小说园

第3部分（第1页）

w　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　didnt　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　didnt　often　hear　Harry　Terwilliger　sound　nervous　…　hed　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　wasnt　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　Coffeys　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　Delacroixs　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　Coffeys。　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　couldnt　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。　〃Theyre　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　isnt　my　job；〃　Percy　said。　〃This　big　lugoon　is　my　job。〃　〃Lugoon〃　was　Percys　joke　name　for　the　big　ones　…　a　bination　of　lug　and　goon。　He　resented　the　big　ones。　He　wasnt　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　dont　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　thered　be　real　trouble；　with　Coffey　standing　there　the　whole　time　like　the　worlds　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　dont　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　Ill　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。　Delacroixs　mouse　ran　back　and　forth　from　one　of　the　little　Frenchmans　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　Delacroixs　lilting　Cajun　accent；　quiet　came　out　sounding　exotic　and　foreign　…　kwaht。

〃You　go　lie　down；　Del；〃　I　said　curtly。　〃Take　you　a　rest。　This　is　none　of　your　business；　either！

He　did　as　I　said。　He　had　raped　a　young　girl　and　killed　her；　and　had　then　dropped　her　body　behind　the　apartment　house　where　she　lived；　doused　it　with　coal…oil；　and　then　set　it　on　fire；　hoping　in　some　muddled　way　to　dispose　of　the　evidence　of　his　crime。　The　fire　had　spread　to　the　building　itself；　had　engulfed　it；　and　six　more　people　had　died；　two　of　them　children。　It　was　the　only　crime　he　had　in　him；　and　now　he　was　just　a　mild…mannered　man　with　a　worried　face；　a　bald　pate；　and　long　hair　straggling　over　the　back　of　his　shirt…collar。　He　would　sit　down　with　Old　Sparky　in　a　little　while；　and　Old　Sparky　would　make　an　end　to　him　。。。　but　whatever　it　was　that　had　done　that　awful　thing　was　already　gone；　and　now　he　lay　on　his　bunk；　letting　his　little　panion　run　squeaking　over　his　hands。　In　a　way；　that　was　the　worst；　Old　Sparky　never　burned　what　was　inside　them；　and　the　drugs　they　inject　them　with　today　dont　put　it　to　sleep。　It　vacates；　jumps　to　someone　else；　and　leaves　us　to　kill　husks　that　arent　really　alive　anyway。

I　turned　my　attention　to　the　giant。

〃If　I　let　Harry　take　those　chains　off　you；　are　you　going　to　be　nice？〃

He　nodded。　It　was　like　his　head…shake：　down　；　up；　back　to　center。　His　strange　eyes　looked　at　me。　There　was　a　kind　of　peace　in　them；　but　not　a　kind　I　was　sure　I　could　trust。　I　crooked　a　finger　to　Harry；　who　came　in　and　unlocked　the　chains。　He　showed　no　fear　now；　even　when　he　knelt　between　Coffeys　treetrunk　legs　to　unlock　the　ankle　irons；　and　that　eased　me　some。　It　was　Percy　who　had　made　Harry　nervous；　and　I　trusted　Harrys　instincts。　I　trusted　the　instincts　of　all　my　day…to…day　E　Block　men；　except　for　Percy。