绿里奇迹(英文版)-第17章

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　humor；　was　laughing。　I　felt　like　it　myself；　of　course　I　did；　but　controlled　it　somehow。　Tomorrow　night　it　was　going　to　be　for　real；　and　a　man　would　die　there　where　Toot…Toot　was　sitting。　
〃Shut　up；　Brutal；〃　I　said。　〃You　too；　Dean。　Harry　and　Toot；　the　next　remark　like　that　to　e　out　of　your　mouth　will　be　your　last。　I'll　have　Van　Hay　roll　on　two　for　real。〃　
Toot　gave　me　a　grin　as　if　to　say　that　was　a　good　'un；　Boss　Edgebe；　a　real　good　'un。　It　faltered　into　a　narrow；　puzzled　look　when　he　saw　I　wasn't　answering　it。　〃What's　wrong　witchoo？〃　he　asked。　
〃It's　not　funny；〃　I　said。　〃That's　what's　wrong　with　me；　and　if　you're　not　smart　enough　to　get　it；　you　better　just　keep　your　gob　shut。〃　Except　it　was　funny；　in　its　way；　and　I　suppose　that　was　what　had　really　made　me　mad。　
I　looked　around；　saw　Brutal　staring　at　me；　still　grinning　a　little。　
〃Shit；〃　I　said；　〃I'm　getting　too　old　for　this　job。〃　
〃Nah；〃　Brutal　said。　〃You're　in　your　prime；　Paul。〃　But　I　wasn't；　neither　was　he；　not　as　far　as　this　goddam　job　went；　and　both　of　us　knew　it。　Still；　the　important　thing　was　that　the　laughing　fit　had　passed。　That　was　good；　because　the　last　thing　I　wanted　was　somebody　remembering　Toot's　smart…aleck　remark　tomorrow　night　and　getting　going　again。　You'd　say　such　a　thing　would　be　impossible；　a　guard　laughing　his　ass　off　as　he　escorted　a　condemned　man　past　the　witnesses　to　the　electric　chair；　but　when　men　are　under　stress；　anything　can　happen。　And　a　thing　like　that；　people　would　have　talked　about　it　for　twenty　years。　
〃Are　you　going　to　be　quiet；　Toot？〃　I　asked。　
〃Yes；〃　he　said；　his　averted　face　that　of　the　world's　oldest；　poutiest　child。　
I　nodded　to　Brutal　that　he　should　get　on　with　the　rehearsal。　He　took　the　mask　from　the　brass　hook　on　the　back　of　the　chair　and　rolled　it　down　over　Toot　Toot's　head；　pulling　it　snug　under　his　chin；　which　opened　the　hole　at　the　top　to　its　widest　diameter。　Then　Brutal　leaned　over；　picked　the　wet　circle　of　sponge　out　of　the　bucket；　pressed　one　finger　against　it；　then　licked　the　tip　of　the　finger。　That　done；　he　put　the　sponge　back　in　the　bucket。　Tomorrow　he　wouldn't。　Tomorrow　he　would　tuck　it　into　the　cap　perched　on　the　back　of　the　chair。　Not　today；　though；　there　was　no　need　to　get　Toot's　old　head　wet。　
The　cap　was　steel；　and　with　the　straps　dangling　down　on　either　side；　it　looked　sort　of　like　a　dough　boy's　helmet。　Brutal　put　it　on　Old　Toot…Toot's　head；　snugging　it　down　over　the　hole　in　the　black　headcovering。　
〃Gettin　the　cap。　gettin　the　cap；　gettin　the　cap；〃　Toot　said；　and　nouffled。　The　straps　held　his　jaw　almost　closed；　and　I　suspected　Brutal　had　snugged　it　down　a　little　tighter　than　he　strictly　had　to　for　purposes　of　rehearsal。　He　stepped　back；　faced　the　empty　seats；　and　said：　〃Arlen　Bitterbuck；　electricity　shall　now　be　passed　through　your　body　until　you　are　dead；　in　accordance　with　state　law。　May　God　have　mercy　on　your　soul。〃　
Brutal　turned　to　the　mesh…covered　rectangle。　〃Roll　on　two。〃　
Old　Toot；　perhaps　trying　to　recapture　his　earlier　flare　of　ic　genius；　began　to　buck　and　flail　in　the　chair；　as　Old　Sparky's　actual　customers　almost　never　did。　〃Now　I'm　fryin！〃　he　cried。　〃Fryin！　Fryyyin！　Geeeaah！　I'm　a　done　tom　turkey！〃　
Harry　and　Dean；　I　saw；　were　not　watching　this　at　all。　They　had　turned　away　from　Sparky　and　were　looking　across　the　empty　storage　room　at　the　door　leading　back　into　my　office。　〃Well；　I'll　be　goddamned；〃　Harry　said。　〃One　of　the　witnesses　came　a　day　early。〃　
Sitting　in　the　doorway　with　its　tail　curled　neatly　around　its　paws；　watching　with　its　beady　black　oilspot　eyes；　was　the　mouse。　
5。　
The　execution　went　well　…　if　there　was　ever　such　a　thing　as　〃a　good　one〃　（a　proposition　I　strongly　doubt）；　then　the　execution　of　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　council　elder　of　the　Washita　Cherokee；　was　it。　He　got　his　braids　wrong　…　his　hands　were　shaking　too　badly　to　make　a　good　job　of　it　…　and　his　eldest　daughter；　a　woman　of　thirty…odd；　was　allowed　to　plait　them　nice　and　even。　She　wanted　to　weave　feathers　in　at　the　tips；　the　pinfeathers　of　a　hawk；　his　bird；　but　I　couldn't　allow　it。　They　might　catch　fire　and　burn。　I　didn't　tell　her　that；　of　course；　just　said　it　was　against　regulations。　She　made　no　protest；　only　bowed　her　head　and　put　her　hands　to　her　temples　to　show　her　disappointment　and　her　disapproval。　She　conducted　herself　with　great　dignity；　that　woman；　and　by　doing　so　practically　guaranteed　that　her　father　would　do　the　same。　
The　Chief　left　his　cell　with　no　protest　or　holding　back　when　the　time　came。　Sometimes　we　had　to　pry　their　fingers　off　the　bars　…　I　broke　one　or　two　in　my　time　and　have　never　forgotten　the　muffled　snapping　sound　…　but　The　Chief　wasn't　one　of　those；　thank　God。　He　walked　strong　up　the　Green　Mile　to　my　office；　and　there　he　dropped　to　his　knees　to　pray　with　Brother　Schuster；　who　had　driven　down　from　the　Heavenly　Light　Baptist　Church　in　his　flivver。　Schuster　gave　The　Chief　a　few　psalms；　and　The　Chief　started　to　cry　when　Schuster　got　to　the　one　about　lying　down　beside　the　still　waters。　It　wasn't　bad；　though；　no　hysteria；　nothing　like　that。　I　had　an　idea　he　was　thinking　about　still　water　so　pure　and　so　cold　it　felt　like　it　was　cutting　your　mouth　every　time　you　drank　some。　
Actually；　I　like　to　see　them　cry　a　little。　It's　when　they　don't　that　I　get　worried。　
A　lot　of　men　can't　get　up　from　their　knees　again　without　help；　but　The　Chief　did　okay　in　that　department。　He　swayed　a　little　at　first；　like　he　was　lightheaded；　and　Dean　put　out　a　hand　to　steady　him；　but　Bitterbuck　had　already　found　his　balance　again　on　his　own；　so　out　we　went。　
Almost　all　the　chairs　were　occupied；　with　the　people　in　them　murmuring　quietly　among　themselves；　like　folks　do　when　they're　waiting　for　a　wedding　or　a　funeral　to　get　started。　That　was　the　only　time　Bitterbuck　faltered。　I　don't　know　if　it　was　any　one　person　in　particular　that　bothered　him；　or　all　of　them　together；　but　I　could　hear　a　low　moaning　start　up　in　his　throat；　and　all　at　once　the　arm　I　was　holding　had　a　drag　in　it　that　hadn't　been　there　before。　Out　of　the　corner　of　my　eye　I　could　see　Harry　Terwilliger　moving　up　to　cut　off　The　Chief's　retreat　if　Bitterbuck　all　at　once　decided　he　wanted　to　go　hard。　
I　tightened　my　grip　on　his　elbow　and　tapped　the　inside　of　his　arm　with　one　finger。　〃Steady；　Chief；〃　I　said　out　of　the　corner　of　my　mouth；　not　moving　my　lips。　〃The　only　thing　most　of　these　people　will　remember　about　you　is　how　you　go　out；　so　give　them　something　good　…　show　them　how　a　Washita　does　it。〃　
He　glanced　at　me　sideways　and　gave　a　little　nod。　Then　he　took　one　of　the　braids　his　daughter　had　made　and　kissed　it。　I　looked　to　Brutal；　standing　at　parade　rest　behind　the　chair；　resplendent　in　his　best　blue　uniform；　all　the　buttons　on　the　tunic　polished　and　gleaming；　his　hat　sitting　square…john　perfect　on　his　big　head。　I　gave　him　a　little　nod　and　he　shot　it　right　back；　stepping　forward　to　help　Bitterbuck　mount　the　platform　if　he　needed　help。　Turned　out　he　didn't。　
It　was　less　than　a　minute　from　the　time　Bitterbuck　sat　down　in　the　chair　to　the　moment　when　Brutal　；called　〃Roll　on　two！〃　softly　back　over　his　shoulder。　The　lights　dimmed　down　again；　but　only　a　little；　you　wouldn't　have　noticed　it　if　you　hadn't　been　looking　for　it。　That　meant　Van　Hay　had　pulled　the　switch　some　wit　had　labeled　MABEL'S　HAIR　DRIER。　There　was　a　low　humming　from　the　cap；　and　Bitterbuck　surged　forward　against　the　clamps　and　the　restraining　belt　across　his　chest。　Over　against　the　wall；　the　prison　doctor　watched　expressionlessly；　lips　thinned　until　his　mouth　looked　like　a　single　white　stitch。　There　was　no　flopping　and　flailing；　such　as　Old　Toot…Toot　had　done　at　rehearsal；　only　that　powerful　forward　surge；　as　a　man　may　surge　forward　from　the　hips　while　in　the　grip　of　a　powerful　orgasm。　The　Chief's　blue　shirt　pulled　tight　at　the　buttons；　creating　little　strained　smiles　of　flesh　between　them。　
And　there　was　a　smell。　Not　bad　in　itself；　but　unpleasant　in　its　associations。　I've　never　been　able　to　go　down　in　the　cellar　at　my　granddaughter's　house　when　they　bring　me　there；　although　that's　where　their　little　boy　has　his　Lionel　set…up；　which　he　would　dearly　love　to　share　with　his　great…grampa。　I　don't　mind　the　trains；　as　I'm　sure　you　can　guess　…　it's　the　transformer　I　can't　abide。　The　way　it　hums。　And　the　way；　when　it　gets　hot；　it　smells。　Even　after　all　these　years；　that　smell　reminds　me　of　Cold　Mountain。　
Van　Hay　gave　him　thirty　seconds；　then　turned　the　juice　off。　The　doctor　stepped　forward　from　his　place　and　listened　with　his　stethoscope。　There　was　no　talk　from　the　witnesses　now。　The　doctor　straightened　up　and　looked　through　the　mesh。　〃Disorganized；〃　he　said；　and　made　a　twirling；　cranking　gesture　with　one　finger。　He　had　heard　a　few　random　heartbeats　from　Bitterbuck's　chest；　probably　as　meaningless　as　the　final　jitters　of　a　decapitated　chicken；　but　it　was　better　not　to　take　chances。　You　didn't　want　him　suddenly　sitting　up　on　the　gurney　when　you　had　him　halfway　through　the　tunnel；　bawling　that　he　felt　like　he　was　on　fire。　
Van　Hay　rolled　on　three　and　The　Chief　surged　forward　again；　twisting　a　little　from　side　to　side　in　the　grip　of　the　current。　When　doc　listened　this　time；　he　nodded。　It　was　over。　We　had　once　again　succeeded　in　destroying　what　we　could　not　create。　Some　of　the　folks　in　the　audience