第53部分(第6/7 頁)

faces　of　lovers　I　have　seen　kissing　passionately　through　bars。

Percy　screamed；　the　sound　muffled　as　it　had　been　through　the　tape；　and　made　another　effort　to　pull　back。　For　an　instant　their　lips　came　apart　a　little；　and　I　saw　the　black；　swirling　tide　that　was　flowing　out　of　John　Coffey　and　into　Percy　Wetmore。　What　wasn't　going　into　him　through　his　quivering　mouth　was　flowing　in　by　way　of　his　nostrils。　Then　the　hand　on　the　nape　of　his　neck　flexed；　and　Percy　was　pulled　forward　onto　John　's　mouth　again；　was　almost　impaled　on　it。

Percy's　left　hand　sprang　open。　His　treasured　hickory　baton　fell　to　the　green　linoleum。　He　never　picked　it　up　again。

I　tried　to　lunge　forward；　I　guess　I　did　lunge　forward；　but　my　movements　felt　old　and　creaky　to　myself。　I　grabbed　for　my　gun；　but　the　strap　was　still　across　the　burled…walnut　grip；　and　at　first　I　couldn't　get　it　out　of　its　holster。　Beneath　me；　I　seemed　to　feel　the　floor　shake　as　it　had　in　the　back　bedroom　of　the　Warden's　neat　little　Cape　Cod。　That　I'm　not　sure　of；　but　I　know　that　one　of　the　caged　lightbulbs　overhead　broke。　Fragments　of　glass　showered　down。　Harry　yelled　in　surprise。

At　last　I　managed　to　thumb　loose　the　safety　strap　over　the　butt　of　my　。38；　but　before　I　could　pull　it　out　of　its　holster；　John　had　thrust　Percy　away　from　him　and　stepped　back　into　his　cell。　John　was　grimacing　and　rubbing　his　mouth；　as　if　he　had　tasted　something　bad。

〃What'd　he　do？〃　Brutal　shouted。　〃What'd　he　do；　Paul？〃

〃Whatever　he　took　out　of　Melly；　Percy's　got　it　now；〃　I　said。

Percy　was　standing　against　the　bars　of　Delacroix's　old　cell。　His　eyes　were　wide　and　blank…double　zeros。　I　approached　him　carefully；　expecting　him　to　start　coughing　and　choking　the　way　John　had　after　he'd　finished　with　Melinda；　but　he　di