第29部分(第5/7 頁)

t　to　be　able　to　laugh　without　feeling　like　someone　was　lighting　matches　way　down　low　in　my　gut。　Bill　laughed　with　me；　then　turned　the　rest　of　his　coffee　out　in　the　yard；　which　was　empty　except　for　a　few　shuffling　trusties；　most　of　whom　had　been　there　for　a　thousand　years　or　so。

Thunder　rumbled　somewhere　far　off；　and　unfocused　heat　lightning　flashed　in　the　darkening　sky　overhead。　Bill　looked　up　uneasily；　his　laughter　dying。

〃I　tell　you　what；　though；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　like　this　weather　much。　Feels　like　something's　gonna　happen。　Something　bad。〃

About　that　he　was　right。　The　bad　thing　happened　right　around　quarter　of　ten　that　night。　That　was　when　Percy　killed　Mr。　Jingles。

10。

At　first　it　seemed　like　it　was　going　to　be　a　pretty　good　night　in　spite　of　the　heat　…　John　Coffey　was　being　his　usual　quiet　self；　Wild　Bill　was　making　out　to　be　Mild　Bill；　and　Delacroix　was　in　good　spirits　for　a　man　who　had　a　date　with　Old　Sparky　in　a　little　more　than　twenty…four　hours。

He　did　understand　what　was　going　to　happen　to　him；　at　least　on　the　most　basic　level；　he　had　ordered　chili　for　his　last　meal　and　gave　me　special　instructions　for　the　kitchen。　〃Tell　em　to　lay　on　dat　hotsauce；〃　he　said。　〃Tell　em　the　kind　dat　really　jump　up　your　t'roat　an'　say　howdy　…　the　green　stuff；　none　of　dat　mild。　Dat　stuff　gripe　me　like　a　motherfucker；　I　can't　get　off　the　toilet　the　nex'　day；　but　I　don't　think　I　gonna　have　a　problem　this　time；　n'est…ce　pas？〃

Most　of　them　worry　about　their　immortal　souls　with　a　kind　of　moronic　ferocity；　but　Delacroix　pretty　much　dismissed　my　questions　about　what　he　wanted　for　spiritual　fort　in　his　last　hours。　If　〃dat　fella〃　Schuster　had　been　good　enough　for　Big　Chief　Bitterbuck；　Del　reckoned；　Schuster　would　be　good　enough　for　him。　No；　wh