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第16部分（第1页）

。　In　some　ways；　you　know；　I　wish　wed　done　it。　It　might　have　changed　some　of　the　things　that　happened　later　on。

〃Fucking　faggot！　Ill　teach　you　to　keep　your　hands　off　me；　you　lousy　bum…puncher！〃

Whap！　Whap！　Whap！　And　now　Delacroix　was　bleeding　from　one　ear　and　screaming。　I　gave　up　trying　to　shield　him；　grabbed　him　by　one　shoulder；　and　hurled　him　into　his　cell；　where　he　went　sprawling　on　the　bunk。　Percy　darted　around　me　and　gave　him　a　final　hard　whap　on　the　butt　…　one　to　go　on；　you　could　say。　Then　Brutal　grabbed　him　…　Percy　…　I　mean　…　by　the　shoulders　and　hauled　him　across　the　corridor。

I　grabbed　the　cell　door　and　ran　it　shut　on　its　tracks。　Then　I　turned　to　Percy；　my　shock　and　bewilderment　at　war　with　pure　fury。　Percy　had　been　around　about　several　months　at　that　point；　long　enough　for　all　of　us　to　decide　we　didnt　like　him　very　much；　but　that　was　the　first　time　I　fully　understood　how　out　of　control　he　was。

He　stood　watching　me；　not　entirely　without　fear　…　he　was　a　coward　at　heart；　I　never　had　any　doubt　of　that　…　but　still　confident　that　his　connections　would　protect　him。　In　that　he　was　correct。　I　suspect　there　are　people　who　wouldnt　understand　why　that　was；　even　after　all　Ive　said；　but　they　would　be　people　who　only　know　the　phrase　Great　Depression　from　the　history　books。　If　you　were　there；　it　was　a　lot　more　than　a　phrase　in　a　book；　and　if　you　had　a　steady　job；　brother；　youd　do　almost　anything　to　keep　it。

The　color　was　fading　out　of　Percys　face　a　little　by　then；　but　his　cheeks　were　still　flushed；　and　his　hair；　which　was　usually　swept　back　and　gleaming　with　brilliantine；　had　tumbled　over　his　forehead。

〃What　in　the　Christ　was　that　all　about？〃　I　asked。　〃I　have　never　…　I　have　never！　…　had　a　prisoner　beaten　onto　my　block　before！〃

〃Little　fag　bastard　tried　to　cop　my　joint　when　I　pulled　him　out　of　the　van；〃　Percy　said。　〃He　had　it　ing；　and　Id　do　it　again。〃

I　looked　at　him；　too　flabbergasted　for　words。　I　couldnt　imagine　the　most　predatory　homosexual　on　Gods　green　earth　doing　what　Percy　had　just　described。　Preparing　to　move　into　a　crossbar　apartment　on　the　Green　Mile　did　not；　as　a　rule；　put　even　the　most　deviant　of　prisoners　in　a　sexy　mood。

I　looked　back　at　Delacroix；　cowering　on　his　bunk　with　his　arms　still　up　to　protect　his　face。　There　were　cuffs　on　his　wrists　and　a　chain　running　between　his　ankles。　Then　I　turned　to　Percy　〃Get　out　of　here；〃　I　said。　〃Ill　want　to　talk　to　you　later。〃

〃Is　this　going　to　be　in　your　report？〃　he　demanded　truculently。　〃Because　if　it　is；　I　can　make　a　report　of　my　own；　you　know。〃

I　didnt　want　to　make　a　report；　I　only　wanted　him　out　of　my　sight。　I　told　him　so。

〃The　matters　closed；〃　I　finished。　I　saw　Brutal　looking　at　me　disapprovingly；　but　ignored　it。　〃Go　on；　get　out　of　here。　Go　over　to　Admin　and　tell　them　youre　supposed　to　read　letters　and　help　in　the　package　room。〃

〃Sure。〃　He　had　his　posure　back；　or　the　crackheaded　arrogance　that　served　him　as　posure。　He　brushed　his　hair　back　from　his　forehead　with　his　hands　…　soft　and　white　and　small；　the　hands　of　a　girl　in　her　early　teens；　you　would　have　thought　…　and　then　approached　the　cell。　Delacroix　saw　him；　and　he　cringed　back　even　farther　on　his　bunk；　gibbering　in　a　mixture　of　English　and　stewpot　French。

〃I　aint　done　with　you；　Pierre；〃　he　said；　then　jumped　as　one　of　Brutals　huge　hands　fell　on　his　shoulder。

〃Yes　you　are；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Now　go　on。　Get　in　the　breeze！〃

〃You　dont　scare　me；　you　know；〃　Percy　said。　〃Not　a　bit！〃　His　eyes　shifted　to　me。　〃Either　of　you。〃　But　we　did。　You　could　see　that　in　his　eyes　as　clear　as　day；　and　it　made　him　even　more　dangerous。　A　guy　like　Percy　doesnt　even　know　himself　what　he　means　to　do　from　minute　to　minute　and　second　to　second。

What　he　did　right　then　was　turn　away　from　us　and　go　walking　up　the　corridor　in　long；　arrogant　strides。　He　had　shown　the　world　what　happened　when　scrawny；　half…bald　little　Frenchmen　tried　to　cop　his　joint；　by　God；　and　he　was　leaving　the　field　a　victor。

I　went　through　my　set　speech；　all　about　how　we　had　the　radio　…　Make　Believe　Ballroom　and　Our　Gal　Sunday；　and　how　wed　treat　him　jake　if　he　did　the　same　for　us。　That　little　homily　was　not　what　youd　call　one　of　my　great　successes。　He　cried　all　the　way　through　it；　sitting　huddled　up　at　the　foot　of　his　bunk；　as　far　from　me　as　he　could　get　without　actually　fading　into　the　corner。　He　cringed　every　time　I　moved；　and　I　dont　think　he　heard　one　word　in　six。　Probably　just　as　well。　I　dont　think　that　particular　homily　made　a　whole　lot　of　sense；　anyway。

Fifteen　minutes　later　I　was　back　at　the　desk；　where　a　shaken…looking　Brutus　Howell　was　sitting　and　licking　the　tip　of　the　pencil　we　kept　with　the　visitors　book。　〃Will　you　stop　that　before　you　poison　yourself；　for　Gods　sake？〃　I　asked。

〃Christ　almighty　Jesus；〃　he　said；　putting　the　pencil　down。　〃I　never　want　to　have　another　hooraw　like　that　with　a　prisoner　ing　on　the　block。〃

〃My　Daddy　always　used　to　say　things　e　in　threes；〃　I　said。

〃Well；　I　hope　your　Daddy　was　full　of　shit　on　that　subject；〃　Brutal　said；　but　of　course　he　wasnt。　There　was　a　squall　when　John　Coffey　came　in；　and　a　fullblown　storm　when　〃Wild　Bill〃　joined　us　…　its　funny；　but　things　really　do　seem　to　e　in　threes。　The　story　of　our　introduction　to　Wild　Bill；　how　he　came　onto　the　Mile　trying　to　mit　murder；　is　something　Ill　get　to　shortly；　fair　warning。

〃Whats　this　about　Delacroix　copping　his　joint？〃　I　asked。

Brutal　snorted。　〃He　was　ankle…chained　and　ole　Percy　was　just　pulling　him　too　fast；　thats　all。　He　stumbled　and　started　to　fall　as　he　got　out　of　the　stagecoach。　He　put　his　hands　out　same　as　anyone　would　when　they　start　to　fall；　and　one　of　them　brushed　the　front　of　Percys　pants。　It　was　a　plete　accident！〃