第45部分(第5/7 頁)

ckjack　or　poker　or　acey…deucey。　Whatever　it　was；　the　guards　who　participated　were　said　to　be　washing　their　clothes。　There　was　usually　moonshine　at　these　get…togethers；　and　on　occasion　a　joystick　would　go　around　the　circle。　It's　been　the　same　in　prisons　since　prisons　were　invented；　I　suppose。　When　you　spend　your　life　taking　care　of　mudmen；　you　can't　help　getting　a　little　dirty　yourself。　In　any　case；　we　weren't　likely　to　be　checked　up　on。　〃Clothes　washing〃　was　treated　with　great　discretion　at　Cold　Mountain。

〃Right　with　Eversharp；〃　I　said；　turning　Coffey　around　and　putting　him　in　motion。　〃And　if　it　all　falls　down；　Dean；　you。　don't　know　nothing　about　nothing。〃

〃That's　easy　to　say；　but　…　〃

At　that　moment；　a　skinny　arm　shot　out　from　between　the　bars　of　Wharton's　cell　and　grabbed　Coffey's　slab　of　a　bicep。　We　all　gasped。　Wharton　should　have　been　dead　to　the　world；　all　but　atose；　yet　here　he　stood；　swaying　back　and　forth　on　his　feet　like　a　hard…tagged　fighter；　grinning　blearily。

Coffey's　reaction　was　remarkable。　He　didn't　pull　away；　but　he　also　gasped；　pulling　air　in　over　his　teeth　like　someone　who　has　touched　something　cold　and　unpleasant。　His　eyes　widened；　and　for　a　moment　he　looked　as　if　he　and　dumb　had　never　even　met；　let　alone　got　up　together　every　morning　and　lain　down　together　every　night。　He　had　looked　alive　…　there　…　when　he　had　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　touch　me。　Help　me；　in　Coffeyspeak。　He　had　looked　that　way　again　when　he'd　been　holding　his　hands　out　for　the　mouse。　Now；　for　the　third　time；　his　face　had　lit　up；　as　if　a　spotlight　had　suddenly　been　turned　on　inside　his　brain。　Except　it　was　different　this　time。　It　was　colder　this　time；　and　for　the　first　time　I　wondered　what　might　happen　if　John　Coffey　were　suddenly　to　run　amok。