绿里奇迹(英文版)-第13部分

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　we　didn't　know　that　at　the　time。　Lucky　us。　
〃Where'd　it　go？〃　Brutal　asked　at　last；　wiping　sweat　off　the　back　of　his　neck　with　a　big　blue　bandanna。　〃No　hole；　no　crack　。。。　there's　that；　but　…　〃　He　pointed　to　the　drain　in　the　floor。　Below　the　grate；　which　the　mouse　could　have　gotten　through；　was　a　fine　steel　mesh　that　not　even　a　fly　would　have　passed。　〃How'd　it　get　in？　How'd　it　get　out？〃　
〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　
〃He　did　e　in　here；　didn't　he？　I　mean；　the　three　of　us　saw　him。〃　
〃Yep；　right　under　the　door。　He　had　to　squeeze　a　little；　but　he　made　it。〃　
〃Gosh；〃　Brutal　said　…　a　word　that　sounded　strange；　ing　from　a　man　that　big。　〃It's　a　good　thing　the　cons　can't　make　themselves　small　like　that；　isn't　it？〃　
〃You　bet；〃　I　said；　running　my　eye　over　the　canvas　walls　one　last　time；　looking　for　a　hole；　a　crack；　anything。　There　was　nothing。　〃e　on。　Let's　go。〃　
Steamboat　Willy　showed　up　again　three　nights　later；　when　Harry　Terwilliger　was　on　the　duty　desk。　Percy　was　also　on；　and　chased　the　mouse　back　down　the　Green　Mile　with　the　same　mop　Dean　had　been　thinking　of　using。　The　rodent　avoided　Percy　easily；　slipping　through　the　crack　beneath　the　restraint…room　door　a　hands…down　winner。　Cursing　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　Percy　unlocked　the　door　and　hauled　all　that　shit　out　again。　It　was　funny　and　scary　at　the　same　time；　Harry　said。　Percy　was　vowing　he'd　catch　the　goddam　mouse　and　tear　its　diseased　little　head　right　off；　but　he　didn't；　of　course。　Sweaty　and　disheveled；　the　shirttail　of　his　uniform　hanging　out　in　the　back；　he　returned　to　the　duty　desk　half　an　hour　later；　brushing　his　hair　out　of　his　eyes　and　telling　Harry　（who　had　sat　serenely　reading　through　most　of　the　ruckus）　that　he　was　going　to　put　a　strip　of　insulation　on　the　bottom　of　the　door　down　there；　that　would　solve　the　vermin　problem；　he　declared。　
〃Whatever　you　think　is　best；　Percy；〃　Harry　said；　turning　a　page　of　the　oat　opera　he　was　reading。　He　thought　Percy　would　forget　about　blocking　the　crack　at　the　bottom　of　that　door；　and　he　was　right。　
8。　
Late　that　winter；　long　after　these　events　were　over；　Brutal　came　to　me　one　night　when　it　was　just　the　two　of　us；　E　Block　temporarily　empty　and　all　the　other　guards　temporarily　reassigned。　Percy　had　gone　on　to　Briar　Ridge。　
〃e　here；〃　Brutal　said　in　a　funny；　squeezed　voice　that　made　me　look　around　at　him　sharply。　I　had　just　e　in　out　of　a　cold　and　sleety　night；　and　had　been　brushing　off　the　shoulders　of　my　coat　prior　to　hanging　it　up。　
〃Is　something　wrong？〃　I　asked。　
〃No；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　found　out　where　Mr。　Jingles　was　staying。　When　he　first　came；　I　mean；　before　Delacroix　took　him　over。　Do　you　want　to　see？〃　
Of　course　I　did。　I　followed　him　down　the　Green　Mile　to　the　restraint　room。　All　the　stuff　we　kept　stored　there　was　out　in　the　hall；　Brutal　had　apparently　taken　advantage　of　the　lull　in　customer　traffic　to　do　some　cleaning　up。　The　door　was　open；　and　I　saw　our　mop…bucket　inside。　The　floor；　that　same　sick　lime　shade　as　the　Green　Mile　itself；　was　drying　in　streaks。　Standing　in　the　middle　of　the　floor　was　a　stepladder；　the　one　that　was　usually　kept　in　the　storage　room；　which　also　happened　to　serve　as　the　final　stop　for　the　state's　condemned。　There　was　a　shelf　jutting　out　from　the　back　of　the　ladder　near　the　top；　the　sort　of　thing　a　workman　would　use　to　hold　his　toolkit　or　a　painter　the　bucket　he　was　working　out　of。　There　was　a　flashlight　on　it。　Brutal　handed　it　to　me。　
〃Get　on　up　there。　You're　shorter　than　me；　so　you'll　have　to　go　pretty　near　all　the　way；　but　I'll　hold　your　legs！〃　
〃I'm　ticklish　down　there；〃　I　said；　starting　up。　〃Especially　my　knees！'　
〃I'll　mind　that！〃　
〃Good；〃　I　said；　〃because　a　broken　hip's　too　high　a　price　to　pay　in　order　to　discover　the　origins　of　a　single　mouse。〃　
〃Huh？〃　
〃Never　mind。〃　My　head　was　up　by　the　caged　light　in　the　center　of　the　ceiling　by　then；　and　I　could　feel　the　ladder　wiggling　a　little　under　my　weight。　Outside；　I　could　hear　the　winter　wind　moaning。　〃Just　hold　onto　me。〃　
〃I　got　you；　don't　worry。〃　He　gripped　my　calves　firmly；　and　I　went　up　one　more　step。　Now　the　top　of　my　head　was　less　than　a　foot　from　the　ceiling；　and　I　could　see　the　cobwebs　a　few　enterprising　spiders　had　spun　in　the　crotches　where　the　roof　beams　came　together。　I　shone　the　light　around　but　didn't　see　anything　worth　the　risk　of　being　up　here。　
'No；〃　Brutal　said。　〃You're　looking　too　far　away；　Paul。　Look　to　your　left；　where　those　two　beams　e　together。　You　see　them？　One's　a　little　discolored！'　
〃I　see。〃　
〃Shine　the　light　on　the　join！〃　
I　did；　and　saw　what　he　wanted　me　to　see　almost　right　away。　The　beams　had　been　pegged　together　with　dowels；　half　a　dozen　of　them；　and　one　was　gone；　leaving　a　black；　circular　hole　the　size　of　a　quarter。　I　looked　at　it；　then　looked　doubtfully　back　over　my　shoulder　at　Brutal。　〃It　was　a　small　mouse；〃　I　said；　〃but　that　small？　Man；　I　don't　think　so。〃　
〃But　that's　where　he　went；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I'm　just　as　sure　as　houses。〃　
〃I　don't　see　how　you　can　be。〃　
〃Lean　closer　…　don't　worry　I　got　you　…　and　take　a　whiff。〃　
I　did　as　he　asked；　groping　with　my　left　hand　for　one　of　the　other　beams；　and　feeling　a　little　better　when　I　had　hold　of　it。　The　wind　outside　gusted　again；　air　puffed　out　of　that　hole　and　into　my　face。　I　could　smell　the　keen　breath　of　a　winter　night　in　the　border　South　。。。　and　something　else；　as　well。　
The　smell　of　peppermint。　
Don't　let　nothing　happen　to　Mr。　Jingles；　I　could　hear　Delacroix　saying　in　a　voice　that　wouldn't　stay　steady　I　could　hear　that；　and　I　could　feel　the　warmth　of　Mr。　Jingles　as　the　Frenchman　handed　it　to　me；　just　a　mouse；　smarter　than　most　of　the　species；　no　doubt；　but　still　just　a　mouse　for　a'　that　and　a'　that。　Don't　let　that　bad　'un　hurt　my　mouse；　he'd　said；　and　I　had　promised；　as　I　always　promised　them　at　the　end　when　walking　the　Green　Mile　was　no　longer　a　myth　or　a　hypothesis　but　something　they　really　had　to　do。　Mail　this　letter　to　my　brother；　who　I　haven't　seen　for　twenty　years？　I　promise。　Say　fifteen　Hail　Marys　for　my　soul？　I　promise。　Let　me　die　under　my　spirit…name　and　see　that　it　goes　on　my　tombstone？　I　promise。　It　was　the　way　you　got　them　to　go　and　be　good　about　it；　the　way　you　saw　them　into　the　chair　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　Green　Mile　with　their　sanity　intact。　I　couldn't　keep　all　of　those　promises；　of　course；　but　I　kept　the　one　I　made　to　Delacroix。　As　for　the　Frenchman　himself；　there　had　been　hell　to　pay。　The　bad　'un　had　hurt　Delacroix；　hurt　him　plenty。　Oh；　I　know　what　he　did；　all　right；　but　no　one　deserved　what　happened　to　Eduard　Delacroix　when　he　fell　into　Old　Sparky's　savage　embrace。　
A　smell　of　peppermint。　
And　something　else。　Something　back　inside　that　hole。　
I　took　a　pen　out　of　my　breast　pocket　with　my　right　hand；　still　holding　onto　the　beam　with　my　left；　not　worried　anymore　about　Brutal　inadvertently　tickling　my　sensitive　knees。　I　unscrewed　the　pen's　cap　onehanded；　then　poked　the　nib　in　and　teased　something　out。　It　was　a　tiny　splinter　of　wood　which　had　been　tinted　a　bright　yellow；　and　I　heard　Delacroix's　voice　again；　so　clearly　this　time　that　his　ghost　might　have　been　lurking　in　that　room　with　us　…　the　one　where　William　Wharton　spent　so　much　of　his　time。　
Hey；　you　guys！　the　voice　said　this　time…the　laughing；　amazed　voice　of　a　man　who　has　forgotten；　at　least　for　a　little　while；　where　he　is　and　what　awaits　him。　e　and　see　what　Mr。　Jingles　can　do！　
〃Christ；〃　I　whispered。　I　felt　as　if　the　wind　had　been　knocked　out　of　me。　
〃You　found　another　one；　didn't　you？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃I　found　three　or　four。〃　
I　came　down　and　shone　the　light　on　his　big；　outstretched　palm。　Several　splinters　of　wood　were　scattered　there；　like　jackstraws　for　elves。　Two　were　yellow；　like　the　one　I　had　found。　One　was　green　and　one　was　red。　They　hadn't　been　painted　but　colored；　with　wax　Crayola　crayons。　
〃Oh；　boy；〃　I　said　in　a　low；　shaky　voice。　〃Oh；　hey。　It's　pieces　of　that　spool；　isn't　it？　But　why？　Why　up　there？〃　
〃When　I　was　a　kid　I　wasn't　big　like　I　am　now；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I　got　most　of　my　growth　between　fifteen　and　seventeen。　Until　then　I　was　a　shrimp。　And　when　I　went　off　to　school　the　first　time；　I　felt　as　small　as　。。。　why；　as　small　as　a　mouse；　I　guess　you'd　say。　I　was　scared　to　death。　So　you　know　what　I　did？〃　
I　shook　my　head。　Outside；　the　wind