绿里奇迹(英文版)-第67章

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d　on　and　not　Coffey　or　one　of　you　men。　And　speaking　of　your　men；　Paul；　will　they　all　tell　the　same　story？〃　
〃Yes；　sir；〃　I　told　him。　〃And　they　will；〃　I　said　to　Jan；　starting　in　on　the　soup　she　brought　to　the　table。　〃I'll　see　to　it。〃　
〃You　did　lie；〃　she　said。　〃You　lied　to　Hal。〃　
Well；　that's　a　wife　for　you；　isn't　it？　Always　poking　around　for　moth…holes　in　your　best　suit；　and　finding　one　more　often　than　not。　
〃I　guess；　if　you　want　to　look　at　it　that　way。　I　didn't　tell　him　anything　we　both　won't　be　able　to　live　with；　though。　Hal's　in　the　clear；　I　think。　He　wasn't　even　there；　after　all。　He　was　home　tending　his　wife　until　Curtis　called　him。〃　
〃Did　he　say　how　Melinda　was？〃　
〃Not　then；　there　wasn't　time；　but　we　spoke　again　just　as　Brutal　and　I　were　leaving。　Melly　doesn't　remember　much；　but　she's　fine。　Up　and　walking。　Talking　about　next　year's　flower　beds。〃　
My　wife　sat　watching　me　eat　for　some　little　time。　Then　she　asked；　〃Does　Hal　know　it's　a　miracle；　Paul？　Does　he　understand　that？〃　
〃Yes。　We　all　do；　all　of　us　that　were　there。〃　
〃Part　of　me　wishes　I'd　been　there；　too；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　think　most　of　me　is　glad　I　wasn't。　If　I'd　seen　the　scales　fall　from　Saul's　eyes　on　the　road　to　Damascus。　I　probably　would　have　died　of　a　heart　attack。〃　
〃Naw；〃　I　said；　tilting　my　bowl　to　capture　the　last　spoonful；　〃probably　would　have　cooked　him　some　soup。　This　is　pretty　fine；　hon。〃　
〃Good。〃　But　she　wasn't　really　thinking　about　soup　or　cooking　or　Saul's　conversion　on　the　Damascus　road。　She　was　looking　out　the　window　toward　the　ridges；　her　chin　propped　on　her　hand；　her　eyes　as　hazy　as　those　ridges　look　on　summer　mornings　when　it's　going　to　be　hot。　Summer　mornings　like　the　one　when　the　Detterick　girls　had　been　found；　I　thought　for　no　reason。　I　wondered　why　they　hadn't　screamed。　
Their　killer　had　hurt　them；　there　had　been　blood　on　the　porch；　and　on　the　steps。　So　why　hadn't　they　screamed？　
〃You　think　John　Coffey　really　killed　that　man　Wharton；　don't　you？〃　Janice　asked；　looking　back　from　the　window　at　last。　〃Not　that　it　was　an　accident；　or　anything　like　that；　you　think　he　used　Percy　Wetmore　on　Wharton　like　a　gun。〃　
〃Yes。〃　
〃Why？〃　
〃I　don't　know。'　
〃Tell　me　again　about　what　happened　when　you　took　Coffey　off　the　Mile；　would　you？　Just　that　part。〃　
So　I　did。　I　told　her　how　the　skinny　arm　shooting　out　from　between　the　bars　and　grabbing　John　's　bicep　had　reminded　me　of　a　snake…one　of　the　water　moccasins　we　were　all　scared　of　when　we　were　kids　swimming　in　the　river　…　and　how　Coffey　had　said　Wharton　was　a　bad　man。　Almost　whispering　it。　
〃And　Wharton　said　。。。　？〃　My　wife　was　looking　out　the　window　again；　but　she　was　listening；　all　right。　
〃Wharton　said；　'That's　right；　nigger；　bad　as　you'd　want。；　〃　
〃And　that's　all。〃　
〃Yes。　I　had　a　feeling　that　something　was　going　to　happen　right　then；　but　nothing　did。　Brutal　took　Wharton's　hand　off　John　and　told　him　to　lie　down；　which　Wharton　did。　He　was　out　on　his　feet　to　start　with。　Said　something　about　how　niggers　should　have　their　own　electric　chair；　and　that　was　all。　We　went　about　our　business。〃　
〃John　Coffey　called　him　a　bad　man。〃　
〃Yep。　Said　the　same　thing　about　Percy　once；　too。　Maybe　more　than　once。　I　can't　remember　exactly　when；　but　I　know　he　did。〃　
〃But　Wharton　never　did　anything　to　John　Coffey　personally；　did　he？　Like　he　did　to　Percy；　I　mean。〃　
〃No。　The　way　their　cells　were　…　Wharton　up　by　the　duty　desk　on　one　side；　John　down　a　ways　on　the　other　…　they　could　hardly　see　each　other。〃　
〃Tell　me　again　how　Coffey　looked　when　Wharton　grabbed　him。〃　
〃Janice；　this　isn't　getting　us　anywhere。〃　
〃Maybe　it　isn't　and　maybe　it　is。　Tell　me　again　how　he　looked。〃　
I　sighed。　〃I　guess　you'd　have　to　say　shocked。　He　gasped。　Like　you　would　if　you　were　sunning　at　the　beach　and　I　snuck　up　and　trickled　a　little　cold　water　down　your　back。　Or　like　he'd　been　slapped。〃　
〃Well；　sure；〃　she　said。　〃Being　grabbed　out　of　nowhere　like　that　startled　him；　woke　him　up　for　a　second。〃　
〃Yes；〃　I　said。　And　then；　〃No。〃　
〃Well　which　is　it？　Yes　or　no？〃　
〃No。　It　wasn't　being　startled。　It　was　like　when　he　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　cure　my　infection。　Or　when　he　wanted　me　to　hand　him　the　mouse。　It　was　being　surprised；　but　not　by　being　touched　。。。　not　exactly；　anyway　。。。　oh　Christ；　Jan；　I　don't　know。〃　
〃All　right；　we'll　leave　it；〃　she　said。　〃I　just　can't　imagine　why　John　did　it；　that's　all。　It's　not　as　if　he's　violent　by　nature。　Which　leads　to　another　question；　Paul：　how　can　you　execute　him　if　you're　right　about　those　girls？　How　can　you　possibly　put　him　in　the　electric　chair　if　someone　else　
I　jerked　in　my　chair。　My　elbow　struck　my　bowl　and　knocked　it　off　onto　the　floor；　where　it　broke。　An　idea　had　e　to　me。　It　was　more　intuition　than　logic　at　that　point；　but　it　had　a　certain　black　elegance。　
〃Paul？〃　Janice　asked；　alarmed。　〃What's　wrong？〃　
〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　〃I　don't　know　anything　for　sure；　but　I'm　going　to　find　out　if　I　can。〃　
4。　
The　aftermath　of　the　shooting　was　a　three…ring　circus　with　the　governor　in　one　ring；　the　prison　in　another；　and　poor　brain…blasted　Percy　Wetmore　in　the　third。　And　the　ringmaster？　Well；　the　various　gentlemen　of　the　press　took　turns　at　that　job。　They　weren't　as　bad　then　as　they　are　now　…　they　didn't　allow　themselves　to　be　as　bad　…　but　even　back　then　before　Geraldo　and　Mike　Wallace　and　the　rest　of　them；　they　could　gallop　along　pretty　good　when　they　really　got　the　bit　in　their　teeth。　That　was　what　happened　this　time；　and　while　the　show　lasted；　it　was　a　good　one。　
But　even　the　liveliest　circus；　the　one　with　the　scariest　freaks；　funniest　clowns；　and　wildest　animals；　has　to　leave　town　eventually。　This　one　left　after　the　Board　of　Enquiry；　which　sounds　pretty　special　and　fearsome；　but　actually　turned　out　to　be　pretty　tame　and　perfunctory。　Under　other　circumstances；　the　governor　undoubtedly　would　have　demanded　someone's　head　on　a　platter；　but　not　this　time。　His　nephew　by　marriage　…　his　wife's　own　blood　kin　…　had　gone　crackers　and　killed　a　man。　Had　killed　a　killer　…　there　was　that；　at　least；　and　thank　God　for　it　…　but　Percy　had　still　shot　the　man　as　he　lay　sleeping　in　his　cell；　which　was　not　quite　sporting。　When　you　added　in　the　fact　that　the　young　man　in　question　remained　just　as　mad　as　a　March　hare；　you　could　understand　why　the　governor　only　wanted　it　to　go　away；　and　as　soon　as　possible。　
Our　trip　to　Warden　Moores's　house　in　Harry　Terwilliger's　truck　never　came　out。　The　fact　that　Percy　had　been　straitjacketed　and　locked　in　the　restraint　room　during　the　time　we　were　away　never　came　out。　The　fact　that　William　Wharton　had　been　doped　to　the　gills　when　Percy　shot　him　never　came　out；　either。　Why　would　it？　The　authorities　had　no　reason　to　suspect　anything　in　Wharton's　system　but　half　a　dozen　slugs。　The　coroner　removed　those；　the　mortician　put　him　in　a　pine　box；　and　that　was　the　end　of　the　man　with　Billy　the　Kid　tattooed　on　his　left　forearm。　Good　riddance　to　bad　rubbish；　you　might　say。　
All　in　all；　the　uproar　lasted　about　two　weeks。　During　that　time　I　didn't　dare　fart　sideways；　let　alone　so　take　a　day　off　to　investigate　the　idea　I'd　gotten　at　my　kitchen　table　on　the　morning　after　all　the　upheavals。　I　knew　for　sure　that　the　circus　had　left　town　when　I　got　to　work　on　a　day　just　shy　of　the　middle　of　November　…　the　twelfth；　I　think；　but　don't　hold　me　to　that。　That　was　the　day　I　found　the　piece　of　paper　I'd　been　dreading　on　the　middle　of　my　desk：　the　DOE　on　John　Coffey。　Curtis　Anderson　had　signed　it　instead　of　Hal　Moores；　but　of　course　it　was　just　as　legal　either　way；　and　of　course　it　had　needed　to　go　through　Hal　in　order　to　get　to　me。　I　could　imagine　Hal　sitting　at　his　desk　in　Administration　with　that　piece　of　paper　in　his　hand；　sitting　there　and　thinking　of　his　wife；　who　had　bee　something　of　a　nine　days；　wonder　to　the　doctors　at　Indianola　General　Hospital。　She'd　had　her　own　DOE　papers　handed　to　her　by　those　doctors；　but　John　Coffey　had　tom　them　up。　Now；　however；　it　was　Coffey's　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile；　and　who　among　us　could　stop　it？　Who　among　us　would　stop　it？　
The　date　on　the　death　warrant　was　November　20th。　Three　days　after　I　got　it　…　the　fifteenth；　I　think　I　had　Janice　call　me　in　sick。　A　cup　of　coffee　later　I　was　driving　north　in　my　badly　sprung　but　otherwise　reliable　Ford。　Janice　had　kissed　me　on　my　way　and　wished　me　good　luck；　I'd　thanked　her　but　no　longer　had　any　clear　idea　what　good　luck　would　be　…　finding　what　I　was　looking　for　or　not　finding　it。　All　I　knew　for　sure　is　that　I　didn't　feel　much　like　singing　as　I　drove。　Not　that　day。　
By　three　that　afternoon　I　was　well　up　in　the　ridge　country。　I　got　to　the　Purdom　County　Courthouse　just　before　it　closed；　looked　at　some　records；　then　had　a　visit　from　the　Sheriff；　who　had　been　informed　by　the　county　clerk　that　a　stranger　was　poking　in　amongst　the　local　skeletons。　Sheriff　Catlett　wanted　to　know　what　I　thought　I　was　doing。　I　told　him。　Catlett　thought　it　over　and　then　told　me　something　interesting。　He　said　he'd　deny　he'd　ever　said　a　word　if　I　spread　it　around；　and　it　wasn't　conclusive　anyway；　but　it　was　something；　all　right。　It　was　sure　something。　I　thought　about　it　all　the　way　home；　and　that　night　there　was　a　lot　of　thinking　and　precious　little　sleeping　on　my　side　of　the　bed。　
The　next　day　I　got　up　while　the　sun