第53部分(第5/7 頁)

at　happened　afterward　…　the　dawn　meeting　with　Curtis　Anderson；　the　inquest；　the　press…meeting　Hal　Moores　set　up　for　us　（he　was　back　by　then；　of　course）；　and　the　eventual　Board　of　Enquiry　in　the　state　capital　…　those　things　have　blurred　over　the　years　like　so　much　else　in　my　memory。　But　as　to　what　actually　happened　next　there　on　the　Green　Mile；　yes；　that　I　remember　perfectly　well。

Percy　was　walking　up　the　right　side　of　the　Mile　with　his　head　lowered；　and　I'll　say　this　much：　no　ordinary　Prisoner　could　have　reached　him。　John　Coffey　wasn't　an　ordinary　prisoner；　though。　John　Coffey　was　a　giant；　and　he　had　a　giant's　reach。

I　saw　his　long　brown　arms　shoot　out　from　between　the　bars　and　yelled；　〃Watchit；　Percy；　watch　it！〃　Percy　started　to　turn；　his　left　hand　dropping　to　the　butt　of　his　stick。　Then　he　was　seized　and　yanked　against　the　front　of　John　Coffey's　cell；　the　right　side　of　his　face　smashing　into　the　bars。

He　grunted　and　turned　toward　Coffey；　raising　the　hickory　club。　John　was　certainly　vulnerable　to　it；　his　own　face　was　pressed　so　strenuously　into　the　space　between　two　of　the　center　bars　that　he　looked　as　if　he　was　trying　to　squeeze　his　entire　head　through。　It　would　have　been　impossible；　of　course；　but　that　was　how　it　looked。　His　right　hand　groped；　found　the　nape　of　Percy's　neck；　curled　around　it；　and　yanked　Percy's　head　forward。　Percy　brought　the　club　down　between　the　bars　and　onto　John　's　temple。　Blood　flowed；　but　John　paid　no　attention。　His　mouth　pressed　against　Percy's　mouth。　I　heard　a　whispering　rush　…　an　exhalatory　sound；　as　of　long…held　breath。　Percy　jerked　like　a　fish　on　a　hook；　trying　to　get　away；　but　he　never　had　a　chance；　John　's　right　hand　was　pressed　to　the　back　of　his　neck；　holding　him　firm。　Their　faces　seemed　to　melt　together；　like　the