第10部分(第6/7 頁)

ad　is　a　dimwit　who　thinks　nothing　is　funny　unless　it's　mean。

Something　Brad　said　the　other　day　struck　me　as　actually　smart；　but　I　don't　give　him　a　lot　of　credit　for　it；　even　a　stopped　clock　is　right　twice　a　day；　the　proverb　has　it。　〃You're　just　lucky　you　don't　have　that　Alzheimer's　disease；　Paulie；〃　was　what　he　said。　I　hate　him　calling　me　that；　Paulie；　but　he　goes　on　doing　it；　anyway；　I've　given　up　asking　him　to　quit。　There　are　other　sayings　…　not　quite　proverbs　…　that　apply　to　Brad　Dolan：　〃You　can　lead　a　horse　to　water　but　you　can't　make　him　drink〃　is　one；　〃You　can　dress　him　up　but　you　can't　take　him　out〃　is　another。　In　his　thickheadedness　he　is　also　like　Percy。

When　he　made　his　ment　about　Alzheimer's；　he　was　mopping　the　floor　of　the　solarium；　where　I　had　been　going　over　the　pages　I　have　already　written。　There's　a　great　lot　of　them；　and　I　think　there's　apt　to　be　a　great　lot　more　before　I　am　through。　〃That　Alzheimer's；　do　you　know　what　it　really　is？〃

〃No；〃　I　said；　…　but　I'm　sure　you'll　tell　me；　Brad。〃

〃It's　AIDS　for　old　people；〃　he　said；　and　then　burst　out　laughing；　hucka…hucka…hucka…huck！；　just　like　he　does　over　those　idiotic　jokes　of　his。

I　didn't　laugh；　though；　because　what　he　said　struck　a　nerve　somewhere。　Not　that　I　have　Alzheimer's；　although　there's　plenty　of　it　on　view　here　at　beautiful　Georgia　Pines；　I　myself　just　suffer　the　standard　oldguy　memory　problems。　Those　problems　seem　to　have　more　to　do　with　when　than　what。　Looking　over　what　I　have　written　so　far；　it　occurs　to　me　that　I　remember　everything　that　happened　back　in　'32；　it's　the　order　of　events　that　sometimes　gets　confused　in　my　head。　Yet；　if　I'm　careful；　I　think　I　can　keep　even　that　sorted　out。　More　or　less。

John　Coffey　came　to　E　Block　and　the　Green　Mile　in　October