第13部分(第5/7 頁)

〃　Brutal　hollered　in　from　the　storage　room。　That　had　also　been　emptied　for　our　use。　We　were　in　the　killing　zone　again；　all　right；　it　was　a　thing　you　could　almost　smell。

〃Hold　your　friggin　water！〃　Harry　yelled　back。　〃Don't　be　so　goddam　impatient！〃

〃Prayin；〃　Toot　said；　grinning　his　unpleasant　sunken　grin。　〃Prayin　for　patience；　just　a　little　goddam　patience。〃

〃Actually；　Bitterbuck's　a　Christian　…　he　says；〃　I　told　them；　〃and　he's　perfectly　happy　with　the　Baptist　guy　who　came　for　Tillman　Clark。　Schuster；　his　name　is。　I　like　him；　too。　He's　fast；　and　he　doesn't　get　them　all　worked　up。　On　your　feet；　Toot。　You　prayed　enough　for　one　day。〃

〃Walkin；〃　Toot　said。　〃Walkin　again；　walkin　again；　yes　sir；　walkin　on　the　Green　Mile。〃

Short　as　he　was；　he　still　had　to　duck　a　little　to　get　through　the　door　on　the　far　side　of　the　office。　The　rest　of　us　had　to　duck　even　more。　This　was　a　vulnerable　time　with　a　real　prisoner；　and　when　I　looked　across　to　the　platform　where　Old　Sparky　stood　and　saw　Brutal　with　his　gun　drawn；　I　nodded　with　satisfaction。　Just　right。

Toot…Toot　went　down　the　steps　and　stopped。　The　folding　wooden　chairs；　about　forty　of　them；　were　already　in　place。　Bitterbuck　would　cross　to　the　platform　on　an　angle　that　would　keep　him　safely　away　from　the　seated　spectators；　and　half　a　dozen　guards　would　be　added　for　insurance。　Bill　Dodge　would　be　in　charge　of　those。　We　had　never　had　a　witness　menaced　by　a　condemned　prisoner　in　spite　of　what　was；　admittedly；　a　raw　set…up；　and　that　was　how　I　meant　to　keep　it。

〃Ready；　boys？〃　Toot　asked　when　we　were　back　in　our　original　formation　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　leading　down　from　my　office。　I　nodded；　and　we　walked　to　the　platform。　What　we　looked　like　more　than　anything；　I　often　thought；　was　a　color…gu