小说园

第55部分（第1页）

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。　〃Ill　see　to　it。〃

〃You　did　lie；〃　she　said。　〃You　lied　to　Hal。〃

Well；　thats　a　wife　for　you；　isnt　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　didnt　tell　him　anything　we　both　wont　be　able　to　live　with；　though。　Hals　in　the　clear；　I　think。　He　wasnt　even　there；　after　all。　He　was　home　tending　his　wife　until　Curtis　called　him。〃

〃Did　he　say　how　Melinda　was？〃

〃Not　then；　there　wasnt　time；　but　we　spoke　again　just　as　Brutal　and　I　were　leaving。　Melly　doesnt　remember　much；　but　shes　fine。　Up　and　walking。　Talking　about　next　years　flower　beds。〃

My　wife　sat　watching　me　eat　for　some　little　time。　Then　she　asked；　〃Does　Hal　know　its　a　miracle；　Paul？　Does　he　understand　that？〃

〃Yes。　We　all　do；　all　of　us　that　were　there。〃

〃Part　of　me　wishes　Id　been　there；　too；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　think　most　of　me　is　glad　I　wasnt。　If　Id　seen　the　scales　fall　from　Sauls　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　wasnt　really　thinking　about　soup　or　cooking　or　Sauls　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　its　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　hadnt　screamed。

Their　killer　had　hurt　them；　there　had　been　blood　on　the　porch；　and　on　the　steps。　So　why　hadnt　they　screamed？

〃You　think　John　Coffey　really　killed　that　man　Wharton；　dont　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　dont　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；　Thats　right；　nigger；　bad　as　youd　want。；　〃

〃And　thats　all。〃

〃Yes。　I　had　a　feeling　that　something　was　going　to　happen　right　then；　but　nothing　did。　Brutal　took　Whartons　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　cant　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。〃