第43部分(第6/7 頁)

he　knows。

5。

Old　Toot…Toot　made　his　last　trip　of　the　night　down　to　E　Block　with　his　cart　at　about　quarter　to　nine。　We　bought　enough　of　his　crap　to　make　him　smile　with　avarice。

〃Say；　you　boys　seen　that　mouse？〃　he　asked。

We　shook　our　heads。

〃Maybe　Pretty　Boy　has；〃　Toot　said；　and　gestured　with　his　head　in　the　direction　of　the　storage　room；　where　Percy　was　either　washing　the　floor；　writing　his　report；　or　picking　his　ass。

〃What　do　you　care？　It's　none　of　your　affair；　either　way；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Roll　wheels；　Toot。　You're　stinkin　the　place　up。〃

Toot　smiled　his　peculiarly　unpleasant　smile；　toothless　and　sunken；　and　made　a　business　of　sniffing　the　air。　〃That　ain't　me　you　smell；〃　he　said。　〃That　be　Del；　sayin　so…long。〃

Cackling；　he　rolled　his　cart　out　the　door　and　into　the　exercise　yard。　And　he　went　on　rolling　it　for　another　ten　years；　long　after　I　was　gone　…　hell；　long　after　Cold　Mountain　was　gone　…　selling　Moon　Pies　and　pops　to　the　guards　and　prisoners　who　could　afford　them。　Sometimes　even　now　I　hear　him　in　my　dreams；　yelling　that　he's　fryin；　he's　fryin；　he's　a　done　tom　turkey。

The　time　stretched　out　after　Toot　was　gone；　the　clock　seeming　to　crawl。　We　had　the　radio　for　an　hour　and　a　half；　Wharton　braying　laughter　at　Fred　Allen　and　Allen's　Alley；　even　though　I　doubt　like　hell　he　understood　many　of　the　jokes。　John　Coffey　sat　on　the　end　of　his　bunk；　hands　clasped；　eyes　rarely　leaving　whoever　was　at　the　duty　desk。　I　have　seen　men　waiting　that　way　in　bus　stations　for　their　buses　to　be　called。

Percy　came　in　from　the　storage　room　around　quarter　to　eleven　and　handed　me　a　report　which　had　been　laboriously　written　in　pencil。　Eraser…crumbs　lay　over　the　sheet　of　paper　in　gritty　smears。　He　saw　me　run　my　thumb　over　one　of　the