绿里奇迹(英文版)-第31章

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Here　came　the　kids；　and　all　at　once　I　didn't　want　them　to　e；　all　at　once　that　was　the　last　thing　on　earth　I　wanted。　The　little　girl　was　all　right；　but　the　boy　…　
They　pounded　up　the　steps；　looked　at　me；　giggled；　then　went　on　toward　the　kitchen　door。　
〃Caleb；〃　Hammersmith　said。　〃e　here。　Just　for　a　second。〃　
The　little　girl　…　surely　his　twin；　they　had　to　be　of　an　age　…　went　on　into　the　kitchen。　The　little　boy　came　to　his　father；　looking　down　at　his　feet。　He　knew　he　was　ugly。　He　was　only　four；　I　guess；　but　four　is　old　enough　to　know　that　you're　ugly。　His　father　put　two　fingers　under　the　boy's　chin　and　tried　to　raise　his　face。　At　first　the　boy　resisted；　but　when　his　father　said　〃Please；　son；〃　in　tones　of　sweetness　and　calmness　and　love；　he　did　as　he　was　asked。　
A　huge；　circular　scar　ran　out　of　his　hair；　down　his　forehead；　through　one　dead　and　indifferently　cocked　eye；　and　to　the　er　of　his　mouth；　which　had　been　disfigured　into　the　knowing　leer　of　a　gambler　or　perhaps　a　whoremaster。　One　cheek　was　smooth　and　pretty；　the　other　was　bunched　up　like　the　stump　of　a　tree。　I　guessed　there　had　been　a　hole　in　it；　but　that；　at　least；　had　healed。　
〃He　has　the　one　eye；〃　Hammersmith　said；　caressing　the　boy's　bunched　cheek　with　a　lover's　kind　fingers。　〃I　suppose　he's　lucky　not　to　be　blind。　We　get　down　on　our　knees　and　thank　God　for　that　much；　at　least。　Eh；　Caleb？〃　
〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　boy　said　shyly　…　the　boy　who　would　be　beaten　mercilessly　on　the　play…yard　by　laughing；　jeering　bullies　for　all　his　miserable　years　of　education；　the　boy　who　would　never　be　asked　to　play　Spin　the　Bottle　or　Post　Office　and　would　probably　never　sleep　with　a　woman　not　bought　and　paid　for　once　he　was　grown　to　manhood's　times　and　needs；　the　boy　who　would　always　stand　outside　the　warm　and　lighted　circle　of　his　peers；　the　boy　who　would　look　at　himself　in　his　mirror　for　the　next　fifty　or　sixty　or　seventy　years　of　his　life　and　think　ugly；　ugly；　ugly。　
〃Go　on　in　and　get　your　cookies；〃　his　father　said；　and　kissed　his　son's　sneering　mouth。　
〃Yes；　sir；〃　Caleb；　said；　and　dashed　inside。　
Hammersmith　took　a　handkerchief　from　his　back　pocket　and　wiped　at　his　eyes　with　it　…　they　were　dry；　but　I　suppose　he'd　gotten　used　to　them　being　wet。　
〃The　dog　was　here　when　they　were　born；〃　he　said。　〃I　brought　him　in　the　house　to　smell　them　when　Cynthia　brought　them　home　from　the　hospital；　and　Sir　Galahad　licked　their　hands。　Their　little　hands。〃　He　nodded；　as　if　confirming　this　to　himself。　〃He　played　with　them；　used　to　lick　Arden's　face　until　she　giggled。　Caleb　used　to　pull　his　ears；　and　when　he　was　first　learning　to　walk；　he'd　sometimes　go　around　the　yard；　holding　to　Galahad's　tail。　The　dog　never　so　much　as　growled　at　him。　Either　of　them。〃　
Now　the　tears　were　ing；　he　wiped　at　them　automatically；　as　a　man　does　when　he's　had　lots　of　practice。　
〃There　was　no　reason；〃　he　said。　〃Caleb　didn't　hurt　him；　yell　at　him；　anything。　I　know。　I　was　there。　If　I　hadn't　have　been；　the　boy　would　almost　certainly　have　been　killed。　What　happened；　Mr。　Edgebe；　was　nothing。　The　boy　just　got　his　face　set　the　right　way　in　front　of　the　dog's　face；　and　it　came　into　Sir　Galahad's　mind　…　whatever　serves　a　dog　for　a　mind　…　to　lunge　and　bite。　To　kill；　if　he　could。　The　boy　was　there　in　front　of　him　and　the　dog　bit。　And　that's　what　happened　with　Coffey。　He　was　there；　he　saw　them　on　the　porch；　he　took　them；　he　raped　them；　he　killed　them。　You　say　there　should　be　some　hint　that　he　did　something　like　it　before；　and　I　know　what　you　mean；　but　maybe　he　didn't　do　it　before。　My　dog　never　bit　before；　just　that　once。　Maybe；　if　Coffey　was　let　go；　he'd　never　do　it　again。　Maybe　my　dog　never　would　have　bit　again。　But　I　didn't　concern　myself　with　that；　you　know。　I　went　out　with　my　rifle　and　grabbed　his　collar　and　blew　his　head　off。〃　
He　was　breathing　hard。　
〃I'm　as　enlightened　as　the　next　man；　Mr。　Edgebe；　went　to　college　in　Bowling　Green；　took　history　as　well　as　journalism；　some　philosophy；　too。　I　like　to　think　of　myself　as　enlightened。　I　don't　suppose　folks　up　North　would；　but　I　like　to　think　of　myself　as　enlightened。　I'd　not　bring　slavery　back　for　all　the　tea　in　China。　I　think　we　have　to　be　humane　and　generous　in　our　efforts　to　solve　the　race　problem。　But　we　have　to　remember　that　your　negro　will　bite　if　he　gets　the　chance；　just　like　a　mongrel　dog　will　bite　if　he　gets　the　chance　and　it　crosses　his　mind　to　do　so。　You　want　to　know　if　he　did　it；　your　weepy　Mr。　Coffey　with　the　scars　all　over　him？〃　
I　nodded。　
〃Oh；　yes；〃　Hammersmith　said。　〃He　did　it。　Don't　you　doubt　it；　and　don't　you　turn　your　back　on　him。　You　might　get　away　with　it　once　or　a　hundred　times　。。。　even　a　thousand　。。。　but　in　the　end　…〃　He　raised　a　hand　before　my　eyes　and　snapped　the　fingers　together　rapidly　against　the　thumb；　turning　the　hand　into　a　biting　mouth。　〃You　understand？〃　
I　nodded　again。　
〃He　raped　them；　he　killed　them；　and　afterward　he　was　sorry　…　but　those　little　girls　stayed　raped；　those　little　girls　stayed　dead。　But　you'll　fix　him；　won't　you；　Edgebe？　In　a　few　weeks　you'll　fix　him　so　he　never　does　anything　like　that　again。〃　He　got　up；　went　to　the　porch　rail；　and　looked　vaguely　at　the　doghouse；　standing　at　the　center　of　its　beaten　patch；　in　the　middle　of　those　aging　turds。　〃Perhaps　you'll　excuse　me；〃　he　said。　〃Since　I　don't　have　to　spend　the　afternoon　in　court；　I　thought　I　might　visit　with　my　family　for　a　little　bit。　A　man's　children　are　only　young　once。〃　
〃You　go　ahead；〃　I　said。　My　lips　felt　numb　and　distant。　〃And　thank　you　for　your　time。〃　
〃Don't　mention　it；〃　he　said。　
I　drove　directly　from　Hammersmith's　house　to　the　prison。　It　was　a　long　drive；　and　this　time　I　wasn't　able　to　shorten　it　by　singing　songs。　It　felt　like　all　the　songs　had　gone　out　of　me；　at　least　for　awhile。　I　kept　seeing　that　poor　little　boy's　disfigured　face。　And　Hammersmith's　hand；　the　fingers　going　up　and　down　against　the　thumb　in　a　biting　motion。　
5。　
Wild　Bill　Wharton　took　his　first　trip　down　to　the　restraint　room　the　very　next　day。　He　spent　the　morning　and　afternoon　being　as　quiet　and　good　as　Mary's　little　lamb；　a　state　we　soon　discovered　was　not　natural　to　him；　and　meant　trouble。　Then；　around　seven…thirty　that　evening；　Harry　felt　something　warm　splash　on　the　cuffs　of　uniform　pants　he　had　put　on　clean　just　that　day。　It　was　piss。　William　Wharton　was　standing　at　his　cell；　showing　his　darkening　teeth　in　a　wide　grin；　and　pissing　all　over　Harry　Terwilliger's　pants　and　shoes。　
〃The　dirty　sonofabitch　must　have　been　saving　it　up　all　day；〃　Harry　said　later；　still　disgusted　and　outraged。　
Well；　that　was　it。　It　was　time　to　show　William　Wharton　who　ran　the　show　on　E　Block。　Harry　got　Brutal　and　me；　and　I　alerted　Dean　and　Percy；　who　were　also　on。　We　had　three　prisoners　by　then；　remember；　and　were　into　what　we　called　full　coverage；　with　my　group　on　from　seven　in　the　evening　to　three　in　the　morning　…　when　trouble　was　most　apt　to　break　out　…　and　two　other　crews　covering　the　rest　of　the　day。　Those　other　crews　consisted　mostly　of　floaters；　with　Bill　Dodge　usually　in　charge。　It　wasn't　a　bad　way　to　run　things；　all　and　all；　and　I　felt　that；　once　I　could　shift　Percy　over　to　days；　life　would　be　even　better。　I　never　got　around　to　that；　however。　I　sometimes　wonder　if　it　would　have　changed　things；　if　I　had。　
Anyway；　there　was　a　big　watermain　in　the　storage　room；　on　the　side　away　from　Old　Sparky；　and　Dean　and　Percy　hooked　up　a　length　of　canvas　firehose　to　it。　Then　they　stood　by　the　valve　that　would　open　it；　if　needed。　
Brutal　and　I　hurried　down　to　Wharton's　cell；　where　Wharton　still　stood；　still　grinning　and　still　with　his　tool　hanging　out　of　his　pants。　I　had　liberated　the　straitjacket　from　the　restraint　room　and　tossed　it　on　a　shelf　in　my　office　last　thing　before　going　home　the　night　before；　thinking　we　might　be　needing　it　for　our　new　problem　child。　Now　I　had　it　in　one　hand；　my　index　finger　hooked　under　one　of　the　canvas　straps。　Harry　came　behind　us；　hauling　the　nozzle　of　the　firehose；　which　ran　back　through　my　office；　down　the　storage…room　steps；　and　to　the　drum　where　Dean　and　Percy　were　paying　it　out　as　fast　as　they　could。　
〃Hey；　d'jall　like　that？〃　Wild　Bill　asked。　He　was　laughing　like　a　kid　at　a　carnival；　laughing　so　hard　he　could　barely　talk；　big　tears　went　rolling　down　his　cheeks。　〃You　e　on　s'fast　I　guess　you　must've。　I'm　currently　cookin　some　turds　to　go　with　it。　Nice　soft　ones。　I'll　have　them　out　to　y'all　tomorrow　…　〃　
He　saw　that　I　was　unlocking　his　cell　door　and　his　eyes　narrowed。　He　saw　that　Brutal　was　holding　his　revolver　in　one　hand　and　his　nightstick　in　the　other；　and　they　narrowed　even　more。　
〃You　can　e　in　here　on　your　legs；　but　you'll　go　out　on　your　backs；　Billy　the　Kid　is　goan　guarantee　you　that；〃　he　told　us。　His　eyes　shifted　back　to　me。　〃And　if　you　think　you're　gonna　put　that　nut…coat　on　me；　you　got　another　think　ing；　old　hoss。〃　
〃You're　not　the　one　who　says　go　or　jump　back　around　here；〃　I　told　him。　〃You　should　know　that；　but　I　guess　you're　too　dumb　to　pick　it　up　without　a　little　teaching。〃　
I　finished　unlocking　the　door　and　ran　it　back　on　its　track。　Wharton　retreated　to　the　bunk；　his　cock　still　hanging　out　of　his　pants；　put　his　hands　out　to　me；　palms　up；　then　beckoned　with　his　fingers。　〃e　on；　you　ugly　motherfucker；〃　he　said。　〃They　be　schoolin；　all　right；　but　this　old