绿里奇迹(英文版)-第24部分

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ceful　little　smile　on　his　face；　as　if　he'd　gone　to　sleep　listening　to　his　favorite　lullaby。　A　tiny　red　rill　of　blood　was　seeping　out　of　his　hair　and　staining　the　collar　of　his　new　prison　shirt。　That　was　all。　
〃Percy；〃　I　said。　〃Help　me！〃　
Percy　didn't　move；　only　stood　against　the　wall；　staring　with　wide；　stunned　eyes。　I　don't　think　he　knew　exactly　where　he　was。　
〃Percy；　goddammit；　grab　hold　of　him！〃　
He　got　moving；　then；　and　Harry　helped　him。　Together　the　three　of　us　hauled　the　unconscious　Mr。　Wharton　into　his　cell　while　Brutal　helped　Dean　to　his　feet　and　held　him　as　gently　as　any　mother　while　Dean　bent　over　and　hacked　air　back　into　his　lungs。　
Our　new　problem　child　didn't　wake　up　for　almost　three　hours；　but　when　he　did；　he　showed　absolutely　no　ill　effects　from　Brutal's　savage　hit。　He　came　to　the　way　he　moved　…　fast。　At　one　moment　he　was　lying　on　his　bunk；　dead　to　the　world。　At　the　next　he　was　standing　at　the　bars　…　he　was　silent　as　a　cat　…　and　staring　out　at　me　as　I　sat　at　the　duty　desk；　writing　a　report　on　the　incident。　When　I　finally　sensed　someone　looking　at　me　and　glanced　up；　there　he　was；　his　grin　displaying　a　set　of　blackening；　dying　teeth　with　several　gaps　among　them　already。　It　gave　me　a　jump　to　see　him　there　like　that。　I　tried　not　to　show　it；　but　I　think　he　knew。　〃Hey；　flunky；〃　he　said。　〃Next　time　it'll　be　you。　And　I　won't　miss。〃　
〃Hello；　Wharton；〃　I　said；　as　evenly　as　I　could。　〃Under　the　circumstances；　I　guess　I　can　skip　the　speech　and　the　Wele　Wagon；　don't　you　think？〃　
His　grin　faltered　just　a　little。　It　wasn't　the　sort　of　response　he　had　expected；　and　probably　wasn't　the　one　I　would　have　given　under　other　circumstances。　But　something　had　happened　while　Wharton　was　unconscious。　It　is；　I　suppose；　one　of　the　major　things　I　have　trudged　through　all　these　pages　to　tell　you　about。　Now　let's　just　see　if　you　believe　it。　
3。　
Except　for　shouting　once　at　Delacroix；　Percy　kept　his　mouth　shut　once　the　excitement　was　over。　This　was　probably　the　result　of　shock　rather　than　any　effort　at　tact　…　Percy　Wetmore　knew　as　much　about　tact　as　I　do　about　the　native　tribes　of　darkest　Africa；　in　my　opinion　…　but　it　was　a　damned　good　thing；　just　the　same。　If　he'd　started　in　whining　about　how　Brutal　had　pushed　him　into　the　wall　or　wondering　why　no　one　had　told　him　that　nasty　men　like　Wild　Billy　Wharton　sometimes　turned　up　on　E　Block；　I　think　we　would　have　killed　him。　Then　we　could　have　toured　the　Green　Mile　in　a　whole　new　way。　That's　sort　of　a　funny　idea；　when　you　consider　it。　I　missed　my　chance　to　make　like　James　Cagney　in　White　Heat。　
Anyway；　when　we　were　sure　that　Dean　was　going　to　keep　breathing　and　that　he　wasn't　going　to　pass　out　on　the　spot；　Harry　and　Brutal　escorted　him　over　to　the　infirmary。　Delacroix；　who　had　been　absolutely　silent　during　the　scuffle　（he　had　been　in　prison　lots　of　times；　that　one；　and　knew　when　it　was　prudent　to　keep　his　yap　shut　and　when　it　was　relatively　safe　to　open　it　again）；　began　bawling　loudly　down　the　corridor　as　Harry　and　Brutal　helped　Dean　out。　Delacroix　wanted　to　know　what　had　happened。　You　would　have　thought　his　constitutional　rights　had　been　violated。　
〃Shut　up；　you　little　queer！〃　Percy　yelled　back；　so　furious　that　the　veins　stood　out　on　the　sides　of　his　neck。　I　put　a　hand　on　his　arm　and　felt　it　quivering　beneath　his　shirt。　Some　of　this　was　residual　fright；　of　course　（every　now　and　then　I　had　to　remind　myself　that　part　of　Percy's　problem　was　that　he　was　only　twenty…one；　not　much　older　than　Wharton）；　but　I　think　most　of　it　was　rage。　He　hated　Delacroix。　I　don't　know　just　why；　but　he　did。　
〃Go　see　if　Warden　Moores　is　still　here；〃　I　told　Percy。　〃If　he　is；　give　him　a　plete　verbal　report　on　what　happened。　Tell　him　he'll　have　my　written　report　on　his　desk　tomorrow；　if　I　can　manage　it。〃　
Percy　swelled　visibly　at　this　responsibility；　for　a　horrible　moment　or　two；　I　actually　thought　he　might　salute。　〃Yes；　sir。　I　will。〃　
〃Begin　by　telling　him　that　the　situation　in　E　Block　is　normal。　It's　not　a　story；　and　the　warden　won't　appreciate　you　dragging　it　out　to　heighten　the　suspense。〃　
〃I　won't。〃　
〃Okay。　Off　you　go。〃　
He　started　for　the　door；　then　turned　back。　The　one　thing　you　could　count　on　with　him　was　contrariness。　I　desperately　wanted　him　gone；　my　groin　was　on　fire；　and　now　he　didn't　seem　to　want　to　go。　
〃Are　you　all　right；　Paul？〃　he　asked。　〃Running　a　fever；　maybe？　Got　a　touch　of　the　grippe？　Cause　there's　sweat　all　over　your　face。〃　
〃I　might　have　a　touch　of　something；　but　mostly　I'm　fine；〃　I　said。　〃Go　on；　Percy；　tell　the　warden。〃　
He　nodded　and　left　…　thank　Christ　for　small　favors。　As　soon　as　the　door　was　closed；　I　lunged　into　my　office。　Leaving　the　duty　desk　unmanned　was　against　regulations；　but　I　was　beyond　caring　about　that。　It　was　bad　…　like　it　had　been　that　morning。　
I　managed　to　get　into　the　little　toilet　cubicle　behind　the　desk　and　to　get　my　business　out　of　my　pants　before　the　urine　started　to　gush；　but　it　was　a　near　thing。　I　had　to　put　a　hand　over　my　mouth　to　stifle　a　scream　as　I　began　to　flow；　and　grabbed　blindly　for　the　lip　of　the　washstand　with　the　other。　It　wasn't　like　my　house；　where　I　could　fall　to　my　knees　and　piss　a　puddle　beside　the　woodpile；　if　I　went　to　my　knees　here；　the　urine　would　go　all　over　the　floor。　
I　managed　to　keep　my　feet　and　not　to　scream；　but　it　was　a　close　thing　on　both　counts。　It　felt　like　my　urine　had　been　filled　with　tiny　slivers　of　broken　glass。　The　smell　ing　up　from　the　toilet　bowl　was　swampy　and　unpleasant；　and　I　could　see　white　stuff　…　pus；　I　guess　…　floating　on　the　surface　of　the　water。　
I　took　the　towel　off　the　rack　and　wiped　my　face　with　it。　I　was　sweating；　all　right；　it　was　pouring　off　me。　I　looked　into　the　metal　mirror　and　saw　the　flushed　face　of　a　man　running　a　high　fever　looking　back　at　me。　Hundred　and　three？　Hundred　and　four？　
Better　not　to　know；　maybe。　I　put　the　towel　back　on　its　bar；　flushed　the　toilet；　and　walked　slowly　back　across　my　office　to　the　cellblock　door。　I　was　afraid　Bill　Dodge　or　someone　else　might　have　e　in　and　seen　three　prisoners　with　no　attendants；　but　the　place　was　empty。　Wharton　still　lay　unconscious　on　his　bunk；　Delacroix　had　fallen　silent；　and　John　Coffey　had　never　made　a　single　noise　at　all；　I　suddenly　realized。　Not　a　peep。　Which　was　worrisome。　
I　went　down　the　Mile　and　glanced　into　Coffey's　cell；　half…expecting　to　discover　he'd　mitted　suicide　in　one　of　the　two　mon　Death　Row　ways　either　hanging　himself　with　his　pants；　or　gnawing　into　his　wrists。　No　such　thing；　it　turned　out。　Coffey　merely　sat　on　the　end　of　his　bunk　with　his　hands　in　his　lap；　the　largest　man　I'd　ever　seen　in　my　life；　looking　at　me　with　his　strange；　wet　eyes。　
〃Cap'n？〃　he　said。　
〃What's　up；　big　boy？〃　
〃I　need　to　see　you。〃　
〃Ain't　you　looking　right　at　me；　John　Coffey？〃　
He　said　nothing　to　this；　only　went　on　studying　me　with　his　strange；　leaky　gaze。　I　sighed。　
〃In　a　second；　big　boy。〃　
I　looked　over　at　Delacroix；　who　was　standing　at　the　bars　of　his　cell。　Mr。　Jingles；　his　pet　mouse　（Delacroix　would　tell　you　he'd　trained　Mr。　Jingles　to　do　tricks；　but　us　folks　who　worked　on　the　Green　Mile　were　pretty　much　unanimous　in　the　opinion　that　Mr。　Jingles　had　trained　himself）；　was　jumping　restlessly　back　and　forth　from　one　of　Del's　outstretched　hands　to　the　other；　like　an　acrobat　doing　leaps　from　platforms　high　above　the　center　ring。　His　eyes　were　huge；　his　ears　laid　back　against　his　sleek　brown　skull。　I　hadn't　any　doubt　that　the　mouse　was　reacting　to　Delacroix's　nerves。　As　I　watched；　he　ran　down　Delacroix's　pants　leg　and　across　the　cell　to　where　the　brightly　colored　spool　lay　against　one　wall。　He　pushed　the　spool　back　to　Delacroix's　foot　and　then　looked　up　at　him　eagerly；　but　the　little　Cajun　took　no　notice　of　his　friend；　at　least　for　the　time　being。　
〃What　happen；　boss？〃　Delacroix　asked。　〃Who　been　hurt？〃　
〃Everything's　jake；〃　I　said。　〃Our　new　boy　came　in　like　a　lion；　but　now　he's　passed　out　like　a　lamb。　All's　well　that　ends　well。〃　
〃It　ain't　over　yet；〃　Delacroix　said；　looking　up　the　Mile　toward　the　cell　where　Wharton　was　jugged。　〃L'homme　mauvais；　c'est〃　
〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃don't　let　it　get　you　down；　Del。　Nobody's　going　to　make　you　play　skiprope　with　him　out　in　the　yard。〃　
There　was　a　creaking　sound　from　behind　me　as　Coffey　got　off　his　bunk。　〃Boss　Edgebe！〃　he　said　again。　This　time　he　sounded　urgent。　〃I　need　to　talk　to　you！〃　
I　turned　to　him；　thinking；　all　right；　no　problem；　talking　was　my　business。　All　the　time　trying　not　to　shiver；　because　the　fever　had　turned　cold；　as　they　sometimes　will。　Except　for　my　groin；　which　still　felt　as　if　it　had　been　slit　open；　filled　with　hot　coals；　and　then　sewed　back　up　again。　
〃So　talk；　John　Coffey；〃　I　said；　trying　to　keep　my　voice　light　and　calm。　For　the　first　time　since　he'd　e　onto　E　Block；　Coffey　looked　as　though　he　was　really　here；　really　among　us。　The　almost　ceaseless　trickle　of　tears　from　the　corners　of　his　eyes　had　ceased；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　and　I　knew　he　was　seeing　what　he　was　looking　at　…　Mr。　Paul　Edgebe；　E　Block's　bull…goose　screw；　and　not　some　place　he　wished　he　could　return　to；　and　take　back　the　terrible　thing　he'd　done。　
〃No；〃　he　said。　〃You　got　to　e　in　here。〃　
〃Now；　you　know　I　can't　do　that；〃　I　said；　still　trying　for　the　light　tone；　〃at　least　not　right　this　minute。　I'm　on　my　own　here　for　the　time　being；　and　you　outweigh　me　by　just　about　a　ton　and　a　half。　We've　had　us　one　hooraw　this　afternoon；　and　that's　enough。　So　we'll　just　have　us　a　chat　through　the　bars；　if　it's　all　the　same　to　you；　and　…　〃　
〃Please！〃　He　was　holding　the　bars　so　tightly　that　his　knuckles　were　pale　and　his　fingernails　were　white。　His　face　was　long　with　distress；　those　strange　eyes　sharp　with　some　need　I　could　not　understand。　I　remember　thinking　that　maybe　I　could've　understood　it　if　I　hadn't　been　so　sick；　and　knowing　that　would　have　given　me　a　way　of　helping　him　through　the　rest　of　it。　When　you　know　what　a　man　needs；　you　know　the　man；　more　often　than　not。　〃Please；　Boss　Edgebe！　You　have　to　e　in！〃　
That's　the　nuttiest　thing　I　ever　heard；　I　thought；　and　then　realized　something　even　nuttier：　I　was　going　to　do　it。　I　had　my　keys　off　my　belt　and　I　was　hunting　through　them　for　the　ones　that　opened　John　Coffey's　cell。　He　could　have　picked　me　up　and　broken　me　over　his　knee　like　kindling　on　a　day　when　I　was　well　and