第10部分(第3/8 頁)

fteen　Hail　Marys　for　my　soul？　I　promise。　Let　me　die　under　my　spirit…name　and　see　that　it　goes　on　my　tombstone？　I　promise。　It　was　the　way　you　got　them　to　go　and　be　good　about　it；　the　way　you　saw　them　into　the　chair　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　Green　Mile　with　their　sanity　intact。　I　couldn't　keep　all　of　those　promises；　of　course；　but　I　kept　the　one　I　made　to　Delacroix。　As　for　the　Frenchman　himself；　there　had　been　hell　to　pay。　The　bad　'un　had　hurt　Delacroix；　hurt　him　plenty。　Oh；　I　know　what　he　did；　all　right；　but　no　one　deserved　what　happened　to　Eduard　Delacroix　when　he　fell　into　Old　Sparky's　savage　embrace。

A　smell　of　peppermint。

And　something　else。　Something　back　inside　that　hole。

I　took　a　pen　out　of　my　breast　pocket　with　my　right　hand；　still　holding　onto　the　beam　with　my　left；　not　worried　anymore　about　Brutal　inadvertently　tickling　my　sensitive　knees。　I　unscrewed　the　pen's　cap　onehanded；　then　poked　the　nib　in　and　teased　something　out。　It　was　a　tiny　splinter　of　wood　which　had　been　tinted　a　bright　yellow；　and　I　heard　Delacroix's　voice　again；　so　clearly　this　time　that　his　ghost　might　have　been　lurking　in　that　room　with　us　…　the　one　where　William　Wharton　spent　so　much　of　his　time。

Hey；　you　guys！　the　voice　said　this　time…the　laughing；　amazed　voice　of　a　man　who　has　forgotten；　at　least　for　a　little　while；　where　he　is　and　what　awaits　him。　e　and　see　what　Mr。　Jingles　can　do！

〃Christ；〃　I　whispered。　I　felt　as　if　the　wind　had　been　knocked　out　of　me。