绿里奇迹(英文版)-第16章

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erbuck　all　at　once　decided　he　wanted　to　go　hard。　
I　tightened　my　grip　on　his　elbow　and　tapped　the　inside　of　his　arm　with　one　finger。　〃Steady；　Chief；〃　I　said　out　of　the　corner　of　my　mouth；　not　moving　my　lips。　〃The　only　thing　most　of　these　people　will　remember　about　you　is　how　you　go　out；　so　give　them　something　good　…　show　them　how　a　Washita　does　it。〃　
He　glanced　at　me　sideways　and　gave　a　little　nod。　Then　he　took　one　of　the　braids　his　daughter　had　made　and　kissed　it。　I　looked　to　Brutal；　standing　at　parade　rest　behind　the　chair；　resplendent　in　his　best　blue　uniform；　all　the　buttons　on　the　tunic　polished　and　gleaming；　his　hat　sitting　square…john　perfect　on　his　big　head。　I　gave　him　a　little　nod　and　he　shot　it　right　back；　stepping　forward　to　help　Bitterbuck　mount　the　platform　if　he　needed　help。　Turned　out　he　didn't。　
It　was　less　than　a　minute　from　the　time　Bitterbuck　sat　down　in　the　chair　to　the　moment　when　Brutal　；called　〃Roll　on　two！〃　softly　back　over　his　shoulder。　The　lights　dimmed　down　again；　but　only　a　little；　you　wouldn't　have　noticed　it　if　you　hadn't　been　looking　for　it。　That　meant　Van　Hay　had　pulled　the　switch　some　wit　had　labeled　MABEL'S　HAIR　DRIER。　There　was　a　low　humming　from　the　cap；　and　Bitterbuck　surged　forward　against　the　clamps　and　the　restraining　belt　across　his　chest。　Over　against　the　wall；　the　prison　doctor　watched　expressionlessly；　lips　thinned　until　his　mouth　looked　like　a　single　white　stitch。　There　was　no　flopping　and　flailing；　such　as　Old　Toot…Toot　had　done　at　rehearsal；　only　that　powerful　forward　surge；　as　a　man　may　surge　forward　from　the　hips　while　in　the　grip　of　a　powerful　orgasm。　The　Chief's　blue　shirt　pulled　tight　at　the　buttons；　creating　little　strained　smiles　of　flesh　between　them。　
And　there　was　a　smell。　Not　bad　in　itself；　but　unpleasant　in　its　associations。　I've　never　been　able　to　go　down　in　the　cellar　at　my　granddaughter's　house　when　they　bring　me　there；　although　that's　where　their　little　boy　has　his　Lionel　set…up；　which　he　would　dearly　love　to　share　with　his　great…grampa。　I　don't　mind　the　trains；　as　I'm　sure　you　can　guess　…　it's　the　transformer　I　can't　abide。　The　way　it　hums。　And　the　way；　when　it　gets　hot；　it　smells。　Even　after　all　these　years；　that　smell　reminds　me　of　Cold　Mountain。　
Van　Hay　gave　him　thirty　seconds；　then　turned　the　juice　off。　The　doctor　stepped　forward　from　his　place　and　listened　with　his　stethoscope。　There　was　no　talk　from　the　witnesses　now。　The　doctor　straightened　up　and　looked　through　the　mesh。　〃Disorganized；〃　he　said；　and　made　a　twirling；　cranking　gesture　with　one　finger。　He　had　heard　a　few　random　heartbeats　from　Bitterbuck's　chest；　probably　as　meaningless　as　the　final　jitters　of　a　decapitated　chicken；　but　it　was　better　not　to　take　chances。　You　didn't　want　him　suddenly　sitting　up　on　the　gurney　when　you　had　him　halfway　through　the　tunnel；　bawling　that　he　felt　like　he　was　on　fire。　
Van　Hay　rolled　on　three　and　The　Chief　surged　forward　again；　twisting　a　little　from　side　to　side　in　the　grip　of　the　current。　When　doc　listened　this　time；　he　nodded。　It　was　over。　We　had　once　again　succeeded　in　destroying　what　we　could　not　create。　Some　of　the　folks　in　the　audience　had　begun　talking　in　those　low　voices　again；　most　sat　with　their　heads　down；　looking　at　the　floor；　as　if　stunned。　Or　ashamed。　
Harry　and　Dean　came　up　with　the　stretcher。　It　was　actually　Percy's　job　to　take　one　end；　but　he　didn't　know　and　no　one　had　bothered　to　tell　him。　The　Chief；　still　wearing　the　black　silk　hood；　was　loaded　onto　it　by　Brutal　and　me；　and　we　whisked　him　through　the　door　which　led　to　the　tunnel　as　fast　as　we　could　manage　it　without　actually　running。　Smoke　…　too　much　of　it　…　was　rising　from　the　hole　in　the　top　of　the　mask；　and　there　was　a　horrible　stench。　
〃Aw；　man！〃　Percy　cried；　his　voice　wavering。　'What's　that　smell？〃　
〃Just　get　out　of　my　way　and　stay　out　of　it；〃　Brutal　said；　shoving　past　him　to　get　to　the　wall　where　there　was　a　mounted　fire　extinguisher。　It　was　one　of　the　old　chemical　kind　that　you　had　to　pump。　Dean；　meanwhile；　had　stripped　off　the　hood。　It　wasn't　as　bad　as　it　could　have　been；　Bitterbuck's　left　braid　was　smouldering　like　a　pile　of　wet　leaves。　
〃Never　mind　that　thing；〃　I　told　Brutal。　I　didn't　want　to　have　to　clean　a　load　of　chemical　slime　off　the　dead　man's　face　before　putting　him　in　the　back　of　the　meatwagon。　I　slapped　at　The　Chief's　head　（Percy　staring　at　me；　wide…eyed；　the　whole　time）　until　the　smoke　quit　rising。　Then　we　carried　the　body　down　the　twelve　wooden　steps　to　the　tunnel。　Here　it　was　as　chilly　and　dank　as　a　dungeon；　with　the　hollow　plink…plink　sound　of　dripping　water。　Hanging　lights　with　crude　tin　shades　…　they　were　made　in　the　prison　machine…shop　…　showed　a　brick　tube　that　ran　thirty　feet　under　the　highway。　The　top　was　curved　and　wet。　It　made　me　feel　like　a　character　in　an　Edgar　Allan　Poe　story　every　time　I　used　it。　
There　was　a　gurney　waiting。　We　loaded　Bitterbuck's　body　onto　it；　and　I　made　a　final　check　to　make　sure　his　hair　was　out。　That　one　braid　was　pretty　well　charred；　and　I　was　sorry　to　see　that　the　cunning　little　bow　on　that　side　of　his　head　was　now　nothing　but　a　blackened　lump。　
Percy　slapped　the　dead　man's　cheek。　The　flat　smacking　sound　of　his　hand　made　us　all　jump。　Percy　looked　around　at　us　with　a　cocky　smile　on　his　mouth；　eyes　glittering。　Then　he　looked　back　at　Bitterbuck　again。　〃Adios；　Chief；〃　he　said。　〃Hope　hell's　hot　enough　for　you。〃　
〃Don't　do　that；〃　Brutal　said；　his　voice　hollow　and　declamatory　in　the　dripping　tunnel。　〃He's　paid　what　he　owed。　He's　square　with　the　house　again。　You　keep　your　hands　off　him。〃　
〃Aw；　blow　it　out；〃　Percy　said；　but　he　stepped　back　uneasily　when　Brutal　moved　toward　him；　shadow　rising　behind　him　like　the　shadow　of　that　ape　in　the　story　about　the　Rue　Morgue。　But　instead　of　grabbing　at　Percy；　Brutal　grabbed　hold　of　the　gurney　and　began　pushing　Arlen　Bitterbuck　slowly　toward　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel；　where　his　last　ride　was　waiting；　parked　on　the　soft　shoulder　of　the　highway。　The　gurney's　hard　rubber　wheels　moaned　on　the　boards；　its　shadow　rode　the　bulging　brick　wall；　waxing　and　waning；　Dean　and　Harry　grasped　the　sheet　at　the　foot　and　pulled　it　up　over　The　Chief's　face；　which　had　already　begun　to　take　on　the　waxy；　characterless　cast　of　all　dead　faces；　the　innocent　as　well　as　the　guilty。　
6。　
When　I　was　eighteen；　my　Uncle　Paul　…　the　man　I　was　named　for　…　died　of　a　heart　attack。　My　mother　and　dad　took　me　to　Chicago　with　them　to　attend　his　funeral　and　visit　relatives　from　my　father's　side　of　the　family；　many　of　whom　I　had　never　met。　We　were　gone　almost　a　month。　In　some　ways　that　was　a　good　trip；　a　necessary　and　exciting　trip；　but　in　another　way　it　was　horrible。　I　was　deeply　in　love；　you　see；　with　the　young　woman　who　was　to　bee　my　wife　two　weeks　after　my　nieenth　birthday。　One　night　when　my　longing　for　her　was　like　a　fire　burning　out　of　control　in　my　heart　and　my　head　（oh　yes；　all　right；　and　in　my　balls；　as　well）；　I　wrote　her　a　letter　that　just　seemed　to　go　on　and　on　…　I　poured　out　my　whole　heart　in　it；　never　looking　back　to　see　what　I'd　said　because　I　was　afraid　cowardice　would　make　me　stop。　I　didn't　stop；　and　when　a　voice　in　my　head　clamored　that　it　would　be　madness　to　mail　such　a　letter；　that　I　would　be　giving　her　my　naked　heart　to　hold　in　her　hand；　I　ignored　it　with　a　child's　breathless　disregard　of　the　consequences。　I　often　wondered　if　Janice　kept　that　letter；　but　never　quite　got　up　enough　courage　to　ask。　All　I　know　for　sure　is　that　I　did　not　find　it　when　I　went　through　her　things　after　the　funeral；　and　of　course　that　by　itself　means　nothing。　I　suppose　I　never　asked　because　I　was　afraid　of　discovering　that　burning　epistle　meant　less　to　her　than　it　did　to　me。　
It　was　four　pages　long；　I　thought　I　would　never　write　anything　longer　in　my　life；　and　now　look　at　this。　All　this；　and　the　end　still　not　in　sight。　If　I'd　known　the　story　was　going　to　go　on　this　long；　I　might　never　have　started。　What　I　didn't　realize　was　how　many　doors　the　act　of　writing　unlocks；　as　if　my　Dad's　old　fountain　pen　wasn't　really　a　pen　at　all；　but　some　strange　variety　of　skeleton　key。　The　mouse　is　probably　the　best　example　of　what　I'm　talking　about　…　Steamboat　Willy；　Mr。　Jingles；　the　mouse　on　the　Mile。　Until　I　started　to　write；　I　never　realized　how　important　he　（yes；　he）　was。　The　way　he　seemed　to　be　looking　for　Delacroix　before　Delacroix　arrived；　for　instance　…　I　don't　think　that　ever　occurred　to　me；　not　to　my　conscious　mind；　anyway；　until　I　began　to　write　and　remember。　
I　guess　what　I'm　saying　is　that　I　didn't　realize　how　far　back　I'd　have　to　go　in　order　to　tell　you　about　John　Coffey；　or　how　long　I'd　have　to　leave　him　there　in　his　cell；　a　man　so　huge　his　feet　didn't　just　stick　off　the　end　of　his　bunk　but　hung　down　all　the　way　to　the　floor。　I　don't　want　you　to　forget　him；　all　right？　I　want　you　to　see　him　there；　looking　up　at　the　ceiling　of　his　cell；　weeping　his　silent　tears；　or　putting　his　arms　over　his　face。　I　want　you　to　hear　him；　his　sighs　that　trembled　like　sobs；　his　occasional　watery　groan。　These　weren't　the　sounds　of　agony　and　regret　we　sometimes　heard　on　E　Block；　sharp　cries　with　splinters　of　remorse　in　them；　like　his　wet　eyes；　they　were　somehow　removed　from　the　pain　we　were　used　to　dealing　with。　In　a　way　…　I　know　how　crazy　this　will　sound；　of　course　I　do；　but　there　is　no　sense　in　writing　something　as　long　as　this　if　you　can't　say　what　feels　true　to　your　heart　…　in　a　way　it　was　as　if　it　was　sorrow　for　the　whole　world　he　felt；　something　too　big　ever　to　be　pletely　eased。　Sometimes　I　sat　and　talked　to　him；　as　I　did　with　all　of　them　…　talking　was　our　biggest；　most　important　job；　as　I　believe　I　have　said　…　and　I　tried　to　fort　him。　I　don't　feel　that　I　ever　did；　and　part　of　my　heart　was　glad　he　was　suffering；　you　know。　Felt　he　deserved　to　suffer。　I　even　thought　sometimes　of　calling　the　governor　（or　getting　Percy　to　do　it　…　hell；　he　was　Percy's　damn　uncle；　not　mine）　and　asking　for　a　stay　of　execution。　We　shouldn't　burn　him　yet；　I'd　say　It's　still　hurting　him　too　much；　biting　into　him　too　much；　twisting　in　his　guts　like　a　nice　sharp　stick。　Give　him　another　niy　days；　your　honor；　sir。　Let　him　go　on　doing　to　himself　what　we　can't　do　to　him。　
It's　that　John　Coffey　I'd　have　you　keep　to　one　side　of　your　mind　while　I　finish　catching　up　to　where　I　started　…　that　John