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第57部分（第2页）

〃Not　that　we　wouldve　believed　him；〃　Brutal　put　in。　〃A　man　like　Wild　Bill　Wharton　lies　about　anything；　Jan。　Crimes　hes　mitted；　bigshots　hes　known；　women　hes　gone　to　bed　with；　touchdowns　he　scored　in　high　school；　even　the　damn　weather。〃

〃But　。。。　but。。　〃　Her　face　was　agonized。　I　went　to　put　my　arm　around　her　and　she　pushed　it　violently　away。　〃But　he　was　there！　He　painted　their　goddamned　barn！　HE　ATE　DINNER　WITH　THEM！〃

〃All　the　more　reason　why　he　might　take　credit　for　the　crime；〃　Brutal　said。〃　After　all；　what　harm？　Why　not　boast？　You　cant　fry　a　man　twice；　after　all。〃

〃Let　me　see　if　Ive　got　this　right。　We　here　at　this　table　know　that　not　only　did　John　Coffey　not　kill　those　girls；　he　was　trying　to　save　their　lives。　Deputy　McGee　doesnt　know　all　that；　of　course；　but　he　does　have　a　pretty　good　idea　that　the　man　condemned　to　die　for　the　murders　didnt　do　them。　And　still　。。。　still　I　。　。　you　cant　get　him　a　new　trial。　Cant　even　reopen　the　case。〃

〃Yessum；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　polishing　his　glasses　furiously。　〃Thats　about　the　size　of　it。〃

She　sat　with　her　head　lowered；　thinking。　Brutal　started　to　say　something　and　I　raised　a　hand；　shushing　him。　I　didnt　believe　Janice　could　think　of　a　way　to　get　John　out　of　the　killing　box　he　was　in；　but　I　didnt　believe　it　was　impossible；　either。　She　was　a　fearsomely　smart　lady；　my　wife。　Fearsomely　determined；　as　well。　Thats　a　bination　that　sometimes　turns　mountains　into　valleys。

〃All　right〃；　she　said　at　last。　〃Then　youve　got　to　get　him　out　on　your　own。〃

〃Maam？〃　Harry　looked　flabbergasted。　Frightened；　too。

〃You　can　do　it。　You　did　it　once；　didnt　you？　You　can　do　it　again。　Only　this　time　you　wont　bring　him　back。〃

〃Would　you　want　to　be　the　one　to　explain　to　my　kids　why　their　daddy　is　in　prison；　Missus　Edgebe？〃　Dean　asked。　〃Charged　with　helping　a　murderer　escape　jail？〃

〃There　wont　be　any　of　that；　Dean；　well　work　out　a　plan。　Make　it　look　like　a　real　escape。〃

〃Make　sure　its　a　plan　that　could　be　worked　out　by　a　fellow　who　cant　even　remember　how　to　tie　his　own　shoes；　then〃；　Harry　said。　〃Theyll　have　to　believe　that。〃

She　looked　at　him　uncertainly。

〃It　wouldnt　do　any　good；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Even　if　we　could　think　of　a　way；　it　wouldnt　do　any　good。〃

〃Why　not？〃　She　sounded　as　if　she　might　be　going　to　cry。　〃Just　why　the　damn　hell　not？〃

〃Because　hes　a　six…foot…eight…inch　baldheaded　black　man　with　barely　enough　brains　to　feed　himself〃；　I　said。　〃How　long　do　you　think　it　would　be　before　he　was　recaptured？　Two　hours？　Six？〃

〃He　got　along　without　attracting　much　attention　before〃；　she　said。　A　tear　trickled　down　her　cheek。　She　slapped　it　away　with　the　heel　of　her　hand。

That　much　was　true。　I　had　written　letters　to　some　friends　and　relatives　of　mine　farther　down　south；　asking　if　theyd　seen　anything　in　the　papers　about　a　man　fitting　John　Coffeys　description。　Anything　at　all。　Janice　had　done　the　same。　We　had　e　up　with　just　one　possible　sighting　so　far；　in　the　town　of　Muscle　Shoals；　Alabama。　A　twister　had　struck　a　church　there　during　choir　practice　…　in　1929；　this　had　been　…and　a　large　black　man　had　hauled　two　fellows　out　of　the　rubble。　Both　had　looked　dead　to　onlookers　at　first；　but　as　it　turned　out；　neither　had　been　even　seriously　hurt。　It　was　like　a　miracle；　one　of　the　witnesses　was　quoted　as　saying。　The　black　man；　a　drifter　who　had　been　hired　by　the　church　pastor　to　do　a　days　worth　of　chores；　had　disappeared　in　the　excitement。

〃Youre　right；　he　got　along；〃　Brutal　said。　〃But　you　have　to　remember　that　he　did　most　of　his　getting　along　before　he　was　convicted　of　raping　and　murdering　two　little　girls。〃

She　sat　without　answering。　She　sat　that　way　for　almost　a　full　minute；　and　then　she　did　something　which　shocked　me　as　badly　as　my　sudden　flow　of　tears　must　have　shocked　her。　She　reached　out　and　shoved　everything　off　the　table　with　one　wide　sweep　of　her　arm…plates；　glasses；　cups；　silverware；　the　he　bowl　of　collards；　the　bowl　of　squash；　the　platter　with　the　carved　ham　on　it；　the　milk；　the　pitcher　of　cold　tea。　All　off　the　table　and　onto　the　floor；　ker…smash。

〃Holy　shit！〃　Dean　cried；　rocking　back　from　the　table　so　hard　he　damned　near　went　over　on　his　back。

Janice　ignored　him。　It　was　Brutal　and　me　she　was　looking　at；　mostly　me。　〃Do　you　mean　to　kill　him；　you　cowards？〃　she　asked。　〃Do　you　mean　to　kill　the　man　who　saved　Melinda　Mooress　life；　who　tried　to　save　those　little　girls；　lives？　Well；　at　least　there　will　be　one　less　black　man　in　the　world　wont　there？　You　can　console　yourselves　with　that。　One　less　nigger。〃

She　got　up；　looked　at　her　chair；　and　kicked　it　into　the　wall。　It　rebounded　and　fell　into　the　spilled　squash。　I　took　her　wrist　and　she　yanked　it　free。

〃Dont　touch　me〃；　she　said。　〃Next　week　this　time　youll　be　a　murderer；　no　better　than　that　man　Wharton；　so　dont　touch　me。〃

She　went　out　onto　the　back　stoop；　put　her　apron　up　to　her　face；　and　began　to　sob　into　it。　The　four　of　us　looked　at　each　other。　After　a　little　bit　I　got　on　my　feet　and　set　about　cleaning　up　the　mess。　Brutal　joined　me　first；　then　Harry　and　Dean。　When　the　place　looked　more　or　less　shipshape　again；　they　left。　None　of　us　said　a　word　the　whole　time。　There　was　really　nothing　left　to　say。

6。

That　was　my　night　off。　I　sat　in　the　living　room　of　our　little　house；　smoking　cigarettes；　listening　to　the　radio；　and　watching　the　dark　e　up　out　of　the　ground　to　swallow　the　sky。　Television　is　all　right；　Ive　nothing　against　it；　but　I　dont　like　how　it　turns　you　away　from　the　rest　of　the　world　and　toward　nothing　but　its　own　glassy　self。　In　that　one　way；　at　least；　radio　was