绿里奇迹(英文版)-第8部分

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's　chief　assistant。　It　said　that　he；　Anderson；　expected　a　DOE　order　for　Edward　Delacrois　（Anderson's　misspelling；　the　man's　name　was　actually　Eduard　Delacroix）　very　soon。　DOE　stood　for　date　of　execution；　and　according　to　the　note；　Curtis　had　been　told　on　good　authority　that　the　little　Frenchman　would　take　the　walk　shortly　before　Halloween　…　October　27th　was　his　best　guess；　and　Curtis　Anderson's　guesses　were　very　informed。　But　before　then　we　could　expect　a　new　resident；　name　of　William　Wharton。　〃He's　what　you　like　to　call　'a　problem　child；'　〃　Curtis　had　written　'　in　his　backslanting　and　somehow　prissy　script。　〃Crazy…wild　and　proud　of　it。　Has　rambled　all　over　the　state　for　the　last　year　or　so；　and　has　hit　the　big　time　at　last。　Killed　three　people　in　a　holdup；　one　a　pregnant　woman；　killed　a　fourth　in　the　getaway。　State　Patrolman。　All　he　missed　was　a　nun　and　a　blind　man！'　I　smiled　a　little　at　that。　〃Wharton　is　19　years　old；　has　Billy　the　Kid　tattooed　on　upper　l。　forearm。　You　will　have　to　slap　his　nose　a　time　or　two；　I　guarantee　you　that；　but　be　careful　when　you　do　it。　This　man　just　doesn't　care。〃　He　had　underlined　this　last　sentiment　twice；　then　finished：　〃Also；　he　may　be　a　hang…arounder。　He's　working　appeals；　and　there's　the　fact　that　he　is　a　minor。〃　
A　crazy　kid；　working　appeals；　apt　to　be　around　for　awhile。　Oh；　that　all　sounded　just　fine。　Suddenly　the　day　seemed　hotter　than　ever；　and　I　could　no　longer　put　off　seeing　Warden　Moores。　
I　worked　for　three　wardens　during　my　years　as　a　Cold　Mountain　guard；　Hal　Moores　was　the　last　and　best　of　them。　In　a　walk。　Honest；　straightforward；　lacking　even　Curtis　Anderson's　rudimentary　wit；　but　equipped　with　just　enough　political　savvy　to　keep　his　job　during　those　grim　years　。。。　and　enough　integrity　to　keep　from　getting　seduced　by　the　game。　He　would　not　rise　any　higher；　but　that　seemed　all　right　with　him。　He　was　fifty…eight　or　…nine　back　then；　with　a　deeply　lined　bloodhound　face　that　Bobo　Marchant　probably　would　have　felt　right　at　home　with。　He　had　white　hair　and　his　hands　shook　with　some　sort　of　palsy；　but　he　was　strong。　The　year　before；　when　a　prisoner　had　rushed　him　in　the　exercise　yard　with　a　shank　whittled　out　of　a　crate…slat；　Moores　had　stood　his　ground；　grabbed　the　skatehound's　wrist；　and　had　twisted　it　so　hard　that　the　snapping　bones　had　sounded　like　dry　twigs　burning　in　a　hot　fire。　The　skatehound；　all　his　grievances　forgotten；　had　gone　down　on　his　knees　in　the　dirt　and　begun　screaming　for　his　mother。　〃I'm　not　her；〃　Moores　said　in　his　cultured　Southern　voice；　〃But　if　I　was；　I'd　raise　up　my　skirts　and　piss　on　you　from　the　loins　that　gave　you　birth。〃　
When　I　came　into　his　office；　he　started　to　get　up　and　I　waved　him　back　down。　I　took　the　seat　across　the　desk　from　him；　and　began　by　asking　about　his　wife　。。。　except　in　our　part　of　the　world；　that's　not　how　you　do　it。　〃How's　that　pretty　gal　of　yours〃　is　what　I　asked；　as　if　Melinda　had　seen　only　seventeen　summers　instead　of　sixty…two　or　…three。　My　concern　was　genuine　he　was　a　woman　I　could　have　loved　and　married　myself；　if　the　lines　of　our　lives　had　coincided　…　but　I　didn't　mind　diverting　him　a　little　from　his　main　business；　either。　
He　sighed　deeply。　〃Not　so　well；　Paul。　Not　so　well　at　all。〃　
〃More　headaches？〃　
〃Only　one　this　week；　but　it　was　the　worst　yet　…　put　her　flat　on　her　back　for　most　of　the　day　before　yesterday。　And　now　she's　developed　this　weakness　in　her　right　hand…〃　He　raised　his　own　liverspotted　right　hand。　We　both　watched　it　tremble　above　his　blotter　for　a　moment　or　two；　and　then　he　lowered　it　again。　I　could　tell　he　would　have　given　just　about　anything　not　to　be　telling　me　what　he　was　telling　me；　and　I　would　have　given　just　about　anything　not　to　be　hearing　it。　Melinda's　headaches　had　started　in　the　spring；　and　all　that　summer　her　doctor　had　been　saying　they　were　〃nervous…tension　migraines；〃　perhaps　caused　by　the　stress　of　Hal's　ing　retirement。　Except　that　neither　of　them　could　wait　for　his　retirement；　and　my　own　wife　had　told　me　that　migraine　is　not　a　disease　of　the　old　but　the　young；　by　the　time　its　sufferers　reached　Melinda　Moores's　age；　they　were　usually　getting　better；　not　worse。　And　now　this　weakness　of　the　hand。　It　didn't　sound　like　nervous　tension　to　me；　it　sounded　like　a　damned　stroke。　
〃Dr。　Haverstrom　wants　her　to　go　in　hospital　up　to　Indianola；〃　Moores　said。　〃Have　some　tests。　Head　X…rays；　he　means。　Who　knows　what　else。　She　is　scared　to　death！'　He　paused；　then　added；　〃Truth　to　tell；　so　am　I。〃　
〃Yeah；　but　you　see　she　does　it；〃　I　said。　〃Don't　wait。　If　it　turns　out　to　be　something　they　can　see　with　an　X…ray；　it　may　turn　out　to　be　something　they　can　fix。〃　
〃Yes；〃　he　agreed；　and　then；　for　just　a　moment　…　the　only　one　during　that　part　of　our　interview；　as　I　recall　…　our　eyes　met　and　locked。　There　was　the　sort　of　nakedly　perfect　understanding　between　us　that　needs　no　words。　It　could　be　a　stroke；　yes。　It　could　also　be　a　cancer　growing　in　her　brain；　and　if　it　was　that；　the　chances　that　the　doctors　at　Indianola　could　do　anything　about　it　were　slim　going　on　none。　This　was　'32；　remember；　when　even　something　as　relatively　simple　as　a　urinary　infection　was　either　sulfa　and　stink　or　suffer　and　wait。　
〃I　thank　you　for　your　concern；　Paul。　Now　let's　talk　about　Percy　Wetmore！'　
I　groaned　and　covered　my　eyes。　
〃I　had　a　call　from　the　state　capital　this　morning；〃　the　warden　said　evenly。　〃It　was　quite　an　angry　call；　as　I'm　sure　you　can　imagine。　Paul；　the　governor　is　so　married　he's　almost　not　there；　if　you　take　my　meaning。　And　his　wife　has　a　brother　who　has　one　child。　That　child　is　Percy　Wetmore。　Percy　called　his　dad　last　night；　and　Percy's　dad　called　Percy's　aunt。　Do　I　have　to　trace　the　rest　of　this　out　for　you？〃　
'No；〃　I　said。　〃Percy　squealed。　Just　like　the　schoolroom　sissy　telling　teacher　he　saw　Jack　and　Jill　smooching　in　the　cloakroom。〃　
〃Yep；〃　Moores　agreed；　〃that's　about　the　size　of　it。〃　
〃You　know　what　happened　between　Percy　and　Delacroix　when　Delacroix　came　in？〃　I　asked。　〃Percy　and　his　damned　hickory　billy…club？〃　
〃Yes；　but　…　〃　
〃And　you　know　how　he　runs　it　along　the　bars　sometimes；　just　for　the　pure　hell　of　it。　He's　mean；　and　he's　stupid；　and　I　don't　know　how　much　longer　I　can　take　him。　That's　the　truth。〃　
We'd　known　each　other　five　years。　That　can　be　a　long　time　for　men　who　get　on　well；　especially　when　part　of　the　job　is　trading　life　for　death。　What　I'm　saying　is　that　he　understood　what　I　meant。　Not　that　I　would　quit；　not　with　the　Depression　walking　around　outside　the　prison　walls　like　a　dangerous　criminal；　one　that　couldn't　be　caged　as　our　charges　were。　Better　men　than　me　were　out　on　the　roads　or　riding　the　rods。　I　was　lucky　and　knew　it　…　children　grown　and　the　mortgage；　that　two…hundred…pound　block　of　marble；　had　been　off　my　chest　for　the　last　two　years。　But　a　man's　got　to　eat；　and　his　wife　has　to　eat；　too。　Also；　we　were　used　to　sending　our　daughter　and　son…in…law　twenty　bucks　whenever　we　could　afford　it　（and　sometimes　when　we　couldn't；　if　Jane's　letters　sounded　particularly　desperate）。　He　was　an　out…of…work　high…school　teacher；　and　if　that　didn't　qualify　for　desperate　back　in　those　days；　then　the　word　had　no　meaning。　So　no；　you　didn't　walk　off　a　steady　paycheck　job　like　mine　。。。　not　in　cold　blood；　that　was。　But　my　blood　wasn't　cold　that　fall。　The　temperatures　outside　were　unseasonable；　and　the　infection　crawling　around　inside　me　had　turned　the　thermostat　up　even　more。　And　when　a　man's　in　that　kind　of　situation；　why；　sometimes　his　fist　flies　out　pretty　much　of　its　own　accord。　And　if　you　slug　a　connected　man　like　Percy　Wetmore　once；　you　might　as　well　just　go　right　on　slugging；　because　there's　no　going　back。　
〃Stick　with　it；〃　Moores　said　quietly。　〃That's　what　I　called　you　in　here　to　say。　I　have　it　on　good　authority　…　the　person　who　called　me　this　morning；　in　fact　…　that　Percy　has　an　application　in　at　Briar；　and　that　his　application　will　be　accepted。〃　
〃Briar；〃　I　said。　That　was　Briar　Ridge；　one　of　two　state…run　hospitals。　'What's　this　kid　doing？　Touring　state　facilities？〃　
〃It's　an　administration　job。　Better　pay；　and　papers　to　push　instead　of　hospital　beds　in　the　heat　of　the　day。〃　He　gave　me　a　slanted　grin。　〃You　know；　Paul；　you　might　be　shed　of　him　already　if　you　hadn't　put　him　in　the　switch…room　with　Van　Hay　when　The　Chief　walked。〃　
For　a　moment　what　he　said　seemed　so　peculiar　I　didn't　have　a　clue　what　he　was　getting　at。　Maybe　I　didn't　want　to　have　a　clue。　
〃Where　else　would　I　put　him？〃　I　asked。　〃Christ；　he　hardly　knows　what　he's　doing　on　the　block！　To　make　him　part　of　the　active　execution　team　…　〃　I　didn't　finish。　Couldn't　finish。　The　potential　for　screw…ups　seemed　endless。　
〃Nevertheless；　you'd　do　well　to　put　him　out　for　Delacroix。　If　you　want　to　get　rid　of　him；　that　is。〃　
I　looked　at　him　with　my　jaw　hung。　At　last　I　was　able　to　get　it　up　where　it　belonged　so　I　could　talk。　〃What　are　you　saying？　That　he　wants　to　experience　one　right　up　close　where　he　can　smell　the　guy's　nuts　cooking？〃　
Moores　shrugged。　His　eyes；　so　soft　when　he　had　been　speaking　about　his　wife；　now　looked　flinty。　〃Delacroix's　nuts　are　going　to　cook　whether　Wetmore's　on　the　team　or　not；〃　he　said。　〃Correct？〃　
〃Yes；　but　he　could　screw　up。　In　fact；　Hal；　he's　almost　bound　to　screw　up。　And　in　front　of　thirty　or　so　witnesses　。。。　reporters　all　the　way　up　from　Louisiana　。　。　。〃　
〃You　and　Brutus　Howell　will　make　sure　he　doesn't；〃　Moores　said。　〃And　if　he　does　anyway；　it　goes　on　his　record；　and　it'll　still　be　there　long　after　his　statehouse　connections　are　gone。　You　understand？〃　
I　did。　It　made　me　feel　sick　and　scared；　but　I　did。　
〃He　may　want　to　stay　for　Coffey；　but　if　we're　lucky；　he'll　get　all　he　needs　from　Delacroix。　You　just　make　sure　you　put　him　out　for　that　one。〃　
I　had　planned　to　stick　Percy　in　the　switch…room　again；　then　down　in　the　tunnel；　riding　shotgun　on　the　gurney　that　would　take　Delacroix　to　the　meatwagon　parked　across　the　road　from　the　prison；　but　I　tossed　all　those　plans　back　over　my　shoulder　without　so　much　as　a　second　look。　I　nodded。　I　had　the　sense　to　know　it　was　a　gamble　I　was　taking；　but　I　didn't　care。　If　it　would　get　rid　of　Percy　Wetmore；　I'd　tweak　the　devil's　nose。　He　could　take　part　in　his　execution；　clamp　on　the　cap；　and　then　look　through　the　grille　and　tell　Van　Hay　to　roll　on　two；　he　could　watch　the　little　Fre