子浪小说

第44部分（第1页）

Then　it　got　to　be　ten　of　twelve；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　gave　Dean　a　little　nod。　He　went　into　my　office　with　a　bottle　of　R。C。　Cola　bought　off　Toots　cart；　and　came　back　out　a　minute　or　two　later。　The　cola　was　now　in　a　tin　cup；　which　a　prisoner　cant　break　and　then　slash　with。

I　took　it　and　glanced　around。　Harry；　Dean；　and　Brutal　were　all　watching　me。　So；　for　that　matter；　was　John　Coffey。　Not　Percy；　though。　Percy　had　returned　to　the　storage　room；　where　he　probably　felt　more　at　ease　on　this　particular　night。　I　gave　the　tin　cup　a　quick　sniff　and　got　no　odor　except　for　the　R。C。；　which　had　an　odd　but　pleasant　cinnamon　smell　back　in　those　days。

I　took　it　down　to　Whartons　cell。　He　was　lying　on　his　bunk。　He　wasnt　masturbating　…　yet；　anyway　…　but　had　raised　quite　a　boner　inside　his　shorts　and　was　giving　it　a　good　healthy　twang　every　now　and　again；　like　a　dopey　bass…fiddler　hammering　an　extrathick　E…string。

〃Kid；〃　I　said。

〃Dont　bother　me；〃　he　said。

〃Okay；〃　I　agreed。　〃I　brought　you　a　pop　for　behaving　like　a　human　being　all　night　…　damn　near　a　record　for　you　…　but　Ill　just　drink　it　myself。〃

I　made　as　if　to　do　just　that；　raising　the　tin　cup　（battered　all　up　and　down　the　sides　from　many　angry　bangings　on　many　sets　of　cell　bars）　to　my　lips。　Wharton　was　off　the　bunk　in　a　flash；　which　didnt　surprise　me。　It　wasnt　a　high…risk　bluff；　most　deep　cons　…　lifers；　rapists；　and　the　men　slated　for　Old　Sparky　…　are　pigs　for　their　sweets；　and　this　one　was　no　exception。

〃Gimme　that；　you　clunk；〃　Wharton　said。　He　spoke　as　if　he　were　the　foreman　and　I　was　just　another　lowly　peon。　〃Give　it　to　the　Kid。〃

I　held　it　just　outside　the　bars；　letting　him　be　the　one　to　reach　through。　Doing　it　the　other　way　around　is　a　recipe　for　disaster；　as　any　long…time　prison　screw　will　tell　you。　That　was　the　kind　of　stuff　we　thought　of　without　even　knowing　we　were　thinking　of　it　…　the　way　we　knew　not　to　let　the　cons　call　us　by　our　first　names；　the　way　we　knew　that　the　sound　of　rapidly　jingling　keys　meant　trouble　on　the　block；　because　it　was　the　sound　of　a　prison　guard　running　and　prison　guards　never　run　unless　theres　trouble　in　the　valley。　Stuff　Percy　Wetmore　was　never　going　to　get　wise　to。

Tonight；　however；　Wharton　had　no　interest　in　grabbing　or　choking。　He　snatched　the　tin　cup；　downed　the　pop　in　three　long　swallows；　then　voiced　a　resounding　belch。　〃Excellent！〃　he　said。

I　held　my　hand　out。　〃Cup。〃

He　held　it　for　a　moment；　teasing　with　his　eyes。　〃Suppose　I　keep　it？〃

I　shrugged。　〃Well　e　in　and　take　it　back。　Youll　go　down　to　the　little　room。　And　you　will　have　drunk　your　last　R。C。　Unless　they　serve　it　down　in　hell；　that　is。〃

His　smile　faded。　〃I　dont　like　jokes　about　hell；　screwtip。〃　He　thrust　the　cup　out　through　the　bars。　〃Here。　Take　it。〃

I　took　it。　From　behind　me；　Percy　said：　〃Why　in　Gods　name　did　you　want　to　give　a　lugoon　like　him　a　soda…pop？〃

Because　it　was　loaded　with　enough　infirmary　dope　to　put　him　on　his　back　for　forty…eight　hours；　and　he　never　tasted　a　thing；　I　thought。

〃With　Paul；〃　Brutal　said；　〃the　quality　of　mercy　is　not　strained；　it　droppeth　like　the　gentle　rain　from　heaven。〃

〃Huh？〃　Percy　asked；　frowning。

〃Means　hes　a　soft　touch。　Always　has　been；　always　will　be。　Want　to　play　a　game　of　Crazy　Eights；　Percy？〃

Percy　snorted。　〃Except　for　Go　Fish　and　Old　Maid；　thats　the　stupidest　card…game　ever　made。〃

〃Thats　why　I　thought　you　might　like　a　few　hands；〃　Brutal　said；　smiling　sweetly。

〃Everybodys　a　Wisenheimer；〃　Percy　said；　and　sulked　off　into　my　office。　I　didnt　care　much　for　the　little　rat　parking　his　ass　behind　my　desk；　but　I　kept　my　mouth　shut。

The　clock　crawled。　Twelve…twenty；　twelve…thirty。　At　twelve…forty；　John　Coffey　got　up　off　his　bunk　and　stood　at　his　cell　door；　hands　grasping　the　bars　loosely。　Brutal　and　I　walked　down　to　Whartons　cell　and　looked　in。　He　lay　there　on　his　bunk；　smiling　up　at　the　ceiling。　His　eyes　were　open；　but　they　looked　like　big　glass　balls。　One　hand　lay　on　his　chest；　the　other　dangled　limply　off　the　side　of　his　bunk；　knuckles　brushing　the　floor。

〃Gosh；〃　Brutal　said；　〃from　Billy　the　Kid　to　Willie　the　Weeper　in　less　than　an　hour。　I　wonder　how　many　of　those　morphine　pills　Dean　put　in　that　tonic。〃

〃Enough；〃　I　said。　There　was　a　little　tremble　in　my　voice。　I　dont　know　if　Brutal　heard　it；　but　I　sure　did。　〃e　on。　Were　going　to　do　it。〃

〃You　dont　want　to　wait　for　beautiful　there　to　pass　out？〃

〃Hes　passed　out　now；　Brute。　Hes　just　too　buzzed　to　close　his　eyes。〃

〃Youre　the　boss。〃　He　looked　around　for　Harry；　but　Harry　was　already　there。　Dean　was　sitting　boltupright　at　the　duty　desk；　shuffling　the　cards　so　hard　and　fast　it　was　a　wonder　they　didnt　catch　fire；　throwing　a　little　glance　to　his　left；　at　my　office；　with　every　flutter…shuffle。　Keeping　an　eye　out　for　Percy。

〃Is　it　time？〃　Harry　asked。　His　long；　horsey　face　was　very　pale　above　his　blue　uniform　blouse；　but　he　looked　determined。

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃If　were　going　through　with　it；　its　time。〃

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