子浪小说

第10部分（第2页）

〃When　I　was　a　kid　I　wasnt　big　like　I　am　now；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　got　most　of　my　growth　between　fifteen　and　seventeen。　Until　then　I　was　a　shrimp。　And　when　I　went　off　to　school　the　first　time；　I　felt　as　small　as　。。。　why；　as　small　as　a　mouse；　I　guess　youd　say。　I　was　scared　to　death。　So　you　know　what　I　did？〃

I　shook　my　head。　Outside；　the　wind　gusted　again。　In　the　angles　formed　by　the　beams；　cobwebs　shook　in　feathery　drafts；　like　rotted　lace。　Never　had　I　been　in　a　place　that　felt　so　nakedly　haunted；　and　it　was　right　then；　as　we　stood　there　looking　down　at　the　splintered　remains　of　the　spool　which　had　caused　so　much　trouble；　that　my　head　began　to　know　what　my　heart　had　understood　ever　since　John　Coffey　had　walked　the　Green　Mile：　I　couldnt　do　this　job　much　longer。　Depression；　or　no　Depression；　I　couldnt　watch　many　more　men　walk　through　my　office　to　their　deaths。　Even　one　more　might　be　too　many。

〃I　asked　my　mother　for　one　of　her　hankies；〃　Brutal　said。　〃So　when　I　felt　weepy　and　small；　I　could　sneak　it　out　and　smell　her　perfume　and　not　feel　so　bad。〃

〃You　think　…　what？　…　that　mouse　chewed　off　some　of　that　colored　spool　to　remember　Delacroix　by？　That　a　mouse　…〃

He　looked　up。　I　thought　for　a　moment　I　saw　tears　in　his　eyes；　but　I　guess　I　was　probably　wrong　about　that。　〃I　aint　saying　nothing；　Paul。　But　I　found　them　up　there；　and　I　smelled　peppermint；　same　as　you　…　you　know　you　did。　And　I　cant　do　this　no　more。　I　wont　do　this　no　more。　Seeing　one　more　man　in　that　chaird　just　about　kill　me。　Im　going　to　put　in　for　a　transfer　to　Boys　Correctional　on　Monday。　If　I　get　it　before　the　next　one；　thats　fine。　If　I　dont；　Ill　resign　and　go　back　to　farming。〃

〃What　did　you　ever　farm；　besides　rocks？〃

〃It　dont　matter。〃

〃I　know　it　doesnt；〃　I　said。　〃I　think　Ill　put　in　with　you。…〃

He　looked　at　me　close；　making　sure　I　wasnt　just　having　some　sport　with　him；　then　nodded　as　if　it　was　a　settled　thing。　The　wind　gusted　again；　strong　enough　this　time　to　make　the　beams　creak　and　settle；　and　we　both　looked　around　uneasily　at　the　padded　walls。　I　think　for　a　moment　we　could　hear　William　Wharton　…　not　Billy　the　Kid；　not　him；　he　had　been　〃Wild　Bill〃　to　us　from　his　first　day　on　the　block　…　screaming　and　laughing；　telling　us　we　were　going　to　be　damned　glad　to　be　rid　of　him；　telling　us　we　would　never　forget　him。　About　those　things　he　was　right。

As　for　what　Brutal　and　I　agreed　on　that　night　in　the　restraint　room；　it　turned　out　just　that　way　It　was　almost　as　if　we　had　taken　a　solemn　oath　on　those　tiny　bits　of　colored；　wood。　Neither　of　us　ever　took　part　in　another　execution。　John　Coffey　was　the　last。

Part　Two：

The　Mouse　on　the　Mile

1。

The　nursing　home　where　I　am　crossing　my　last　bunch　of　ts　and　dotting　my　last　mess　of　is　is　called　Georgia　Pines。　Its　about　sixty　miles　from　Atlanta　and　about　two　hundred　light…years　from　life　as　most　people　…　people　under　the　age　of　eighty；　lets　say　…　live　it。　You　who　are　reading　this　want　to　be　careful　that　there　isnt　a　place　like　it　waiting　in　your　future。　Its　not　a　cruel　place；　not　for　the　most　part；　theres　cable　TV；　the　foods　good　（although　theres　damned　little　a　man　can　chew）；　but　in　its　way；　its　as　much　of　a　killing　bottle　as　E　Block　at　Cold　Mountain　ever　was。

Theres　even　a　fellow　here　who　reminds　me　a　little　of　Percy　Wetmore；　who　got　his　job　on　the　Green　Mile　because　he　was　related　to　the　governor　of　the　state。　I　doubt　if　this　fellow　is　related　to　anyone　important；　even　though　he　acts　that　way。　Brad　Dolan；　his　name　is。　Hes　always　bing　his　hair；　like　Percy　was；　and　hes　always　got　something　to　read　stuffed　into　his　back　pocket。　With　Percy　it　was　magazines　like　Argosy　and　Mens　Adventure；　with　Brad　its　these　little　paperbacks　called　Gross　jokes　and　Sick　jokes。　Hes　always　asking　people　why　the　Frenchman　crossed　the　road　or　how　many　Polacks　it　takes　to　screw　in　a　lightbulb　or　how　many　pallbearers　there　are　at　a　Harlem　funeral。　Like　Percy；　Brad　is　a　dimwit　who　thinks　nothing　is　funny　unless　its　mean。

Something　Brad　said　the　other　day　struck　me　as　actually　smart；　but　I　dont　give　him　a　lot　of　credit　for　it；　even　a　stopped　clock　is　right　twice　a　day；　the　proverb　has　it。　〃Youre　just　lucky　you　dont　have　that　Alzheimers　disease；　Paulie；〃　was　what　he　said。　I　hate　him　calling　me　that；　Paulie；　but　he　goes　on　doing　it；　anyway；　Ive　given　up　asking　him　to　quit。　There　are　other　sayings　…　not　quite　proverbs　…　that　apply　to　Brad　Dolan：　〃You　can　lead　a　horse　to　water　but　you　cant　make　him　drink〃　is　one；　〃You　can　dress　him　up　but　you　cant　take　him　out〃　is　another。　In　his　thickheadedness　he　is　also　like　Percy。

When　he　made　his　ment　about　Alzheimers；　he　was　mopping　the　floor　of　the　solarium；　where　I　had　been　going　over　the　pages　I　have　already　written。　Theres　a　great　lot　of　them；　and　I　think　theres　apt　to　be　a　great　lot　more　before　I　am　through。　〃That　Alzheimers；　do　you　know　what　it　really　is？〃

〃No；〃　I　said；　…　but　Im　sure　youll　tell　me；　Brad。〃

〃Its　AIDS　for　old　people；〃　he　said；　and　then　burst　out　laughing；　hucka…hucka…hucka…huck！；　just　like　he　does　over　those　idiotic　jokes　of　his。

I　didnt　laugh；　though；　because　what　he　said　struck　a　nerve　somewhere。　Not　that　I　have　Alzheimers；　although　theres　plenty　of　it　on　view　here　at　beautiful　Georgia　Pines；　I　myself　just　suffer　the　standard　oldguy　memory　problems。　Those　problems　seem　to　have　more　to　do　with　when　than　what。　Looking　over　what　I　have　written　so　far；　it　occurs　to　me　that　I　remember　everything　that　happened　back　in　32；　its　the　order　of　events　that　sometimes　gets　confused　in　my　head。　Yet；　if　Im　careful；　I　think　I　can　keep　even　that　sorted　out。　More　or　less。

John　Coffey　came　to　E　Block　and　the　Green　Mile　in　October　of　that　year；　condemned　for　the　murder　of　the　nine…year…old　Detterick　twins。　Thats　my　major　landmark；　and　if　I　keep　it　in　view；　I　should　do　just　fine。　William　Wild　Bill〃　Wharton　came　after　Coffey；　Delacroix　came　before。　So　did　the　mouse；　the　one　Brutus　Howell　…　Brutal；　to　his　friends　…　called　Steamboat　Willy　and　Delacroix　ended　up　calling　Mr。　Jingles。

Whatever　you　called　him；　the　mouse　came　first；　even　before　Del　…　it　was　still　summer　when　he　showed　up；　and　we　had　two　other　prisoners　on　the　Green　Mile：　The　Chief；　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　and　The　Pres；　Arthur　Flanders。

That　mouse。　That　goddam　mouse。　Delacroix　loved　it；　but　Percy　Wetmore　sure　didnt。

Percy　hated　it　from　the　first。

2。

The　mouse　came　back　just　about　three　days

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