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第59部分（第1页）

down　and　turned　his　face　to　the　wall。

I　stepped　out　into　the　Mile；　locked　his　cell；　and　walked　up　to　the　duty　desk。　I　still　felt　like　a　man　in　a　dream。　I　realized　I　could　hear　Brutals　thoughts　…　a　very　faint　whisper；　how　to　spell　some　word；　receive；　I　think　it　was。　He　was　thinking　i　before　e；　except　after　c；　is　that　how　the　dadratted　thing　goes？　Then　he　looked　up；　started　to　smile；　and　stopped　when　he　got　a　good　look　at　me。　〃Paul？〃　he　asked。　〃Are　you　all　right？〃

〃Yes。〃　Then　I　told　him　what　John　had　told　me　…　not　all　of　it；　and　certainly　not　about　what　his　touch　had　done　to　me　（I　never　told　anyone　that　part；　not　even　Janice；　Elaine　Connelly　will　be　the　first　to　know　of　it　…　if；　that　is；　she　wants　to　read　these　last　pages　after　reading　all　the　rest　of　them）；　but　I　repeated　what　John　had　said　about　wanting　to　go。　That　seemed　to　relieve　Brutal　…　a　bit；　anyway　…　but　I　sensed　（heard？）　him　wondering　if　I　hadnt　made　it　up；　just　to　set　his　mind　at　ease。　Then　I　felt　him　deciding　to　believe　it；　simply　because　it　would　make　things　a　little　easier　for　him　when　the　time　came。

〃Paul；　is　that　infection　of　yours　ing　back？〃　he　asked。　〃You　look　all　flushed。〃

〃No；　I　think　Im　okay〃；　I　said。　I　wasnt；　but　I　felt　sure　by　then　that　John　was　right　and　I　was　going　to　be。　I　could　feel　that　tingle　starting　to　subside。

〃All　the　same；　it　might　not　hurt　you　to　go　on　in　your　office　there　and　lie　down　a　bit。〃

Lying　down　was　the　last　thing　I　felt　like　right　then　…　the　idea　seemed　so　ridiculous　that　I　almost　laughed。　What　I　felt　like　doing　was　maybe　building　myself　a　little　house；　then　shingling　it；　and　plowing　a　garden　in　back；　and　planting　it。　All　before　suppertime。

Thats　how　it　is；　I　thought。　Every　day。　All　over　the　world。　That　darkness。　All　over　the　world。

〃Im　going　to　take　a　turn　over　to　Admin　instead。　Got　a　few　things　to　check　over　there。〃

〃If　you　say　so。〃

I　went　to　the　door　and　opened　it；　then　looked　back。　〃Youve　got　it　right〃；　I　said：　〃r…e…c…e…i…v…e；　i　before　e；　except　after　c。　Most　of　the　time；　anyway；　I　guess　theres　exceptions　to　all　the　rules。…〃

I　went　out；　not　needing　to　look　back　at　him　to　know　he　was　staring　with　his　mouth　open。

I　kept　moving　for　the　rest　of　that　shift；　unable　to　sit　down　for　more　than　five　minutes　at　a　stretch　before　jumping　up　again。　I　went　over　to　Admin；　and　then　I　tromped　back　and　forth　across　the　empty　exercise　yard　until　the　guards　in　the　towers　must　have　thought　I　was　crazy。　But　by　the　time　my　shift　was　over；　I　was　starting　to　calm　down　again；　and　that　rustle　of　thoughts　in　my　head　…like　a　stirring　of　leaves；　it　was　…　had　pretty　much　quieted　down。

Still；　halfway　home　that　morning；　it　came　back　strong。　The　way　my　urinary　infection　had。　I　had　to　park　my　Ford　by　the　side　of　the　road；　get　out；　and　sprint　nearly　half　a　mile；　head　down；　arms　pumping；　breath　tearing　in　and　out　of　my　throat　as　warm　as　something　that　youve　carried　in　your　armpit。　Then；　at　last；　I　began　to　feel　really　normal。　I　trotted　halfway　back　to　where　the　Ford　was　parked　and　walked　the　rest　of　the　way；　my　breath　steaming　in　the　chilly　air。　When　I　got　home；　I　told　Janice　that　John　Coffey　had　said　he　was　ready；　that　he　wanted　to　go。　She　nodded；　looking　relieved。　Was　she　really？　I　couldnt　say。　Six　hours　before；　even　three；　I　would　have　known；　but　by　then　I　didnt。　And　that　was　good。　John　had　kept　saying　that　he　was　tired；　and　now　I　could　understand　why。　It　would　have　tired　anyone　out；　what　he　had。　Would　have　made　anyone　long　for　rest　and　for　quiet。

When　Janice　asked　me　why　I　looked　so　flushed　and　smelled　so　sweaty；　I　told　her　I　had　stopped　the　car　on　my　way　home　and　gone　running　for　awhile；　running　hard。　I　told　her　that　much　…　as　I　may　have　said　（theres　too　many　pages　here　now　for　me　to　want　to　look　back　through　and　make　sure）；　lying　wasnt　much　a　part　of　our　marriage　…　but　I　didnt　tell　her　why。

And　she　didnt　ask。

9。

There　were　no　thunderstorms　on　the　night　it　came　John　Coffeys　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile。　It　was　seasonably　cold　for　those　parts　at　that　time　of　year；　in　the　thirties；　Id　guess；　and　a　million　stars　spilled　across　used…up；　picked…out　fields　where　frost　glittered　on　fenceposts　and　glowed　like　diamonds　on　the　dry　skeletons　of　Julys　corn。

Brutus　Howell　was　out　front　for　this　one　…　he　would　do　the　capping　and　tell　Van　Hay　to　roll　when　it　was　time。　Bill　Dodge　was　in　with　Van　Hay。　And　at　around　eleven…twenty　on　the　night　of　November　20th；　Dean　and　Harry　and　I　went　down　to　our　one　occupied　cell；　where　John　Coffey　sat　on　the　end　of　his　bunk　with　his　hands　clasped　between　his　knees　and　a　tiny　dab　of　meatloaf　gravy　on　the　collar　of　his　blue　shirt。　He　looked　out　through　the　bars　at　us；　a　lot　calmer　than　we　felt；　it　seemed。　My　hands　were　cold　and　my　temples　were　throbbing。　It　was　one　thing　to　know　he　was　willing　…　it　made　it　at　least　possible　for　us　to　do　our　job　…　but　it　was　another　to　know　we　were　going　to　electrocute　him　for　someone　elses　crime。

I　had　last　seen　Hal　Moores　around　seven　that　evening。　He　was　in　his　office；　buttoning　up　his　overcoat。　His　face　was　pale；　his　hands　shaking　so　badly　that　he　e　production　of　those　buttons。　I　almost　wanted　to　knock　his　fingers　aside　and　do　the　coat　up　myself；　like　you　would　with　a　little　kid。　The　irony　was　that　Melinda　had　looked　better　when　Jan　and　I　went　to　see　her　the　previous　weekend　than　Hal　had　looked　earlier　on　John　Coffeys　execution　evening。

〃I　wont　be　staying　for　this　one；〃　he　had　said。　〃Curtis　will　be　there；　and　I　know　Coffey　will　be　in　good　hands　with　you　and　Brutus。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　well　do　our　best〃；　I　said。　〃Is　there　any　word　on　Percy？〃　Is　he　ing　back　around？　is　what　I　meant；　of　course。　Is　he　even　now　sitting　in　a　room　somewhere　and　telling　someone　…　some　doctor；　most　likely　…　about　how　we　zipped　him　into　the　nut…coat　and　threw　him　into　the　restraint　room　like　any　other　problem　child　。。。　any　other　lugoon；　in　Percys　language？　And　if　he　is；　are　they　believing　him？

But　according　to　Hal；　Percy　was　just　the　same。　Not　talking；　and　not；　so　far　as　anyone　could　tell；　in　the　world　at　all。　He　was　still　at　Indianola　…　〃being　evaluated〃；　Hal　had　said；　looking　mystified　at　the　phrase　…　but　if　there　was　no　improvement；　he　would　be　moving　along　soon。