第22部分(第5/7 頁)

；　c'est〃

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃don't　let　it　get　you　down；　Del。　Nobody's　going　to　make　you　play　skiprope　with　him　out　in　the　yard。〃

There　was　a　creaking　sound　from　behind　me　as　Coffey　got　off　his　bunk。　〃Boss　Edgebe！〃　he　said　again。　This　time　he　sounded　urgent。　〃I　need　to　talk　to　you！〃

I　turned　to　him；　thinking；　all　right；　no　problem；　talking　was　my　business。　All　the　time　trying　not　to　shiver；　because　the　fever　had　turned　cold；　as　they　sometimes　will。　Except　for　my　groin；　which　still　felt　as　if　it　had　been　slit　open；　filled　with　hot　coals；　and　then　sewed　back　up　again。

〃So　talk；　John　Coffey；〃　I　said；　trying　to　keep　my　voice　light　and　calm。　For　the　first　time　since　he'd　e　onto　E　Block；　Coffey　looked　as　though　he　was　really　here；　really　among　us。　The　almost　ceaseless　trickle　of　tears　from　the　corners　of　his　eyes　had　ceased；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　and　I　knew　he　was　seeing　what　he　was　looking　at　…　Mr。　Paul　Edgebe；　E　Block's　bull…goose　screw；　and　not　some　place　he　wished　he　could　return　to；　and　take　back　the　terrible　thing　he'd　done。

〃No；〃　he　said。　〃You　got　to　e　in　here。〃

〃Now；　you　know　I　can't　do　that；〃　I　said；　still　trying　for　the　light　tone；　〃at　least　not　right　this　minute。　I'm　on　my　own　here　for　the　time　being；　and　you　outweigh　me　by　just　about　a　ton　and　a　half。　We've　had　us　one　hooraw　this　afternoon；　and　that's　enough。　So　we'll　just　have　us　a　chat　through　the　bars；　if　it's　all　the　same　to　you；　and　…　〃

〃Please！〃　He　was　holding　the　bars　so　tightly　that　his　knuckles　were　pale　and　his　fingernails　were　white。　His　face　was　long　with　distress；　those　strange　eyes　sharp　with　some　need　I　could　not　understand。　I　remember　thinking　that　maybe　I　could've　understood　it　if　I　hadn't　been　so　sick；　and　knowing　that　would　have　given　me　a　way