绿里奇迹(英文版)-第59部分

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ueeze　his　entire　head　through。　It　would　have　been　impossible；　of　course；　but　that　was　how　it　looked。　His　right　hand　groped；　found　the　nape　of　Percy's　neck；　curled　around　it；　and　yanked　Percy's　head　forward。　Percy　brought　the　club　down　between　the　bars　and　onto　John　's　temple。　Blood　flowed；　but　John　paid　no　attention。　His　mouth　pressed　against　Percy's　mouth。　I　heard　a　whispering　rush　…　an　exhalatory　sound；　as　of　long…held　breath。　Percy　jerked　like　a　fish　on　a　hook；　trying　to　get　away；　but　he　never　had　a　chance；　John　's　right　hand　was　pressed　to　the　back　of　his　neck；　holding　him　firm。　Their　faces　seemed　to　melt　together；　like　the　faces　of　lovers　I　have　seen　kissing　passionately　through　bars。　
Percy　screamed；　the　sound　muffled　as　it　had　been　through　the　tape；　and　made　another　effort　to　pull　back。　For　an　instant　their　lips　came　apart　a　little；　and　I　saw　the　black；　swirling　tide　that　was　flowing　out　of　John　Coffey　and　into　Percy　Wetmore。　What　wasn't　going　into　him　through　his　quivering　mouth　was　flowing　in　by　way　of　his　nostrils。　Then　the　hand　on　the　nape　of　his　neck　flexed；　and　Percy　was　pulled　forward　onto　John　's　mouth　again；　was　almost　impaled　on　it。　
Percy's　left　hand　sprang　open。　His　treasured　hickory　baton　fell　to　the　green　linoleum。　He　never　picked　it　up　again。　
I　tried　to　lunge　forward；　I　guess　I　did　lunge　forward；　but　my　movements　felt　old　and　creaky　to　myself。　I　grabbed　for　my　gun；　but　the　strap　was　still　across　the　burled…walnut　grip；　and　at　first　I　couldn't　get　it　out　of　its　holster。　Beneath　me；　I　seemed　to　feel　the　floor　shake　as　it　had　in　the　back　bedroom　of　the　Warden's　neat　little　Cape　Cod。　That　I'm　not　sure　of；　but　I　know　that　one　of　the　caged　lightbulbs　overhead　broke。　Fragments　of　glass　showered　down。　Harry　yelled　in　surprise。　
At　last　I　managed　to　thumb　loose　the　safety　strap　over　the　butt　of　my　。38；　but　before　I　could　pull　it　out　of　its　holster；　John　had　thrust　Percy　away　from　him　and　stepped　back　into　his　cell。　John　was　grimacing　and　rubbing　his　mouth；　as　if　he　had　tasted　something　bad。　
〃What'd　he　do？〃　Brutal　shouted。　〃What'd　he　do；　Paul？〃　
〃Whatever　he　took　out　of　Melly；　Percy's　got　it　now；〃　I　said。　
Percy　was　standing　against　the　bars　of　Delacroix's　old　cell。　His　eyes　were　wide　and　blank…double　zeros。　I　approached　him　carefully；　expecting　him　to　start　coughing　and　choking　the　way　John　had　after　he'd　finished　with　Melinda；　but　he　didn't。　At　first　he　only　stood　there。　
I　snapped　my　fingers　in　front　of　his　eyes。　〃Percy！　Hey；　Percy！　Wake　up！〃　
Nothing。　Brutal　joined　me；　and　reached　toward　Percy's　empty　face　with　both　hands。　
〃That　isn't　going　to　work；〃　I　said。　
Ignoring　me；　Brutal　clapped　his　hands　sharply　together　twice；　right　in　front　of　Percy's　nose。　And　it　did　work；　or　appeared　to　work。　His　eyelids　fluttered　and　he　stared　around　…dazed；　like　someone　hit　over　the　head　struggling　back　to　consciousness。　He　looked　from　Brutal　to　me。　All　these　years　later；　I'm　pretty　sure　he　didn't　see　either　of　us；　but　I　thought　he　did　then；　I　thought　he　was　ing　out　of　it。　
He　pushed　away　from　the　bars　and　swayed　a　little　on　his　feet。　Brutal　steadied　him。　〃Easy；　boy；　you　all　right？〃　Percy　didn't　answer；　just　stepped　past　Brutal　and　turned　toward　the　duty　desk。　He　wasn't　staggering；　exactly；　but　he　was　listing　to　port。　
Brutal　reached　out　for　him。　I　pushed　his　hand　away。　〃Leave　him　alone。〃　Would　I　have　said　the　same　if　I'd　known　what　was　going　to　happen　next？　I've　asked　myself　that　question　a　thousand　times　since　the　fall　of　1932。　There's　never　any　answer。　
Percy　made　twelve　or　fourteen　paces；　then　stopped　again；　head　lowered。　He　was　outside　of　Wild　Bill　Wharton's　cell　by　then。　Wharton　was　still　making　those　sousaphone　noises。　He　slept　through　the　whole　thing。　He　slept　through　his　own　death；　now　that　I　think　of　it；　which　made　him　a　lot　luckier　than　most　of　the　men　who　ended　up　here。　Certainly　luckier　than　he　deserved。　
Before　we　knew　what　was　happening；　Percy　drew　his　gun；　stepped　to　the　bars　of　Wharton's　cell；　and　emptied　all　six　shots　into　the　sleeping　man〃　just　bam…bam…bam；　bam…bam…bam；　as　fast　as　he　could　pull　the　trigger。　The　sound　in　that　enclosed　space　was　deafening；　when　I　told　Janice　the　story　the　next　morning；　I　could　still　hardly　hear　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　for　the　ringing　in　my　ears。　
We　ran　at　him；　all　four　of　us。　Dean　got　there　first　…　I　don't　know　how；　as　he　was　behind　Brutal　and　me　when　Coffey　had　hold　of　Percy　…　but　he　did。　He　grabbed　Percy's　wrist；　prepared　to　wrestle　the　gun　out　of　Percy's　hand；　but　he　didn't　have　to。　Percy　just　let　go；　and　the　gun　fell　to　the　floor。　His　eyes　went　across　us　like　they　were　skates　and　we　were　ice。　There　was　a　low　hissing　sound　and　a　sharp　ammoniac　smell　as　Percy's　bladder　let　go；　then　a　brrrap　sound　and　a　thicker　stink　as　he　filled　the　other　side　of　his　pants；　as　well。　His　eyes　had　settled　on　a　far　corner　of　the　corridor。　They　were　eyes　that　never　saw　anything　in　this　real　world　of　ours　again；　so　far　as　I　know。　Back　near　the　beginning　of　this　I　wrote　that　Percy　was　at　Briar　Ridge　by　the　time　that　Brutal　found　the　colored　slivers　of　Mr。　Jingles's　spool　a　couple　of　months　later；　and　I　didn't　lie　about　that。　He　never　got　the　office　with　the　fan　in　the　er；　though；　never　got　a　bunch　of　lunatic　patients　to　push　around；　either。　But　I　imagine　he　at　least　got　his　own　private　room。　
He　had　connections；　after　all。　
Wharton　was　lying　on　his　side　with　his　back　against　the　wall　of　his　cell。　I　couldn't　see　much　then　but　a　lot　of　blood　soaking　into　the　sheet　and　splattered　across　the　cement；　but　the　coroner　said　Percy　had　shot　like　Annie　Oakley。　Remembering　Dean's　story　of　how　Percy　had　thrown　his　hickory　baton　at　the　mouse　that　time　and　barely　missed；　I　wasn't　too　surprised。　This　time　the　range　had　been　shorter　and　the　target　not　moving。　One　in　the　groin；　one　in　the　gut；　one　in　the　chest；　three　in　the　head。　
Brutal　was　coughing　and　waving　at　the　haze　of　gunsmoke。　I　was　coughing　myself；　but　hadn't　noticed　it　until　then。　
〃End　of　the　line；〃　Brutal　said。　His　voice　was　calm；　but　there　was　no　mistaking　the　glaze　of　panic　in　his　eyes。　
I　looked　down　the　hallway　and　saw　John　Coffey　sitting　on　the　end　of　his　bunk。　His　hands　were　clasped　between　his　knees　again；　but　his　head　was　up　and　he　no　longer　looked　a　bit　sick。　He　nodded　at　me　slightly；　and　I　surprised　myself　…　as　I　had　on　the　day　I　offered　him　my　hand　…　by　returning　the　nod。　
〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃　Harry　gibbered。　〃Oh　Christ；　what　are　we　going　to　do？〃　
〃Nothing　we　can　do；〃　Brutal　said　in　that　same　calm　voice。　〃We're　hung。　Aren't　we；　Paul？〃　
My　mind　had　begun　to　move　very　fast。　I　looked　at　Harry　and　Dean；　who　were　staring　at　me　like　scared　kids。　I　looked　at　Percy；　who　was　standing　there　with　his　hands　and　jaw　dangling。　Then　I　looked　at　my　old　friend；　Brutus　Howell。　
〃We're　going　to　be　okay；〃　I　said。　
Percy　at　last　menced　coughing。　He　doubled　over；　hands　on　his　knees；　almost　retching。　His　face　began　to　turn　red。　I　opened　my　mouth；　meaning　to　tell　the　others　to　stand　back；　but　I　never　got　a　chance。　He　made　a　sound　that　was　a　cross　between　a　dry　heave　and　a　bullfrog's　croak；　opened　his　mouth；　and　spewed　out　a　cloud　of　black；　swirling　stuff。　It　was　so　thick　that　for　a　moment　we　couldn't　see　his　head。　Harry　said　〃Oh　God　save　us〃　in　a　weak　and　watery　voice。　Then　the　stuff　turned　a　white　so　dazzling　it　was　like　January　sun　on　fresh　snow。　A　moment　later　the　cloud　was　gone。　Percy　straightened　slowly　up　and　resumed　his　vacant　gaze　down　the　length　of　the　Green　Mile。　
〃We　didn't　see　that；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Did　we；　Paul？〃　
〃No。　I　didn't　and　you　didn't。　Did　you　see　it；　Harry？〃　
〃No；〃　Harry　said。　
〃Dean？〃　
〃See　what？〃　Dean　took　his　glasses　off　and　began　to　polish　them。　I　thought　he　would　drop　them　out　of　his　trembling　hands；　but　he　managed　not　to。　
〃　See　what；　that's　good。　That's　just　the　ticket。　Now　listen　to　your　scoutmaster；　boys；　and　get　it　right　the　first　time；　because　time　is　short。　It's　a　simple　story。　Let's　not　plicate　it。〃　
3。　
I　told　all　this　to　Jan　at　around　eleven　o'clock　that　morning　…　the　next　morning；　I　almost　wrote；　but　of　course　it　was　the　same　day。　The　longest　one　of　my　whole　life；　without　a　doubt。　I　told　it　pretty　much　as　I　have　here；　finishing　with　how　William　Wharton　had　ended　up　lying　dead　on　his　bunk；　riddled　with　lead　from　Percy's　sidearm。　
No；　that's　not　right。　What　I　actually　finished　with　was　the　stuff　that　came　out　of　Percy；　the　bugs　or　the　whatever…it…was。　That　was　a　hard　thing　to　tell；　even　to　your　wife；　but　I　told　it。　
As　I　talked；　she　brought　me　black　coffee　by　the　half…cup　at　first　my　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　pick　up　a　whole　one　without　spilling　it。　By　the　time　I　finished；　the　shaking　had　eased　some；　and　I　felt　that　I　could　even　take　some　food　an　egg；　maybe；　or　some　soup。　
〃The　thing　that　saved　us　was　that　we　didn't　really　have　to　lie；　any　of　us。〃　
〃Just　leave　a　few　things　out；〃　she　said；　and　nodded。　〃Little　things；　mostly；　like　how　you　took　a　condemned　murderer　out　of　prison；　and　how　he　cured　a　dying　woman；　and　how　he　drove　that　Percy　Wetmore　crazy　by　…　what？　…　spitting　a　pureed　brain　tumor　down　his　throat？〃　
〃I　don't　know；　Jan；〃　I　said。　〃I　only　know　that　if　you　keep　talking　like　that；　you'll　end　up　either　eating　that　soup　yourself；　or　feeding　it　to　the　dog。〃　
〃I'm　sorry。　But　I'm　right；　aren't　I？〃　
〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　Except　we　got　away　with　the…〃　The　what？　You　couldn't　call　it　an　escape；　and　furlough　wasn't　right；　either。　〃the　field　trip。　Not　even　Percy　can　tell　them　about　that；　if　he　ever　es　back。〃　
〃If　he　es　back；〃　she　echoed。　〃How　likely　is　that？〃　
I　shook　my　head　to　indicate　I　had　no　idea。　But　I　did；　actually；　I　didn't　think　he　was　going　to　e　back；　not　in　1932；　not　in　'42　or　'52；　either。　In　that　I　was　right。　Percy　Wetmore　stayed　at　Briar　Ridge　until　it　burned　flat　in　1944。　Seventeen　inmates　were　killed　in　that　fire；　but　Percy　wasn't　one　of　them。　Still　silent　and　blank　in　every　regard…the　word　I　learned　to　describe　that　state　is　catatonic　…　he　was　led　out　by　one　of　the　guards　long　before　the　fire　reached　his　wing。　He　went　on　to　another　institution　…　I　don't　remember　the　name　and　guess　it　doesn't　matter；　anyway　…　and　died　in　1965。　So　far　as　I　know；　the　last　time　he　ever　spoke　was　when　he　told　us　we　could　clock　him　out　at　quitting　time。。。　unless　we