第6部分(第3/7 頁)

nd　the　rocking；　wailing　black　man。　He　still　seemed　not　to　realize　that　anyone　but　him　was　there。　McGee　stepped　forward；　shifted　uncertainly　from　foot　to　foot　for　a　bit；　then　hunkered。

〃Mister；〃　he　said　in　a　quiet　voice；　and　Coffey　hushed　at　once。　McGee　looked　at　eyes　that　were　bloodshot　from　crying。　And　still　they　streamed；　as　if　someone　had　left　a　faucet　on　inside　him。　Those　eyes　wept；　and　yet　were　somehow　untouched　。。。　distant　and　serene。　I　thought　them　the　strangest　eyes　I　had　ever　seen　in　my　life；　and　McGee　felt　much　the　same。　〃Like　the　eyes　of　an　animal　that　never　saw　a　man　before；〃　he　told　a　reporter　named　Hammersmith　just　before　the　trial。

〃Mister；　do　you　hear　me？〃　McGee　asked。

Slowly；　Coffey　nodded　his　head。　Still　he　curled　his　arms　around　his　unspeakable　dolls；　their　chins　down　on　their　chests　so　their　faces　could　not　be　clearly　seen；　one　of　the　few　mercies　God　saw　fit　to　bestow　that　day。

〃Do　you　have　a　name？〃　MeGee　asked。

〃John　Coffey；〃　he　said　in　a　thick　and　tear…clotted　voice。　〃Coffey　like　the　drink；　only　not　spelled　the　same　way。〃

McGee　nodded；　then　pointed　a　thumb　at　the　chest　pocket　of　Coffey's　jumper；　which　was　bulging。　It　looked　to　McGee　like　it　might　have　been　a　gun　…　not　that　a　man　Coffey's　size　would　need　a　gun　to　do　some　major　damage；　if　he　decided　to　go　off。　〃What's　that　in　there；　John　Coffey？　Is　that　maybe　a　heater？　A　pistol？〃

〃Nosir；〃　Coffey　said　in　his　thick　voice；　and　those　strange　eyes　…　welling　tears　and　agonized　on　top；　distant　and　weirdly　serene　underneath；　as　if　the　true　John　Coffey　was　somewhere　else；　looking　out　on　some　other　landscape　where　murdered　little　girls　were　nothing　to　get　all　worked　up　about　…never　left　Deputy　McGee's。　〃That's　just　a　little　lunch　I　have。〃

〃Oh；　now；　a　litt