第44部分(第1/7 頁)

Then　it　got　to　be　ten　of　twelve；　I　could　stand　it　no　longer　and　gave　Dean　a　little　nod。　He　went　into　my　office　with　a　bottle　of　R。C。　Cola　bought　off　Toot's　cart；　and　came　back　out　a　minute　or　two　later。　The　cola　was　now　in　a　tin　cup；　which　a　prisoner　can't　break　and　then　slash　with。

I　took　it　and　glanced　around。　Harry；　Dean；　and　Brutal　were　all　watching　me。　So；　for　that　matter；　was　John　Coffey。　Not　Percy；　though。　Percy　had　returned　to　the　storage　room；　where　he　probably　felt　more　at　ease　on　this　particular　night。　I　gave　the　tin　cup　a　quick　sniff　and　got　no　odor　except　for　the　R。C。；　which　had　an　odd　but　pleasant　cinnamon　smell　back　in　those　days。

I　took　it　down　to　Wharton's　cell。　He　was　lying　on　his　bunk。　He　wasn't　masturbating　…　yet；　anyway　…　but　had　raised　quite　a　boner　inside　his　shorts　and　was　giving　it　a　good　healthy　twang　every　now　and　again；　like　a　dopey　bass…fiddler　hammering　an　extrathick　E…string。

〃Kid；〃　I　said。

〃Don't　bother　me；〃　he　said。

〃Okay；〃　I　agreed。　〃I　brought　you　a　pop　for　behaving　like　a　human　being　all　night　…　damn　near　a　record　for　you　…　but　I'll　just　drink　it　myself。〃

I　made　as　if　to　do　just　that；　raising　the　tin　cup　（battered　all　up　and　down　the　sides　from　many　angry　bangings　on　many　sets　of　cell　bars）　to　my　lips。　Wharton　was　off　the　bunk　in　a　flash；　which　didn't　surprise　me。　It　wasn't　a　high…risk　bluff；　most　deep　cons　…　lifers；　rapists；　and　the　men　slated　for　Old　Sparky　…　are　pigs　for　their　sweets；　and　this　one　was　no　exception。

〃Gimme　that；　you　clunk；〃　Wharton　said。　He　spoke　as　if　he　were　the　foreman　and　I　was　just　another　lowly　peon。　〃Give　it　to　the　Kid。〃

I　held　it　just　outside　the　bars；　letting　him　be　the　one　to　reach　through。　Doing　it　the　other　way　around　is　a　recipe　for　disaster；　as