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第42部分（第1页）

ey　was　wearing。　McGee　thought　at　first　it　might　be　a　gun。　Coffey　said　it　was　a　lunch；　and　thats　what　it　turned　out　to　be　…　a　couple　of　sandwiches　and　a　pickle；　wrapped　up　in　newspaper　and　tied　with　butchers　string。　Coffey　couldnt　remember　who　gave　it　to　him；　only　that　it　was　a　woman　wearing　an　apron。…〃

〃Sandwiches　and　a　pickle　but　no　sausages；〃　Brutal　said。

〃No　sausages；〃　I　agreed。

〃Course　not；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　fed　those　to　the　dog。〃

〃Well；　thats　what　the　prosecutor　said　at　the　trial；〃　I　agreed；　〃but　if　Coffey　opened　his　lunch　and　fed　the　sausages　to　the　dog；　howd　he　tie　the　newspaper　back　up　again　with　that　butchers　twine？　I　dont　know　when　he　even　would　have　had　the　chance；　but　leave　that　out　of　it；　for　the　time　being。　This　man　cant　even　tie　a　simple　granny　knot！〃

There　was　a　long　moment　of　thunderstruck　silence；　broken　at　last　by　Brutus。　〃Holy　shit；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　〃How　e　no　one　brought　that　up　at　the　trial？〃

〃Nobody　thought　of　it；〃　I　said；　and　found　myself　again　thinking　of　Hammersmith；　the　reporter　…　Hammersmith　who　had　been　to　college　in　Bowling　Green；　Hammersmith　who　liked　to　think　of　himself　as　enlightened；　Hammersmith　who　had　told　me　that　mongrel　dogs　and　Negroes　were　about　the　same；　that　either　might　take　a　chomp　out　of　you　suddenly；　and　for　no　reason。　Except　he　kept　calling　them　your　Negroes；　as　if　they　were　still　property　。。。　but　not　his　property。　No；　not　his。　Never　his。　And　at　that　time；　the　South　was　full　of　Hammersmiths。　…　Nobody　was　really　equipped　to　think　of　it；　Coffeys　own　attorney　included。〃

〃But　you　did；〃　Harry　said。　〃Goddam；　boys；　were　sittin　here　with　Mr。　Sherlock　Holmes。〃　He　sounded　simultaneously　joshing　and　awed。

〃Oh；　put　a　cork　in　it；〃　I　said。　〃I　wouldnt　have　thought　of　it　either；　if　I　hadnt　put　together　what　he　told　Deputy　McGee　that　day　with　what　he　said　after　he　cured　my　infection；　and　what　he　said　after　he　healed　the　mouse。〃

〃What？〃　Dean　asked。

〃When　I　went　into　his　cell；　it　was　like　I　was　hypnotized。　I　didnt　feel　like　I　could　have　stopped　doing　what　he　wanted；　even　if　Id　tried。〃

〃I　dont　like　the　sound　of　that；〃　Harry　said；　and　shifted　uneasily　in　his　seat。

〃I　asked　him　what　he　wanted；　and　he　said　Just　to　help。　I　remember　that　very　clearly。　And　when　it　was　over　and　I　was　better；　he　knew。　I　helped　it；　he　said。　I　helped　it；　didnt　I？；　〃

Brutal　was　nodding。　〃Just　like　with　the　mouse。　You　said　You　helped　it；　and　Coffey　said　it　back　to　you　like　he　was　a　parrot。　I　helped　Dels　mouse。　Is　that　when　you　knew？　It　was；　wasnt　it？。〃

〃Yeah；　I　guess　so。　I　remembered　what　he　said　to　McGee　when　McGee　asked　him　what　had　happened。　It　was　in　every　story　about　the　murders；　just　about。　I　couldnt　help　it。　I　tried　to　take　it　back；　but　it　was　too　late。　A　man　saying　a　thing　like　that　with　two　little　dead　girls　in　his　arms；　them　white　and　blonde；　him　as　big　as　a　house；　no　wonder　they　got　it　wrong。　They　heard　what　he　was　saying　in　a　way　that　would　agree　with　what　they　were　seeing；　and　what　they　were　seeing　was　black。　They　thought　he　was　confessing；　that　he　was　saying　hed　had　a　pulsion　to　take　those　girls；　rape　them；　and　kill　them。　That　hed　e　to　his　senses　and　tried　to　stop。

〃But　by　then　it　was　too　late；〃　Brutal　murmured

〃Yes。　Except　what　he　was　really　trying　to　tell　them　was　that　hed　found　them；　tried　to　heal　them　…　to　bring　them　back　…　and　had　no　success。　They　were　too　far　gone　in　death。〃

〃Paul；　do　you　believe　that？〃　Dean　asked。　〃Do　you　really；　honest…to…God　believe　that？〃

I　examined　my　heart　as　well　as　I　could　one　final　time；　then　nodded　my　head。　Not　only　did　I　know　it　now；　there　was　an　intuitive　part　of　me　that　had　known　something　wasnt　right　with　John　Coffeys　situation　from　the　very　beginning；　when　Percy　had　e　onto　the　block　hauling　on　Coffeys　arm　and　blaring　〃Dead　man　walking！　…　at　the　top　of　his　lungs。　I　had　shaken　hands　with　him；　hadnt　I？　I　had　never　shaken　the　hand　of　a　man　ing　on　the　Green　Mile　before；　but　I　had　shaken　Coffeys。

〃Jesus；〃　Dean　said。　〃Good　Jesus　Christ。〃

〃Your　shoes　one　thing；〃　Harry　said。　〃Whats　the　other？〃

〃Not　long　before　the　posse　found　Coffey　and　the　girls；　the　men　came　out　of　the　woods　near　the　south　bank　of　the　Trapingus　River。　They　found　a　patch　of　flattened…down　grass　there；　a　lot　of　blood；　and　the　rest　of　Cora　Dettericks　nightie。　The　dogs　got　confused　for　a　bit。　Most　wanted　to　go　southeast；　downstream　along　the　bank。　But　two　of　them…the　coon…dogs　…　wanted　to　go　upstream。　〃Bobo　Marchant　was　running　the　dogs；　and　when　he　save　the　coonies　a　sniff　of　the　nightgown；　they　turned　with　the　others。〃

〃The　coonies　got　mixed　up；　didnt　they？〃　Brutal　asked。　A　strange；　sickened　little　smile　was　playing　around　the　corners　of　his　mouth。　〃They　aint　built　to　be　trackers；　strictly　speaking　；　and　they　got　mixed　up　on　what　their　job　was。〃

Yes。

〃I　dont　get　it；〃　Dean　said。

〃The　coonies　forgot　whatever　it　was　Bobo　ran　under　their　noses　to　get　them　started；〃　Brutal　said。　〃By　the　time　they　came　out　on　the　riverbank；　the　coonies　were　tracking　the　killer；　not　the　girls。　That　wasnt　a　problem　as　long　as　the　killer　and　the　girls　were　together；　but　。。。〃

The　light　was　dawning　in　Deans　eyes。　Harry　had　already　gotten　it。

〃When　you　think　about　it；〃　I　said；　〃you　wonder　how　anybody；　even　a　jury　wanting　to　pin　the　crime　on　a　wandering　black　fellow；　could　have　believed　John　Coffey　was　their　man　for　even　a　minute。　Just　the　idea　of　keeping　the　dog　quiet　with　food　until　he　could　snap　its　neck　would　have　been　beyond　Coffey。

〃He　was　never　any　closer　to　the　Detterick　farm　than　the　south　bank　of　the　Trapingus；　thats　what　I　think。　Six　or　more　miles　away。　He　was　just　mooning　along；　maybe　meaning　to　go　down　to　the　railroad　tracks　and　catch　a　freight　to　somewhere　else…when　they　e　off　the　trestle；　theyre　going　slow　enough　to　hop…when　he　heard　a　motion　to　the　north。〃