绿里奇迹(英文版)-第13章

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　doing　it；　anyway；　I've　given　up　asking　him　to　quit。　There　are　other　sayings　…　not　quite　proverbs　…　that　apply　to　Brad　Dolan：　〃You　can　lead　a　horse　to　water　but　you　can't　make　him　drink〃　is　one；　〃You　can　dress　him　up　but　you　can't　take　him　out〃　is　another。　In　his　thickheadedness　he　is　also　like　Percy。　
When　he　made　his　ment　about　Alzheimer's；　he　was　mopping　the　floor　of　the　solarium；　where　I　had　been　going　over　the　pages　I　have　already　written。　There's　a　great　lot　of　them；　and　I　think　there's　apt　to　be　a　great　lot　more　before　I　am　through。　〃That　Alzheimer's；　do　you　know　what　it　really　is？〃　
〃No；〃　I　said；　…　but　I'm　sure　you'll　tell　me；　Brad。〃　
〃It's　AIDS　for　old　people；〃　he　said；　and　then　burst　out　laughing；　hucka…hucka…hucka…huck！；　just　like　he　does　over　those　idiotic　jokes　of　his。　
I　didn't　laugh；　though；　because　what　he　said　struck　a　nerve　somewhere。　Not　that　I　have　Alzheimer's；　although　there's　plenty　of　it　on　view　here　at　beautiful　Georgia　Pines；　I　myself　just　suffer　the　standard　oldguy　memory　problems。　Those　problems　seem　to　have　more　to　do　with　when　than　what。　Looking　over　what　I　have　written　so　far；　it　occurs　to　me　that　I　remember　everything　that　happened　back　in　'32；　it's　the　order　of　events　that　sometimes　gets　confused　in　my　head。　Yet；　if　I'm　careful；　I　think　I　can　keep　even　that　sorted　out。　More　or　less。　
John　Coffey　came　to　E　Block　and　the　Green　Mile　in　October　of　that　year；　condemned　for　the　murder　of　the　nine…year…old　Detterick　twins。　That's　my　major　landmark；　and　if　I　keep　it　in　view；　I　should　do　just　fine。　William　'Wild　Bill〃　Wharton　came　after　Coffey；　Delacroix　came　before。　So　did　the　mouse；　the　one　Brutus　Howell　…　Brutal；　to　his　friends　…　called　Steamboat　Willy　and　Delacroix　ended　up　calling　Mr。　Jingles。　
Whatever　you　called　him；　the　mouse　came　first；　even　before　Del　…　it　was　still　summer　when　he　showed　up；　and　we　had　two　other　prisoners　on　the　Green　Mile：　The　Chief；　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　and　The　Pres；　Arthur　Flanders。　
That　mouse。　That　goddam　mouse。　Delacroix　loved　it；　but　Percy　Wetmore　sure　didn't。　
Percy　hated　it　from　the　first。　
2。　
The　mouse　came　back　just　about　three　days　after　Percy　had　chased　it　down　the　Green　Mile　that　first　time。　Dean　Stanton　and　Bill　Dodge　were　talking　politics；　which　meant　in　those　days；　they　were　talking　Roosevelt　and　Hoover　…　Herbert；　not　J。　Edgar。　They　were　eating　Ritz　crackers　from　a　box　Dean　had　purchased　from　old　Toot…Toot　an　hour　or　so　before。　Percy　was　standing　in　the　office　doorway；　practicing　quick　draws　with　the　baton　he　loved　so　much；　as　he　listened。　He'd　pull　it　out　of　that　ridiculous　handtooled　holster　he'd　gotten　somewhere；　then　twirl　it　（or　try　to；　most　times　he　would　have　dropped　it　if　not　for　the　rawhide　loop　he　kept　on　his　wrist）；　then　re…holster　it。　I　was　off　that　night；　but　got　the　full　report　from　Dean　the　following　evening。　
The　mouse　came　up　the　Green　Mile　just　as　it　had　before；　hopping　along；　then　stopping　and　seeming　to　check　the　empty　cells。　After　a　bit　of　that　it　would　hop　on；　undiscouraged；　as　if　it　had　known　all　along　it　would　be　a　long　search；　and　it　was　up　to　that。　
The　President　was　awake　this　time；　standing　at　his　cell　door。　That　guy　was　a　piece　of　work；　managing　to　look　natty　even　in　his　prison　blues。　We　knew　just　by　the　way　he　looked　that　he　wasn't　made　for　Old　Sparky；　and　we　were　right　…　less　than　a　week　after　Percy's　second　run　at　that　mouse；　The　Pres's　sentence　was　muted　to　life　and　he　joined　the　general　population。　
〃Say！〃　he　called。　''There's　a　mouse　in　here！　What　kind　of　a　joint　are　you　guys　running；　anyway？〃　He　was　kind　of　laughing；　but　Dean　said　he　also　sounded　kind　of　outraged；　as　if　even　a　murder　rap　hadn't　been　quite　enough　to　knock　the　Kiwanis　out　of　his　soul。　He　had　been　the　regional　head　of　an　outfit　called　Mid…South　Realty　Associates；　and　had　thought　himself　smart　enough　to　be　able　to　get　away　with　pushing　his　half…senile　father　out　a　third…story　window　and　collect　on　a　double…indemnity　whole…life　policy。　On　that　he　had　been　wrong；　but　maybe　not　by　much。　
〃Shut　up；　you　lugoon；〃　Percy　said；　but　that　was　pretty　much　automatic。　He　had　his　eye　on　the　mouse。　He　had　re…holstered　his　baton　and　taken　out　one　of　his　magazines；　but　now　he　tossed　the　magazine　on　the　duty　desk　and　pulled　the　baton　out　of　its　holster　again。　He　began　tapping　it　casually　against　the　knuckles　of　his　left　hand。　
〃Son　of　a　bitch；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃I've　never　seen　a　mouse　in　here　before。〃　
〃Aw；　he's　sort　of　cute；〃　Dean　said。　〃And　not　afraid　at　all。〃　
〃How　do　you　know？〃　
〃He　was　in　the　other　night。　Percy　saw　him；　too。　Brutal　calls　him　Steamboat　Willy。〃　
Percy　kind　of　sneered　at　that；　but　for　the　time　being　said　nothing。　He　was　tapping　the　baton　faster　now　on　the　back　of　his　hand。　
〃Watch　this；〃　Dean　said。　〃He　came　all　the　way　up　to　the　desk　before。　I　want　to　see　if　he'll　do　it　again。〃　
It　did；　skirting　wide　of　The　Pres　on　its　way；　as　if　it　didn't　like　the　way　our　resident　parricide　smelled。　It　checked　two　of　the　empty　cells；　even　ran　up　onto　one　of　the　bare；　unmattressed　cots　for　a　sniff；　then　came　back　to　the　Green　Mile。　And　Percy　standing　there　the　whole　time；　tapping　and　tapping；　not　talking　for　a　change；　wanting　to　make　it　sorry　for　ing　back。　Wanting　to　teach　it　a　lesson。　
〃Good　thing　you　guys　don't　have　to　put　him　in　Sparky；〃　Bill　said；　interested　in　spite　of　himself。　〃You'd　have　a　hell　of　a　time　getting　the　clamps　and　the　cap　on。〃　
Percy　said　nothing　still；　but　he　very　slowly　gripped　the　baton　between　his　fingers；　the　way　a　man　would　hold　a　good　cigar。　
The　mouse　stopped　where　it　had　before；　no　more　than　three　feet　from　the　duty　desk；　looking　up　at　Dean　like　a　prisoner　before　the　bar。　It　glanced　up　at　Bill　for　a　moment；　then　switched　its　attention　back　to　Dean。　Percy　it　hardly　seemed　to　notice　at　all。　
〃He's　a　brave　little　barstid；　I　got　to　give　him　that；〃　Bill　said。　He　raised　his　voice　a　little。　〃Hey！　Hey！　Steamboat　Willy！〃　
The　mouse　flinched　a　little　and　fluttered　its　ears；　but　it　didn't　run；　or　even　show　any　signs　of　wanting　to。　
〃Now　watch　this；〃　Dean　said；　remembering　how　Brutal　had　fed　it　some　of　his　corned…beef　sandwich。　〃I　don't　know　if　he'll　do　it　again；　but…〃　
He　broke　off　a　piece　of　Ritz　cracker　and　dropped　it　in　front　of　the　mouse。　It　just　looked　with　its　sharp　black　eyes　at　the　orangey　fragment　for　a　second　or　two；　its　filament…fine　whiskers　twitching　as　it　sniffed。　Then　it　reached　out；　took　the　cracker　in　its　paws；　sat　up；　and　began　to　eat。　
〃Well。　I'll　be　shucked　and　boiled！〃　Bill　exclaimed。　〃Eats　as　neat　as　a　parson　on　parish　house　Saturday　night！〃　
〃Looks　more　like　a　nigger　eating　watermelon　to　me。〃。　Percy　remarked；　but　neither　guard　paid　him　any　mind。　Neither　did　The　Chief　or　The　Pres；　for　that　matter。　The　mouse　finished　the　cracker　but　continued　to　sit；　seemingly　balanced　on　the　talented　coil　of　its　tail；　looking　up　at　the　giants　in　blue。　
〃Lemme　try；〃　Bill　said。　He　broke　off　another　piece　of　cracker；　leaned　over　the　front　of　the　desk；　and　dropped　it　carefully。　The　mouse　sniffed　but　did　not　touch。　
〃Huh；〃　Bill　said。　〃Must　be　full。〃　
〃Nah；〃　Dean　said；　〃he　knows　you're　a　floater；　that's　all。〃　
〃Floater；　am　I？　I　like　that！　I'm　here　almost　as　much　as　Harry　Terwilliger！　Maybe　more！〃　
〃Simmer　down；　old…timer；　simmer　down；〃　Dean　said；　grinning。　〃But　watch　and　see　if　I'm　not　right。〃　He　bombed　another　piece　of　cracker　over　the　side。　Sure　enough；　the　mouse　picked　that　one　up　and　began　to　eat　again；　still　ignoring　Bill　Dodge's　contribution　pletely。　But　before　it　had　done　more　than　take　a　preliminary　nibble　or　two；　Percy　threw　his　baton　at　it；　launching　it　like　a　spear。　
The　mouse　was　a　small　target；　and　give　the　devil　his　due…it　was　a　wickedly　good　shot；　and　might　have　taken　〃Willy's〃　head　clean　off；　if　its　reflexes　hadn't　been　as　sharp　as　shards　of　broken　glass。　It　ducked　…　yes；　just　as　a　human　being　would　have　…　and　dropped　the　chunk　of　cracker。　The　heavy　hickory　baton　passed　over　its　head　and　spine　close　enough　so　its　fur　ruffled　（that's　what　Dean　said；　anyway；　and　so　I　pass　it　on；　although　I'm　not　sure　I　really　believe　it）；　then　hit　the　green　linoleum　and　bounced　against　the　bars　of　an　empty　cell。　The　mouse　didn't　wait　to　see　if　it　was　a　mistake；　apparently　remembering　a　pressing　engagement　elsewhere；　it　turned　and　was　off　down　the　corridor　toward　the　restraint　room　in　a　flash。　
Percy　roared　with　frustration　…　he　knew　how　close　he　had　e　…　and　chased　after　it　again。　Bill　Dodge　grabbed　at　his　arm；　probably　out　of　simple　instinct；　but　Percy　pulled　away　from　him。　Still；　Dean　said；　it　was　probably　that　grab　which　saved　Steamboat　Willy's　life；　and　it　was　still　a　near　thing。　Percy　wanted　not　just　to　kill　the　mouse　but　to　squash　it；　so　he　ran　in　big；　ical　leaps；　like　a　deer；　stamping　down　with　his　heavy　black　workshoes。　The　mouse　barely　avoided　Percy's　last　two　jumps；　first　zigging　and　then　zagging。　It　went　under　the　door　with　a　final　flick　of　its　long　pink　tail；　and　so　long；　stranger　…　it　was　gone。　
〃Fuck！〃　Percy　said；　and　slammed　the　flat　of　his　hand　against　the　door。　Then　he　began　to　sort　through　his　keys；　meaning　to　go　into　the　restraint　room　and　continue　the　chase。　
Dean　came　down　the　corridor　after　him；　deliberately　walking　slow　in　order　to　get　his　emotions　under　control。　Part　of　him　wante