绿里奇迹(英文版)-第4部分

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　In　that　I　was　both　right　and　wrong。　
〃My　name　is　Paul　Edgebe；〃　I　said。　〃I'm　the　E　Block　super　…　the　head　screw。　You　want　something　from　me；　ask　for　me　by　name。　If　I'm　not　here；　ask　this　other；　man　…　his　name　is　Harry　Terwilliger。　Or　you　ask　for　Mr。　Stanton　or　Mr。　Howell。　Do　you　understand　that？〃　
Coffey　nodded。　
〃Just　don't　expect　to　get　what　you　want　unless　we　decide　it's　what　you　need　…　this　isn't　a　hotel。　Still　with　me？〃　
He　nodded　again。　
〃This　is　a　quiet　place；　big　boy　…　not　like　the　rest　of　the　prison。　It's　just　you　and　Delacroix　over　there。　You　won't　work；　mostly　you'll　just　sit。　Give　you　a　chance　to　think　things　over。〃　Too　much　time　for　most　of　them；　but　I　didn't　say　that。　〃Sometimes　we　play　the　radio；　if　all's　in　order。　You　like　the　radio？〃　
He　nodded；　but　doubtfully；　as　if　he　wasn't　sure　what　the　radio　was。　I　later　found　out　that　was　true；　in　a　way；　Coffey　knew　things　when　he　encountered　them　again；　but　in　between　he　forgot。　He　knew　the　characters　on　Our　Gal　Sunday；　but　had　only　the　haziest　memory　of　what　they'd　been　up　to　the　last　time。　
〃If　you　behave；　you'll　eat　on　time；　you'll　never　see　the　solitary　cell　down　at　the　far　end；　or　have　to　wear　one　of　those　canvas　coats　that　buttons　up　the　back。　You'll　have　two　hours　in　the　yard　afternoons　from　four　until　six；　except　on　Saturdays　when　the　rest　of　the　prison　population　has　their　flag　football　games。　You'll　have　your　visitors　on　Sunday　afternoons；　if　you　have　someone　who　wants　to　visit　you。　Do　you；　Coffey？〃　
He　shook　his　head。　〃Got　none；　boss；〃　he　said。　
'Well；　your　lawyer；　then！'　
〃I　believe　I've　seen　the　back　end　of　him；〃　he　said。　〃He　was　give　to　me　on　loan。　Don't　believe　he　could　find　his　way　up　here　in　the　mountains！'　
I　looked　at　him　closely　to　see　if　he　might　be　trying　a　little　joke；　but　he　didn't　seem　to　be。　And　I　really　hadn't　expected　any　different。　Appeals　weren't　for　the　likes　of　John　Coffey；　not　back　then；　they　had　their　day　in　court　and　then　the　world　forgot　them　until　they　saw　a　squib　in　the　paper　saying　a　certain　fellow　had　taken　a　little　electricity　along　about　midnight。　But　a　man　with　a　wife；　children；　or　friends　to　look　forward　to　on　Sunday　afternoons　was　easier　to　control；　if　control　looked　to　be　a　problem。　Here　it　didn't；　and　that　was　good。　Because　he　was　so　damned　big。　
I　shifted　a　little　on　the　bunk；　then　decided　I　might　feel　a　little　more　fortable　in　my　her　parts　if　I　stood　up；　and　so　I　did。　He　backed　away　from　me　respectfully；　and　clasped　his　hands　in　front　of　him。　
〃Your　time　here　can　be　easy　or　hard；　big　boy；　it　all　depends　on　you。　I'm　here　to　say　you　might　as　well　make　it　easy　on　all　of　us；　because　it　es　to　the　same　in　the　end。　We'll　treat　you　as　right　as　you　deserve。　Do　you　have　any　questions？〃　
〃Do　you　leave　a　light　on　after　bedtime？〃　he　asked　right　away；　as　if　he　had　only　been　waiting　for　the　chance。　
I　blinked　at　him。　I　had　been　asked　a　lot　of　strange　questions　by　newers　to　E　Block　…　once　about　the　size　of　my　wife's　tits…but　never　that　one。　
Coffey　was　smiling　a　trifle　uneasily；　as　if　he　knew　we　would　think　him　foolish　but　couldn't　help　himself。　〃Because　I　get　a　little　scared　in　the　dark　sometimes；〃　he　said。　〃If　it's　a　strange　place。〃　
I　looked　at　him　…　the　pure　size　of　him　…　and　felt　strangely　touched。　They　did　touch　you；　you　know；　you　didn't　see　them　at　their　worst；　hammering　out　their　horrors　like　demons　at　a　forge。　
〃Yes；　it's　pretty　bright　in　here　all　night　long；〃　I　said。　〃Half　the　lights　along　the　Mile　burn　from　nine　until　five　every　morning。〃　Then　I　realized　he　wouldn't　have　any　idea　of　what　I　was　talking　about　…　he　didn't　know　the　Green　Mile　from　Mississippi　mud　…　and　so　I　pointed。　〃In　the　corridor。〃　
He　nodded；　relieved。　I'm　not　sure　he　knew　what　a　corridor　was；　either；　but　he　could　see　the　200…watt　bulbs　in　their　wire　cages。　
I　did　something　I'd　never　done　to　a　prisoner　before；　then　…　I　offered　him　my　hand。　Even　now　I　don't　know　why。　Him　asking　about　the　lights；　maybe。　It　made　Harry　Terwilliger　blink；　I　can　tell　you　that。　Coffey　took　my　hand　with　surprising　gentleness；　my　hand　all　but　disappearing　into　his；　and　that　was　all　of　it。　I　had　another　moth　in　my　killing　bottle。　We　were　done。　
I　stepped　out　of　the　cell。　Harry　pulled　the　door　shut　on　its　track　and　ran　both　locks。　Coffey　stood　where　he　was　a　moment　or　two　longer；　as　if　he　didn't　know　what　to　do　next；　and　then　he　sat　down　on　his　bunk；　clasped　his　giant's　hands　between　his　knees；　and　lowered　his　head　like　a　man　who　grieves　or　prays。　He　said　something　then　in　his　strange；　almost　Southern　voice。　I　heard　it　with　perfect　clarity；　and　although　I　didn't　know　much　about　what　he'd　done　then　…　you　don't　need　to　know　about　what　a　man's　done　in　order　to　feed　him　and　groom　him　until　it's　time　for　him　to　pay　off　what　he　owes　…　it　still　gave　me　a　chill。　
〃I　couldn't　help…it；　boss；〃　he　said。　〃I　tried　to　take　it　back；　but　it　was　too　late！'　
3。　
〃You're　going　to　have　you　some　trouble　with　Percy；〃　Harry　said　as　we　walked　back　up　the　hall　and　into　my　office。　Dean　Stanton；　sort　of　my　third　in　mand　…　we　didn't　actually　have　such　things；　a　situation　Percy　Wetmore　would　have　fixed　up　in　a　flash　…　was　sitting　behind　my　desk；　updating　the　files；　a　job　I　never　seemed　to　get　around　to。　He　barely　looked　up　as　we　came　in；　just　gave　his　little　glasses　a　shove　with　the　ball　of　his　thumb　and　dived　back　into　his　paperwork。　
〃I　been　having　trouble　with　that　peckerwood　since　the　day　he　came　here；〃　I　said；　gingerly；　pulling　my　pants　away　from　my　crotch　and　wincing。　〃Did　you　hear　what　he　was　shouting　when　he　brought　that　big　galoot　down？〃　
〃Couldn't　very　well　not；〃　Harry　said。　〃I　was　there；　you　know。〃　
〃I　was　in　the　john　and　heard　it　just　fine；〃　Dean　said。　He　drew　a　sheet　of　paper　to　him；　held　it　up　into　the　light　so　I　could　see　there　was　a　coffee…ring　as　well　as　typing　on　it；　and　then　tossed　it　into　the　waste　basket。　'Dead　man　walking。'　Must　have　read　that　in　one　of　those　magazines　he　likes　so　much！〃　
And　he　probably　had。　Percy　Wetmore　was　a　great　reader　of　Argosy　and　Stag　and　Men's　Adventure。　There　was　a　prison　tale　in　every　issue；　it　seemed；　and　Percy　read　them　avidly；　like　a　man　doing　research。　It　was　like　he　was　trying　to　find　out　how　to　act；　and　thought　the　information　was　in　those　magazines。　He'd　e　just　after　we　did　Anthony　Ray；　the　hatchet…killer　…　and　he　hadn't　actually　participated　in　an　execution　yet；　although　he'd　witnessed　one　from　the　switch…room。　
〃He　knows　people；〃　Harry　said。　〃He's　connected。　You'll　have　to　answer　for　sending　him　off　the　block；　and　you'll　have　to　answer　even　harder　for　expecting　him　to　do　some　real　work。〃　
〃I　don't　expect　it；〃　I　said；　and　I　didn't　。。。　but　I　had　hopes。　Bill　Dodge　wasn't　the　sort　to　let　a　man　just　stand　around　and　do　the　heavy　looking…on。　〃I'm　more　interested　in　the　big　boy；　for　the　time　being。　Are　we　going　to　have　trouble　with　him？〃　
Harry　shook　his　head　with　decision。　
〃He　b　at　court　down　there　in　Trapingus　County；〃　Dean　said。　He　took　his　little　rimless　glasses　off　and　began　to　polish　them　on　his　vest。　〃Of　course　they　had　more　chains　on　him　than　Scrooge　saw　on　Marley's　ghost；　but　he　could　have　kicked　up　dickens　if　he'd　wanted。　That's　a　pun；　son。〃　
〃I　know；〃　I　said；　although　I　didn't。　I　just　hate　letting　Dean　Stanton　get　the　better　of　me。　
〃Big　one；　ain't　he？〃　Dean　said。　
〃He　is；〃　I　agreed。　〃Monstrous　big。〃　
〃Probably　have　to　crank　Old　Sparky　up　to　Super　Bake　to　fry　his　ass！'　
〃Don't　worry　about　Old　Sparky；〃　I　said　absently。　〃He　makes　the　big　'uns　little。〃　
Dean　pinched　the　sides　of　his　nose；　where　there　were　a　couple　of　angry　red　patches　from　his　glasses；　and　nodded。　〃Yep；〃　he　said。　〃Some　truth　to　that；　all　right。〃　
I　asked；　〃Do　either　of　you　know　where　he　came　from　before　he　showed　up　in　。。。　Tefton？　It　was　Tefton；　wasn't　it？〃　
〃Yep；〃　Dean　said。　〃Tefton；　down　in　Trapingus　County。　Before　he　showed　up　there　and　did　what　he　did；　no　one　seems　to　know。　He　just　drifted　around；　I　guess。　You　might　be　able　to　find　out　a　little　more　from　the　newspapers　in　the　prison　library；　if　you're　really　interested。　They　probably　won't　get　around　to　moving　those　until　next　week。〃　He　grinned。　〃You　might　have　to　listen　to　your　little　buddy　bitching　and　moaning　upstairs；　though。〃　
〃I　might　just　go　have　a　peek；　anyway；〃　I　said；　and　later　on　that　afternoon　I　did。　
The　prison　library　was　in　back　of　the　building　that　was　going　to　bee　the　prison　auto　shop　…　at　least　that　was　the　plan。　More　pork　in　someone's　pocket　was　what　I　thought；　but　the　Depression　was　on；　and　I　kept　my　opinions　to　myself　…　the　way　I　should　have　kept　my　mouth　shut　about　Percy；　but　sometimes　a　man　just　can't　keep　it　clapped　tight。　A　man's　mouth　gets　him　in　more　trouble　than　his　pecker　ever　could；　most　of　the　time。　And　the　auto　shop　never　happened；　anyway　…　the　next　spring；　the　prison　moved　sixty　miles　down　the　road　to　Brighton。　More　backroom　deals；　I　reckon。　More　barrels　of　pork。　Wasn't　nothing　to　me。　
Administration　had　gone　to　a　new　building　on　the　east　side　of　the　yard；　the　infirmary　was　being　moved　（whose　country…bumpkin　idea　it　had　been　to　put　an　infirmary　on　the　second　floor　in　the　first　place　was　just　another　of　life's　mysteries）；　the　library　was　still　partly　stocked　…　not　that　it　ever　had　much　in　it　…　and　standing　empty。　The　old　building　was　a　hot　clapboard　box　kind　of　shouldered　in　between　A　and　B　Blocks。　Their　bathrooms　backed　up　on　it　and　the　whole　building　was　always　swimming　with　this　vague　pissy　smell；　which　was　probably　the　only　good　reason　for　the　move。　The　library　was　L…shaped；　and　not　much　bigger　than　my　office。　I　looked　for　a　fan；　but　they　were　all　gone。　It　must　have　been　a　hundred　degrees　in　there；　and　I　could　feel　that　hot　throb　in　my　groin　when　I　sat　down。　Sort　of　like　an　infected　tooth。　I　know　that's　absurd；　considering　the　region　we're　talking　about　here；　but　it's　the　only　thing　I　could　pare　it　to。　It　got　a　lot　worse　during　and　just　after　taking　a　leak；　which　I　had　done　just　before　walking　over。　
There　was　one　other　fellow　there　after　all　…　a　scrawny　old　trusty　named　Gibbons　dozing　away　in　the　corner　with　a　Wild　West　novel　in　his　lap　and　his　hat　pulled　down　over　his　eyes。　The　heat　wasn't　bothering　him；　nor　were　the　grunts；　thumps；　and　occasional　curses　from　the　infirmary　upstairs　（where　it　had　to　be　at　least　ten　degrees　hotte