第59部分(第3/8 頁)

；　at　last；　I　began　to　feel　really　normal。　I　trotted　halfway　back　to　where　the　Ford　was　parked　and　walked　the　rest　of　the　way；　my　breath　steaming　in　the　chilly　air。　When　I　got　home；　I　told　Janice　that　John　Coffey　had　said　he　was　ready；　that　he　wanted　to　go。　She　nodded；　looking　relieved。　Was　she　really？　I　couldn't　say。　Six　hours　before；　even　three；　I　would　have　known；　but　by　then　I　didn't。　And　that　was　good。　John　had　kept　saying　that　he　was　tired；　and　now　I　could　understand　why。　It　would　have　tired　anyone　out；　what　he　had。　Would　have　made　anyone　long　for　rest　and　for　quiet。

When　Janice　asked　me　why　I　looked　so　flushed　and　smelled　so　sweaty；　I　told　her　I　had　stopped　the　car　on　my　way　home　and　gone　running　for　awhile；　running　hard。　I　told　her　that　much　…　as　I　may　have　said　（there's　too　many　pages　here　now　for　me　to　want　to　look　back　through　and　make　sure）；　lying　wasn't　much　a　part　of　our　marriage　…　but　I　didn't　tell　her　why。

And　she　didn't　ask。

9。

There　were　no　thunderstorms　on　the　night　it　came　John　Coffey's　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile。　It　was　seasonably　cold　for　those　parts　at　that　time　of　year；　in　the　thirties；　I'd　guess；　and　a　million　stars　spilled　across　used…up；　picked…out　fields　where　frost　glittered　on　fenceposts　and　glowed　like　diamonds　on　the　dry　skeletons　of　July's　corn。

Brutus　Howell　was　out　front　for　this　one　…　he　would　do　the　capping　and　tell　Van　Hay　to　roll　when　it　was　time。　Bill　Dodge　was　in　with　Van　Hay。　And　at　around　eleven…twe