子浪小说

第22部分（第1页）

eport　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　itll　be　you。　And　I　wont　miss。〃

〃Hello；　Wharton；〃　I　said；　as　evenly　as　I　could。　〃Under　the　circumstances；　I　guess　I　can　skip　the　speech　and　the　Wele　Wagon；　dont　you　think？〃

His　grin　faltered　just　a　little。　It　wasnt　the　sort　of　response　he　had　expected；　and　probably　wasnt　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　lets　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　hed　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。　Thats　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　wasnt　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　Percys　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　dont　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　hell　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。　Its　not　a　story；　and　the　warden　wont　appreciate　you　dragging　it　out　to　heighten　the　suspense。〃

〃I　wont。〃

〃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　didnt　seem　to　want　to　go。

〃Are　you　all　right；　Paul？〃　he　asked。　〃Running　a　fever；　maybe？　Got　a　touch　of　the　grippe？　Cause　theres　sweat　all　over　your　face。〃

〃I　might　have　a　touch　of　something；　but　mostly　Im　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　wasnt　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　Coffeys　cell；　half…expecting　to　discover　hed　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　Id　ever　seen　in　my　life；　looking　at　me　with　his　strange；　wet　eyes。

〃Capn？〃　he　said。

〃Whats　up；　big　boy？〃

〃I　need　to　see　you。〃

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