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第54部分（第2页）

〃Just　leave　a　few　things　out；〃　she　said；　and　nodded。　〃Little　things；　mostly；　like　how　you　took　a　condemned　murderer　out　of　prison；　and　how　he　cured　a　dying　woman；　and　how　he　drove　that　Percy　Wetmore　crazy　by　…　what？　…　spitting　a　pureed　brain　tumor　down　his　throat？〃

〃I　dont　know；　Jan；〃　I　said。　〃I　only　know　that　if　you　keep　talking　like　that；　youll　end　up　either　eating　that　soup　yourself；　or　feeding　it　to　the　dog。〃

〃Im　sorry。　But　Im　right；　arent　I？〃

〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　Except　we　got　away　with　the…〃　The　what？　You　couldnt　call　it　an　escape；　and　furlough　wasnt　right；　either。　〃the　field　trip。　Not　even　Percy　can　tell　them　about　that；　if　he　ever　es　back。〃

〃If　he　es　back；〃　she　echoed。　〃How　likely　is　that？〃

I　shook　my　head　to　indicate　I　had　no　idea。　But　I　did；　actually；　I　didnt　think　he　was　going　to　e　back；　not　in　1932；　not　in　42　or　52；　either。　In　that　I　was　right。　Percy　Wetmore　stayed　at　Briar　Ridge　until　it　burned　flat　in　1944。　Seventeen　inmates　were　killed　in　that　fire；　but　Percy　wasnt　one　of　them。　Still　silent　and　blank　in　every　regard…the　word　I　learned　to　describe　that　state　is　catatonic　…　he　was　led　out　by　one　of　the　guards　long　before　the　fire　reached　his　wing。　He　went　on　to　another　institution　…　I　dont　remember　the　name　and　guess　it　doesnt　matter；　anyway　…　and　died　in　1965。　So　far　as　I　know；　the　last　time　he　ever　spoke　was　when　he　told　us　we　could　clock　him　out　at　quitting　time。。。　unless　we　wanted　to　explain　why　he　had　left　early。

The　irony　was　that　we　never　had　to　explain　much　of　anything。　Percy　had　gone　crazy　and　shot　William　Wharton　to　death。　That　was　what　we　told；　and　so　far　as　it　went；　every　word　was　true。　When　Anderson　asked　Brutal　how　Percy　had　seemed　before　the　shooting　and　Brutal　answered　with　one　word　…　〃Quiet〃　…　I　had　a　terrible　moment　when　I　felt　that　I　might　burst　out　laughing。　Because　that　was　true；　too；　Percy　had　been　quiet；　for　most　of　his　shift　hed　had　a　swatch　of　friction…tape　across　his　mouth　and　the　best　hed　been　able　to　e　up　with　was　mmmph；　mmmph；　mmmph。

Curtis　kept　Percy　there　until　eight　oclock；　Percy　as　silent　as　a　cigar…store　Indian　but　a　lot　more　eerie。　By　then　Hal　Moores　had　arrived；　looking　grim　but　petent；　ready　to　climb　back　into　the　saddle。　Curtis　Anderson　let　him　do　just　that；　and　with　a　sigh　of　relief　the　rest　of　us　could　almost　hear。　The　bewildered；　frightened　old　man　was　gone；　it　was　the　Warden　who　strode　up　to　Percy；　grabbed　him　by　the　shoulders　with　his　big　hands；　and　shook　him　hard。

〃Son！〃　he　shouted　into　Percys　blank　face　…　a　face　that　was　already　starting　to　soften　like　wax；　I　thought。　〃Son！　Do　you　hear　me？　Talk　to　me　if　you　hear　me！　I　want　to　know　what　happened！〃

Nothing　from　Percy；　of　course。　Anderson　wanted　to　get　the　Warden　aside；　discuss　how　they　were　going　to　handle　it　…it　was　a　political　hot　potato　if　there　had　ever　been　one…but　Moores　put　him　off；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　and　drew　me　down　the　Mile。　John　Coffey　was　lying　on　his　bunk　with　his　face　to　the　wall；　legs　dangling　outrageously；　as　they　always　did。　He　appeared　to　be　sleeping　and　probably　was　。。。　but　he　wasnt　always　what　he　appeared；　as　we　had　found　out。

〃Did　what　happened　at　my　house　have　anything　to　do　with　what　happened　here　when　you　got　back？〃　Moores　asked　in　a　low　voice。　〃Ill　cover　you　as　much　as　I　can；　even　if　it　means　my　job；　but　I　have　to　know。〃

I　shook　my　head。　When　I　spoke；　I　also　kept　my　voice　low…pitched。　There　were　now　almost　a　dozen　screws　milling　around　at　the　head　of　the　aisle。　Another　was　photographing　Wharton　in　his　cell。　Curtis　Anderson　had　turned　to　watch　that；　and　for　the　time　being；　only　Brutal　was　watching　us。　〃No；　sir。　We　got　John　back　into　his　cell　just　like　you　see；　then　let　Percy　out　of　the　restraint　room；　where　wed　stashed　him　for　safekeeping。　I　thought　hed　be　hot　under　the　collar；　but　he　wasnt。　Just　asked　for　his　sidearm　and　baton。　He　didnt　say　anything　else；　just　walked　off　up　the　corridor。　Then；　when　he　got　to　Whartons　cell　he　pulled　his　gun　and　started　shooting。〃

〃Do　You　think　being　in　the　restraint　room　。。。　something　to　his　mind？〃

〃No；　sir。〃

〃Did　you　put　him　in　the　straitjacket？〃

〃No；　sir。　There　was　no　need。〃

〃He　was　quiet？　Didnt　struggle？〃

〃No　struggle。〃

〃Even　when　he　saw　you　meant　to　put　him　in　restraint　room；　he　was　quiet　and　didnt　struggle。〃

〃Thats　right。〃　I　felt　an　urge　to　embroider　on　this　to　give　Percy　at　least　a　line　or　tpler　would　be　better；　and　I　knew　it。　〃There；　was　no　fuss。　He　just　went　over　into　one　of　the　far　corners　and　sat　down。〃　〃Didnt　speak　of　Wharton　then？〃　〃No；　sir。　〃

〃Didnt　speak　of　Coffey；　either？〃　I　shook　my　head。　〃Could　Percy　have　been　laying　for　Wharton？　Did　he　have　something　against　the　man？〃

〃That　might　be；〃　I　said；　lowering　my　voice　even　more。　〃Percy　was　careless　about　where　he　walked；　Hal。　One　time　Wharton　reached　out；　grabbed　him　up　against　the　bars；　and　messed　him　over　some。〃　I　paused。　〃Felt　him　up；　you　could　say。〃

〃No　worse　than　that？　just　。。。　messed　him　over；　。。。　and　that　was　all？〃

〃Yes；　but　it　was　pretty　bad　for　Percy；　just　the　same。　Wharton　said　something　about　how　hed　rather　screw　Percy　than　Percys　sister。〃

〃Urn。〃　Moores　kept　looking　sideways　at　John　Coffey；　as　if　he　needed　constant　reassurance　that　Coffey　was　a　real　person；　actually　in　the　world。　〃It　doesnt　explain　whats　happened　to　him；　but　it　goes　a　good　piece　toward　explaining　why　it　was　Wharton　he　turned　on　and　not　Coffey　or　one　of　you　men。　And　speaking　of　your　men；　Paul；　will　they