子浪小说

第27部分（第1页）

〃Lemme　out　of　it；〃　Wharton　said。　He　looked　from　Brutal　to　Harry　to　me；　the　red　creeping　back　into　his　face。　〃Ill　be　good　…　I　tell　you　Ive　learned　my　lesson。　I　。。。　I　。。。　ummmmmahhhhhhh…！〃

He　suddenly　collapsed；　half　of　him　in　the　cell；　half　of　him　on　the　played…out　lino　of　the　Green　Mile；　kicking　his　feet　and　bucking　his　body。

〃Holy　Christ；　hes　pitchin　a　fit；〃　Percy　whispered。

〃Sure；　and　my　sisters　the　Whore　of　Babylon；〃　Brutal　said。　〃She　dances　the　hootchie…kootchie　for　Moses　on　Saturday　nights　in　a　long　white　veil。〃　He　bent　down　and　hooked　a　hand　into　one　of　Whartons　armpits。　I　got　the　other　one。　Wharton　threshed　between　us　like　a　hooked　fish。　Carrying　his　jerking　body；　listening　to　him　grunt　from　one　end　and　fart　from　the　other　was　one　of　my　lifes　less　pleasant　experiences。

I　looked　up　and　met　John　Coffeys　eyes　for　a　second。　They　were　bloodshot；　and　his　dark　cheeks　were　wet。　He　had　been　crying　again。　I　thought　of　Hammersmith　making　that　biting　gesture　with　his　hand　and　shivered　a　little。　Then　I　turned　my　attention　back　to　Wharton。

We　threw　him　into　the　restraint　room　like　he　was　cargo；　and　watched　him　lie　on　the　floor；　bucking　hard　in　the　straitjacket　next　to　the　drain　we　had　once　checked　for　the　mouse　which　had　started　its　E　Block　life　as　Steamboat　Willy。

〃I　dont　much　care　if　he　swallows　his　tongue　or　something　and　dies；〃　Dean　said　in　his　hoarse　and　raspy　voice；　〃but　think　of　the　paperwork；　boys！　Itd　never　end。〃

〃Never　mind　the　paperwork；　think　of　the　hearing；〃　Harry　said　gloomily。　〃Wed　lose　our　damned　jobs。　End　up　picking　peas　down　Mississippi。　You　know　what　Mississippi　is；　dont　you？　Its　the　Indian　word　for　asshole。〃

〃He　aint　gonna　die；　and　he　aint　gonna　swallow　his　tongue；　either；〃　Brutal　said。　〃When　we　open　this　door　tomorrow；　hes　gonna　be　just　fine。　Take　my　word　for　it。〃

Thats　the　way　it　was；　too。　The　man　we　took　back　to　his　cell　the　next　night　at　nine　was　quiet；　pallid；　and　seemingly　chastened。　He　walked　with　his　head　down；　made　no　effort　to　attack　anyone　when　the　straitjacket　came　off；　and　only　stared　listlessly　at　me　when　I　told　him　it　would　go　just　the　same　the　next　time；　and　he　just　had　to　ask　himself　how　much　time　he　wanted　to　spend　pissing　in　his　pants　and　eating　baby…food　a　spoonful　at　a　time。

〃Ill　be　good；　boss；　I　learnt　my　lesson；〃　he　whispered　in　a　humble　little　voice　as　we　put　him　back　in　his　cell。　Brutal　looked　at　me　and　winked。

Late　the　next　day；　William　Wharton；　who　was　Billy　the　Kid　to　himself　and　never　that　bushwhacking　John　Law　Wild　Bill　Hickok；　bought　a　moon…pie　from　Old　Toot…Toot。　Wharton　had　been　expressly　forbidden　any　such　merce；　but　the　afternoon　crew　was　posed　of　floaters；　as　I　think　I　have　said；　and　the　deal　went　down。　Toot　himself　undoubtedly　knew　better；　but　to　him　the　snack…wagon　was　always　a　case　of　a　nickel　is　a　nickel；　a　dime　is　a　dime；　Id　sing　another　chorus　but　I　dont　have　the　time。

That　night；　when　Brutal　ran　his　check…round；　Wharton　was　standing　at　the　door　of　his　cell。　He　waited　until　Brutal　looked　up　at　him；　then　slammed　the　heels　of　his　hands　into　his　bulging　cheeks　and　shot　a　thick　and　amazingly　long　stream　of　chocolate　sludge　into　Brutals　face。　He　had　crammed　the　entire　moon…pie　into　his　trap；　held　it　there　until　it　liquefied；　and　then　used　it　like　chewing　tobacco。

Wharton　fell　back　on　his　bunk　wearing　a　chocolate　goatee；　kicking　his　legs　and　screaming　with　laughter　and　pointing　to　Brutal；　who　was　wearing　a　lot　more　than　a　goatee。　〃Lil　Black　Sambo；　yassuh；　boss；　yassuh；　howdoo　you　do？〃　Wharton　held　his　belly　and　howled。　〃Gosh；　if　it　had　only　been　ka…ka！　I　wish　it　had　been！　If　Id　had　me　some　of　that………〃

〃You　are　ka…ka；〃　Brutal　growled；　〃and　I　hope　you　got　your　bags　packed；　because　youre　going　back　down　to　your　favorite　toilet。〃

Once　again　Wharton　was　bundled　into　the　strait　jacket；　and　once　again　we　stowed　him　in　the　room　with　the　soft　walls。　Two　days；　this　time。　Sometimes　we　could　hear　him　raving　in　there；　sometimes　we　could　hear　him　promising　that　hed　be　good；　that　hed　e　to　his　senses　and　be　good；　and　sometimes　we　could　hear　him　screaming　that　he　needed　a　doctor；　that　he　was　dying。　Mostly；　though；　he　was　silent。　And　he　was　silent　when　we　took　him　out　again；　too；　walking；　back　to　his　cell　with　his　head　down　and　his　eyes　dull；　not　responding　when　Harry　said；　〃Remember；　its　up　to　you。〃　He　would　be　all　right　for　a　while；　and　then　hed　try　something　else。　There　was　nothing　he　did　that　hadnt　been　tried　before　（well；　except　for　the　thing　with　the　moon…pie；　maybe；　even　Brutal　admitted　that　was　pretty　original）；　but　his　sheer　persistence　was　scary。　I　was　afraid　that　sooner　or　later　someones　attention　might　lapse　and　there　would　be　hell　to　pay。　And　the　situation　might　continue　for　quite　awhile；　because　somewhere　he　had　a　lawyer　who　was　beating　the　bushes；　telling　folks　how　wrong　it　would　be　to　kill　this　fellow　upon　whose　brow　the　dew　of　youth　had　not　yet　dried　…　and　who　was；　incidentally；　as　white　as　old　Jeff　Davis。　There　was　no　sense　plaining　about　it；　because　keeping　Wharton　out　of　the　chair　was　his　lawyers　job。　Keeping　him　safely　jugged　was　ours。　And　in　the　end；　Old　Sparky　would　almost　certainly　have　him；　lawyer　or　no　lawyer。

6。

That　was　the　week　Melinda　Moores；　the　wardens　wife；　came　home　from　Indianola。　The　doctors　were　done　with　her；　they　had　their　interesting；　newfangled　X…ray　photographs　of　the　tumor　in　her　head；　they　had　documented　the　weakness　in　her　hand　and　the　paralyzing　pains　that　racked　her　almost　constantly　by　then；　and　were　done　with　her。　They　gave　her　husband　a　bunch　of　pills　with　morphine　in　them　and　sent　Melinda　home　to　die。　Hal　Moores　had　some　sick…leave　piled　up　…　not　a　lot；　they　didnt　give　you　a　lot　in　those　days；　but　he　took　what　he　had　so　he　could　help　her　do　what　she　had　to　do。

My　wife　and　I　went　to　see　her　three　days　or　so　after　she　came　home。　I　called　ahead　and　Hal　said　yes；　that　would　be　fine；　Melinda　was　having　a　pretty　good　day　and　would　enjoy　seeing　us。

〃I　hate　calls　like　this；〃　I　said　to　Janice　as　we　drove　to　the　little　house　where　the　Mooreses　had　spent　most　of　their　marriage。

〃So　does　everyone；　honey；〃　she　said；　and　patted　my　hand。　〃Well　bear　up　under　it；　and　so　will　she。〃

〃I　hope　so。〃

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