小说园

第50部分（第2页）

I　rode　up　in　the　cab　with　Harry　going　back；　and　was　damned　glad　to　be　there。　The　heater　was　broken；　but　we　were　out　of　the　open　air；　at　least。　We　had　gone　about　ten　miles　when　Harry　spotted　a　little　turnout　and　veered　the　truck　into　it。

〃What　is　it？〃　I　asked。　〃Is　it　a　bearing？〃　To　my　mind；　the　problem　could　have　been　that　or　anything；　every　ponent　of　the　Farmalls　engine　and　transmission　sounded　on　the　verge　of　going　cataclysmically　wrong　or　giving　up　the　ghost　entirely。

〃Nope；〃　Harry　said；　sounding　apologetic。　〃I　got　to　take　a　leak；　is　all。　My　back　teeth　are　floatin。〃

It　turned　out　that　we　all　did；　except　for　John。　When　Brutal　asked　if　he　wouldnt　like　to　step　down　and　help　us　water　the　bushes；　he　just　shook　his　head　without　looking　up。　He　was　leaning　against　the　back　of　the　cab　and　wearing　one　of　the　Army　blankets　over　his　shoulders　like　a　serape。　I　couldnt　get　any　kind　of　read　on　his　plexion；　but　I　could　hear　his　breathing　…　dry　and　raspy；　like　wind　blowing　through　straw。　I　didnt　like　it。

I　walked　into　a　clump　of　willows；　unbuttoned；　and　let　go。　I　was　still　dose　enough　to　my　urinary　infection　so　that　the　bodys　amnesia　had　not　taken　full　hold；　and　I　could　be　grateful　simply　to　be　able　to　pee　without　needing　to　scream。　I　stood　there；　emptying　out　and　looking　up　at　the　moon；　I　was　hardly　aware　of　Brutal　standing　next　to　me　and　doing　the　same　thing　until　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃Hell　never　sit　in　Old　Sparky。〃

I　looked　around　at　him；　surprised　and　a　little　frightened　by　the　low　certainty　in　his　tone。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃

〃I　mean　he　swallered　that　stuff　instead　of　spitting　out　like　he　done　before　for　a　reason。　It　might　take　a　week…hes　awful　big　and　strong　…　but　I　bet　its　quicker。　One　of　usll　do　a　check…tour　and　there　hell　be；　lying　dead　as　stone　on　his　bunk。〃

Id　thought　I　was　done　peeing；　but　at　that　a　little　shiver　twisted　up　my　back　and　a　little　more　squirted　out。　As　I　rebuttoned　my　fly；　I　thought　that　what　Brutal　was　saying　made　perfect　sense。　And　I　hoped；　all　in　all；　that　he　was　right。　John　Coffey　didnt　deserve　to　die　at　all；　if　I　was　right　in　my　reasoning　about　the　Detterick　girls；　but　if　he　did　die；　I　didnt　want　it　to　be　by　my　hand。　I　wasnt　sure　I　could　lift　my　hand　to　do　it；　if　it　came　to　that。

〃e　on；〃　Harry　murmured　out　of　the　dark。　〃Its　gettin　late。　Lets　get　this　done。〃

As　we　walked　back　to　the　truck；　I　realized　we　had　left　John　entirely　alone　…　stupidity　on　the　Percy　Wetmore　level。　I　thought　that　he　would　be　gone；　that　hed　spat　out　the　bugs　as　soon　as　he　saw　he　was　unguarded；　and　had　then　just　lit　out　for　the　territories；　like　Huck　and　Jim　on　the　Big　Muddy。　All　we　would　find　was　the　blanket　he　had　been　wearing　around　his　shoulders。

But　he　was　there；　still　sitting　with　his　back　against　the　cab　and　his　forearms　propped　on　his　knees。　He　looked　up　at　the　sound　of　our　approach　and　tried　to　give　us　a　smile。　It　hung　there　for　a　moment　on　his　haggard　face　and　then　slipped　off。

〃How　you　doing；　Big　John？〃　Brutal　asked；　climbing　into　the　back　of　the　truck　again　and　retrieving　his　own　blanket。

〃Fine；　boss；〃　John　said　listlessly。　〃Is　fine。〃

Brutal　patted　his　knee。　〃Well　be　back　soon。　And　when　we　get　squared　away；　you　know　what？　Im　going　to　see　you　get　a　great　big　cup　of　hot　coffee。　Sugar　and　cream；　too。〃

You　bet；　I　thought；　going　around　to　the　passenger　side　of　the　cab　and　climbing　in。　If　we　dont　get　arrested　and　thrown　in　jail　ourselves　first。

But　Id　been　living　with　that　idea　ever　since　wed　thrown　Percy　into　the　restraint　room；　and　it　didnt　worry　me　enough　to　keep　me　awake。　I　dozed　off　and　dreamed　of　Calvary　Hill。　Thunder　in　the　west　and　a　smell　that　might　have　been　juniper　berries。　Brutal　and　Harry　and　Dean　and　I　were　standing　around　in　robes　and　tin　hats　like　in　a　Cecil　B。　DeMille　movie。　We　were　Centurions；　I　guess。　There　were　three　crosses；　Percy　Wetmore　and　Eduard　Delacroix　flanking　John　Coffey。　I　looked　down　at　my　hand　and　saw　I　was　holding　a　bloody　hammer。

We　got　to　get　him　down　from　there；　Paul！　Brutal　screamed。　We　got　to　get　him　down！

Except　we　couldnt；　theyd　taken　away　the　stepladder。　I　started　to　tell　Brutal　this；　and　then　an　extra…hard　bounce　of　the　truck　woke　me　up。　We　were　backing　into　the　place　where　Harry　had　hidden　the　truck　earlier　on　a　day　that　already　seemed　to　stretch　back　to　the　beginning　of　time。

The　two　of　us　got　out　and　went　around　to　the　back。　Brutal　hopped　down　all　right；　but　John　Coffeys　knees　buckled　and　he　almost　fell。　It　took　all　three　of　us　to　catch　him；　and　he　was　no　more　than　set　solid　on　his　feet　again　before　he　went　off　into　another　of　those　coughing　fits；　this　one　the　worst　yet。　He　bent　over；　the　coughing　sounds　muffled　by　the　heels　of　his　palms；　which　he　held　pressed　against　his　mouth。

When　his　coughing　eased；　we　covered　the　front　of　the　Farmall　with　the　pine　boughs　again　and　walked　back　the　way　we　had　e。　The　worst　part　of　that　whole　surreal　furlough　was　…　for　me；　at　least　…　the　last　two　hundred　yards；　with　us　scurrying　back　south　along　the　shoulder　of　the　highway。　I　could　see　（or　thought　I　could）　the　first　faint　lightening　of　the　sky　in　the　east；　and　felt　sure　some　early　farmer；　out　to　harvest　his　pumpkins　or　dig　his　last　few　rows　of　yams；　would　e　along　and　see　us。　And　even　if　that　didnt　happen；　we　would　hear　someone　（in　my　imagination　it　sounded　like　Curtis　Anderson）　shout　〃Holdit　right　there！〃　as　I　used　the　Aladdin　key　to　unlock　the　enclosure　around　the　bulkhead　leading　to　the　tunnel。　Then　two　dozen　carbine…toting　guards　would　step　out　of　the　woods　and　our　little　adventure　would　be　over。

By　the　time　we　actually　got　to　the　enclosure；　my　heart　was　whamming　so　hard　that　I　could　see　little　white　dots　exploding　in　front　of　my　eyes　with　each　pulse　it　made。　My　hands　felt　cold　and　numb　and　faraway；　and　for　the　longest　time　I　couldnt　get　the　key　to　go　into　the　lock。

〃Oh　Christ；　headlights！〃　Harry　moaned。

I　looked　up　and　saw　brightening　fans　of　light　on　the　road。　My　keyring　almost　fell　out　of　my　hand；　I　managed　to　clutch　it　at　the　last　second。

〃Give　them　to　me；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Ill　do　it。〃

〃No；　Ive　got　it；〃　I　said。　The　key　at　last　slipped　into　its　slot　and　turned。　A　moment　later　we　were　in。　We　crouched　behind　the　bulkhead　and　watched　as　a　Sunshine　Bread　truck　went　pottering　past　the　prison。　Beside　me　I　could　hear　John　Coffeys　tortured　breathing。　He　sounded　like　an　engine　which　has　almost　run　out　of　oil。　He　had　held　the　bulkhead　door　up　effortlessly　for　us　on　our　way　out；　but　we　didnt　even　ask　him　to　help　this　time；　it　would　have　been　out　of　the　question。　Brutal　and　I　got　the　door　up；　and　Harry　led　john　down　the　steps。　The　big　man　tottered　as　he　went；　but　he　got　down。　Brutal　and　I　followed　him　as　fast　as　we　could；　then　lowered　the　bulkhead　behind　us　and　locked　it　again。

〃Christ；　I　think　were　gonna　…　〃　Brutal　began；　but　I　cut　him　off　with　a　sharp　elbow　to　the　ribs。

〃Dont　say　it；〃　I　said。　〃Dont　even　think　it；　until　hes　safe　back　in　his　cell。〃

〃And　theres　Percy　to　think　about；〃　Harry　said。　Our　voices　had　a　flat；　echoey　quality　in　the　brick　tunnel。　〃The　evening　aint　over　as　long　as　we　got　him　to　contend　with。…〃

As　it　turned　out；　our　evening　was　far　from　over。

Part　Six：