第63部分(第4/7 頁)

l…black　hair　against　my　skull　…　and　I　held　her　in　my　arms　and　no　one　came。　Her　blank　eyes　looked　up　at　me　with　a　kind　of　dazed　intensity；　and　blood　poured　from　the　back　of　her　crushed　head　in　a　freshet。　Beside　one　trembling；　mindlessly　spasming　hand　was　a　piece　of　chromed　steel　with　the　letters　GREY　on　it。　Next　to　that　was　roughly　one　quarter　of　what　had　once　been　a　businessman　in　a　brown　Wool　suit。

〃Help　me！〃　I　screamed　again；　and　turned　toward　the　underpass；　and　there　I　saw　John　Coffey　standing　in　the　shadows；　only　a　shadow　himself；　a　big　man　with　long；　dangling　arms　and　a　bald　head。　〃John！〃　I　screamed。　〃Oh　John　；　please　help　me！　Please　help　Janice！〃

Rain　ran　into　my　eyes。　I　blinked　it　away；　and　he　was　gone。　I　could　see　the　shadows　I　had　mistaken　for　John　。。。　but　it　hadn't　been　only　shadows。　I'm　sure　of　that。　He　was　there。　Maybe　only　as　a　ghost；　but　he　was　there；　the　rain　on　his　face　mixing　with　the　endless　flow　of　his　tears。

She　died　in　my　arms；　there　in　the　rain　beside　that　fertilizer　truck　with　the　smell　of　burning　diesel　fuel　in　my　nose。　There　was　no　moment　of　awareness　…　the　eyes　clearing；　the　lips　moving　in　some　whispered　final　declaration　of　love。　There　was　a　kind　of　shivery　clench　in　the　flesh　beneath　my　hands；　and　then　she　was　gone。　I　thought　of　Melinda　Moores　for　the　first　time　in　years；　then；　Melinda　sitting　up　in　the　bed　where　all　the　doctors　at　Indianola　General　Hospital　had　believed　she　would　die；　Melinda　Moores　looking　fresh　and　rested　and　peering　at　John　Coffey　with　bright；　wondering　eyes。　Melinda　saying　I　dreamed　you　were　wandering　in　the　dark；　and　so　was　I。　We　found　each　other。

I　put　my　wife's　poor；　mangled　head　down　on　the　wet　pavement　of　the　interstate　highway；　got　to　my　feet　（it　was　easy；　I　had　a　little　cut　on　the　side