第49部分(第3/7 頁)

hing　very　heavy　fell　over　in　the　parlor　…　the　grandfather　clock；　it　turned　out　to　be。　Hal　Moores　tried　to　have　it　repaired；　but　it　never　kept　time　for　more　than　fifteen　minutes　at　a　stretch　again。

Closer　by　there　was　a　crack　followed　by　a　tinkle　as　the　pane　of　glass　through　which　the　moon　had　been　peeking　broke。　A　picture　on　the　wall　…　a　clipper　ship　cruising　one　of　the　seven　seas　…　fell　off　its　hook　and　crashed　to　the　floor；　the　glass　over　its　front　shattered。

I　smelled　something　hot　and　saw　smoke　rising　from　the　bottom　of　the　white　counterpane　which　covered　her。　A　portion　was　turning　black；　down　by　the　jittering　lump　that　was　her　right　foot。　Feeling　like　a　man　in　a　dream；　I　shook　free　of　Moores's　hand　and　stepped　to　the　night…table。　There　was　a　glass　of　water　there；　surrounded　by　three　or　four　bottles　of　pills　which　had　fallen　over　during　the　shake。　I　picked　up　the　water　and　dumped　it　on　the　place　that　was　smoking。　There　was　a　hiss。

John　Coffey　went　on　kissing　her　in　that　deep　and　intimate　way；　inhaling　and　inhaling；　one　hand　still　held　out；　the　other　on　the　bed；　propping　up　his　immense　weight。　The　fingers　were　splayed；　the　hand　looked　to　me　like　a　brown　starfish。

Suddenly；　her　back　arched。　One　of　her　own　hands　flailed　out　in　the　air；　the　fingers　clenching　and　unclenching　in　a　series　of　spasms。　Her　feet　drummed　against　the　bed。　Then　something　screamed。　Again；　that's　not　just　me；　the　other　men　heard　it；　as　well。　To　Brutal　it　sounded　like　a　wolf　or　coyote　with　its　leg　caught　in　a　trap。　To　me　it　sounded　like　an　eagle；　the　way　you'd　sometimes　hear　them　on　still　mornings　back　then；　cruising　down　through　the　misty　cuts　with　their　wings　stiffly　spread。

Outside；　the　wind　gusted　hard　enough　to　give　the　house　a　second　shake　…　and　that　was　stra