第45部分(第6/7 頁)

We　had　our　guns；　we　could　shoot　him；　but　actually　taking　him　down　might　not　be　easy　to　do。

I　saw　similar　thoughts　on　Brutal's　face；　but　Wharton　just　went　on　grinning　his　stoned；　loose…lipped　grin　…　〃Where　do　you　think　you're　going？〃　he　asked。　It　came　out　something　like　Wherra　fink　yerr　gone？

Coffey　stood　still；　looking　first　at　Wharton；　then　at　Wharton's　hand；　then　back　into　Wharton's　face。　I　could　not　read　that　expression。　I　mean　I　could　see　the　intelligence　in　it；　but　I　couldn't　read　it。　As　for　Wharton；　I　wasn't　worried　about　him　at　all。　He　wouldn't　remember　any　of　this　later；　he　was　like　a　drunk　walking　in　a　blackout。

〃You're　a　bad　man；〃　Coffey　whispered；　and　I　couldn't　tell　what　I　heard　in　his　voice　…　pain　or　anger　or　fear。　Maybe　all　three。　Coffey　looked　down　at　the　hand　on　his　arm　again；　the　way　you　might　look　at　a　bug　which　could　give　you　a　really　nasty　bite；　had　it　a　mind。

〃That's　right；　nigger；〃　Wharton　said　with　a　bleary；　cocky　smile。　〃Bad　as　you'd　want。〃

I　was　suddenly　positive　that　something　awful　was　going　to　happen；　something　that　would　change　the　planned　course　of　this　early　morning　as　pletely　as　a　cataclysmic　earthquake　can　change　the　course　of　a　river。　It　was　going　to　happen；　and　nothing　I　or　any　of　us　did　would　stop　it。

Then　Brutal　reached　down；　plucked　Wharton's　hand　off　John　Coffey's　arm；　and　that　feeling　stopped。　It　was　as　if　some　potentially　dangerous　circuit　had　been　broken。　I　told　you　that　in　my　time　in　E　Block；　the　governor's　line　never　rang。　That　was　true；　but　I　imagine　that　if　it　ever　had；　I　would　have　felt　the　same　relief　that　washed　over　me　when　Brutal　removed　Wharton's　hand　from　the　big　man　towering　beside　me。　Coffey's　eyes　dulled　over　at　once；　it　was　as　if　the　searchlight　inside　his　head　had　been　tu