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第56部分（第1页）

untry…dumb　as　his　boss。

〃I　know；〃　I　said。

〃And　if　youre　thinking　of　getting　him　a　new　trial　on　the　basis　of　this　one　thing；　you　better　think　again；　senor。　John　Coffey　is　a　Negro；　and　in　Trapingus　County　were　awful　particular　about　giving　new　trials　to　Negroes。〃

〃I　know　that；　too。〃

〃So　what　are　you　going　to　do？〃

I　pitched　my　cigarette　over　the　porch　rail　and　into　the　street。　Then　I　stood　up。　It　was　going　to　be　a　long；　cold　ride　back　home；　and　the　sooner　I　got　going　the　sooner　the　trip　would　be　done。　〃That　I　wish　I　did　know；　Deputy　McGee；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　dont。　The　only　thing　I　know　tonight　for　a　fact　is　that　second　piece　of　pie　was　a　mistake。〃

〃Ill　tell　you　something；　smart　guy；〃　he　said；　still　speaking　in　that　tone　of　hollow　belligerence。　〃I　dont　think　you　should　have　opened　Pandoras　Box　in　the　first　place。〃

〃It　wasnt　me　opened　it；〃　I　said；　and　then　drove　home。

I　got　there　late　…　after　midnight　…　but　my　wife　was　waiting　up　for　me。　Id　suspected　she　would　be；　but　it　still　did　my　heart　good　to　see　her；　and　to　have　her　put　her　arms　around　my　neck　and　her　body　nice　and　firm　against　mine。　〃Hello；　stranger；〃　she　said；　and　then　touched　me　down　below。　〃Nothing　wrong　with　this　fellow　now；　is　there？　Hes　just　as　healthy　as　can　be。〃

〃Yes　maam；〃　I　said；　and　lifted　her　up　in　my　arms。　I　took　her　into　the　bedroom　and　we　made　love　as　sweet　as　sugar；　and　as　I　came　to　my　climax；　that　delicious　feeling　of　going　out　and　letting　go；　I　thought　of　John　Coffeys　endlessly　weeping　eyes。　And　of　Melinda　Moores　saying　I　dreamed　you　were　wandering　in　the　dark；　and　so　was　I。

Still　lying　on　top　of　my　wife；　with　her　arms　around　my　neck　and　our　thighs　together；　I　began　to　weep　myself。

〃Paul！〃　she　said；　shocked　and　afraid。　I　dont　think　shed　seen　me　in　tears　more　than　half　a　dozen　times　before　in　the　entire　course　of　our　marriage。　I　have　never　been；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　a　crying　man。　〃Paul；　what　is　it？〃

〃I　know　everything　there　is　to　know；〃　I　said　through　my　tears。　〃I　know　too　goddam　much；　if　you　want　to　know　the　truth。　Im　supposed　to　electrocute　John　Coffey　in　less　than　a　weeks　time；　but　it　was　William　Wharton　who　killed　the　Detterick　girls。　It　was　Wild　Bill。〃

5。

The　next　day；　the　same　bunch　of　screws　who　had　eaten　lunch　in　my　kitchen　after　the　botched　Delacroix　execution　ate　lunch　there　again。　This　time　there　was　a　fifth　at　our　council　of　war：　my　wife。　It　was　Jan　who　convinced　me　to　tell　the　others；　my　first　impulse　had　been　not　to。　Wasnt　it　bad　enough；　I　asked　her；　that　we　knew？

〃Youre　not　thinking　clear　about　it；〃　shed　answered。　〃Probably　because　youre　still　upset。　They　already　know　the　worst　thing；　that　Johns　on　the　spot　for　a　crime　he　didnt　mit。　If　anything；　this　makes　it　a　little　better。〃

I　wasnt　so　sure；　but　I　deferred　to　her　judgement。　I　expected　an　uproar　when　I　told　Brutal；　Dean；　and　Harry　what　I　knew　（I　couldnt　prove　it；　but　I　knew；　all　right）；　but　at　first　there　was　only　thoughtful　silence。　Then；　taking　another　of　Janices　biscuits　and　beginning　to　put　an　outrageous　amount　of　butter　on　it；　Dean　said：　〃Did　John　see　him；　do　you　think？　Did　he　see　Wharton　drop　the　girls；　maybe　even　rape　them？〃

〃I　think　if　hed　seen　that；　he　would　have　tried　to　stop　it；〃　I　said。　〃As　for　seeing　Wharton；　maybe　as　he　ran　off；　I　suppose　he　might　have。　If　he　did；　he　forgot　it　later。〃

〃Sure；〃　Dean　said。　〃Hes　special；　but　that　doesnt　make　him　bright。　He　only　found　out　it　was　Wharton　when　Wharton　reached　through　the　bars　of　his　cell　and　touched　him。〃

Brutal　was　nodding。　〃Thats　why　John　looked　so　surprised　。。。　so　shocked。　Remember　the　way　his　eyes　opened？〃

I　nodded。　〃He　used　Percy　on　Wharton　like　a　gun；　that　was　what　Janice　said；　and　it　was　what　I　kept　thinking　about。　Why　would　John　Coffey　want　to　kill　Wild　Bill？　Percy；　maybe　…Percy　stamped　on　Delacroixs　mouse　right　in　front　of　him；　Percy　burned　Delacroix　alive　and　John　knew　it　…　but　Wharton？　Wharton　messed　with　most　of　us　in　one　way　or　another；　but　he　didnt　mess　with　John　at　all；　so　far　as　I　know　…hardly　passed　four　dozen　words　with　him　the　whole　time　they　were　on　the　Mile　together；　and　half　of　those　were　that　last　night。　Why　would　he　want　to？　He　was　from　Purdom　County；　and　as　far　as　white　boys　from　up　there　are　concerned；　you　dont　even　see　a　Negro　unless　he　happens　to　step　into　your　road。　So　why　did　he　do　it？　What　could　heve　seen　or　felt　when　Wharton　touched　him　that　was　so　bad　that　he　saved　back　the　poison　he　took　out　of　Mellys　body？〃

〃And　half…killed　himself　doing　it；　too；〃　Brutal　said。

〃More　like　three…quarters。　And　the　Detterick　twins　were　all　I　could　think　of　that　was　bad　enough　to　explain　what　he　did。　I　told　myself　the　idea　was　nuts；　too　much　of　a　coincidence；　it　just　couldnt　be。　Then　I　remembered　something　Curtis　Anderson　wrote　in　the　first　memo　I　ever　got　about　Wharton　…that　Wharton　was　crazy…wild；　and　that　hed　rambled　all　over　the　state　before　the　holdup　where　he　killed　all　those　people。　Rambled　all　over　the　state。　That　stuck　with　me。　Then　there　was　the　way　he　tried　to　choke　Dean　when　he　came　in。　That　got　me　thinking　about　…　〃