand；　but　he　didnt　have　to。　Percy　just　let　go；　and　the　gun　fell　to　the　floor。　His　eyes　went　across　us　like　they　were　skates　and　we　were　ice。　There　was　a　low　hissing　sound　and　a　sharp　ammoniac　smell　as　Percys　bladder　let　go；　then　a　brrrap　sound　and　a　thicker　stink　as　he　filled　the　other　side　of　his　pants；　as　well。　His　eyes　had　settled　on　a　far　corner　of　the　corridor。　They　were　eyes　that　never　saw　anything　in　this　real　world　of　ours　again；　so　far　as　I　know。　Back　near　the　beginning　of　this　I　wrote　that　Percy　was　at　Briar　Ridge　by　the　time　that　Brutal　found　the　colored　slivers　of　Mr。　Jingless　spool　a　couple　of　months　later；　and　I　didnt　lie　about　that。　He　never　got　the　office　with　the　fan　in　the　er；　though；　never　got　a　bunch　of　lunatic　patients　to　push　around；　either。　But　I　imagine　he　at　least　got　his　own　private　room。

He　had　connections；　after　all。

Wharton　was　lying　on　his　side　with　his　back　against　the　wall　of　his　cell。　I　couldnt　see　much　then　but　a　lot　of　blood　soaking　into　the　sheet　and　splattered　across　the　cement；　but　the　coroner　said　Percy　had　shot　like　Annie　Oakley。　Remembering　Deans　story　of　how　Percy　had　thrown　his　hickory　baton　at　the　mouse　that　time　and　barely　missed；　I　wasnt　too　surprised。　This　time　the　range　had　been　shorter　and　the　target　not　moving。　One　in　the　groin；　one　in　the　gut；　one　in　the　chest；　three　in　the　head。

Brutal　was　coughing　and　waving　at　the　haze　of　gunsmoke。　I　was　coughing　myself；　but　hadnt　noticed　it　until　then。

〃End　of　the　line；〃　Brutal　said。　His　voice　was　calm；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　the　glaze　of　panic　in　his　eyes。

I　looked　down　the　hallway　and　saw　John　Coffey　sitting　on　the　end　of　his　bunk。　His　hands　were　clasped　between　his　knees　again；　but　his　head　was　up　and　he　no　longer　looked　a　bit　sick。　He　nodded　at　me　slightly；　and　I　surprised　myself　…　as　I　had　on　the　day　I　offered　him　my　hand　…　by　returning　the　nod。

〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃　Harry　gibbered。　〃Oh　Christ；　what　are　we　going　to　do？〃

〃Nothing　we　can　do；〃　Brutal　said　in　that　same　calm　voice。　〃Were　hung。　Arent　we；　Paul？〃

My　mind　had　begun　to　move　very　fast。　I　looked　at　Harry　and　Dean；　who　were　staring　at　me　like　scared　kids。　I　looked　at　Percy；　who　was　standing　there　with　his　hands　and　jaw　dangling。　Then　I　looked　at　my　old　friend；　Brutus　Howell。

〃Were　going　to　be　okay；〃　I　said。

Percy　at　last　menced　coughing。　He　doubled　over；　hands　on　his　knees；　almost　retching。　His　face　began　to　turn　red。　I　opened　my　mouth；　meaning　to　tell　the　others　to　stand　back；　but　I　never　got　a　chance。　He　made　a　sound　that　was　a　cross　between　a　dry　heave　and　a　bullfrogs　croak；　opened　his　mouth；　and　spewed　out　a　cloud　of　black；　swirling　stuff。　It　was　so　thick　that　for　a　moment　we　couldnt　see　his　head。　Harry　said　〃Oh　God　save　us〃　in　a　weak　and　watery　voice。　Then　the　stuff　turned　a　white　so　dazzling　it　was　like　January　sun　on　fresh　snow。　A　moment　later　the　cloud　was　gone。　Percy　straightened　slowly　up　and　resumed　his　vacant　gaze　down　the　length　of　the　Green　Mile。

〃We　didnt　see　that；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Did　we；　Paul？〃

〃No。　I　didnt　and　you　didnt。　Did　you　see　it；　Harry？〃

〃No；〃　Harry　said。

〃Dean？〃

〃See　what？〃　Dean　took　his　glasses　off　and　began　to　polish　them。　I　thought　he　would　drop　them　out　of　his　trembling　hands；　but　he　managed　not　to。

〃　See　what；　thats　good。　Thats　just　the　ticket。　Now　listen　to　your　scoutmaster；　boys；　and　get　it　right　the　first　time；　because　time　is　short。　Its　a　simple　story。　Lets　not　plicate　it。〃

3。

I　told　all　this　to　Jan　at　around　eleven　oclock　that　morning　…　the　next　morning；　I　almost　wrote；　but　of　course　it　was　the　same　day。　The　longest　one　of　my　whole　life；　without　a　doubt。　I　told　it　pretty　much　as　I　have　here；　finishing　with　how　William　Wharton　had　ended　up　lying　dead　on　his　bunk；　riddled　with　lead　from　Percys　sidearm。

No；　thats　not　right。　What　I　actually　finished　with　was　the　stuff　that　came　out　of　Percy；　the　bugs　or　the　whatever…it…was。　That　was　a　hard　thing　to　tell；　even　to　your　wife；　but　I　told　it。

As　I　talked；　she　brought　me　black　coffee　by　the　half…cup　at　first　my　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　pick　up　a　whole　one　without　spilling　it。　By　the　time　I　finished；　the　shaking　had　eased　some；　and　I　felt　that　I　could　even　take　some　food　an　egg；　maybe；　or　some　soup。

〃The　thing　that　saved　us　was　that　we　didnt　really　have　to　lie；　any　of　us。〃