第31部分(第3/7 頁)

re　easily。

Brad　nodded。　〃Apology　accepted。　Now　go　hang　that　back　up。　You　got　no　business　out　walking　in　the　rain；　anyway。　Specially　not　in　those　woods。　What　if　you　were　to　slip　and　fall　and　break　your　damned　hip？　Huh？　Who　do　you　think'd　have　to　hoss　your　elderly　freight　back　up　the　hill？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　I　said。　I　just　wanted　to　get　away　from　him。　The　more　I　listened　to　him；　the　more　he　sounded　like　Percy。　William　Wharton；　the　crazyman　who　came　to　the　Green　Mile　in　the　fall　of　‘32；　once　grabbed　Percy　and　scared　him　so　bad　that　Percy　squirted　in　his　pants。　You　talk　about　this　to　anyone；　Percy　told　the　rest　of　us　afterward；　and　you'll　all　be　on　the　breadlines　in　a　week。　Now；　these　many　years　later；　I　could　almost　hear　Brad　Dolan　saying　those　same　words；　in　that　same　tone　of　voice。　It's　as　if；　by　writing　about　those　old　times；　I　have　unlocked　some　unspeakable　door　that　connects　the　past　to　the　present　…　Percy　Wetmore　to　Brad　Dolan；　Janice　Edgebe　to　Elaine　Connelly；　Cold　Mountain　Penitentiary　to　the　Georgia　Pines　old　folks'　home。　And　if　that　thought　doesn't　keep　me　awake　tonight；　I　guess　nothing　will。

I　made　as　if　to　go　in　through　the　kitchen　door　and　Brad　grabbed　me　by　the　wrist　again。　I　don't　know　about　the　first　one；　but　this　time　he　was　doing　it　on　purpose；　squeezing　to　hurt。　His　eyes　shifting　back　and　forth；　making　sure　no　one　was　around　in　the　early…morning　wet；　no　one　to　see　he　was　abusing　one　of　the　old　folks　he　was　supposed　to　be　taking　care　of。

〃What　do　you　do　down　that　path？〃　he　asked。　〃I　know　you　don't　go　down　there　and　jerk　off；　those　days　are　long　behind　you；　so　what　do　you　do？〃

〃Nothing；〃　I　said；　telling　myself　to　be　calm；　not　to　show　him　how　bad　he　was　hurting　me　and　to　be　calm；　to　remember　he'd　only　mentioned　the　path；　he