绿里奇迹(英文版)-第85部分

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〃Watch；〃　I　said；　〃and　then　tell　me　that。〃　
From　the　bag　on　the　table　I　took　a　spool　which　I　had　colored　myself　…　not　with　Crayolas　but　with　Magic　Markers；　an　invention　undreamed　of　in　1932。　It　came　to　the　same；　though。　It　was　as　bright　as　Del's　had　been；　maybe　brighter。　Messieurs　et　mesdames；　I　thought。　Bienvenue　au　cirque　du　mousie！　
I　squatted　again；　and　Mr。　Jingles　ran　off　my　palm。　He　was　old；　but　as　obsessed　as　ever。　From　the　moment　I　had　taken　the　spool　out　of　the　bag；　he'd　had　eyes　for　nothing　else。　I　rolled　it　across　the　shed's　uneven；　splintery　floor；　and　he　was　after　it　at　once。　He　didn't　run　with　his　old　speed；　and　his　limp　was　painful　to　watch；　but　why　should　he　have　been　either　fast　or　surefooted？　As　I've　said；　he　was　old；　a　Methuselah　of　a　mouse。　Sixty…four；　at　least。　
He　reached　the　spool；　which　struck　the　far　wall　and　bounced　back。　He　went　around　it；　then　lay　down　on　his　side。　Elaine　started　forward　and　I　held　her　back。　After　a　moment；　Mr。　Jingles　found　his　feet　again。　Slowly；　so　slowly；　he　nosed　the　spool　back　to　me。　When　he'd　first　e　…　I'd　found　him　lying　on　the　steps　leading　to　the　kitchen　in　just　that　same　way；　as　if　he'd　travelled　a　long　distance　and　was　exhausted　…　he　had　still　been　able　to　guide　the　spool　with　his　paws；　as　he　had　done　all　those　years　ago　on　the　Green　Mile。　That　was　beyond　him；　now；　his　hindquarters　would　no　longer　support　him。　Yet　his　nose　was　as　educated　as　ever。　He　just　had　to　go　from　one　end　of　the　spool　to　the　other　to　keep　it　on　course。　When　he　reached　me；　I　picked　him　up　in　one　hand　…　no　more　than　a　feather；　he　weighed　…　and　the　spool　in　the　other。　His　bright　dark　eyes　never　left　it。　
〃Don't　do　it　again；　Paul；〃　Elaine　said　in　a　broken　voice。　〃I　can't　bear　to　watch　him。〃　
I　understood　how　she　felt；　but　thought　she　was　wrong　to　ask　it。　He　loved　chasing　and　fetching　the　spool；　after　all　the　years；　he　still　loved　it　just　as　much。　We　should　all　be　so　fortunate　in　our　passions。　
〃There　are　peppermint　candies　in　the　bag；　too；〃　I　said。　〃Canada　Mints。　I　think　he　still　likes　them　…　he　won't　stop　sniffing；　if　I　hold　one　out　to　him　…　but　his　digestion　has　gotten　too　bad　to　eat　them。　I　bring　him　toast；　instead。〃　
I　squatted　again；　broke　a　small　fragment　off　the　piece　I'd　brought　with　me　from　the　sunroom；　and　put　it　on　the　floor。　Mr。　Jingles　sniffed　at　it；　then　picked　it　up　in　his　paws　and　began　to　eat。　His　tail　was　coiled　neatly　around　him。　He　finished；　then　looked　expectantly　up。　
〃Sometimes　us　old　fellas　can　surprise　you　with　our　appetites〃；　I　said　to　Elaine；　and　handed　her　the　toast。　〃You　try。〃　
She　broke　off　another　fragment　and　dropped　it　on　the　floor。　Mr。　Jingles　approached　it；　sniffed；　looked　at　Elaine　。。。　then　picked　it　up　and　began　to　eat。　
〃You　see？〃　I　said。　〃He　knows　you're　not　a　floater。　
〃Where　did　he　e　from；　Paul？〃　
〃Haven't　a　clue。　One　day　when　I　went　out　for　my　early…morning　walk；　he　was　just　here；　lying　on　the　kitchen　steps。　I　knew　who　he　was　right　away；　but　I　got　a　spool　out　of　the　laundry　room　occasional　basket　just　to　be　sure。　And　I　got　him　a　cigar　box。　Lined　it　with　the　softest　stuff　I　could　find。　He's　like　us；　Ellie；　I　think…most　days　just　one　big　sore　place。　Still；　he　hasn't　lost　all　his　zest　for　living。　He　still　likes　his　spool；　and　he　still　likes　a　visit　from　his　old　blockmate。　Sixty　years　I　held　the　story　of　John　Coffey　inside　me；　sixty　and　more；　and　now　I've　told　it。　I　kind　of　had　the　idea　that's　why　he　came　back。　To　let　me　know　I　should　hurry　up　and　do　it　while　there　was　still　time。　Because　I'm　like　him　…　getting　there。〃　
〃Getting　where？〃　
〃Oh；　you　know〃；　I　said；　and　we　watched　Mr。　Jingles　for　awhile　in　silence。　Then；　for　no　reason　I　could　tell　you；　I　tossed　the　spool　again；　even　though　Elaine　had　asked　me　not　to。　Maybe　only　because；　in　a　way；　
him　chasing　a　spool　was　like　old　people　having　their　slow　and　careful　version　of　sex　…　you　might　not　want　to　watch　it；　you　who　are　young　and　convinced　that；　when　it　es　to　old　age；　an　exception　will　be　made　in　your　case；　but　they　still　want　to　do　it。　
Mr。　Jingles　set　off　after　the　rolling　spool　again；　clearly　with　pain；　and　just　as　clearly　（to　me；　at　least）　with　all　his　old；　obsessive　enjoyment。　
〃Ivy…glass　windows；〃　she　whispered；　watching　him　go。　
〃Ivy…glass　windows；〃　I　agreed；　smiling。　
〃John　Coffey　touched　the　mouse　the　way　he　touched　you。　He　didn't　just　make　you　better　of　what　was　wrong　with　you　then；　he　made　you　。。。　what；　resistant？〃　
〃That's　as　good　a　word　as　any；　I　think。〃　
〃Resistant　to　the　things　that　eventually　bring　the　rest　of　us　down　like　trees　with　termites　in　them。　You　。。。　and　him。　Mr。　Jingles。　When　he　cupped　Mr。　Jingles　in　his　hands。〃　
〃That's　right。　Whatever　power　worked　through　John　did　that　…　that's　what　I　think；　anyway　…　and　now　it's　finally　wearing　off。　The　termites　have　chewed　their　way　through　our　bark。　It　took　a　little　longer　than　it　does　ordinarily；　but　they　got　there。　I　may　have　a　few　more　years；　men　still　live　longer　than　mice；　I　guess；　but　Mr。　Jingles's　time　is　just　about　up。〃　
He　reached　the　spool；　limped　around　it；　fell　over　on　his　side；　breathing　rapidly　（we　could　see　his　respiration　moving　through　his　gray　fur　like　ripples）；　then　got　up　and　began　to　push　it　gamely　back　with　his　nose。　His　fur　was　gray；　his　gait　was　unsteady；　but　the　oilspots　that　were　his　eyes　gleamed　as　brightly　as　ever。　
〃You　think　he　wanted　you　to　write　what　you　have　written；'。；　she　said。　〃Is　that　so；　Paul？〃　
〃Not　Mr。　Jingles；〃　I　said。　〃Not　him　but　the　force　that　…　〃　
〃Why；　Paulie！　And　Elaine　Connelly；　too！〃　a　voice　cried　from　the　open　door。　It　was　loaded　with　a　kind　of　satiric　horror。　〃As　I　live　and　breathe！　What　in　the　goodness　can　you　two　be　doing　here？〃　
I　turned；　not　at　all　surprised　to　see　Brad　Dolan　there　in　the　doorway。　He　was　grinning　as　a　man　only　does　when　he　feels　he's　fooled　you　right　good　and　proper。　How　far　down　the　road　had　he　driven　after　his　shift　was　over？　Maybe　only　as　far　as　The　Wrangler　for　a　beer　or　two　and　maybe　a　lap…dance　before　ing　back。　
〃Get　out；〃　Elaine　said　coldly。　〃Get　out　right　now。'　
〃Don't　you　tell　me　to　get　out；　you　wrinkledy　old　bitch；〃　he　said；　still　smiling。　〃Maybe　you　can　tell　me　that　up　the　hill；　but　you　ain't　tip　the　hill　now。　This　ain't　where　you're　supposed　to　be。　This　is　off…limits。　Little　love…nest；　Paulie？　Is　that　what　you　got　here？　Kind　of　a　Playboy　pad　for　the　geriatric。。。〃　His　eyes　widened　as　he　at　last　saw　the　shed's　tenant。　〃What　the　fuck？〃　
I　didn't　turn　to　look。　I　knew　what　was　there；　for　one　thing；　for　another；　the　past　had　suddenly　doubled　over　the　present；　making　one　terrible　image；　three…dimensional　in　its　reality。　It　wasn't　Brad　Dolan　standing　there　in　the　doorway　but　Percy　Wetmore。　In　another　moment　he　would　rush　into　the　shed　and　crush　Mr。　Jingles　（who　no　longer　had　a　hope　of　outrunning　him）　under　his　shoe；　and　this　time　there　was　no　John　Coffey　to　bring　him　back　from　the　edge　of　death。　Any　more　than　there　had　been　a　John　Coffey　when　I　needed　him　on　that　rainy　day　in　Alabama。　
I　got　to　my　feet；　not　feeling　any　ache　in　my　joints　or　muscles　this　time；　and　rushed　toward　Dolan。　〃Leave　him　alone！〃　I　yelled。　〃You　leave　him　alone；　Percy；　or　by　God　I'll　〃　
〃Who　you　callin　Percy？〃　he　asked；　and　pushed　me　back　so　hard　I　almost　fell　over。　Elaine　grabbed　me；　although　it　must　have　hurt　her　to　do　so；　and　steadied　me。　〃Ain't　the　first　time　you　done　it；　either。　And　stop　peein　in　your　pants。　I　ain't　gonna　touch　im。　Don't　need　to。　That's　one　dead　rodent。〃　
I　turned；　thinking　that　Mr。　Jingles　was　only　lying　on　his　side　to　catch　his　breath；　the　way　he　sometimes　did。　He　was　on　his　side；　all　right；　but　that　rippling　motion　through　his　fur　had　stopped。　I　tried　to　convince　myself　that　I　could　still　see　it；　and　then　Elaine　burst　into　loud　sobs。　She　bent　painfully；　and　picked　up　the　mouse　I　had　first　seen　on　the　Green　Mile；　ing　up　to　the　duty　desk　as　fearlessly　as　a　man　approaching　his　peers　。。　。　or　his　friends。　He　lay　limp　on　her　hand。　His　eyes　were　dull　and　still。　He　was　dead。　
Dolan　grinned　unpleasantly；　revealing　teeth　which　had　had　very　little　acquaintance　with　a　dentist。　〃Aw；　sakes；　now！〃　he　said。　〃Did　we　just　lose　the　family　pet？　Should　we　have　a　little　funeral；　with　paper　flowers　and　…　〃　
〃SHUT　up！〃　Elaine　screamed　at　him；