绿里奇迹(英文版)-第15章

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Bitterbuck；　or　to　any　of　them。　I　think　in　their　hearts　they　knew　it。　Where　is　your　brother；　his　blood　crieth　to　me　from　the　ground；　God　said　to　Cain；　and　I　doubt　if　the　words　were　much　of　a　surprise　to　that　particular　problem…child；　I　bet　he　heard　Abel's　blood　whining　out　of　the　earth　at　him　with　each　step　he　took。　
The　Chief　was　smiling　when　I　left；　perhaps　thinking　about　his　lodge　in　Montana　and　his　wife　lying　bare…breasted　in　the　light　of　the　fire。　He　would　be　walking　in　a　warmer　fire　soon；　I　had　no　doubt。　
I　went　back　up　the　corridor；　and　Dean　told　me　about　his　set…to　with　Percy　the　previous　night。　I　think　he'd　waited　around　just　so　he　could；　and　I　listened　carefully。　I　always　listened　carefully　when　the　subject　was　Percy；　because　I　agreed　with　Dean　a　hundred　per　cent　…　I　thought　Percy　was　the　sort　of　man　who　could　cause　a　lot　of　trouble；　as　much　for　the　rest　of　us　as　for　himself。　
As　Dean　was　finishing；　old　Toot…Toot　came　by　with　his　red　snack…wagon；　which　was　covered　with　handlettered　Bible　quotes　（〃REPENT　for　the　LORD　shall　judge　his　people；〃　Deut。　32：36；　〃And　surely　your　BLOOD　of　your　lives　will　I　require；〃　Gen。　9：5；　and　similar　cheery；　uplifting　sentiments）；　and　sold　us　some　sandwiches　and　pops。　Dean　was　hunting　for　change　in　his　pocket　and　saying　that　we　wouldn't　see　Steamboat　Willy　anymore；　that　goddam　Percy　Wetmore　had　scared　him　off　for　good；　when　old　Toot…Toot　said；　'What's　that'ere；　then？〃　
We　looked；　and　here　came　the　mouse　of　the　hour　his　ownself；　hopping　up　the　middle　of　the　Green　Mile。　He'd　e　a　little　way；　then　stop；　look　around　with　his　bright　little　oildrop　eyes；　then　e　on　again。　
〃Hey；　mouse！〃　The　Chief　said；　and　the　mouse　stopped　and　looked　at　him；　whiskers　twitching。　I　tell　you；　it　was　exactly　as　if　the　damned　thing　knew　it　had　been　called。　〃You　some　kind　of　spirit　guide？〃　
Bitterbuck　tossed　the　mouse　a　little　morsel　of　cheese　from　his　supper。　It　landed　right　in　front　of　the　mouse；　but　Steamboat　Willy　hardly　even　glanced　at　it；　just　came　on　his　way　again；　up　the　Green　Mile；　looking　in　empty　cells。　
〃Boss　Edgebe！〃　The。　President　called。　〃Do　you　think　that　little　bastard　knows　Wetmore　isn't　here？　I　do；　by　God！〃　
I　felt　about　the　same　。。。　but　I　wasn't　going　to　say　so　out　loud。　
Harry　came　out　into　the　hall；　hitching　up　his　pants　the　way　he　always　did　after　he'd　spent　a　refreshing　few　minutes　in　the　can；　and　stood　there　with　his　eyes　wide。　Toot…Toot　was　also　staring；　a　sunken　grin　doing　unpleasant　things　to　the　soft　and　toothless　lower　half　of　his　face。　
The　mouse　stopped　in　what　was　being　its　usual　spot；　curled　its　tail　around　its　paws；　and　looked　at　us。　Again　I　was　reminded　of　pictures　I　had　seen　of　judges　passing　sentence　on　hapless　prisoners　。。。　yet；　had　there　ever　been　a　prisoner　as　small　and　unafraid　as　this　one？　Not　that　it　really　was　a　prisoner；　of　course；　it　could　e　and　go　pretty　much　as　it　pleased。　Yet　the　idea　would　not　leave　my　mind；　and　it　again　occurred　to　me　that　most　of　us　would　feel　that　small　when　approaching　God's　judgment　seat　after　our　lives　were　over；　but　very　few　of　us　would　be　able　to　look　so　unafraid。　
〃Well；　I　swear；〃　Old　Toot…Toot　said。　〃There　he　sits；　big　as　Billy…Be…Frigged。〃　
〃You　ain't　seen　nothing　yet；　Toot；〃　Harry　said。　〃atch　this。〃　He　reached　into　his　breast　pocket　and　came　out　with　a　slice　of　cinnamon　apple　wrapped　in　waxed　paper。　He　broke　off　the　end　and　tossed　it　on　the　floor。　It　was　dry　and　hard　and　I　thought　it　would　bounce　right　past　the　mouse；　but　it　reached　out　one　paw；　as　carelessly　as　a　man　swatting　at　a　fly　to　pass　the　time；　and　batted　it　flat。　We　all　laughed　in　admiration　and　surprise；　an　outburst　of　sound　that　should　have　sent　the　mouse　skittering；　but　it　barely　twitched。　It　picked　up　the　piece　of　dried　apple　in　its　paws；　gave　it　a　couple　of　licks；　then　dropped　it　and　looked　up　at　us　as　if　to　say；　Not　bad；　what　else　do　you　have？　
Toot…Toot　opened　his　cart；　took　out　a　sandwich；　unwrapped　it；　and　tore　off　a　scrap　of　bologna。　
〃Don't　bother；〃　Dean　said。　
'What　do　you　mean？〃　Toot…Toot　asked。　〃Ain't　a　mouse　alive'd　pass　up　bologna　if　he　could　get　it。　You　a　crazy　guy！〃　
But　I　knew　Dean　was　right；　and　I　could　see　by　Harry's　face　that　he　knew　it；　too。　There　were　floaters　and　there　were　regulars。　Somehow；　that　mouse　seemed　to　know　the　difference。　Nuts；　but　true。　
Old　Toot…Toot　tossed　the　scrap　of　bologna　down；　and　sure　enough；　the　mouse　wouldn't　have　a　thing　to　do　with　it；　sniffed　it　once　and　then　backed　off　a　pace。　
〃I'll　be　a　goddamned　son　of　a　bitch；〃　Old　Toot…Toot　said；　sounding　offended。　
I　held　out　my　hand。　〃Give　it　to　me。〃　
〃What　…　same　sammitch？〃　
〃Same　one。　I'll　pay　for　it。〃　
Toot…Toot　handed　it　over。　I　lifted　the　top　slice　of　bread；　tore　off　another　sliver　of　meat；　and　dropped　it　over　the　front　of　the　duty　desk。　The　mouse　came　forward　at　once。　picked　it　up　in　its　paws；　and　began　to　eat。　The　bologna　was　gone　before　you　could　say　Jack　Robinson。　
〃I'll　be　goddamned！〃　Toot…Toot　cried。　〃Bloody　hell！　Gimme　dat！〃　
He　snatched　back　the　sandwich；　tore　off　a　much　larger　piece　of　meat　…　not　a　scrap　this　time　but　a　flap　…　and　dropped　it　so　close　to　the　mouse　that　Steamboat　Willy　almost　ended　up　wearing　it　for　a　hat。　It　drew　back　again；　sniffed　（surely　no　mouse　ever　hit　such　a　jackpot　during　the　Depression　…　not　in　our　state；　at　least）；　and　then　looked　up　at　us。　
〃Go　on；　eat　it！〃　Toot…Toot　said；　sounding　more　offended　than　ever。　〃What's　wrong　witchoo？〃　
Dean　took　the　sandwich　and　dropped　a　piece　of　meat　…　by　then　it　was　like　some　strange　munion　service。　The　mouse　picked　it　up　at　once　and　bolted　it　down。　Then　it　turned　and　went　back　down　the　corridor　to　the　restraint　room；　pausing　along　the　way　to　peer　into　a　couple　of　empty　cells　and　to　take　a　brief　investigatory　tour　of　a　third。　Once　again　the　idea　that　it　was　looking　for　someone　occurred　to　me；　and　this　time　I　dismissed　the　thought　more　slowly。　
〃I'm　not　going　to　talk　about　this；〃　Harry　said。　He　sounded　as　if　he　was　half…joking；　half…not。　〃First　of　all；　nobody'd　care。　Second；　they　wouldn't　believe　me　if　they　did。〃　
〃He　only　ate　from　you　fellas；〃　Toot…Toot　said。　He　shook　his　head　in　disbelief；　then　bent　laboriously　over；　picked　up　what　the　mouse　had　disdained；　and　popped　it　into　his　own　toothless　maw；　where　he　be　gan　the　job　of　gumming　it　into　submission。　〃Now　why　he　do　dat？〃　
〃I've　got　a　better　one；〃　Harry　said。　〃How'd　he　know　Percy　was　off？〃　
〃He　didn't；〃　I　said。　〃It　was　just　coincidence；　that　mouse　showing　up　tonight。〃　
Except　that　got　harder　and　harder　to　believe　as　the　days　went　by　and　the　mouse　showed　up　only　when　Percy　was　off；　on　another　shift；　or　in　another　part　of　the　prison。　We　…　Harry；　Dean；　Brutal；　and　me　…　decided　that　it　must　know　Percy's　voice；　or　his　smell。　
We　carefully　avoided　too　much　discussion　about　the　mouse　itself　…　himself。　That；　we　seemed　to　have　decided　without　saying　a　word；　might　go　a　long　way　toward　spoiling　something　that　was　special；　and　beautiful；　by　virtue　of　its　strangeness　and　delicacy。　Willy　had　chosen　us；　after　all；　in　some　way　I　do　not　understand；　even　now。　Maybe　Harry　came　closest　when　he　said　it　would　do　no　good　to　tell　other　people；　not　just　because　they　wouldn't　believe　but　because　they　wouldn't　care。　
4。　
Then　it　was　time　for　the　execution　of　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　in　reality　no　chief　but　first　elder　of　his　tribe　on　the　Washita　Reservation；　and　a　member　of　the　Cherokee　Council　as　well。　He　had　killed　a　man　while　drunk　…　while　both　of　them　were　drunk；　in　fact。　The　Chief　had　crushed　the　man's　head　with　a　cement　block。　At　issue　had　been　a　pair　of　boots。　So；　on　July　seventeenth　of　that　rainy　summer；　my　council　of　elders　intended　for　his　life　to　end。　
Visiting　hours　for　most　Cold　Mountain　prisoners　were　as　rigid　as　steel　beams；　but　that　didn't　hold　for　our　boys　on　E　Block。　So；　on　the　sixteenth；　Bitterbuck　was　allowed　over　to　the　long　room　adjacent　to　the　cafeteria　…　the　Arcade。　It　was　divided　straight　down　the　middle　by　mesh　interwoven　with　strands　of　barbed　wire。　Here　The　Chief　would　visit　with　his　second　wife　and　those　of　his　children　who　would　still　treat　with　him。　It　was　time　for　the　good…byes。　
He　was　taken　over　there　by　Bill　Dodge　and　two　other　floaters。　The　rest　of　us　had　work　to　do　…　one　hour　to　cram　in　at　least　two　rehearsals。　Three；　if　we　could　manage　it。　
Percy　didn't　make　much　protest　over　being　put　in　the　switch　room　with　Jack　Van　Hay　for　the　Bitterbuck　electrocution；　he　was　too　green　to　know　if　he　was　being　given　a　good　spot　or　a　bad　one。　What　he　did　know　was　that　he　had　a　rectangular　mesh　window　to　look　through；　and　although　he　probably　didn't　care　to　be　looking　at　the　back　of　the　chair　instead　of　the　front；　he　would　still　be　close　enough　to　see　the　sparks　flying。　
Right　outside　that　window　was　a　black　wall　telephone　with　no　crank　or　dial　on　it。　That　phone　could　only　ring　in；　and　only　from　one　place：　the　governor's　office。　I've　seen　lots　of　jailhouse　movies　over　the　years　where　the　official　phone　rings　just　as　they're　getting　ready　to　pull　the　switch　on　some　poor　innocent　sap；　but　ours　never　rang　during　all　my　years　on　E　Block；　never　once。　In　the　movies；　salvation　is　cheap。　So　is　innocence。　You　pay　a　quarter；　and　a　quarter's　worth　is　just　what　you　get。　Real　life　costs　more；　and　most　of　the　answers　are　different。