第47部分(第5/7 頁)

eaves　fall　again。　That　was　the　truth　of　the　matter；　and　I　had　been　mad　to　think　this　vacant…eyed　idiot　could　change　it。

Maybe　it　still　wasn't　too　late　to　save　ourselves；　though。　I　made　as　if　to　get　up；　the　blanket　I'd　been　wearing　slipping　off　my　shoulders。　I　would　lean　over；　tap　on　the　driver's…side　window；　tell　Harry　to　get　the　hell　out　before　…

John　Coffey　grabbed　my　forearm　in　one　of　his　hamhock　fists；　pulling　me　back　down　as　effortlessly　as　I　might　have　done　to　a　toddler。　〃Look；　boss；〃　he　said；　pointing。　〃Someone's　up。〃

I　followed　the　direction　of　his　finger　and　felt　a　sinking　…　not　just　of　the　belly；　but　of　the　heart。　There　was　a　spark　of　light　in　one　of　the　back　windows。　The　room　where　Melinda　now　spent　her　days　and　nights；　most　likely；　she　would　be　no　more　capable　of　using　the　stairs　than　she　would　of　going　out　to　rake　the　leaves　which　had　fallen　during　the　recent　storm。

They'd　heard　the　truck；　of　course　…　Harry　Terwilliger's　goddam　Farmall；　its　engine　bellowing　and　farting　down　the　length　of　an　exhaust　pipe　unencumbered　by　anything　so　frivolous　as　a　muffler。　Hell；　the　Mooreses　probably　weren't　sleeping　that　well　these　nights；　anyway。

A　light　closer　to　the　front　of　the　house　went　on　（the　kitchen）；　then　the　living…room　overhead；　then　the　one　in　the　front　hall；　then　the　one　over　the　stoop。　I　watched　these　forward…marching　lights　the　way　a　man　standing　against　a　cement　wall　and　smoking　his　last　cigarette　might　watch　the　lockstep　approach　of　the　firing　squad。　Yet　I　did　not　entirely　acknowledge　to　myself　even　then　that　it　was　too　late　until　the　uneven　chop　of　the　Farmall's　engine　faded　into　silence；　and　the　doors　creaked；　and　the　gravel　crunched　as　Harry　and　Brutal　got　out。

John　was　up；　pulling　me　with　him。　In　the　dim　light；