绿里奇迹(英文版)-第69部分

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I　walked　into　a　clump　of　willows；　unbuttoned；　and　let　go。　I　was　still　dose　enough　to　my　urinary　infection　so　that　the　body's　amnesia　had　not　taken　full　hold；　and　I　could　be　grateful　simply　to　be　able　to　pee　without　needing　to　scream。　I　stood　there；　emptying　out　and　looking　up　at　the　moon；　I　was　hardly　aware　of　Brutal　standing　next　to　me　and　doing　the　same　thing　until　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃Hell　never　sit　in　Old　Sparky。〃　
I　looked　around　at　him；　surprised　and　a　little　frightened　by　the　low　certainty　in　his　tone。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　
〃I　mean　he　swallered　that　stuff　instead　of　spitting　out　like　he　done　before　for　a　reason。　It　might　take　a　week…he's　awful　big　and　strong　…　but　I　bet　it's　quicker。　One　of　us'll　do　a　check…tour　and　there　he'll　be；　lying　dead　as　stone　on　his　bunk。〃　
I'd　thought　I　was　done　peeing；　but　at　that　a　little　shiver　twisted　up　my　back　and　a　little　more　squirted　out。　As　I　rebuttoned　my　fly；　I　thought　that　what　Brutal　was　saying　made　perfect　sense。　And　I　hoped；　all　in　all；　that　he　was　right。　John　Coffey　didn't　deserve　to　die　at　all；　if　I　was　right　in　my　reasoning　about　the　Detterick　girls；　but　if　he　did　die；　I　didn't　want　it　to　be　by　my　hand。　I　wasn't　sure　I　could　lift　my　hand　to　do　it；　if　it　came　to　that。　
〃e　on；〃　Harry　murmured　out　of　the　dark。　〃It's　gettin　late。　Let's　get　this　done。〃　
As　we　walked　back　to　the　truck；　I　realized　we　had　left　John　entirely　alone　…　stupidity　on　the　Percy　Wetmore　level。　I　thought　that　he　would　be　gone；　that　he'd　spat　out　the　bugs　as　soon　as　he　saw　he　was　unguarded；　and　had　then　just　lit　out　for　the　territories；　like　Huck　and　Jim　on　the　Big　Muddy。　All　we　would　find　was　the　blanket　he　had　been　wearing　around　his　shoulders。　
But　he　was　there；　still　sitting　with　his　back　against　the　cab　and　his　forearms　propped　on　his　knees。　He　looked　up　at　the　sound　of　our　approach　and　tried　to　give　us　a　smile。　It　hung　there　for　a　moment　on　his　haggard　face　and　then　slipped　off。　
〃How　you　doing；　Big　John？〃　Brutal　asked；　climbing　into　the　back　of　the　truck　again　and　retrieving　his　own　blanket。　
〃Fine；　boss；〃　John　said　listlessly。　〃I's　fine。〃　
Brutal　patted　his　knee。　〃We'll　be　back　soon。　And　when　we　get　squared　away；　you　know　what？　I'm　going　to　see　you　get　a　great　big　cup　of　hot　coffee。　Sugar　and　cream；　too。〃　
You　bet；　I　thought；　going　around　to　the　passenger　side　of　the　cab　and　climbing　in。　If　we　don't　get　arrested　and　thrown　in　jail　ourselves　first。　
But　I'd　been　living　with　that　idea　ever　since　we'd　thrown　Percy　into　the　restraint　room；　and　it　didn't　worry　me　enough　to　keep　me　awake。　I　dozed　off　and　dreamed　of　Calvary　Hill。　Thunder　in　the　west　and　a　smell　that　might　have　been　juniper　berries。　Brutal　and　Harry　and　Dean　and　I　were　standing　around　in　robes　and　tin　hats　like　in　a　Cecil　B。　DeMille　movie。　We　were　Centurions；　I　guess。　There　were　three　crosses；　Percy　Wetmore　and　Eduard　Delacroix　flanking　John　Coffey。　I　looked　down　at　my　hand　and　saw　I　was　holding　a　bloody　hammer。　
We　got　to　get　him　down　from　there；　Paul！　Brutal　screamed。　We　got　to　get　him　down！　
Except　we　couldn't；　they'd　taken　away　the　stepladder。　I　started　to　tell　Brutal　this；　and　then　an　extra…hard　bounce　of　the　truck　woke　me　up。　We　were　backing　into　the　place　where　Harry　had　hidden　the　truck　earlier　on　a　day　that　already　seemed　to　stretch　back　to　the　beginning　of　time。　
The　two　of　us　got　out　and　went　around　to　the　back。　Brutal　hopped　down　all　right；　but　John　Coffey's　knees　buckled　and　he　almost　fell。　It　took　all　three　of　us　to　catch　him；　and　he　was　no　more　than　set　solid　on　his　feet　again　before　he　went　off　into　another　of　those　coughing　fits；　this　one　the　worst　yet。　He　bent　over；　the　coughing　sounds　muffled　by　the　heels　of　his　palms；　which　he　held　pressed　against　his　mouth。　
When　his　coughing　eased；　we　covered　the　front　of　the　Farmall　with　the　pine　boughs　again　and　walked　back　the　way　we　had　e。　The　worst　part　of　that　whole　surreal　furlough　was　…　for　me；　at　least　…　the　last　two　hundred　yards；　with　us　scurrying　back　south　along　the　shoulder　of　the　highway。　I　could　see　（or　thought　I　could）　the　first　faint　lightening　of　the　sky　in　the　east；　and　felt　sure　some　early　farmer；　out　to　harvest　his　pumpkins　or　dig　his　last　few　rows　of　yams；　would　e　along　and　see　us。　And　even　if　that　didn't　happen；　we　would　hear　someone　（in　my　imagination　it　sounded　like　Curtis　Anderson）　shout　〃Holdit　right　there！〃　as　I　used　the　Aladdin　key　to　unlock　the　enclosure　around　the　bulkhead　leading　to　the　tunnel。　Then　two　dozen　carbine…toting　guards　would　step　out　of　the　woods　and　our　little　adventure　would　be　over。　
By　the　time　we　actually　got　to　the　enclosure；　my　heart　was　whamming　so　hard　that　I　could　see　little　white　dots　exploding　in　front　of　my　eyes　with　each　pulse　it　made。　My　hands　felt　cold　and　numb　and　faraway；　and　for　the　longest　time　I　couldn't　get　the　key　to　go　into　the　lock。　
〃Oh　Christ；　headlights！〃　Harry　moaned。　
I　looked　up　and　saw　brightening　fans　of　light　on　the　road。　My　keyring　almost　fell　out　of　my　hand；　I　managed　to　clutch　it　at　the　last　second。　
〃Give　them　to　me；〃　Brutal　said。　〃I'll　do　it。〃　
〃No；　I've　got　it；〃　I　said。　The　key　at　last　slipped　into　its　slot　and　turned。　A　moment　later　we　were　in。　We　crouched　behind　the　bulkhead　and　watched　as　a　Sunshine　Bread　truck　went　pottering　past　the　prison。　Beside　me　I　could　hear　John　Coffey's　tortured　breathing。　He　sounded　like　an　engine　which　has　almost　run　out　of　oil。　He　had　held　the　bulkhead　door　up　effortlessly　for　us　on　our　way　out；　but　we　didn't　even　ask　him　to　help　this　time；　it　would　have　been　out　of　the　question。　Brutal　and　I　got　the　door　up；　and　Harry　led　john　down　the　steps。　The　big　man　tottered　as　he　went；　but　he　got　down。　Brutal　and　I　followed　him　as　fast　as　we　could；　then　lowered　the　bulkhead　behind　us　and　locked　it　again。　
〃Christ；　I　think　we're　gonna　…　〃　Brutal　began；　but　I　cut　him　off　with　a　sharp　elbow　to　the　ribs。　
〃Don't　say　it；〃　I　said。　〃Don't　even　think　it；　until　he's　safe　back　in　his　cell。〃　
〃And　there's　Percy　to　think　about；〃　Harry　said。　Our　voices　had　a　flat；　echoey　quality　in　the　brick　tunnel。　〃The　evening　ain't　over　as　long　as　we　got　him　to　contend　with。…〃　
As　it　turned　out；　our　evening　was　far　from　over。　


Part　Six：
Coffey　on　the　Mile　
1。　
I　sat　in　the　Georgia　Pines　sunroom；　my　father's　fountain　pen　in　my　hand；　and　time　was　lost　to　me　as　I　recalled　the　night　Harry　and　Brutal　and　I　took　John　Coffey　off　the　Mile　and　to　Melinda　Moores；　in　an　effort　to　save　her　life。　I　wrote　about　the　drugging　of　William　Wharton；　who　fancied　himself　the　second　ing　of　Billy　the　Kid；　I　wrote　of　how　we　stuck　Percy　in　the　straitjacket　and　jugged　him　in　the　restraint　room　at　the　end　of　the　Green　Mile；　I　wrote　about　our　strange　night　journey　…　both　terrifying　and　exhilarating　…　and　the　miracle　that　befell　at　the　end　of　it。　We　saw　John　Coffey　drag　a　woman　back；　not　just　from　the　edge　of　her　grave；　but　from　what　seemed　to　us　to　be　the　very　bottom　of　it。　
I　wrote　and　was　very　faintly　aware　of　the　Georgia　Pines　version　of　life　going　on　around　me。　Old　folks　went　down　to　supper；　then　trooped　off　to　the　Resource　Center　（yes；　you　are　permitted　a　chuckle）　for　their　evening　dose　of　work　sits。　I　seem　to　remember　my　friend　Elaine　bringing　me　a　sandwich；　and　thanking　her；　and　eating　it；　but　I　couldn't　tell　you　what　time　of　the　evening　she　brought　it；　or　what　was　in　it。　Most　of　me　was　back　in　1932；　when　our　sandwiches　were　usually　bought　off　old　Toot…Toot's　rolling　gospel　snack…wagon；　cold　pork　a　nickel；　corned　beef　a　dime。　
I　remember　the　place　quieting　down　as　the　relics　who　live　here　made　ready　for　another　night　of　thin　and　troubled　sleep；　I　heard　Mickey　…　maybe　not　the　best　orderly　in　the　place；　but　certainly　the　kindest　…　singing　〃Red　River　Valley〃　in　his　good　tenor　as　he　went　around　dispensing　the　evening　meds：　〃From　this　valley　they　say　you　are　going　。。。　We　will　miss　your　bright　eyes　and　sweet　smile　。。。〃　The　song　made　me　think　of　Melinda　again；　and　what　she　had　said　to　John　after　the　miracle　had　happened。　I　dreamed　of　you。　I　dreamed　you　were　wandering　in　the　dark；　and　so　was　I。　We　found　each　other。　
Georgia　Pines　gree　and　passed；　and　still　I　wrote。　I　got　to　Harry　reminding　us　that；　even　though　we　had　gotten　John　back　to　the　prison　without　being　discovered；　we