小说园

第11部分（第1页）

That　mouse。　That　goddam　mouse。　Delacroix　loved　it；　but　Percy　Wetmore　sure　didnt。

Percy　hated　it　from　the　first。

2。

The　mouse　came　back　just　about　three　days　after　Percy　had　chased　it　down　the　Green　Mile　that　first　time。　Dean　Stanton　and　Bill　Dodge　were　talking　politics；　which　meant　in　those　days；　they　were　talking　Roosevelt　and　Hoover　…　Herbert；　not　J。　Edgar。　They　were　eating　Ritz　crackers　from　a　box　Dean　had　purchased　from　old　Toot…Toot　an　hour　or　so　before。　Percy　was　standing　in　the　office　doorway；　practicing　quick　draws　with　the　baton　he　loved　so　much；　as　he　listened。　Hed　pull　it　out　of　that　ridiculous　handtooled　holster　hed　gotten　somewhere；　then　twirl　it　（or　try　to；　most　times　he　would　have　dropped　it　if　not　for　the　rawhide　loop　he　kept　on　his　wrist）；　then　re…holster　it。　I　was　off　that　night；　but　got　the　full　report　from　Dean　the　following　evening。

The　mouse　came　up　the　Green　Mile　just　as　it　had　before；　hopping　along；　then　stopping　and　seeming　to　check　the　empty　cells。　After　a　bit　of　that　it　would　hop　on；　undiscouraged；　as　if　it　had　known　all　along　it　would　be　a　long　search；　and　it　was　up　to　that。

The　President　was　awake　this　time；　standing　at　his　cell　door。　That　guy　was　a　piece　of　work；　managing　to　look　natty　even　in　his　prison　blues。　We　knew　just　by　the　way　he　looked　that　he　wasnt　made　for　Old　Sparky；　and　we　were　right　…　less　than　a　week　after　Percys　second　run　at　that　mouse；　The　Press　sentence　was　muted　to　life　and　he　joined　the　general　population。

〃Say！〃　he　called。　Theres　a　mouse　in　here！　What　kind　of　a　joint　are　you　guys　running；　anyway？〃　He　was　kind　of　laughing；　but　Dean　said　he　also　sounded　kind　of　outraged；　as　if　even　a　murder　rap　hadnt　been　quite　enough　to　knock　the　Kiwanis　out　of　his　soul。　He　had　been　the　regional　head　of　an　outfit　called　Mid…South　Realty　Associates；　and　had　thought　himself　smart　enough　to　be　able　to　get　away　with　pushing　his　half…senile　father　out　a　third…story　window　and　collect　on　a　double…indemnity　whole…life　policy。　On　that　he　had　been　wrong；　but　maybe　not　by　much。

〃Shut　up；　you　lugoon；〃　Percy　said；　but　that　was　pretty　much　automatic。　He　had　his　eye　on　the　mouse。　He　had　re…holstered　his　baton　and　taken　out　one　of　his　magazines；　but　now　he　tossed　the　magazine　on　the　duty　desk　and　pulled　the　baton　out　of　its　holster　again。　He　began　tapping　it　casually　against　the　knuckles　of　his　left　hand。

〃Son　of　a　bitch；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃Ive　never　seen　a　mouse　in　here　before。〃

〃Aw；　hes　sort　of　cute；〃　Dean　said。　〃And　not　afraid　at　all。〃

〃How　do　you　know？〃

〃He　was　in　the　other　night。　Percy　saw　him；　too。　Brutal　calls　him　Steamboat　Willy。〃

Percy　kind　of　sneered　at　that；　but　for　the　time　being　said　nothing。　He　was　tapping　the　baton　faster　now　on　the　back　of　his　hand。

〃Watch　this；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　came　all　the　way　up　to　the　desk　before。　I　want　to　see　if　hell　do　it　again。〃

It　did；　skirting　wide　of　The　Pres　on　its　way；　as　if　it　didnt　like　the　way　our　resident　parricide　smelled。　It　checked　two　of　the　empty　cells；　even　ran　up　onto　one　of　the　bare；　unmattressed　cots　for　a　sniff；　then　came　back　to　the　Green　Mile。　And　Percy　standing　there　the　whole　time；　tapping　and　tapping；　not　talking　for　a　change；　wanting　to　make　it　sorry　for　ing　back。　Wanting　to　teach　it　a　lesson。

〃Good　thing　you　guys　dont　have　to　put　him　in　Sparky；〃　Bill　said；　interested　in　spite　of　himself。　〃Youd　have　a　hell　of　a　time　getting　the　clamps　and　the　cap　on。〃

Percy　said　nothing　still；　but　he　very　slowly　gripped　the　baton　between　his　fingers；　the　way　a　man　would　hold　a　good　cigar。

The　mouse　stopped　where　it　had　before；　no　more　than　three　feet　from　the　duty　desk；　looking　up　at　Dean　like　a　prisoner　before　the　bar。　It　glanced　up　at　Bill　for　a　moment；　then　switched　its　attention　back　to　Dean。　Percy　it　hardly　seemed　to　notice　at　all。

〃Hes　a　brave　little　barstid；　I　got　to　give　him　that；〃　Bill　said。　He　raised　his　voice　a　little。　〃Hey！　Hey！　Steamboat　Willy！〃

The　mouse　flinched　a　little　and　fluttered　its　ears；　but　it　didnt　run；　or　even　show　any　signs　of　wanting　to。

〃Now　watch　this；〃　Dean　said；　remembering　how　Brutal　had　fed　it　some　of　his　corned…beef　sandwich。　〃I　dont　know　if　hell　do　it　again；　but…〃

He　broke　off　a　piece　of　Ritz　cracker　and　dropped　it　in　front　of　the　mouse。　It　just　looked　with　its　sharp　black　eyes　at　the　orangey　fragment　for　a　second　or　two；　its　filament…fine　whiskers　twitching　as　it　sniffed。　Then　it　reached　out；　took　the　cracker　in　its　paws；　sat　up；　and　began　to　eat。

〃Well。　Ill　be　shucked　and　boiled！〃　Bill　exclaimed。　〃Eats　as　neat　as　a　parson　on　parish　house　Saturday　night！〃

〃Looks　more　like　a　nigger　eating　watermelon　to　me。〃。　Percy　remarked；　but　neither　guard　paid　him　any　mind。　Neither　did　The　Chief　or　The　Pres；　for　that　matter。　The　mouse　finished　the　cracker　but　continued　to　sit；　seemingly　balanced　on　the　talented　coil　of　its　tail；　looking　up　at　the　giants　in　blue。

〃Lemme　try；〃　Bill　said。　He　broke　off　another　piece　of　cracker；　leaned　over　the　front　of　the　desk；　and　dropped　it　carefully。　The　mouse　sniffed　but　did　not　touch。

〃Huh；〃　Bill　said。　〃Must　be　full。〃