乐文小说网

第46部分（第2页）

If　that　was　true；　then　Eduard　Delacroix　had　to　be　screaming　longest　and　loudest　of　all；　and　I　was　glad　I　couldnt　hear　what　John　Coffey　did。

Brutal　opened　the　door。　We　went　down　the　stairs　with　Coffey　in　the　lead。　At　the　bottom；　he　looked　glumly　down　the　tunnel；　with　its　low　brick　ceiling。　He　was　going　to　have　a　crick　in　his　back　by　the　time　we　got　to　the　other　end；　unless　…　I　pulled　the　gurney　over。　The　sheet　upon　which　wed　laid　Del　had　been　stripped　（and　probably　incinerated）；　so　the　gurneys　black　leather　pads　were　visible。　〃Get　on；〃　I　told　John。　He　looked　at　me　doubtfully；　and　I　nodded　encouragement。　〃Itll　be　easier　for　you　and　no　harder　for　us。〃

〃Okay；　Boss　Edgebe。〃　He　sat　down；　then　lay　back；　looking　up　at　us　with　worried　brown　eyes。　His　feet；　clad　in　cheap　prison　slippers；　dangled　almost　all　the　way　to　the　floor。　Brutal　got　in　between　them　and　pushed　John　Coffey　along　the　dank　corridor　as　he　had　pushed　so　many　others。　The　only　difference　was　that　the　current　rider　was　still　breathing。　About　halfway　along　…　under　the　highway；　we　would　have　been；　and　able　to　hear　the　muffled　drone　of　passing　cars；　had　there　been　any　at　that　hour　…　John　began　to　smile。　〃Say；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　fun。〃　He　wouldnt　think　so　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　that　was　the　thought　which　crossed　my　mind。　In　fact；　the　next　time　he　rode　the　gurney；　he　wouldnt　think　or　feel　anything。　Or　would　he？　There　are　pieces　of　them　still　in　there；　he　had　said；　he　could　hear　them　screaming。

Walking　behind　the　others　and　unseen　by　them；　I　shivered。

〃I　hope　you　remembered　Aladdin；　Boss　Edgebe；〃　Brutal　said　as　we　reached　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。

〃Dont　worry；〃　I　said。　Aladdin　looked　no　different　from　the　other　keys　I　carried　in　those　days　…　and　I　had　a　bunch　that　must　have　weighed　four　pounds　…　but　it　was　the　master　key　of　master　keys；　the　one　that　opened　everything。　There　was　one　Aladdin　key　for　each　of　the　five　cellblocks　in　those　days；　each　the　property　of　the　block　super。　Other　guards　could　borrow　it；　but　only　the　bull…goose　screw　didnt　have　to　sign　it　out。

There　was　a　steel…barred　gate　at　the　far　end　of　the　tunnel。　It　always　reminded　me　of　pictures　Id　seen　of　old　castles；　you　know；　in　days　of　old　when　knights　were　bold　and　chivalry　was　in　flower。　Only　Cold　Mountain　was　a　long　way　from　Camelot。　Beyond　the　gate；　a　flight　of　stairs　led　up　to　an　unobtrusive　bulkhead…style　door　with　signs　reading　No　TRESPASSING　and　STATE　PROPERTY　and　ELECTRIFIED　WIRE　on　the　outside。

I　opened　the　gate　and　Harry　swung　it　back。　We　went　up；　John　Coffey　once　more　in　the　lead；　shoulders　slumped　and　head　bent。　At　the　top；　Harry　got　around　him　（not　without　some　difficulty；　either；　although　he　was　the　smallest　of　the　three　of　us）　and　unlocked　the　bulkhead。　It　was　heavy。　He　could　move　it；　but　wasnt　able　to　flip　it　up。

〃Here；　boss；〃　John　said。　He　pushed　to　the　front　again　…bumping　Harry　into　the　wall　with　one　hip　as　he　did　so　…　and　raised　the　bulkhead　with　one　hand。

You　would　have　thought　it　was　painted　cardboard　instead　of　sheet　steel。

Cold　night　air；　moving　with　the　ridge…running　wind　we　would　now　get　most　of　the　time　until　March　or　April；　blew　down　into　our　faces。　A　swirl　of　dead　leaves　came　with　it；　and　John　Coffey　caught　one　of　them　with　his　free　hand。　I　will　never　forget　the　way　he　looked　at　it；　or　how　he　crumpled　it　beneath　his　broad；　handsome　nose　so　it　would　release　its　smell。

〃e　on；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Lets　go；　forward　harch。〃

We　climbed　out。　John　lowered　the　bulkhead　and　Brutal　locked　it　…　no　need　for　the　Aladdin　key　on　this　door；　but　it　was　needed　to　unlock　the　gate　in　the　pole…and…wire　cage　which　surrounded　the　bulkhead。

〃Hands　to　your　sides　while　you　go　through；　big　fella；〃　Harry　murmured。　〃Dont　touch　the　wire；　if　you　dont　want　a　nasty　bum。〃

Then　we　were　clear；　standing　on　the　shoulder　of　the　road　in　a　little　cluster　（three　foothills　around　a　mountain　is　what　I　imagine　we　looked　like）；　staring　across　at　the　walls　and　lights　and　guard…towers　of　Cold　Mountain　Penitentiary。　I　could　actually　see　the　vague　shape　of　a　guard　inside　one　of　those　towers；　blowing　on　his　hands；　but　only　for　a　moment；　the　road…facing　windows　in　the　towers　were　small　and　unimportant。　Still；　we　would　have　to　be　very；　very　quiet。　And　if　a　car　did　e　along　now；　we　could　be　in　deep　trouble。

〃e　on；〃　I　whispered。　〃Lead　the　way；　Harry。〃

We　slunk　north　along　the　highway　in　a　little　congaline；　Harry　first；　then　John　Coffey；　then　Brutal；　then　me。　We　breasted　the　first　rise　and　walked　down　the　other　side；　where　all　we　could　see　of　the　prison　was　the　bright　glow　of　the　lights　in　the　tops　of　the　trees。　And　still　Harry　led　us　onward。

〃Whered　you　park　it？〃　Brutal　stage…whispered；　vapor　puffing　from　his　mouth　in　a　white　cloud。　〃Baltimore？〃

〃Its　right　up　ahead；〃　Harry　replied；　sounding　nervous　and　irritable。　〃Hold　your　damn　water；　Brutus。〃

But　Coffey；　from　what　Id　seen　of　him；　would　have　been　happy　to　walk　until　the　sun　came　up；　maybe　until　it　went　back　down　again。　He　looked　everywhere；　starting　…　not　in　fear　but　in　delight；　I　am　quite　sure　…　when　an　owl　hood。　It　came　to　me　that；　while　he　might　be　afraid　of　the　dark　inside；　he　wasnt　afraid　of　it　out　here；　not　at　all。　He　was　caressing　the　night；　rubbing　his　senses　across　it　the　way　a　man　might　rub　his　face　across　the　swells　and　concavities　of　a　womans　breasts。

〃We　turn　here；〃　Harry　muttered。

A　little　finger　of　road　…　narrow；　unpaved；　weeds　running　up　the　center　crown…angled　off　to　the　right。　We　turned　up　this　and　ile。　Brutal　was　beginning　to　grumble　again　when　Harry　stopped；　went　to　the　left　side　of　the　track；　and　began　to　remove　sprays　of　broken…off　pine　boughs。　John　and　Brutal　pitched　in；　and　before　I　could　join　them；　they　had　uncovered　the　dented　snout　of　an　old　Farmall　truck；　its　wired…on　headlights　staring　at　us　like　buggy　eyes。

〃I　wanted　to　be　as　careful　as　I　could；　you　know；〃　Harry　said　to　Brutal　in　a　thin；　scolding　voice。　〃This　may　be　a　big　joke　to　you；　Brutus　Howell；　but　I　e　from　a　very　religious　family；　I　got　cousins　back　in　the　hollers　so　damn　holy　they　make　the　Christians　look　like　lions；　and　if　I　get　caught　playing　at　something　like　this…！〃

〃Its　okay；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Im　just　jumpy；　thats　all。〃

〃Me　too；〃　Harry　said　stiffly。　〃Now　if　this　cussed　old　thing　will　just　start…〃

He　walked　around　the　hood　of　the　truck；　still　muttering；　and　Brutal　tipped　me　a　wink。　As　far　as　Coffey　was　concerned；　we　had　ceased　to

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