子浪小说

第38部分（第2页）

〃Yes。　Of　course。〃

〃Can　I　ask　who　told　you？〃　So　I　can　tie　a　can　to　his　tail？　I　didnt　add。

〃You　can　ask；　but　since　its　really　none　of　your　beeswax；　I　think　Ill　keep　my　mouth　shut　on　that　score。　But　when　I　called　my　office　to　see　if　there　were　any　messages　or　urgent　business；　I　was　told　an　interesting　thing。〃

〃Oh？〃

〃Yes。　Seems　a　transferral　application　landed　in　my　basket。　Percy　Wetmore　wants　to　go　to　Briar　Ridge　as　soon　as　possible。　Must　have　filled　out　the　application　even　before　last　nights　shift　was　over；　wouldnt　you　think？〃

〃It　sounds　that　way；〃　I　agreed。

〃Ordinarily　Id　let　Curtis　handle　it；　but　considering　the　。。。　atmosphere　on　E　Block　just　lately；　I　asked　Hannah　to　run　it　over　to　me　personally　on　her　lunch　hour。　She　has　graciously　agreed　to　do　so。　Ill　approve　it　and　see　its　forwarded　on　to　the　state　capital　this　afternoon。　I　expect　youll　get　a　look　at　Percys　backside　going　out　the　door　in　no　more　than　a　month。　Maybe　less。〃

He　expected　me　to　be　pleased　with　this　news；　and　had　a　right　to　expect　it。　He　had　taken　time　out　from　tending　his　wife　to　expedite　a　matter　that　might　otherwise　have　taken　upwards　of　half　a　year；　even　with　Percys　vaunted　connections。　Nevertheless；　my　heart　sank。　A　month！　But　maybe　it　didnt　matter　much；　one　way　or　the　other。　It　removed　a　perfectly　natural　desire　to　wait　and　put　off　a　risky　endeavor；　and　what　I　was　now　thinking　about　would　be　very　risky　indeed。　Sometimes；　when　thats　the　case；　its　better　to　jump　before　you　can　lose　your　nerve。　If　we　were　going　to　have　to　deal　with　Percy　in　any　case　（always　assuming　I　could　get　the　others　to　go　along　with　my　insanity　…　always　assuming　there　was　a　we；　in　other　words）；　it　might　as　well　be　tonight。

〃Paul？　Are　you　there？〃　His　voice　lowered　a　little；　as　if　he　thought　he　was　now　talking　to　himself。　〃Damn；　I　think　I　lost　the　connection。〃

〃No；　Im　here；　Hal。　Thats　great　news。〃

〃Yes；〃　he　agreed；　and　I　was　again　struck　by　how　old　he　sounded。　How　papery；　somehow。　〃Oh；　I　know　what　youre　thinking。〃

No；　you　dont；　Warden；　I　thought。　Never　in　a　million　years　could　you　know　what　Im　thinking。

〃Youre　thinking　that　our　young　friend　will　still　be　around　for　the　Coffey　execution。　Thats　probably　true　…　Coffey　will　go　well　before　Thanksgiving；　I　imagine　…　but　you　can　put　him　back　in　the　switch　room。　No　one　will　object。　Including　him；　I　should　think。〃

〃Ill　do　that；〃　I　said。　〃Hal；　hows　Melinda？〃

There　was　a　long　pause　so　long　I　might　have　thought　Id　lost　him；　except　for　the　sound　of　his　breathing。　When　he　spoke　this　time；　it　was　in　a　much　lower　tone　of　voice。　〃Shes　sinking；〃　he　said。

Sinking。　That　chilly　word　the　old…timers　used　not　to　describe　a　person　who　was　dying；　exactly；　but　one　who　had　begun　to　uncouple　from　living。

〃The　headaches　seem　a　little　better　。。。　for　now；　anyway　。。。　but　she　cant　walk　without　help；　she　cant　pick　things　up；　she　loses　control　of　her　water　while　she　sleeps　。　。　。〃　There　was　another　pause；　and　then；　in　an　even　lower　voice；　Hal　said　something　that　sounded　like　〃She　wears。〃

〃Wears　what；　Hal？〃　I　asked；　frowning。　My　wife　had　e　into　the　parlor　doorway。　She　stood　there　wiping　her　hands　on　a　dishtowel　and　looking　at　me。

〃No；〃　he　said　in　a　voice　that　seemed　to　waver　between　anger　and　tears。　〃She　swears。〃

〃Oh。〃　I　still　didnt　know　what　he　meant；　but　had　no　intention　of　pursuing　it。　I　didnt　have　to；　he　did　it　for　me。

〃Shell　be　all　right；　perfectly　normal；　talking　about　her　flower…garden　or　a　dress　she　saw　in　the　catalogue；　or　maybe　about　how　she　heard　Roosevelt　on　the　radio　and　how　wonderful　he　sounds；　and　then；　all　at　once；　shell　start　to　say　the　most　awful　things；　the　most　awful　。。。　words。　She　doesnt　raise　her　voice。　It　would　almost　be　better　if　she　did；　I　think；　because　then　。。。　you　see；　then　。　。　。〃

〃She　wouldnt　sound　so　much　like　herself。〃

〃Thats　it；〃　he　said　gratefully。　〃But　to　hear　her　saying　those　awful　gutter…language　things　in　her　sweet　voice　。。。　pardon　me；　Paul。〃　His　voice　trailed　away　and　I　heard　him　noisily　clearing　his　throat。　Then　he　came　back；　sounding　a　little　stronger　but　just　as　distressed。　〃She　wants　to　have　Pastor　Donaldson　over；　and　I　know　hes　a　fort　to　her；　but　how　can　I　ask　him？　Suppose　that　hes　sitting　there；　reading　Scripture　with　her；　and　she　calls　him　a　foul　name？　She　could；　she　called　me　one　last　night。　She　said；　Hand　me　that　Liberty　magazine；　you　cocksucker；　would　you？　Paul；　where　could　she　have　ever　heard　such　language？　How　could　she　know　those　words？〃

〃I　dont　know。　Hal；　are　you　going　to　be　home　this　evening？〃

When　he　was　well　and　in　charge　of　himself；　not　distracted　by　worry　or　grief；　Hal　Moores　ha

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