绿里奇迹(英文版)-第16章

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a　quarter's　worth　is　just　what　you　get。　Real　life　costs　more；　and　most　of　the　answers　are　different。　
We　had　a　tailor's　dummy　down　in　the　tunnel　for　the　run　to　the　meatwagon；　and　we　had　Old　Toot…Toot　for　the　rest。　Over　the　years；　Toot　had　somehow　bee　the　traditional　stand…in　for　the　condemned；　as　time…honored　in　his　way　as　the　goose　you　sit　down　to　on　Christmas；　whether　you　like　goose　or　not。　Most　of　the　other　screws　liked　him；　were　amused　by　his　funny　accent　…　also　French；　but　Canadian　rather　than　Cajun；　and　softened　into　its　own　thing　by　his　years　of　incarceration　in　the　South。　Even　Brutal　got　a　kick　out　of　Old　Toot。　Not　me；　though。　I　thought　he　was；　in　his　way；　an　older　and　dimmer　version　of　Percy　ish　to　kill　and　cook　his　own　meat　but　who　did；　all　the　same；　just　love　the　smell　of　a　barbecue。　
We　were　all　there　for　the　rehearsal；　just　as　we　would　all　be　there　for　the　main　event。　Brutus　Howell　had　been　〃put　out；〃　as　we　said；　which　meant　that　he　would　place　the　cap；　monitor　the　governor's　phoneline；　summon　the　doctor　from　his　place　by　the　wall　if　he　was　needed；　and　give　the　actual　order　to　roll　on　two　when　the　time　came。　If　it　went　well；　there　would　be　no　credit　for　anyone。　If　it　didn't　go　well；　Brutal　would　be　blamed　by　the　witnesses　and　I　would　be　blamed　by　the　warden。　Neither　of　us　plained　about　this；　it　wouldn't　have　done　any　good。　The　world　turns；　that's　all。　You　can　hold　on　and　turn　with　it；　or　stand　up　to　protest　and　be　spun　right　off。　
Dean；　Harry　Terwilliger；　and　I　walked　down　to　The　Chief's　cell　for　the　first　rehearsal　not　three　minutes　after　Bill　and　his　troops　had　escorted　Bitterbuck　off　the　block　and　over　to　the　Arcade。　The　cell　door　was　open；　and　Old　Toot…Toot　sat　on　The　Chief's　bunk；　his　wispy　white　hair　flying。　
〃There　e…stains　all　over　dis　sheet；〃　Toot…Toot　remarked。　〃He　mus'　be　tryin　to　get　rid　of　it　before　you　fellas　boil　it　off！〃　And　he　cackled。　
〃Shut　up；　Toot；〃　Dean　said。　〃Let's　play　this　serious。〃　
〃Okay；〃　Toot…Toot　said；　immediately　posing　his　face　into　an　expression　of　thunderous　gravity。　But　his　eyes　twinkled。　Old　Toot　never　looked　so　alive　as　when　he　was　playing　dead。　
I　stepped　forward。　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　as　an　officer　of　the　court　and　of　the　state　of　blah…blah；　I　have　a　warrant　for　blah…blah；　such　execution　to　be　carried　out　at　twelve…oh…one　on　blah…blah；　will　you　step　forward？〃　
Toot　got　off　the　bunk。　〃I'm　steppin　forward；　I'm　steppin　forward；　I'm　steppin　forward；〃　he　said。　
〃Turn　around；〃　Dean　said；　and　when　Toot…Toot　turned；　Dean　examined　the　dandruffy　top　of　his　head。　The　crown　of　The　Chief's　head　would　be　shaved　tomorrow　night；　and　Dean's　check　then　would　be　to　make　sure　he　didn't　need　a　touch…up。　Stubble　could　impede　conduction；　make　things　harder。　Everything　we　were　doing　today　was　about　making　things　easier。　
〃All　right；　Arlen；　let's　go；〃　I　said　to　Toot…Toot；　and　away　we　went。　
〃I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；　I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；　I'm　walkin　down　the　corridor；〃　Toot　said。　I　flanked　him　on　the　left；　Dean　on　the　right。　Harry　was　directly　behind　him。　At　the　head　of　the　corridor　we　turned　right；　away　from　life　as　it　was　lived　in　the　exercise　yard　and　toward　death　as　it　was　died　in　the　storage　room。　We　went　into　my　office；　and　Toot　dropped　to　his　knees　without　having　to　be　asked。　He　knew　the　script；　all　right；　probably　better　than　any　of　us。　God　knew　he'd　been　there　longer　than　any　of　us。　
〃I'm　prayin；　I'm　prayin；　I'm　prayin；〃　Toot…Toot　said；　holding　his　gnarled　hands　up。　They　looked　like　that　famous　engraving；　you　probably　know　the　one　I　mean。　〃The　Lord　is　my　shepherd；　so　on　'n　so　forth。〃　
〃Who's　Bitterbuck　got？〃　Harry　asked。　〃We're　not　going　to　have　some　Cherokee　medicine　man　in　here　shaking　his　dick；　are　we？〃　
〃Actually　…　〃　
〃Still　prayin；　still　prayin；　still　gettin　right　with　Jesus；〃　Toot　overrode　me。　
〃Shut　up；　you　old　gink；〃　Dean　said。　
〃I'm　prayin！〃　
〃Then　pray　to　yourself。〃　
〃What's　keepin　you　guys？〃　Brutal　hollered　in　from　the　storage　room。　That　had　also　been　emptied　for　our　use。　We　were　in　the　killing　zone　again；　all　right；　it　was　a　thing　you　could　almost　smell。　
〃Hold　your　friggin　water！〃　Harry　yelled　back。　〃Don't　be　so　goddam　impatient！〃　
〃Prayin；〃　Toot　said；　grinning　his　unpleasant　sunken　grin。　〃Prayin　for　patience；　just　a　little　goddam　patience。〃　
〃Actually；　Bitterbuck's　a　Christian　…　he　says；〃　I　told　them；　〃and　he's　perfectly　happy　with　the　Baptist　guy　who　came　for　Tillman　Clark。　Schuster；　his　name　is。　I　like　him；　too。　He's　fast；　and　he　doesn't　get　them　all　worked　up。　On　your　feet；　Toot。　You　prayed　enough　for　one　day。〃　
〃Walkin；〃　Toot　said。　〃Walkin　again；　walkin　again；　yes　sir；　walkin　on　the　Green　Mile。〃　
Short　as　he　was；　he　still　had　to　duck　a　little　to　get　through　the　door　on　the　far　side　of　the　office。　The　rest　of　us　had　to　duck　even　more。　This　was　a　vulnerable　time　with　a　real　prisoner；　and　when　I　looked　across　to　the　platform　where　Old　Sparky　stood　and　saw　Brutal　with　his　gun　drawn；　I　nodded　with　satisfaction。　Just　right。　
Toot…Toot　went　down　the　steps　and　stopped。　The　folding　wooden　chairs；　about　forty　of　them；　were　already　in　place。　Bitterbuck　would　cross　to　the　platform　on　an　angle　that　would　keep　him　safely　away　from　the　seated　spectators；　and　half　a　dozen　guards　would　be　added　for　insurance。　Bill　Dodge　would　be　in　charge　of　those。　We　had　never　had　a　witness　menaced　by　a　condemned　prisoner　in　spite　of　what　was；　admittedly；　a　raw　set…up；　and　that　was　how　I　meant　to　keep　it。　
〃Ready；　boys？〃　Toot　asked　when　we　were　back　in　our　original　formation　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　leading　down　from　my　office。　I　nodded；　and　we　walked　to　the　platform。　What　we　looked　like　more　than　anything；　I　often　thought；　was　a　color…guard　that　had　forgotten　its　flag。　
〃What　am　I　supposed　to　do？〃　Percy　called　from　behind　the　wire　mesh　between　the　storage　room　and　the　switch　room。　
〃Watch　and　learn；〃　I　called　back。　
〃And　keep　yer　hands　off　yer　wiener；〃　Harry　muttered。　Toot…Toot　heard　him；　though；　and　cackled。　
We　escorted　him　up　onto　the　platform　and　Toot　turned　around　on　his　own　…　the　old　vet　in　action。　〃Sittin　down；〃　he　said；　〃sittin　down。　sittin　down；　takin　a　seat　in　Old　Sparky's　lap。〃　
I　dropped　to　my　right　knee　before　his　right　leg。　Dean　dropped　to　his　left　knee　before　his　left　leg。　It　was　at　this　point　we　ourselves　would　be　most　vulnerable　to　physical　attack；　should　the　condemned　man　go　berserk；　which；　every　now　and　then；　they　did。　We　both　turned　the　cocked　knee　slightly　inward；　to　protect　the　crotch　area。　We　dropped　our　chins　to　protect　our　throats。　And；　of　course；　we　moved　to　secure　the　ankles　and　neutralize　the　danger　as　fast　as　we　could。　The　Chief　would　be　wearing　slippers　when　he　took　his　final　promenade；　but　〃it　could　have　been　worse〃　isn't　much　fort　to　a　man　with　a　ruptured　larynx。　Or　writhing　on　the　floor　with　his　balls　swelling　up　to　the　size　of　Mason　jars；　for　that　matter；　while　forty　or　so　spectators　…　many　of　them　gentlemen　of　the　press　…　sit　in　those　Grange…hall　chairs；　watching　the　whole　thing。　
We　clamped　Toot…Toot's　ankles。　The　clamp　on　Dean's　side　was　slightly　bigger；　because　it　carried　the　juice。　When　Bitterbuck　sat　down　tomorrow　night；　he　would　do　so　with　a　shaved　left　calf。　Indians　have　very　little　body…hair　as　a　rule；　but　we　would　take　no　chances。　
While　we　were　clamping　Toot…Toots　ankles；　Brutal　secured　his　right　wrist。　Harry　stepped　smoothly　forward　and　clamped　the　left。　When　they　were　done；　Harry　nodded　to　Brutal；　and　Brutal　called　back　to　Van　Hay：　〃Roll　on　one！〃　
I　heard　Percy　asking　Jack　Van　Hay　what　that　meant　（it　was　hard　to　believe　how　little　he　knew；　how　little　he'd　picked　up　during　his　time　on　E　Block）　and　Van　Hay's　murmur　of　explanation。　Today　Roll　on　one　meant　nothing；　but　when　he　heard　Brutal　say　it　tomorrow　night；　Van　Hay　would　turn　the　knob　that　goosed　the　prison　generator　behind　B　Block。　The　witnesses　would　hear　the　genny　as　a　steady　low　humming；　and　the　lights　all　over　the　prison　would　brighten。　In　the　other　cellblocks；　prisoners　would　observe　those　overbright　lights　and　think　it　had　happened；　the　execution　was　over；　when　in　fact　it　was　just　beginning。　
Brutal　stepped　around　the　chair　so　that　Toot　could　see　him。　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　you　have　been　condemned　to　die　in　the　electric　chair；　sentence　passed　by　a　jury　of　your　peers　and　imposed　by　a　judge　in　good　standing　in　this　state。　God　save　the　people　of　this　state。　Do　you　have　anything　to　say　before　sentence　is　carried　out？〃　
〃Yeah；〃　Toot　said；　eyes　gleaming；　lips　bunched　in　a　toothless　happy　grin。　〃I　want　a　fried　chicken　dinner　with　gravy　on　the　taters；　I　want　to　shit　in　your　hat；　and　I　got　to　have　Mae　West　sit　on　my　face；　because　I　am　one　horny　motherfucker。〃　
Brutal　tried　to　hold　onto　his　stem　expression；　but　it　was　impossible。　He　threw　back　his　head　and　began　laughing。　Dean　collapsed　onto　the　edge　of　the　platform　like　he'd　been　gutshot；　head　down　between　his　knees；　howling　like　a　coyote；　with　one　hand　clapped　to　his　brow　as　if　to　keep　his　brains　in　there　where　they　belonged。　Harry　was　knocking　his　own　head　against　the　wall　and　going　huh…huh…huh　as　if　he　had　a　glob　of　food　stuck　in　his　throat。　Even　Jack　Van　Hay；　a　man　not　known　for　his　sense　of　humor；　was　laughing。　I　felt　like　it　myself；　of　course　I　did；　but　controlled　it　somehow。　Tomorrow　ni