绿里奇迹(英文版)-第3章

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ne　very　old　man　whittling　away　the　end　of　his　life　in　a　Georgia　nursing　home。　That　was
a　hot　fall；　I　remember　that；　very　hot；　indeed。　October　almost　like　August；　and　the　warden's　wife；　Melinda；　up　in　the　hospital　at　Indianola　for　a　spell。　It　was　the　fall　I　had　the　worst　urinary　infection　of　my　life；　not　bad　enough　to　put　me　in　the　hospital　myself；　but　almost　bad　enough　for　me　to　wish　I　was　dead　every　time　I　took　a　leak。　It　was　the　fall　of　Delacroix；　the　little　half…bald　Frenchman　with　the　mouse；　the　one　that　came　in　the　summer　and　did　that　cute　trick　with　the　spool。　Mostly；　though；　it　was　the　fall　that　John　Coffey　came　to　E　Block；　sentenced　to　death　for　the　rape…murder　of　the　Detterick　twins。　
There　were　four　or　five　guards　on　the　block　each　shift；　but　a　lot　of　them　were　floaters。　Dean　Stanton；　Harry　Terwilliger；　and　Brutus　Howell　（the　men　called　him　〃Brutal；〃　but　it　was　a　joke；　he　wouldn't　hurt　a　fly　unless　he　had　to；　in　spite　of　his　size）　are　all　dead　now；　and　so　is　Percy　Wetmore；　who　really　was　brutal　。。。　not　to　mention　stupid。　Percy　had　no　business　on　E　Block；　where　an　ugly　nature　was　useless　and　sometimes　dangerous；　but　he　was　related　to　the　governor　by　marriage；　and　so　he　stayed。　
It　was　Percy　Wetmore　who　ushered　Coffey　onto　the　block；　with　the　supposedly　traditional　cry　of　〃Dead　man　walking！　Dead　man　walking　here！〃　
It　was　still　as　hot　as　the　hinges　of　hell；　October　or　not。　The　door　to　the　exercise　yard　opened；　letting　in　a　flood　of　brilliant　light　and　the　biggest　man　I've　ever　seen；　except　for　some　of　the　basketball　fellows　they　have　on　the　TV　down　in　the　〃Resource　Room〃　of　this　home　for　wayward　droolers　I've　finished　up　in。　He　wore　chains　on　his　arms　and　across　his　water…barrel　of　a　chest；　he　wore　legirons　on　his　ankles　and　shuffled　a　chain　between　them　that　sounded　like　cascading　coins　as　it　ran　along　the　lime　…　colored　corridor　between　the　cells。　Percy　Wetmore　was　on　one　side　of　him；　skinny　little　Harry　Terwilliger　was　on　the　other；　and　they　looked　like　children　walking　along　with　a　captured　bear。　Even　Brutus　Howell　looked　like　a　kid　next　to　Coffey；　and　Brutal　was　over　six　feet　tall　and　broad　as　well；　a　football　tackle　who　had　gone　on　to　play　at　LSU　until　he　flunked　out　and　came　back　home　to　the　ridges。　
John　Coffey　was　black；　like　most　of　the　men　who　came　to　stay　for　awhile　in　E　Block　before　dying　in　Old　Sparky's　lap；　and　he　stood　six　feet；　eight　inches　tall。　He　wasn't　all　willowy　like　the　TV　basketball　fellows；　though　…　he　was　broad　in　the　shoulders　and　deep　through　the　chest；　laced　over　with　muscle　in　every　direction。　They'd　put　him　in　the　biggest　denims　they　could　find　in　Stores；　and　still　the　cuffs　of　the　pants　rode　halfway　up　on　his　bunched　and　scarred　calves。　The　shirt　was　open　to　below　his　chest；　and　the　sleeves　stopped　somewhere　on　his　forearms。　He　was　holding　his　cap　in　one　huge　hand；　which　was　just　as　well；　perched　on　his　bald　mahogany　ball　of　a　head；　it　would　have　looked　like　the　kind　of　cap　an　organgrinder's　monkey　wears；　only　blue　instead　of　red。　He　looked　like　he　could　have　snapped　the　chains　that　held　him　as　easily　as　you　might　snap　the　ribbons　on　a　Christmas　present；　but　when　you　looked　in　his　face；　you　knew　he　wasn't　going　to　do　anything　like　that。　It　wasn't　dull…although　that　was　what　Percy　thought；　it　wasn't　long　before　Percy　was　calling　him　the　ijit　…　but　lost。　He　kept　looking　around　as　if　to　make　out　where　he　was。　Maybe　even　who　he　was。　My　first　thought　was　that　he　looked　like　a　black　Samson　。。。　only　after　Delilah　had　shaved　him　smooth　as　her　faithless　little　hand　and　taken　all　the　fun　out　of　him。　
〃Dead　man　walking！〃　Percy　trumpeted；　hauling　on　that　bear　of　a　man's　wristcuff；　as　if　he　really　believed　he　could　move　him　if　Coffey　decided　he　didn't　want　to　move　anymore　on　his　own。　Harry　didn't　say　anything；　but　he　looked　embarrassed。　〃Dead　man………！'　
'That'll　be　enough　of　that；〃　I　said。　I　was　in　what　was　going　to　be　Coffey's　cell；　sitting　on　his　bunk。　I'd　known　he　was　ing；　of　course；　was　there　to　wele　him　and　take　charge　of　him；　but　had　no　idea　of　the　man's　pure　size　until　I　saw　him。　Percy　gave　me　a　look　that　said　we　all　knew　I　was　an　asshole　（except　for　the　big　dummy；　of　course；　who　only　knew　how　to　rape　and　murder　little　girls）；　but　he　didn't　say　anything。　
The　three　of　them　stopped　outside　the　cell　door；　which　was　standing　open　on　its　track。　I　nodded　to　Harry；　who　said：　〃Are　you　sure　you　want　to　be　in　there　with　him；　boss？〃　I　didn't　often　hear　Harry　Terwilliger　sound　nervous　…　he'd　been　right　there　by　my　side　during　the　riots　of　six　or　seven　years　before　and　had　never　wavered；　even　when　the　rumors　that　some　of　them　had　guns　began　to　circulate　…　but　he　sounded　nervous　then。　
〃Am　I　going　to　have　any　trouble　with　you；　big　boy？〃　I　asked；　sitting　there　on　the　bunk　and　trying　not　to　look　or　sound　as　miserable　as　I　felt…that　urinary　infection　I　mentioned　earlier　wasn't　as　bad　as　it　eventually　got；　but　it　was　no　day　at　the　beach；　let　me　tell　you。　
Coffey　shook　his　head　slowly　…　once　to　the　left；　once　to　the　right；　then　back　to　dead　center。　Once　his　eyes　found　me；　they　never　left　me。　
Harry　had　a　clipboard　with　Coffey's　forms　on　it　in　one　hand。　〃Give　it　to　him；〃　I　said　to　Harry　〃Put　it　in　his　hand。〃　
Harry　did。　The　big　mutt　took　it　like　a　sleepwalker。　
〃Now　bring　it　to　me；　big　boy；〃　I　said；　and　Coffey　did；　his　chains　jingling　and　rattling。　He　had　to　duck　his　head　just　to　enter　the　cell。　
I　looked　up　and　down　mostly　to　register　his　height　as　a　fact　and　not　an　optical　illusion。　It　was　real：　six　feet；　eight　inches。　His　weight　was　given　as　two…eighty；　but　I　think　that　was　only　an　estimate；　he　had　to　have　been　three　hundred　and　twenty；　maybe　as　much　as　three　hundred　and　fifty　pounds。　Under　the　space　for　scars　and　identifying　marks；　one　word　had　been　blocked　out　in　the　laborious　printing　of　Magnusson；　the　old　trusty　in　Registration：　Numerous。　
I　looked　up。　Coffey　had　shuffled　a　bit　to　one　side　and　I　could　see　Harry　standing　across　the　corridor　in　front　of　Delacroix's　cell　…　he　was　our　only　other　prisoner　in　E　Block　when　Coffey　came　in。　Del　was　a　slight；　balding　man　with　the　worried　face　of　an　accountant　who　knows　his　embezzlement　will　soon　be　discovered。　His　tame　mouse　was　sitting　on　his　shoulder。　
Percy　Wetmore　was　leaning　in　the　doorway　of　the　cell　which　had　just　bee　John　Coffey's。　He　had　taken　his　hickory　baton　out　of　the　custom…made　holster　he　carried　it　in；　and　was　tapping　it　against　one　palm　the　way　a　man　does　when　he　has　a　toy　he　wants　to　use。　And　all　at　once　I　couldn't　stand　to　have　him　there。　Maybe　it　was　the　unseasonable　heat；　maybe　it　was　the　urinary　infection　heating　up　my　groin　and　making　the　itch　of　my　flannel　underwear　all　but　unbearable；　maybe　it　was　knowing　that　the　state　had　sent　me　a　black　man　next　door　to　an　idiot　to　execute；　and　Percy　clearly　wanted　to　hand…tool　him　a　little　first。　Probably　it　was　all　those　things。　Whatever　it　was；　I　stopped　caring　about　his　political　connections　for　a　little　while。　
〃Percy。〃　I　said。　〃They're　moving　house　over　in　the　infirmary。〃　
〃Bill　Dodge　is　in　charge　of　that　detail…〃　
〃I　know　he　is；〃　I　said。　〃Go　and　help　him。〃　
'That　isn't　my　job；〃　Percy　said。　〃This　big　lugoon　is　my　job。〃　〃Lugoon〃　was　Percy's　joke　name　for　the　big　ones　…　a　bination　of　lug　and　goon。　He　resented　the　big　ones。　He　wasn't　skinny；　like　Harry　Terwilliger；　but　he　was　short。　A　banty…rooster　sort　of　guy；　the　kind　that　likes　to　pick　fights；　especially　when　the　odds　are　all　their　way。　And　vain　about　his　hair。　Could　hardly　keep　his　hands　off　it。　
〃Then　your　job　is　done；〃　I　said。　〃Get　over　to　the　infirmary。〃　
His　lower　lip　pooched　out。　Bill　Dodge　and　his　men　were　moving　boxes　and　stacks　of　sheets；　even　the　beds；　the　whole　infirmary　was　going　to　a　new　frame　building　over　on　the　west　side　of　the　prison。　Hot　work；　heavy　lifting。　Percy　Wetmore　wanted　no　part　of　either。　
〃They　got　all　the　men　they　need；〃　he　said。　
〃Then　get　over　there　and　straw…boss；〃　I　said；　raising　my　voice。　I　saw　Harry　wince　and　paid　no　attention。　If　the　governor　ordered　Warden　Moores　to　fire　me　for　ruffling　the　wrong　set　of　feathers；　who　was　Hal　Moores　going　to　put　in　my　place？　Percy？　It　was　a　joke。　〃I　really　don't　care　what　you　do；　Percy；　as　long　as　you　get　out　of　here　for　awhile！'　
For　a　moment　I　thought　he　was　going　to　stick　and　there'd　be　real　trouble；　with　Coffey　standing　there　the　whole　time　like　the　world's　biggest　stopped　clock。　Then　Percy　rammed　his　billy　back　into　its　hand…tooled　holster…foolish　damned　vanitorious　thing　…　and　went　stalking　up　the　corridor。　I　don't　remember　which　guard　was　sitting　at　the　duty　desk　that　day…one　of　the　floaters；　I　guess　…　but　Percy　must　not　have　liked　the　way　he　looked；　because　he　growled；　〃You　wipe　that　smirk　off　your　shitepoke　face　or　I'll　wipe　it　off　for　you〃　as　he　went　by。　There　was　a　rattle　of　keys；　a　momentary　blast　of　hot　sunlight　from　the　exercise　yard；　and　then　Percy　Wetmore　was　gone；　at　least　for　the　time　being。　Delacroix's　mouse　ran　back　and　forth　from　one　of　the　little　Frenchman's　shoulders　to　the　other；　his　filament　whiskers　twitching。　
〃Be　still；　Mr。　Jingles；〃　Delacroix　said；　and　the　mouse　stopped　on　his　left　shoulder　just　as　if　he　had　understood。　〃Just　be　so　still　and　so　quiet。〃　In　Delacroix's　lilting　Cajun　accent；　quiet　came　out　sounding