绿里奇迹(英文版)-第50部分

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〃Lock　Percy's　toys　in　the　duty　desk　until　we　get　back；〃　I　said。　
〃If　we　get　back；〃　Harry　added。　
〃I　will；〃　Dean　said　to　me；　taking　no　notice　of　Harry。　
〃And　if　someone　shows　up　…　probably　no　one　will；　but　if　someone　does　…　what　do　you　say？〃　
〃That　Coffey　got　upset　around　midnight；〃　Dean　said。　He　looked　as　studious　as　a　college　student　taking　a　big　exam。　〃We　had　to　give　him　the　jacket　and　but　him　in　the　restraint　room。　If　there's　noise；　who　ever　hears　it'll　just　think　it's　him。〃　He　raised　his　chin　to　John　Coffey。　〃And　what　about　us？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃Paul's　over　in　Admin；　pulling　Del's　file　and　going　over　the　witnesses；〃　Dean　said。　〃It's　especially　important　this　time；　because　the　execution　was　such　a　balls…up。　He　said　he'd　probably　be　there　the　rest　of　the　shift。　You　and　Harry　and　Percy　are　over　in　the　laundry；　washing　your　clothes。〃　
Well；　that　was　what　folks　said；　anyway。　There　was　a　crap…game　in　the　laundry　supply　room　some　nights；　on　others　it　was　blackjack　or　poker　or　acey…deucey。　Whatever　it　was；　the　guards　who　participated　were　said　to　be　washing　their　clothes。　There　was　usually　moonshine　at　these　get…togethers；　and　on　occasion　a　joystick　would　go　around　the　circle。　It's　been　the　same　in　prisons　since　prisons　were　invented；　I　suppose。　When　you　spend　your　life　taking　care　of　mudmen；　you　can't　help　getting　a　little　dirty　yourself。　In　any　case；　we　weren't　likely　to　be　checked　up　on。　〃Clothes　washing〃　was　treated　with　great　discretion　at　Cold　Mountain。　
〃Right　with　Eversharp；〃　I　said；　turning　Coffey　around　and　putting　him　in　motion。　〃And　if　it　all　falls　down；　Dean；　you。　don't　know　nothing　about　nothing。〃　
〃That's　easy　to　say；　but　…　〃　
At　that　moment；　a　skinny　arm　shot　out　from　between　the　bars　of　Wharton's　cell　and　grabbed　Coffey's　slab　of　a　bicep。　We　all　gasped。　Wharton　should　have　been　dead　to　the　world；　all　but　atose；　yet　here　he　stood；　swaying　back　and　forth　on　his　feet　like　a　hard…tagged　fighter；　grinning　blearily。　
Coffey's　reaction　was　remarkable。　He　didn't　pull　away；　but　he　also　gasped；　pulling　air　in　over　his　teeth　like　someone　who　has　touched　something　cold　and　unpleasant。　His　eyes　widened；　and　for　a　moment　he　looked　as　if　he　and　dumb　had　never　even　met；　let　alone　got　up　together　every　morning　and　lain　down　together　every　night。　He　had　looked　alive　…　there　…　when　he　had　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　touch　me。　Help　me；　in　Coffeyspeak。　He　had　looked　that　way　again　when　he'd　been　holding　his　hands　out　for　the　mouse。　Now；　for　the　third　time；　his　face　had　lit　up；　as　if　a　spotlight　had　suddenly　been　turned　on　inside　his　brain。　Except　it　was　different　this　time。　It　was　colder　this　time；　and　for　the　first　time　I　wondered　what　might　happen　if　John　Coffey　were　suddenly　to　run　amok。　We　had　our　guns；　we　could　shoot　him；　but　actually　taking　him　down　might　not　be　easy　to　do。　
I　saw　similar　thoughts　on　Brutal's　face；　but　Wharton　just　went　on　grinning　his　stoned；　loose…lipped　grin　…　〃Where　do　you　think　you're　going？〃　he　asked。　It　came　out　something　like　Wherra　fink　yerr　gone？　
Coffey　stood　still；　looking　first　at　Wharton；　then　at　Wharton's　hand；　then　back　into　Wharton's　face。　I　could　not　read　that　expression。　I　mean　I　could　see　the　intelligence　in　it；　but　I　couldn't　read　it。　As　for　Wharton；　I　wasn't　worried　about　him　at　all。　He　wouldn't　remember　any　of　this　later；　he　was　like　a　drunk　walking　in　a　blackout。　
〃You're　a　bad　man；〃　Coffey　whispered；　and　I　couldn't　tell　what　I　heard　in　his　voice　…　pain　or　anger　or　fear。　Maybe　all　three。　Coffey　looked　down　at　the　hand　on　his　arm　again；　the　way　you　might　look　at　a　bug　which　could　give　you　a　really　nasty　bite；　had　it　a　mind。　
〃That's　right；　nigger；〃　Wharton　said　with　a　bleary；　cocky　smile。　〃Bad　as　you'd　want。〃　
I　was　suddenly　positive　that　something　awful　was　going　to　happen；　something　that　would　change　the　planned　course　of　this　early　morning　as　pletely　as　a　cataclysmic　earthquake　can　change　the　course　of　a　river。　It　was　going　to　happen；　and　nothing　I　or　any　of　us　did　would　stop　it。　
Then　Brutal　reached　down；　plucked　Wharton's　hand　off　John　Coffey's　arm；　and　that　feeling　stopped。　It　was　as　if　some　potentially　dangerous　circuit　had　been　broken。　I　told　you　that　in　my　time　in　E　Block；　the　governor's　line　never　rang。　That　was　true；　but　I　imagine　that　if　it　ever　had；　I　would　have　felt　the　same　relief　that　washed　over　me　when　Brutal　removed　Wharton's　hand　from　the　big　man　towering　beside　me。　Coffey's　eyes　dulled　over　at　once；　it　was　as　if　the　searchlight　inside　his　head　had　been　turned　off。　
〃Lie　down；　Billy；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Take　you　some　rest。〃　That　was　my　usual　line　of　patter；　but　under　the　circumstances；　I　didn't　mind　Brutal　using　it。　
〃Maybe　I　will；〃　Wharton　agreed。　He　stepped　back；　swayed；　almost　went　over；　and　caught　his　balance　at　the　last　second。　〃Whoo；　daddy。　Whole　room's　spinnin　around。　Like　bein　drunk。〃　
He　backed　toward　his　bunk；　keeping　his　bleary　regard　on　Coffey　as　he　went。　〃Niggers　ought　to　have　they　own　'lectric　chair；〃　he　opined。　Then　the　backs　of　his　knees　struck　his　bunk　and　he　swooped　down　onto　it。　He　was　snoring　before　his　head　touched　his　thin　prison　pillow；　deep　blue　shadows　brushed　under　the　hollows　of　his　eyes　and　the　tip　of　his　tongue　lolling　out。　
〃Christ；　how'd　he　get　up　with　so　much　dope　in　him？〃　Dean　whispered。　
〃It　doesn't　matter；　he's　out　now；〃　I　said。　〃If　he　starts　to　e　around；　give　him　another　pill　dissolved　in　a　glass　of　water。　No　more　than　one；　though。　We　don't　want　to　kill　him。〃　
〃Speak　for　yourself；〃　Brutal　rumbled；　and　gave　Wharton　a　contemptuous　look。　〃You　can't　kill　a　monkey　like　him　with　dope；　anyway。　They　thrive　on　it。〃　
〃He's　a　bad　man；〃　Coffey　said；　but　in　a　lower　voice　this　time；　as　if　he　was　not　quite　sure　of　what　he　was　saying；　or　what　it　meant。　
〃That's　right；〃。　Brutal　said。　〃Most　wicked。　But　that's　not　a　problem　now；　because　we　ain't　going　to　tango　with　him　anymore。〃　We　started　walking　again；　the　four　of　us　surrounding　Coffey　like　worshippers　circling　an　idol　that's　e　to　some　stumbling　kind　of　half　life。　〃Tell　me　something；　John　…　do　you　know　where　we're　taking　you？〃　
〃To　help；〃　he　said。　〃I　think　。。。　to　help　。。。　a　lady？〃　He　looked　at　Brutal　with　hopeful　anxiety。　
Brutal　nodded。　〃That's　right。　But　how　do　you　know　that？　How　do　you　know？〃　
John　Coffey　considered　the　question　carefully；　then　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　told　Brutal。　〃To　tell　you　the　truth；　boss；　I　don't　know　much　of　anything。　Never　have。〃　
And　with　that　we　had　to　be　content。　
6。　
I　had　known　the　little　door　between　the　office　and　the　steps　down　to　the　storage　room　hadn't　been　built　with　the　likes　of　Coffey　in　mind；　but　I　hadn't　realized　how　great　the　disparity　was　until　he　stood　before　it；　looking　at　it　thoughtfully。　
Harry　laughed；　but　John　himself　seemed　to　see　no　humor　in　the　big　man　standing　in　front　of　the　little　door。　He　wouldn't　have；　of　course；　even　if　he'd　been　quite　a　few　degrees　brighter　than　he　was；　he　wouldn't　have。　He'd　been　that　big　man　for　most　of　his　life；　and　this　door　was　just　a　scrap　littler　than　most。　
He　sat　down；　scooted　through　it　that　way；　stood　up　again；　and　went　down　the　stairs　to　where　Brutal　was　waiting　for　him。　There　he　stopped；　looking　across　the　empty　room　at　the　platform　where　Old　Sparky　waited；　as　silent　…　and　as　eerie　…　as　the　throne　m　the　castle　of　a　dead　king。　The　cap　hung　with　hollow　jauntiness　from　one　of　the　back…posts；　looking　less　like　a　king's　crown　than　a　jester's　cap；　however；　something　a　fool　would　wear；　or　shake　to　make　his　high…born　audience　laugh　harder　at　his　jokes。　The　chair's　shadow；　elongated　and　spidery；　climbed　one　wall　like　a　threat。　And　yes；　I　thought　I　could　still　smell　burned　flesh　in　the　air。　It　was　faint；　but　I　thought　it　was　more　than　just　my　imagination。　
Harry　ducked　through　the　door；　then　me。　I　didn't　like　the　frozen；　wide…eyed　way　John　was　looking　at　Old　Sparky。　Even　less　did　I　like　what　I　saw　on　his　arms　when　I　got　close　to　him：　goosebumps。　
〃e　on；　big　boy；〃　I　said。　I　took　his　wrist　and　attempted　to　pull　him　in　the　direction　of　the　door　leading　down　to　the　tunnel。　At　first　he　wouldn't　go；　and　I　might　as　well　have　been　trying　to　pull　a　boulder　out　of　the　ground　with　my　bare　hands。　
〃e　on；　John；　we　gotta　go；　'less　you　want　the　coach…and…four　to　turn　back　into　a　pumpkin；〃　Harry　said；　giving　his　nervous　laugh　again。　He　took　John's　other　arm　and　tugged；　but　John　still　wouldn't　e。　And　then　he　said　something　in　a　low　and　dreaming　voice。　It　wasn't　me　he　was　speaking　to；　it　wasn't　any　of　us；　but　I　have　still　never　forgotten　it。　
〃They're　still　in　there。　Pieces　of　them；　still　in　there。　I　hear　them　screaming。〃　
Harry's　nervous　chuckles　ceased；　leaving　him　with　a　smile　that　hung　on　his　mouth　like　a　crooked　shutter　hangs　on　an　empty　house。　Brutal　gave　me　a　look　that　was　almost　terrified；　and　stepped　away　from　John　Coffey。　For　the　second　time　in　less　than　five　minutes；　I　sensed　the　whole　enterprise　on　the　verge　of　collapse。　This　time　I　was　the　one　who　stepped　in；　when　disaster　threatened　a　third　time；　a　little　later　on；　it　would　be　Harry。　We　all　got　our　chance　that　night；　believe　me。　
I　slid　in　between　John　and　his　view　of　the　chair；　standing　on　my　tiptoes　to　make　sure　I　was　pletely　blocking　his　sight…line。　Then　I　snapped　my　fingers　in　front　of　his　eyes；　twice；　sharply。　
〃e　on！〃　I　said。　〃Walk！　You　said　you　didn't　need　to　be　chained；　now　prove　it！　Walk；　big　boy！　Walk；　John　Coffey！　Over　there！　That　door！〃　
His　eyes　cleared。　〃Yes；　boss。〃　And　praise　God；　he　began　to　walk。　
〃Look　at　the　door；　John　Coffey；　just　at　the　door　and　nowhere　else。〃　
〃Yes；　boss。〃　John　fixed　his　eyes　obediently　on　the　door。　
〃Brutal；〃　I　said；　and　pointed。　
He　hurried　in　advance；　shaking　out　his　keyring；　finding　the　right　one。　John　kept　his　gaze　fixed　on　the　door　to　the　tunnel　and　I　kept　my　gaze　fixed　on　John；　but　from　the　er　of　one　eye　I　could　see　Harry　throwing　nervous　glances　at　the　chair；　as　if　he　had　never　seen　it　before　in　his　life。　
There　are　pieces　of　them　still　in　there　。。。　I　hear　them　screaming。　
If　that　was　true；　then　Eduard　Delacroix　had　to　be　screaming　longest　and　loudest　of　all；　and　I　was　glad　I　couldn't　hear　what　John　Coffey　did。　
Brutal　opened　the　door。　We　went　down　the　stairs　with　Coffey　in　the　lead。　At　the　bottom；　he　looked　glumly　down　the　tunnel；　with　i