绿里奇迹(英文版)-第30章

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　about　him。〃　
〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Pull　up　a　chair　and　sit；　Mr。　Edgebe。　You'll　forgive　me　if　I　sounded　a　little　sharp　just　now；　but　I　get　to　see　plenty　of　vultures　in　my　line　of　work。　Hell；　I've　been　accused　of　being　one　of　em　often　enough；　myself。　I　just　wanted　to　make　sure　of　you。〃　
〃And　are　you？〃　
〃Sure　enough；　I　guess；〃　he　said；　sounding　almost　indifferent。　The　story　he　told　me　is　pretty　much　the　one　I　set　down　earlier　in　this　account　…　how　Mrs。　Detterick　found　the　porch　empty；　with　the　screen　door　pulled　off　its　upper　hinge；　the　blankets　cast　into　one　corner；　and　blood　on　the　steps；　how　her　son　and　husband　had　taken　after　the　girls'　abductor；　how　the　posse　had　caught　up　to　them　first　and　to　John　Coffey　not　much　later。　How　Coffey　had　been　sitting　on　the　riverbank　and　wailing；　with　the　bodies　curled　in　his　massive　arms　like　big　dolls。　The　reporter；　rack…thin　in　his　open…collared　white　shirt　and　gray　town　pants；　spoke　in　a　low；　unemotional　voice　…　but　his　eyes　never　left　his　own　two　children　as　they　squabbled　and　laughed　and　took　turns　with　the　swing　down　there　in　the　shade　at　the　foot　of　the　slope。　Sometime　in　the　middle　of　the　story；　Mrs。　Hammersmith　came　back　with　a　bottle　of　homemade　root　beer；　cold　and　strong　and　delicious。　She　stood　listening　for　awhile；　then　interrupted　long　enough　to　call　down　to　the　kids　and　tell　them　to　e　up　directly；　she　had　cookies　due　out　of　the　oven。　〃We　will；　Mamma！〃　called　a　little　girl's　voice；　and　the　woman　went　back　inside　again。　
When　Hammersmith　had　finished；　he　said：　〃So　why　do　you　want　to　know？　I　never　had　me　a　visit　from　a　Big　House　screw　before；　it's　a　first。〃　
〃I　told　you　…　〃　
〃Curiosity；　yep。　Folks　get　curious；　I　know　it；　I　even　thank　God　for　it；　I'd　be　out　of　a　job　and　might　actually　have　to　go　to　work　for　a　living　without　it。　But　fifty　miles　is　a　long　way　to　e　to　satisfy　simple　curiosity；　especially　when　the　last　twenty　is　over　bad　roads。　So　why　don't　you　tell　me　the　truth；　Edgebe？　I　satisfied　yours；　so　now　you　satisfy　mine。〃　
Well；　I　could　say；　I　had　this　urinary　infection；　and　John　Coffey　put　his　hands　on　me　and　healed　it。　The　man　who　raped　and　murdered　those　two　little　girls　did　that。　So　I　wondered　about　him；　of　course　…　anyone　would。　I　even　wondered　if　maybe　Homer　Cribus　and　Deputy　Rob　McGee　didn't　maybe　collar　the　wrong　man。　In　spite　of　all　the　evidence　against　him　I　wonder　that。　Because　a　man　who　has　a　power　like　that　in　his　hands；　you　don't　usually　think　of　him　as　the　kind　of　man　who　rapes　and　murders　children。　
No；　maybe　that　wouldn't　do。　
〃There　are　two　things　I've　wondered　about；〃　I　said。　〃The　first　is　if　he　ever　did　anything　like　that　before。〃　
Hammersmith　turned　to　me；　his　eyes　suddenly　sharp　and　bright　with　interest；　and　I　saw　he　was　a　smart　fellow。　Maybe　even　a　brilliant　fellow；　in　a　quiet　way。　〃Why？〃　he　asked。　〃What　do　you　know；　Edgebe？　What　has　he　said？〃　
〃Nothing。　But　a　man　who　does　this　sort　of　thing　once　has　usually　done　it　before。　They　get　a　taste　for　it。〃　
〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃They　do。　They　certainly　do。〃　
〃And　it　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　easy　enough　to　follow　his　backtrail　and　find　out。　A　man　his　size；　and　a　Negro　to　boot；　can't　be　that　hard　to　trace。〃　
〃You'd　think　so；　but　you'd　be　wrong；〃　he　said。　〃In　Coffey's　case；　anyhow。　I　know。〃　
〃You　tried？〃　
〃I　did；　and　came　up　all　but　empty。　There　were　a　couple　of　railroad　fellows　who　thought　they　saw　him　in　the　Knoxville　yards　two　days　before　the　Detterick　girls　were　killed。　No　surprise　there；　he　was　just　across　the　river　from　the　Great　Southern　tracks　when　they　collared　him；　and　that's　probably　how　he　came　down　here　from　Tennessee。　I　got　a　letter　from　a　man　who　said　he'd　hired　a　big　bald　black　man　to　shift　crates　for　him　in　the　early　spring　of　this　year　…　this　as　in　Kentucky。　I　sent　him　a　picture　of　Coffey　and　he　said　that　was　the　man。　But　other　than　that　…〃　Hammersmith　shrugged　and　shook　his　head。　
〃Doesn't　that　strike　you　as　a　little　odd？〃　
〃Strikes　me　as　a　lot　odd；　Mr。　Edgebe。　It's　like　he　dropped　out　of　the　sky。　And　he's　no　help；　he　can't　remember　last　week　once　this　week　es。〃　
〃No；　he　can't；〃　I　said。　〃How　do　you　explain　it？〃　
〃We're　in　a　Depression；〃　he　said；　〃that's　how　I　explain　it。　People　all　over　the　roads。　The　Okies　want　to　pick　peaches　in　California；　the　poor　whites　from　up　in　the　brakes　want　to　build　cars　in　Detroit；　the　black　folks　from　Mississippi　want　to　go　up　to　New　England　and　work　in　the　shoe　factories　or　the　textile　mills。　Everyone　…　black　as　well　as　white　…　thinks　it's　going　to　be　better　over　the　next　jump　of　land。　It's　the　American　damn　way。　Even　a　giant　like　Coffey　doesn't　get　noticed　everywhere　he　goes　…　until；　that　is；　he　decides　to　kill　a　couple　of　little　girls。　Little　white　girls。〃　
〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　I　asked。　
He　gave　me　a　bland　look　from　his　too…thin　face。　〃Sometimes　I　do；〃　he　said。　
His　wife　leaned　out　of　the　kitchen　window　like　an　engineer　from　the　cab　of　a　lootive　and　called；　〃Kids！　Cookies　are　ready！〃　She　turned　to　me。　〃Would　you　like　an　oatmeal…raisin　cookie；　Mr。　Edgebe？〃　
〃I'm　sure　they're　delicious；　ma'am；　but　I'll　take　a　pass　this　time。〃　
〃All　right；〃　she　said；　and　drew　her　head　back　inside。　
〃Have　you　seen　the　scars　on　him？〃　Hammersmith　asked　abruptly。　He　was　still　watching　his　kids；　selves　to　abandon　the　pleasures　of　the　swing　…　not　even　for　oatmeal…raisin　cookies。　
〃Yes。〃　But　I　was　surprised　he　had。　
He　saw　my　reaction　and　laughed。　〃The　defense　attorney's　one　big　victory　was　getting　Coffey　to　take　off　his　shirt　and　show　those　scars　to　the　jury。　The　prosecutor；　George　Peterson；　objected　like　hell；　but　the　judge　allowed　it。　Old　George　could　have　saved；　his　breath　…　juries　around　these　parts　don't　buy　all　that　psychology　crap　about　how　people　who've　been　mistreated　just　can't　help　themselves。　They　believe　people　can　help　themselves。　It's　a　point　of　view　I　have　a　lot　of　sympathy　for　…　but　those　scars　were　pretty　ghastly；　just　the　same。　Notice　anything　about　them；　Edgebe？〃　
I　had　seen　the　man　naked　in　the　shower；　and　I'd　noticed；　all　right；　I　knew　just　what　he　was　talking　about。　〃They're　all　broken　up。　Latticed；　almost。〃　
〃You　know　what　that　means？〃　
〃Somebody　whopped　the　living　hell　out　of　him　when　he　was　a　kid；〃　I　said。　〃Before　he　grew。〃　
〃But　they　didn't　manage　to　whop　the　devil　out　of　him；　did　they；　Edgebe？　Should　have　spared　the　rod　and　just　drowned　him　in　the　river　like　a　stray　kitten；　don't　you　think？〃　
I　suppose　it　would　have　been　politic　to　simply　agree　and　get　out　of　there；　but　I　couldn't。　I'd　seen　him。　And　I'd　felt　him；　as　well。　Felt　the　touch　of　his　hands。　
〃He's　。。。　strange；〃　I　said。　〃But　there　doesn't　seem　to　be　any　real　violence　in　him。　I　know　how　he　was　found；　and　it's　hard　to　jibe　that　with　what　I　see；　day　in　and　day　out；　on　the　block。　I　know　violent　men；　Mr。　Hammersmith。〃　It　was　Wharton　I　was　thinking　about；　of　course；　Wharton　strangling　Dean　Stanton　with　his　wrist…chain　and　bellowing　Whoooee；　boys！　Ain't　this　a　party；　now？　
He　was　looking　at　me　closely　now；　and　smiling　a　little；　incredulous　smile　that　I　didn't　care　for　very　much。　〃You　didn't　e　up　here　to　get　an　idea　about　whether　or　not　he　might　have　killed　some　other　little　girls　somewhere　else；〃　he　said。　〃You　came　up　here　to　see　if　I　think　he　did　it　at　all。　That's　it；　isn't　it？　'Fess　up；　Edgebe。〃　
I　swallowed　the　last　of　my　cold　drink；　put　the　bottle　down　on　the　little　table；　and　said：　〃Well？　Do　you？〃　
〃Kids！〃　he　called　down　the　hill；　leaning　forward　a　little　in　his　chair　to　do　it。　〃Y'all　e　on　up　here　now　n　get　your　cookies！〃　Then　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　again　and　looked　at　me。　That　little　smile　…　the　one　I　didn't　much　care　for　…　had　reappeared。　
〃Tell　you　something；〃　he　said。　〃You　want　to　listen　close；　too；　because　this　might　just　be　something　you　need　to　know。〃　
〃I'm　listening。〃　
〃We　had　us　a　dog　named　Sir　Galahad；〃　he　said；　and　cocked　a　thumb　at　the　doghouse。　〃A　good　dog。　No　particular　breed；　but　gentle。　Calm。　Ready　to　lick　your　hand　or　fetch　a　stick。　There　are　plenty　of　mongrel　dogs　like　him；　wouldn't　you　say？〃　
I　shrugged；　nodded。　
〃In　many　ways；　a　good　mongrel　dog　is　like　your　negro；〃　he　said。　〃You　get　to　know　it；　and　often　you　grow　to　love　it。　It　is　of　no　particular　use；　but　you　keep　it　around　because　you　think　it　loves　you。　If　you're　lucky；　Mr。　Edgebe；　you　never　have　to　find　out　any　different。　Cynthia　and　I；　we　were　not　lucky。〃　He　sighed　…　a　long　and　somehow　skeletal　sound；　like　the　wind　rummaging　through　fallen　leaves。　He　pointed　toward　the　doghouse　again；　and　I　wondered　how　I　had　missed　its　general　air　of　abandonment　earlier；　or　the　fact　that　many　of　the　turds　had　grown　whitish　and　powdery　at　their　tops。　
〃I　used　to　clean　up　after　him；〃　Hammersmith　said；　〃and　keep　the　roof　of　his　house　repaired　against　the　rain。　In　that　way　also　Sir　Galahad　was　like　your　Southern　negro；　who　will　not　do　those　things　for　himself。　Now　I　don't　touch　it；　I　haven't　been　near　it　since　the　accident　…　if　you　can　call　it　an　accident。　I　went　over　there　with　my　rifle　and　shot　him；　but　I　haven't　been　over　there　since。　I　can't　bring　myself　to。　I　suppose　I　will；　in　time。　I'll　clean　up　his　messes　and　tear　down　his　house。〃　
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　litt