第55部分(第2/8 頁)

　or　cooking　or　Saul's　conversion　on　the　Damascus　road。　She　was　looking　out　the　window　toward　the　ridges；　her　chin　propped　on　her　hand；　her　eyes　as　hazy　as　those　ridges　look　on　summer　mornings　when　it's　going　to　be　hot。　Summer　mornings　like　the　one　when　the　Detterick　girls　had　been　found；　I　thought　for　no　reason。　I　wondered　why　they　hadn't　screamed。

Their　killer　had　hurt　them；　there　had　been　blood　on　the　porch；　and　on　the　steps。　So　why　hadn't　they　screamed？

〃You　think　John　Coffey　really　killed　that　man　Wharton；　don't　you？〃　Janice　asked；　looking　back　from　the　window　at　last。　〃Not　that　it　was　an　accident；　or　anything　like　that；　you　think　he　used　Percy　Wetmore　on　Wharton　like　a　gun。〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Why？〃

〃I　don't　know。'

〃Tell　me　again　about　what　happened　when　you　took　Coffey　off　the　Mile；　would　you？　Just　that　part。〃

So　I　did。　I　told　her　how　the　skinny　arm　shooting　out　from　between　the　bars　and　grabbing　John　's　bicep　had　reminded　me　of　a　snake…one　of　the　water　moccasins　we　were　all　scared　of　when　we　were　kids　swimming　in　the　river　…　and　how　Coffey　had　said　Wharton　was　a　bad　man。　Almost　whispering　it。

〃And　Wharton　said　。。。　？〃　My　wife　was　looking　out　the　window　again；　but　she　was　listening；　all　right。

〃Wharton　said；　'That's　right；　nigger；　bad　as　you'd　want。；　〃

〃And　that's　all。〃

〃Yes。　I　had　a　feeling　that　something　was　going　to　happen　right　then；　but　nothing　did。　Brutal　took　Wharton's　hand　off　John　and　told　him　to