小说园

第12部分（第1页）

〃Well；　I　dont　like　to　be　scared；〃　Bill　rumbled；　〃and　I　work　here；　Wetmore；　in　case　you　didnt　notice。　I　aint　one　of　your　lugoons。〃

Percy　gave　him　a　look　that　was　narrow…eyed　and　a　touch　uncertain。

〃And　we　dont　scare　them　any　more　than　we　have　to；　because　theyre　under　a　lot　of　strain；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　still　keeping　his　voice　low。　〃Men　that　are　under　a　lot　of　strain　can　snap。　Hurt　themselves。　Hurt　others。　Sometimes　get　folks　like　us　in　trouble；　too。〃

Percys　mouth　twitched　at　that。　〃In　trouble〃　was　an　idea　that　had　power　over　him。　Making　trouble　was　okay。　Getting　into　it　was　not。

〃Our　job　is　talking；　not　yelling；〃　Dean　said。　〃A　man　who　is　yelling　at　prisoners　is　a　man　who　has　lost　control。〃

Percy　knew　who　had　written　that　scripture　…　me。

The　boss。　There　was　no　love　lost　between　Percy　Wetmore　and　Paul　Edgebe；　and　this　was　still　summer；　remember　…　long　before　the　real　festivities　started。

〃Youll　do　better；〃　Dean　said；　〃if　you　think　of　this　place　as　like　an　intensive…care　ward　in　a　hospital。　Its　best　to　be　quiet……！〃

〃I　think　of　it　as　a　bucket　of　piss　to　drown　rats　in；〃　Percy　said；　〃and　thats　all。　Now　let　me　go。〃

He　tore　free　of　Deans　hand；　stepped　between　him　and　Bill；　and　stalked　up　the　corridor　with　his　head　down。　He　walked　a　little　too　close　to　The　Presidents　side　…　close　enough　so　that　Flanders　could　have　reached　out；　grabbed　him；　and　maybe　headwhipped　him　with　his　own　prized　hickory　baton；　had　Flanders　been　that　sort　of　man。　He　wasnt；　of　course；　but　The　Chief　perhaps　was。　The　Chief；　if　given　a　chance；　might　have　administered　such　a　beating　just　to　teach　Percy　a　lesson。　What　Dean　said　to　me　on　that　subject　when　he　told　me　this　story　the　following　night　has　stuck　with　me　ever　since；　because　it　turned　out　to　be　a　kind　of　prophecy。　〃Wetmore　dont　understand　that　he　hasnt　got　any　power　over　them；〃　Dean　said。　〃That　nothing　he　does　can　really　make　things　worse　for　them；　that　they　can　only　be　electrocuted　once。　Until　he　gets　his　head　around　that；　hes　going　to　be　a　danger　to　himself　and　to　everyone　else　down　here。〃

Percy　went　into　my　office　and　slammed　the　door　behind　him。

〃My；　my；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃Aint　he　the　swollen　and　badly　infected　testicle。〃

〃You　dont　know　the　half　of　it；〃　Dean　said。

〃Oh；　look　on　the　bright　side；〃　Bill　said。　He　was　always　telling　people　to　look　on　the　bright　side；　it　got　so　you　wanted　to　punch　his　nose　every　time　it　came　out　of　his　mouth。　〃Your　trick　mouse　got　away；　at　least。〃

〃Yeah；　but　we　wont　see　him　no　more；〃　Dean　said。　〃I　imagine　this　time　goddam　Percy　Wetmores　scared　him　off　for　good。〃

3。

That　was　logical　but　wrong。　The　mouse　was　back　the　very　next　evening；　which　just　happened　to　be　the　first　of　Percy　Wetmores　two　nights　off　before　he　slid　over　to　the　graveyard　shift。

Steamboat　Willy　showed　up　around　seven　oclock。　I　was　there　to　see　his　reappearance；　so　was　Dean。　Harry　Terwilliger；　too。　Harry　was　on　the　desk。　I　was　technically　on　days；　but　had　stuck　around　to　spend　an　extra　hour　with　The　Chief；　whose　time　was　getting　close　by　then。　Bitterbuck　was　stoical　on　the　outside；　in　the　tradition　of　his　tribe；　but　I　could　see　his　fear　of　the　end　growing　inside　him　like　a　poison　flower。　So　we　talked。　You　could　talk　to　them　in　the　daytime　but　it　wasnt　so　good；　with　the　shouts　and　conversation　（not　to　mention　the　occasional　fist…fight）　ing　from　the　exercise　yard；　the　chonk…chonk…chonk　of　the　stamping　machines　in　the　plate…shop；　the　occasional　yell　of　a　guard　for　someone　to　put　down　that　pick　or　grab　up　that　hoe　or　just　to　get　your　ass　over　here；　Harvey。　After　four　it　got　a　little　better；　and　after　six　it　got　better　still。　Six　to　eight　was　the　optimum　time。　After　that　you　could　see　the　long　thoughts　starting　to　steal　over　their　minds　again　…　in　their　eyes　you　could　see　it；　like　afternoon　shadows　and　it　was　best　to　stop。　They　still　heard　what　you　were　saying；　but　it　no　longer　made　sense　to　them。　Past　eight　they　were　getting　ready　for　the　watches　of　the　night　and　imagining　how　the　cap　would　feel　when　it　was　clamped　to　the　tops　of　their　heads；　and　how　the　air　would　smell　inside　the　black　bag　which　had　been　rolled　down　over　their　sweaty　faces。

But　I　got　The　Chief　at　a　good　time。　He　told　me　about　his　first　wife；　and　how　they　had　built　a　lodge　together　up　in　Montana。　Those　had　been　the　happiest　days　of　his　life；　he　said。　The　water　was　so　pure　and　so　cold　that　it　felt　like　your　mouth　was　cut　every　time　you　drank。

〃Hey；　Mr。　Edgebe；〃　he　said。　〃You　think；　if　a　man　he　sincerely　repent　of　what　he　done　wrong；　he　might　get　to　go　back　to　the　time　that　was　happiest　for　him　and　live　there　forever？　Could　that　be　what　heaven　is　like？〃

〃Ive　just　about　believed　that　very　thing；〃　I　said；　which　was　a　he　I　didnt　regret　in　the　least。　I　had　learned　of　matters　eternal　at　my　mothers　pretty　knee；　and　what　I　believed　is　what　the　Good　Book　says　about　murderers：　that　there　is　no　eternal　life　in　them。　I　think　they　go　straight　to　hell；　where　they　burn　in　torment　until　God　finally　gives　Gabriel　the　nod　to　blow　the　Judgment　Trump。　When　he　does；　theyll　wink　out　。。。　and　probably　glad　to　go　they　will　be。　But　I　never　gave　a　hint　of　such　beliefs　to　Bitterbuck；　or　to　any　of　them。　I　think　in　their　hearts　they　knew　it。　Where　is　your　brother；　his　blood　crieth　to　me　from　the　ground；　God　said　to　Cain；　and　I　doubt　if　the　words　were　much　of　a　surprise　to　that　particular　problem…child；　I　bet　he　heard　Abels　blood　whining　out　of　the　earth　at　him　with　each　step　he　took。

The　Chief　was　smiling　when　I　left；　perhaps　thinking　about　his　lodge　in　Montana　and　his　wife　lying　bare…breasted　in　the　light　of　the　fire。　He　would　be　walking　in　a　warmer　fire　soon；　I　had　no　doubt。

I　went　back　up　the　corridor；　and　Dean　told　me　about　his　set…to　with　Percy　the　previous　night。　I　think　hed　waited　around　just　so　he　could；　and　I　listened　carefully。　I　always　listened　carefully　when　the　subject　was　Percy；　because　I　agreed　with　Dean　a　hundred　per　cent　…　I　thought　Percy　was　the　sort　of　man　who　could　cause　a　lot　of　trouble；　as　much　for　the　rest　of　us　as　for　himself。

As　Dean　was　finishing；　old　Toot…Toot　came　by　with　his　red　snack…wagon；　which　was　covered　with　handlettered　Bible　quotes　（〃REPENT　for　the　LORD　shall　judge　his　people；〃　Deut。　32：36；　〃And　surely　your　BLOOD　of　your　lives　will　I　require；〃　Gen。　9：5；　and　similar　cheery；　uplifting　sentiments）；　and　sold　us　some　sandwiches　and　pops。　Dean　was　hunting　for　change　in　his　pocket　and　saying　that　we　wouldnt　see　Steamboat　Willy　anymore；　that　goddam　Percy　Wetmore　had　scared　him　off　for　good；　when　old　Toot…Toot　said；　Whats　thatere；　then？〃

We　looked；　and　here　came　the　mouse　of　the　hour　his　ownself；　hopping　up　the　middle　of　the　Green　Mile。　Hed　e　a　little　way；　then　stop；　look　around　with　his　bright　little　oildrop　eyes；　then　e　on　again。