绿里奇迹(英文版)-第14章

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Dean　came　down　the　corridor　after　him；　deliberately　walking　slow　in　order　to　get　his　emotions　under　control。　Part　of　him　wanted　to　laugh　at　Percy；　he　told　me；　but　part　of　him　wanted　to　grab　the　man；　whirl　him　around；　pin　him　against　the　restraint…room　door；　and　whale　the　living　daylights　out　of　him。　Most　of　it；　of　course；　was　just　being　startled；　our　job　on　E　Block　was　to　keep　rumpus　to　a　minimum；　and　rumpus　was　practically　Percy　Wetmore's　middle　name。　Working　with　him　was　sort　of　like　trying　to　defuse　a　bomb　with　somebody　standing　behind　you　and　every　now　and　then　clashing　a　pair　of　cymbals　together。　In　a　word；　upsetting。　Dean　said　he　could　see　that　upset　in　Arlen　Bitterbucks　eyes　。。。　even　in　The　President's　eyes；　although　that　gentleman　was　usually　as　cool　as　the　storied　cucumber。　
And　there　was　something　else；　as　well。　In　some　part　of　his　mind；　Dean　had　already　begun　to　accept　the　mouse　as　…　well；　maybe　not　as　a　friend；　but　as　a　part　of　life　on　the　block。　That　made　what　Percy　had　done　and　what　he　was　trying　to　do　not　right。　Not　even　if　it　was　a　mouse　he　was　trying　to　do　it　to。　And　the　fact　that　Percy　would　never　understand　how　e　it　wasn't　right　was　pretty　much　the　perfect　example　of　why　he　was　all　wrong　for　the　job　he　thought　he　was　doing。　
By　the　time　Dean　reached　the　end　of　the　corridor；　he　had　gotten　himself　under　control　again；　and　knew　how　he　wanted　to　handle　the　matter。　The　one　thing　Percy　absolutely　couldn't　stand　was　to　look　foolish；　and　we　all　knew　it。　
〃Coises；　foiled　again；〃　he　said；　grinning　a　little；　kidding　Percy　along。　
Percy　gave　him　an　ugly　look　and　flicked　his　hair　off　his　brow。　〃Match　your　mouth；　Four…Eyes。　I'm　riled。　Don't　make　it　worse！〃　
〃So　it's　moving　day　again；　is　it？〃　Dean　said；　not　quite　laughing　。。。　but　laughing　with　his　eyes。　〃Well；　when　you　get　everything　out　this　time；　would　you　mind　mopping　the　floor？〃　
Percy　looked　at　the　door。　Looked　at　his　keys。　Thought　about　another　long；　hot；　fruitless　rummage　in　the　room　with　the　soft　walls　while　they　all　stood　around　and　watched　him　。。。　The　Chief　and　The　Pres；　too。　
〃I'll　be　damned　if　I　understand　what's　so　funny；〃　he　said。　〃We　don't　need　mice　in　the　cellblock　…　we　got　enough　vermin　in　here　already；　without　adding　mice。〃　
〃Whatever　you　say；　Percy；〃　Dean　said；　holding　up　his　hands。　He　had　a　moment　right　there；　he　told　me　the　next　night；　when　he　believed　Percy　might　just　take　after　him。　
Bill　Dodge　strolled　up　then　and　smoothed　it　over。　〃Think　you　dropped　this；〃　he　said；　and　handed　Percy　his　baton。　〃An　inch　lower；　you　woulda　broken　the　little　barstid's　back。〃　
Percy's　chest　expanded　at　that。　〃Yeah；　it　wasn't　a　bad　shot　；　〃　he　said；　carefully　re…seating　his　headknocker　in　its　foolish　holster。　〃I　used　to　be　a　pitcher　in　high　school。　Threw　two　no…hitters。〃　
〃Is　that　right；　now？〃　Bill　said；　and　the　respectful　tone　of　voice　（although　he　winked　at　Dean　when　Percy　turned　away）　was　enough　to　finish　defusing　the　situation。　
〃Yep；〃　Percy　said。　〃Threw　one　down　in　Knoxville。　Those　city　boys　didn't　know　what　hit　em。　Walked　two。　Could　have　had　a　perfect　game　if　the　ump　hadn't　been　such　a　lugoon。〃　
Dean　could　have　left　it　at　that；　but　he　had　seniority　on　Percy　and　part　of　a　senior's　job　is　to　instruct；　and　at　that　time　…　before　Coffey；　before　Delacroix　…　he　still　thought　Percy　might　be　teachable。　So　he　reached　out　and　grasped　the　younger　man's　wrist。　〃You　want　to　think　about　what　you　was　doing　just　now；〃　Dean　said。　His　intention；　he　said　later；　was　to　sound　serious　but　not　disapproving。　Not　too　disapproving；　anyway。　
Except　with　Percy；　that　didn't　work。　He　might　not　learn　。。。　but　we　would　eventually。　
〃Say；　Four…Eyes；　I　know　what　I　was　doing　…　trying　to　get　that　mouse！　What're　you；　blind？〃　
〃You　also　scared　the　cheese　out　of　Bill；　out　of　me；　and　out　of　them；〃　Dean　said；　pointing　in　the　direction　of　Bitterbuck　and　Flanders。　
〃So　what？〃　Percy　asked；　drawing　himself　up。　〃They　ain't　in　cradle…school；　in　case　you　didn't　notice。　Although　you　guys　treat　them　that　way　half　the　time。〃　
〃Well；　I　don't　like　to　be　scared；〃　Bill　rumbled；　〃and　I　work　here；　Wetmore；　in　case　you　didn't　notice。　I　ain't　one　of　your　lugoons。〃　
Percy　gave　him　a　look　that　was　narrow…eyed　and　a　touch　uncertain。　
〃And　we　don't　scare　them　any　more　than　we　have　to；　because　they're　under　a　lot　of　strain；〃　Dean　said。　He　was　still　keeping　his　voice　low。　〃Men　that　are　under　a　lot　of　strain　can　snap。　Hurt　themselves。　Hurt　others。　Sometimes　get　folks　like　us　in　trouble；　too。〃　
Percy's　mouth　twitched　at　that。　〃In　trouble〃　was　an　idea　that　had　power　over　him。　Making　trouble　was　okay。　Getting　into　it　was　not。　
〃Our　job　is　talking；　not　yelling；〃　Dean　said。　〃A　man　who　is　yelling　at　prisoners　is　a　man　who　has　lost　control。〃　
Percy　knew　who　had　written　that　scripture　…　me。　
The　boss。　There　was　no　love　lost　between　Percy　Wetmore　and　Paul　Edgebe；　and　this　was　still　summer；　remember　…　long　before　the　real　festivities　started。　
〃You'll　do　better；〃　Dean　said；　〃if　you　think　of　this　place　as　like　an　intensive…care　ward　in　a　hospital。　It's　best　to　be　quiet……！〃　
〃I　think　of　it　as　a　bucket　of　piss　to　drown　rats　in；〃　Percy　said；　〃and　that's　all。　Now　let　me　go。〃　
He　tore　free　of　Dean's　hand；　stepped　between　him　and　Bill；　and　stalked　up　the　corridor　with　his　head　down。　He　walked　a　little　too　close　to　The　President's　side　…　close　enough　so　that　Flanders　could　have　reached　out；　grabbed　him；　and　maybe　headwhipped　him　with　his　own　prized　hickory　baton；　had　Flanders　been　that　sort　of　man。　He　wasn't；　of　course；　but　The　Chief　perhaps　was。　The　Chief；　if　given　a　chance；　might　have　administered　such　a　beating　just　to　teach　Percy　a　lesson。　What　Dean　said　to　me　on　that　subject　when　he　told　me　this　story　the　following　night　has　stuck　with　me　ever　since；　because　it　turned　out　to　be　a　kind　of　prophecy。　〃Wetmore　don't　understand　that　he　hasn't　got　any　power　over　them；〃　Dean　said。　〃That　nothing　he　does　can　really　make　things　worse　for　them；　that　they　can　only　be　electrocuted　once。　Until　he　gets　his　head　around　that；　he's　going　to　be　a　danger　to　himself　and　to　everyone　else　down　here。〃　
Percy　went　into　my　office　and　slammed　the　door　behind　him。　
〃My；　my；〃　Bill　Dodge　said。　〃Ain't　he　the　swollen　and　badly　infected　testicle。〃　
〃You　don't　know　the　half　of　it；〃　Dean　said。　
〃Oh；　look　on　the　bright　side；〃　Bill　said。　He　was　always　telling　people　to　look　on　the　bright　side；　it　got　so　you　wanted　to　punch　his　nose　every　time　it　came　out　of　his　mouth。　〃Your　trick　mouse　got　away；　at　least。〃　
〃Yeah；　but　we　won't　see　him　no　more；〃　Dean　said。　〃I　imagine　this　time　goddam　Percy　Wetmore's　scared　him　off　for　good。〃　
3。　
That　was　logical　but　wrong。　The　mouse　was　back　the　very　next　evening；　which　just　happened　to　be　the　first　of　Percy　Wetmore's　two　nights　off　before　he　slid　over　to　the　graveyard　shift。　
Steamboat　Willy　showed　up　around　seven　o'clock。　I　was　there　to　see　his　reappearance；　so　was　Dean。　Harry　Terwilliger；　too。　Harry　was　on　the　desk。　I　was　technically　on　days；　but　had　stuck　around　to　spend　an　extra　hour　with　The　Chief；　whose　time　was　getting　close　by　then。　Bitterbuck　was　stoical　on　the　outside；　in　the　tradition　of　his　tribe；　but　I　could　see　his　fear　of　the　end　growing　inside　him　like　a　poison　flower。　So　we　talked。　You　could　talk　to　them　in　the　daytime　but　it　wasn't　so　good；　with　the　shouts　and　conversation　（not　to　mention　the　occasional　fist…fight）　ing　from　the　exercise　yard；　the　chonk…chonk…chonk　of　the　stamping　machines　in　the　plate…shop；　the　occasional　yell　of　a　guard　for　someone　to　put　down　that　pick　or　grab　up　that　hoe　or　just　to　get　your　ass　over　here；　Harvey。　After　four　it　got　a　little　better；　and　after　six　it　got　better　still。　Six　to　eight　was　the　optimum　time。　After　that　you　could　see　the　long　thoughts　starting　to　steal　over　their　minds　again　…　in　their　eyes　you　could　see　it；　like　afternoon　shadows　and　it　was　best　to　stop。　They　still　heard　what　you　were　saying；　but　it　no　longer　made　sense　to　them。　Past　eight　they　were　getting　ready　for　the　watches　of　the　night　and　imagining　how　the　cap　would　feel　when　it　was　clamped　to　the　tops　of　their　heads；　and　how　the　air　would　smell　inside　the　black　bag　which　had　been　rolled　down　over　their　sweaty　faces。　
But　I　got　The　Chief　at　a　good　time。　He　told　me　about　his　first　wife；　and　how　they　had　built　a　lodge　together　up　in　Montana。　Those　had　been　the　happiest　days　of　his　life；　he　said。　The　water　was　so　pure　and　so　cold　that　it　felt　like　your　mouth　was　cut　every　time　you　drank。　
〃Hey；　Mr。　Edgebe；〃　he　said。　〃You　think；　if　a　man　he　sincerely　repent　of　what　he　done　wrong；　he　might　get　to　go　back　to　the　time　that　was　happiest　for　him　and　live　there　forever？　Could　that　be　what　heaven　is　like？〃　
〃I've　just　about　believed　that　very　thing；〃　I　said；　which　was　a　he　I　didn't　regret　in　the　least。　I　had　learned　of　matters　eternal　at　my　mother's　pretty　knee；　and　what　I　believed　is　what　the　Good　Book　says　about　murderers：　that　there　is　no　eternal　life　in　them。　I　think　they　go　straight　to　hell；　where　they　burn　in　torment　until　God　finally　gives　Gabriel　the　nod　to　blow　the　Judgment　Trump。　When　he　does；　they'll　wink　out　。。。　and　probably　glad　to　go　they　will　be。　But　I　never　gave　a　hint　of　such　beliefs　to　Bitterbuck；　or　to　any　of　them。　I　think　in　their　hearts　they　knew　it。　Wher