第43部分(第5/7 頁)

e…fifty。　Meatloaf　with　gravy；　mashed；　peas。　You　don't　con　me　that　easy。〃

He　laughed　expansively　and　sat　down　on　his　bunk　again。　〃Put　on　the　radio；　then。〃　He　said　radio　in　the　way　people　did　back　then　when　they　were　joking；　so　it　rhymed　with　the　fifties　slang　word　〃Daddy…O。〃

It's　funny　how　much　a　person　can　remember　about　times　when　his　nerves　were　tuned　so　tight　they　almost　sang。

〃Maybe　later；　big　boy；〃　I　said。　I　stepped　away　from　his　cell　and　looked　down　the　corridor。　Brutal　had　strolled　down　to　the　far　end；　where　he　checked　to　make　sure　the　restraint…room　door　was　on　the　single　lock　instead　of　the　double。　I　knew　it　was；　because　I'd　already　checked　it　myself。　Later　on；　we'd　want　to　be　able　to　open　that　door　as　quick　as　we　could。　There　would　be　no　time　spent　emptying　out　the　attic…type　rick…rack　that　had　accumulated　in　there　over　the　years；　we'd　taken　it　out；　sorted　it；　and　stored　it　in　other　places　not　long　after　Wharton　joined　our　happy　band。　It　had　seemed　to　us　the　room　with　the　soft　walls　was　apt　to　get　a　lot　of　use；　at　least　until　〃Billy　the　Kid〃　strolled　the　Mile。

John　Coffey；　who　would　usually　have　been　lying　down　at　this　time；　long；　thick　legs　dangling　and　face　to　the　wall；　was　sitting　on　the　end　of　his　bunk　with　his　hands　clasped；　watching　Brutal　with　an　alertness　…　a　thereness　…　that　wasn't　typical　of　him。　He　wasn't　leaking　around　the　eyes；　either。

Brutal　tried　the　door　to　the　restraint　room；　then　came　on　back　up　the　Mile。　Hie　glanced　at　Coffey　as　he　passed　Coffey's　cell；　and　Coffey　said　a　curious　thing：　〃Sure。　I'd　like　a　ride。〃　As　if　responding　to　something　Brutal　had　said。

Brutal's　eyes　met　mine。　He　knows；　I　could　almost　hear　him　saying。　Somehow　he　knows。

I　shrugged　and　spread　my　hands；　as　if　to　say　Of　course