绿里奇迹(英文版)-第26部分

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That　should　have　been　funny；　but　instead　of　smiling；　all　at　once　I　felt　sure　that　I　was　going　to　cry　I　put　my　hands　to　my　face；　palms　against　my　mouth　to　stifle　the　sobs　…　I　didn't　want　to　scare　Del　again　just　when　he　was　starting　to　get　settled　down　…　but　no　sobs　came。　No　tears；　either。　After　a　few　moments　I　lowered　my　hands　back　to　the　desk　and　folded　them。　I　didn't　know　what　I　was　feeling；　and　the　only　clear　thought　in　my　head　was　a　wish　that　no　one　should　e　back　onto　the　block　until　I　was　a　little　more　in　control　of　myself。　I　was　afraid　of　what　they　might　see　in　my　face。　
I　drew　a　Block　Report　form　toward　me。　I　would　wait　until　I　had　settled　down　a　bit　more　to　write　about　how　my　latest　problem　child　had　almost　strangled　Dean　Stanton；　but　I　could　fill　out　the　rest　of　the　boilerplate　foolishness　in　the　meantime。　I　thought　my　handwriting　might　look　funny　…　trembly　…　but　it　came　out　about　the　same　as　always。　
About　five　minutes　after　I　started；　I　put　the　pencil　down　and　went　into　the　W。C。　adjacent　to　my　office　to　take　a　leak。　I　didn't　need　to　go　very　bad；　but　I　could　manage　enough　to　test　what　had　happened　to　me；　I　thought。　As　I　stood　there；　waiting　for　my　water　to　flow；　I　became　sure　that　it　would　hurt　just　the　way　it　had　that　morning；　as　if　I　were　passing　tiny　shards　of　broken　glass；　what　he'd　done　to　me　would　turn　out　to　be　only　hypnosis；　after　all；　and　that　might　be　a　relief　in　spite　of　the　pain。　
Except　there　was　no　pain；　and　what　went　into　the　bowl　was　clear；　with　no　sign　of　pus。　I　buttoned　my　fly；　pulled　the　chain　that　flushed　the　mode；　went　back　to　the　duty　desk；　and　sat　down　again。　
I　knew　what　had　happened；　I　suppose　I　knew　even　when　I　was　trying　to　tell　myself　I'd　been　hypnotized。　I'd　experienced　a　healing；　an　authentic　Praise　Jesus；　The　Lord　Is　Mighty。　As　a　boy　who'd　grown　up　going　to　whatever　Baptist　or　Pentecostal　church　my　mother　and　her　sisters　happened　to　be　in　favor　of　during　any　given　month；　I　had　heard　plenty　of　Praise　Jesus；　The　Lord　Is　Mighty　miracle　stories。　I　didn't　believe　all　of　them；　but　there　were　plenty　of　people　I　did　believe。　One　of　these　was　a　man　named　Roy　Delfines；　who　lived　with　his　family　about　two　miles　down　the　road　from　us　when　I　was　six　or　so。　Delfines　had　chopped　his　son's　little　finger　off　with　a　hatchet；　an　accident　which　had　occurred　when　the　boy　unexpectedly　moved　his　hand　on　a　log　he'd　been　holding　on　the　backyard　chopping　block　for　his　dad。　Roy　Delfines　said　he　had　practically　worn　out　the　carpet　with　his　knees　that　fall　and　winter；　and　in　the　spring　the　boy's　finger　had　grown　back。　Even　the　nail　had　grown　back。　I　believed　Roy　Delfines　when　he　testified　at　Thursday…night　rejoicing。　There　was　a　naked；　unplicated　honesty　in　what　he　said　as　he　stood　there　talking　with　his　hands　jammed　deep　into　the　pockets　of　his　biballs　that　was　impossible　not　to　believe。　〃It　itch　him　some　when　thet　finger　started　ing；　kep　him　awake　nights；〃　Roy　Delfines　said；　〃but　he　knowed　it　was　the　Lord's　itch　and　let　it　be。〃　Praise　Jesus；　The　Lord　Is　Mighty。　
Roy　Delfines's　story　was　only　one　of　many；　I　grew　up　in　a　tradition　of　miracles　and　healings。　I　grew　up　believing　in　gris…gris；　as　well　（only；　up　in　the　hills　we　said　it　to　rhyme　with　kiss…kiss）：　stump…water　for　warts；　moss　under　your　pillow　to　ease　the　heartache　of　lost　love；　and；　of　course；　what　we　used　to　call　haints　…　but　I　did　not　believe　John　Coffey　was　a　gris…gris　man。　I　had　looked　into　his　eyes。　More　important；'　I　had　felt　his　touch。　Being　touched　by　him　was　like　being　touched　by　some　strange　and　wonderful　doctor。　
I　helped　it；　didn't　I？　
That　kept　chiming　in　my　head；　like　a　snatch　of　song　you　can't　get　rid　of；　or　words　you'd　speak　to　set　a　spell。　
I　helped　it；　didn't　I？　
Except　he　hadn't。　God　had。　John　Coffey's　use　of　〃I〃　could　be　chalked　up　to　ignorance　rather　than　pride；　but　I　knew　…　believed；　at　least　…　what　I　had　learned　about　healing　in　those　churches　of　Praise　Jesus；　The　Lord　Is　Mighty；　piney…woods　amen　corners　much　beloved　by　my　twenty…two…year…old　mother　and　my　aunts：　that　healing　is　never　about　the　healed　or　the　healer；　but　about　God's　will。　For　one　to　rejoice　at　the　sick　made　well　is　normal；　quite　the　expected　thing；　but　the　person　healed　has　an　obligation　to　then　ask　why　…　to　meditate　on　God's　will；　and　the　extraordinary　lengths　to　which　God　has　gone　to　realize　His　will。　
What　did　God　want　of　me；　in　this　case？　What　did　He　want　badly　enough　to　put　healing　power　in　the　hands　of　a　child…murderer？　To　be　on　the　block；　instead　of　at　home；　sick　as　a　dog；　shivering　in　bed　with　the　stink　of　sulfa　running　out　of　my　pores？　Perhaps；　I　was　maybe　supposed　to　be　here　instead　of　home　in　case　Wild　Bill　Wharton　decided　to　kick　up　more　dickens；　or　to　make　sure　Percy　Wetmore　didn't　get　up　to　some　foolish　and　potentially　destructive　piece　of　fuckery　All　right；　then。　So　be　it。　I　would　keep　my　eyes　open　…　and　my　mouth　shut；　especially　about　miracle　cures。　
No　one　y　looking　and　sounding　better；　I'd　been　telling　the　world　I　was　getting　better；　and　until　that　very　day　I'd　honestly　believed　it。　I　had　even　told　Warden　Moores　that　I　was　on　the　mend。　Delacroix　had　seen　something；　but　I　thought　he　would　keep　his　mouth　shut；　too　（probably　afraid　John　Coffey　would　throw　a　spell　on　him　if　he　didn't）。　As　for　Coffey　himself；　he'd　probably　already　forgotten　it。　He　was　nothing　but　a　conduit；　after　all；　and　there　isn't　a　culvert　in　the　world　that　remembers　the　water　that　flowed　through　it　once　the　rain　has　stopped。　So　I　resolved　to　keep　my　mouth　pletely　shut　on　the　subject；　with　never　an　idea　of　how　soon　I'd　be　telling　the　story；　or　who　I'd　be　telling　it　to。　
But　I　was　curious　about　my　big　boy；　and　there's　no　sense　not　admitting　it。　After　what　had　happened　to　me　there　in　his　cell；　I　was　more　curious　than　ever。　
4。　
Before　leaving　that　night；　I　arranged　with　Brutal　to　cover　for　me　the　next　day；　should　I　e　in　a　little　late；　and　when　I　got　up　the　following　morning；　I　set　out　for　Tefton；　down　in　Trapingus　County。　
〃I'm　not　sure　I　like　you　worrying　so　much　about　this　fellow　Coffey；〃　my　wife　said；　handing　me　the　lunch　she'd　put　up　for　me…Janice　never　believed　in　roadside　hamburger　stands；　she　used　to　say　there　was　a　bellyache　waiting　in　every　one。　〃It's　not　like　you；　Paul。〃　
〃I'm　not　worried　about　him；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　curious；　that's　all。〃　
〃In　my　experience；　one　leads　to　the　other；〃　Janice　said　tartly；　then　gave　me　a　good；　hearty　kiss　on　the　mouth。　〃You　look　better；　at　least；　I'll　say　that。　For　awhile　there；　you　had　me　nervous。　Waterworks　all　cured　up？〃　
〃All　cured　up；〃　I　said；　and　off　I　went；　singing　songs　like　〃e；　Josephine；　in　My　Flying　Machine〃　and　'We're　in　the　Money〃　to　keep　myself　pany。　
I　went　to　the　offices　of　the　Tefton　Intelligencer　first；　and　they　told　me　that　Burt　Hammersmith；　the　fellow　I　was　looking　for；　was　most　likely　over　at　the　county　courthouse。　At　the　courthouse　they　told　me　that　Hammersmith　had　been　there　but　had　left　when　a　burst　waterpipe　had　closed　down　the　main　proceedings；　which　happened　to　be　a　rape　trial　（in　the　pages　of　the　Intelligencer　the　crime　would　be　referred　to　as　〃assault　on　a　woman；〃　which　was　how　such　things　were　done　in　the　days　before　Ricki　Lake　and　Carnie　Wilson　came　on　the　scene）。　They　guessed　he'd　probably　gone　on　home。　I　got　some　directions　out　a　dirt　road　so　rutted　and　narrow　I　just　about　didn't　dare　take　my　Ford　up　it；　and　there　I　found　my　man。　Hammersmith　had　written　most　of　the　stories　on　the　Coffey　trial；　and　it　was　from　him　I　found　out　most　of　the　details　about　the　brief　manhunt　that　had　ted　Coffey　in　the　first　place。　The　details　the　Intelligencer　considered　too　gruesome　to　print　is　what　I　mean；　of　course。　
Mrs。　Hammersmith　was　a　young　woman　with　a　tired；　pretty　face　and　hands　red　from　lye　soap。　She　didn't　ask　my　business；　just　led　me　through　a　small　house　fragrant　with　the　smell　of　baking　and　onto　the　back　porch；　where　her　husband　sat　with　a　bottle　of　pop　in　his　hand　and　an　unopened　copy　of　Liberty　magazine　on　his　lap。　There　was　a　small；　sloping　backyard；　at　the　foot　of　it；　two　little　ones　were　squabbling　and　laughing　over　a　swing。　From　the　porch；　it　was　impossible　to　tell　their　sexes；　but　I　thought　they　were　boy　and　girl。　Maybe　even　twins；　which　cast　an　interesting　sort　of　light　on　their　father's　part；　peripheral　as　it　had　been；　in　the　Coffey　trial。　Nearer　at　hand；　set　like　an　island　in　the　middle　of　a　turdstudded　patch　of　bare；　beatup…looking　ground；　was　a　doghouse。　No　sign　of　Fido；　it　was　another　unseasonably　hot　day；　and　I　guessed　he　was　probably　inside；　snoozing。　
〃Burt；　yew…all　got　you　a　cump'ny；〃　Mrs。　Hammersmith　said。　
〃Allright；〃　he　said。　He　glanced　at　me；　glanced　at　his　wife；　then　looked　back　at　his　kids；　which　was　where　his　heart　obviously　lay。　He　was　a　thin　man　…　almost　painfully　thin；　as　if　he　had　just　begun　to　recover　from　a　serious　illness　…　and　his　hair　had　started　to　recede。　His　wife　touched　his　shoulder　tentatively　with　one　of　her　red；　wash…swollen　hands。　He　didn't　look　at　it　or　reach　up　to　touch　it；　and　after　a　moment　she　took　it　back。　It　occurred　to　me；　fleetingly；　that　they　looked　more　like　brother　and　sister　than　husband　and　wife　…　he'd　gotten　the　brains；　she'd　gotten　the　looks；　but　neither　of　them　had　escaped　some　underlying　resemblance；　a　heredity　that　could　never　be　escaped。　Later；　going　home；　I　realized　they　didn't　look　alike　at　all；　what　made　them　seem　to　was　the　aftermath　of　stress　and　the　lingering　of　sorrow。　It's　strange　how　pain　marks　our　faces；　and　makes　us　look　like　family。　
She　said；　〃Yew…all　want　a　cold　drink；　Mr。　…　？〃　
〃It's　Edgebe；〃　I　said。　〃Paul　Edgebe。　And　thank　you。　A　cold　drink　would　be　wonderful；　ma'am。〃　
She　went　back　inside。　I　held　out　my　hand　to　Hammersmith；　who　gave　it　a　brief　shake。　His　grip　was　limp　and　cold。　He　never　took　his　eyes　off　the　kids　down　at　the　bottom　of　the　yard。　
〃Mr。　Hammersmith；　I'm　E　Block　superintendent　at　Cold　Mountain　State　Prison。　That's…〃　
〃I　know　what　it　is；〃　he　said；　looking　at　me　with　a　little　more　interest。　〃So　…　the　bull…goose　screw　of　the　Green　Mile　is　standing　on　my　back　porch；　just　as　big　as　life。　What　brings　you　fifty　miles　to　talk　to　the　local　rag's　only　full…time　reporter？〃　
〃John　Coffey；〃　I　said。　
I　think　I　expected　some　sort　of　strong　reaction　（the　kids　who　could　have　been　twins　working　at　the　back　of　my　m