第10部分(第5/7 頁)

m　his　first　day　on　the　block　…　screaming　and　laughing；　telling　us　we　were　going　to　be　damned　glad　to　be　rid　of　him；　telling　us　we　would　never　forget　him。　About　those　things　he　was　right。

As　for　what　Brutal　and　I　agreed　on　that　night　in　the　restraint　room；　it　turned　out　just　that　way　It　was　almost　as　if　we　had　taken　a　solemn　oath　on　those　tiny　bits　of　colored；　wood。　Neither　of　us　ever　took　part　in　another　execution。　John　Coffey　was　the　last。

Part　Two：

The　Mouse　on　the　Mile

1。

The　nursing　home　where　I　am　crossing　my　last　bunch　of　t's　and　dotting　my　last　mess　of　i's　is　called　Georgia　Pines。　It's　about　sixty　miles　from　Atlanta　and　about　two　hundred　light…years　from　life　as　most　people　…　people　under　the　age　of　eighty；　let's　say　…　live　it。　You　who　are　reading　this　want　to　be　careful　that　there　isn't　a　place　like　it　waiting　in　your　future。　It's　not　a　cruel　place；　not　for　the　most　part；　there's　cable　TV；　the　food's　good　（although　there's　damned　little　a　man　can　chew）；　but　in　its　way；　it's　as　much　of　a　killing　bottle　as　E　Block　at　Cold　Mountain　ever　was。

There's　even　a　fellow　here　who　reminds　me　a　little　of　Percy　Wetmore；　who　got　his　job　on　the　Green　Mile　because　he　was　related　to　the　governor　of　the　state。　I　doubt　if　this　fellow　is　related　to　anyone　important；　even　though　he　acts　that　way。　Brad　Dolan；　his　name　is。　He's　always　bing　his　hair；　like　Percy　was；　and　he's　always　got　something　to　read　stuffed　into　his　back　pocket。　With　Percy　it　was　magazines　like　Argosy　and　Men's　Adventure；　with　Brad　it's　these　little　paperbacks　called　Gross　jokes　and　Sick　jokes。　He's　always　asking　people　why　the　Frenchman　crossed　the　road　or　how　many　Polacks　it　takes　to　screw　in　a　lightbulb　or　how　many　pallbearers　there　are　at　a　Harlem　funeral。　Like　Percy；　Br