第43部分(第4/7 頁)

Big　as　life　and　twice　as　ugly。　You　look　happier'n　a　pig　kneedeep　in　shit；　Boss　Edgebe。　Wife　give　your　pecker　a　pull　before　you　left　home；　did　she？〃

〃How　you　doing；　Kid？〃　I　asked　evenly；　and　at　that　he　brightened　for　real。　He　let　go　of　his　legs；　stood　up；　and　stretched。　His　smile　broadened；　and　some　of　the　hostility　went　out　of　it。

〃Well；　damn！〃　he　said。　〃You　got　my　name　right　for　once！　What's　the　matter　with　you；　Boss　Edgebe？　You　sick　or　sumpin？〃

No；　not　sick。　I'd　been　sick；　but　John　Coffey　had　taken　care　of　that。　His　hands　no　longer　knew　the　trick　of　tying　a　shoe；　if　they　ever　had；　but　they　knew　other　tricks。　Yes　indeed　they　did。

〃My　friend；〃　I　told　him；　〃if　you　want　to　be　a　Billy　the　Kid　instead　of　a　Wild　Bill；　it's　all　the　same　to　me。〃

He　puffed　visibly；　like　one　of　those　loathsome　fish　that　live　in　South　American　rivers　and　can　sting　you　almost　to　death　with　the　spines　along　their　backs　and　sides。　I　dealt　with　a　lot　of　dangerous　men　during　my　time　on　the　Mile；　but　few　if　any　so　repellent　as　William　Wharton；　who　considered　himself　a　great　outlaw；　but　whose　jailhouse　behavior　rarely　rose　above　pissing　or　spitting　through　the　bars　of　his　cell。　So　far　we　hadn't　given　him　the　awed　respect　he　felt　was　his　by　right；　but　on　that　particular　night　I　wanted　him　tractable。　If　that　meant　lathering　on　the　softsoap；　I　would　gladly　lather　it　on。

〃I　got　a　lot　in　mon　with　the　Kid；　and　you　just　better　believe　it；〃　Wharton　said。　〃I　didn't　get　here　for　stealing　candy　out　of　a　dimestore。〃　As　proud　as　a　man　who's　been　conscripted　into　the　Heroes'　Brigade　of　the　French　Foreign　Legion　instead　of　one　whose　ass　has　been　slammed　into　a　cell　seventy　long　steps　from　the　electric　chair。　〃Where's　my　supper？〃

〃e　on；　Kid；　report　says　you　had　it　at　fiv