绿里奇迹(英文版)-第44章

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The　hum　from　the　cap　was　ragged　and　wild　now；　broken　by　bursts　of　what　sounded　like　radio　static。　Delacroix　began　to　slam　back　and　forth　in　the　chair　like　a　kid　doing　a　tantrum。　The　platform　shook；　and　he　hit　the　leather　restraining　belt　almost　hard　enough　to　pop　it。　The　current　was　also　twisting　him　from　side　to　side；　and　I　heard　the　crunching　snap　as　his　right　shoulder　either　broke　or　dislocated。　It　went　with　a　sound　like　someone　hitting　a　wooden　crate　with　a　sledgehammer。　The　crotch　of　his　pants；　no　more　than　a　blur　because　of　the　short　pistoning　strokes　of　his　legs；　darkened。　Then　he　began　to　squeal；　horrible　sounds；　high…pitched　and　ratlike；　that　were　audible　even　over　the　rushing　downpour。　
〃What　the　hell's　happening　to　him？〃　someone　cried。　
〃Are　those　clamps　going　to　hold？〃　
〃Christ；　the　smell！　Phew！〃　
Then；　one　of　the　two　women：　〃Is　this　normal？〃　
Delacroix　snapped　forward；　dropped　back；　snapped　forward；　fell　back。　Percy　was　staring　at　him　with　slack…jawed　horror。　He　had　expected　something；　sure；　but　not　this。　
The　mask　burst　into　flame　on　Delacroix's　face。　The　smell　of　cooking　hair　and　sponge　was　now　joined　by　the　smell　of　cooking　flesh。　Brutal　grabbed　the　bucket　the　sponge　had　been　in　…　it　was　empty　now；　of　course　…　and　charged　for　the　extra…deep　janitor's　sink　in　the　corner。　
〃Shouldn't　I　kill　the　juice；　Paul？〃　Van　Hay　called　through　the　mesh。　He　sounded　pletely　rattled。　〃Shouldn't…〃　
〃No！〃　I　shouted　back。　Brutal　had　understood　it　first；　but　I　hadn't　been　far　behind：　we　had　to　finish　it。　Whatever　else　we　might　do　in　all　the　rest　of　our　lives　was　secondary　to　that　one　thing：　we　had　to　finish　with　Delacroix。　〃Roll；　for　Christ's　sake！　Roll；　roll；　roll！〃　
I　turned　to　Brutal；　hardly　aware　of　the　people　talking　behind　us　now；　some　on　their　feet；　a　couple　screaming。　〃Quit　that！〃　I　yelled　at　Brutal。　〃No　water！　No　water！　Are　you　nuts？〃　
Brutal　turned　toward　me；　a　kind　of　dazed　understanding　on　his　face。　Throw　water　on　a　man　who　was　getting　the　juice。　Oh　yes。　That　would　be　very　smart。　He　looked　around；　saw　the　chemical　fire　extinguisher　hanging　on　the　wall；　and　got　that　instead。　Good　boy。　
The　mask　had　peeled　away　from　Delacroix's　face　enough　to　reveal　features　that　had　gone　blacker　than　John　Coffey's。　His　eyes；　now　nothing　but　misshapen　globs　of　white；　filmy　jelly；　had　been　blown　out　of　their　sockets　and　lay　on　his　cheeks。　His　eyelashes　were　gone；　and　as　I　looked；　the　lids　themselves　caught　fire　and　began　to　burn。　Smoke　puffed　from　the　open　V　of　his　shirt。　And　still　the　humming　of　the　electricity　went　on　and　on；　filling　my　head；　vibrating　in　there。　I　think　it's　the　sound　mad　people　must　hear；　that　or　something　like　it。　
Dean　started　forward；　thinking　in　some　dazed　way　that　he　could　beat　the　fire　out　of　Del's　shirt　with　his　hands；　and　I　yanked　him　away　almost　hard　enough　to　pull　him　off　his　feet。　Touching　Delacroix　at　that　point　would　have　been　like　Brer　Rabbit　punching　into　the　Tar…Baby。　An　electrified　Tar…Baby；　in　this　case。　
I　still　didn't　turn　around　to　see　what　was　going　on　behind　us；　but　it　sounded　like　pandemonium；　chairs　falling　over；　people　bellowing；　a　woman　crying　〃Stop　it；　stop　it；　oh　can't　you　see　he's　had　enough？〃　at　the　top　of　her　lungs。　Curtis　Anderson　grabbed　my　shoulder　and　asked　what　was　happening；　for　Christ's　sake；　what　was　happening；　and　why　didn't　I　order　jack　to　shut　down？　
〃Because　I　can't；〃　I　said。　〃We've　gone　too　far　to　turn　back；　can't　you　see　that？　It'll　be　over　in　a　few　more　seconds；　anyway。〃　
But　it　was　at　least　two　minutes　before　it　was　over；　the　longest　two　minutes　of　my　whole　life；　and　through　most　of　it　I　think　Delacroix　was　conscious。　He　screamed　and　jittered　and　rocked　from　side　to　side。　Smoke　poured　from　his　nostrils　and　from　a　mouth　that　had　gone　the　purple…black　of　ripe　plums。　Smoke　drifted　up　from　his　tongue　the　way　smoke　rises　from　a　hot　griddle。　All　the　buttons　on　his　shirt　either　burst　or　melted。　His　undershirt　did　not　quite　catch　fire；　but　it　charred　and　smoke　poured　through　it　and　we　could　smell　his　chest…hair　roasting。　Behind　us；　people　were　heading　for　the　door　like　cattle　in　a　stampede。　They　couldn't　get　out　through　it；　of　course　…　we　were　in　a　damn　prison；　after　all　…　so　they　simply　clustered　around　it　while　Delacroix　fried　（Now　I'm　fryin；　Old　Toot　had　said　when　we　were　rehearsing　for　Arlen　Bitterbuck；　I'm　a　done　tom　turkey）　and　the　thunder　rolled　and　the　rain　ran　down　out　of　the　sky　in　a　perfect　fury。　
At　some　point　I　thought　of　the　doc　and　looked　around　for　him。　He　was　still　there；　but　crumpled　on　the　floor　beside　his　black　bag。　He'd　fainted。　
Brutal　came　up　and　stood　beside　me；　holding　the　fire　extinguisher。　
〃Not　yet；〃　I　said。　
〃I　know。〃　
We　looked　around　for　Percy　and　saw　him　standing　almost　behind　Sparky　now；　frozen；　eyes　huge；　one　knuckle　crammed　into　his　mouth。　
Then；　at　last；　Delacroix　slumped　back　in　the　chair；　his　bulging；　misshapen　face　lying　over　on　one　shoulder。　He　was　still　jittering；　but　we'd　seen　this　before；　it　was　the　current　running　through　him。　The　cap　had　e　askew　on　his　head；　but　when　we　took　it　off　a　little　later；　most　of　his　scalp　and　his　remaining　fringe　of　hair　came　with　it；　bonded　to　the　metal　as　if　by　some　powerful　adhesive。　
〃Kill　it！〃　I　called　to　Jack　when　thirty　seconds　had　gone　by　with　nothing　but　electric　jitters　ing　from　the　smoking；　man…shaped　lump　of　charcoal　lolling　in　the　electric　chair。　The　hum　died　immediately；　and　I　nodded　to　Brutal。　
He　turned　and　slammed　the　fire　extinguisher　into　Percy's　arms　so　hard　that　Percy　staggered　backward　and　almost　fell　off　the　platform。　〃You　do　it；〃　Brutal　said。　〃You're　running　the　show；　after　all；　ain't　you？〃　
Percy　gave　him　a　look　that　was　both　sick　and　murderous；　then　armed　the　extinguisher；　pumped　it；　cocked　it；　and　shot　a　huge　cloud　of　white　foam　over　the　man　in　the　chair。　I　saw　Del's　foot　twitch　once　as　the　spray　hit　his　face　and　thought　Oh　no；　we　might　have　to　go　again；　but　there　was　only　that　single　twitch。　
Anderson　had　turned　around　and　was　bawling　at　the　panicky　witnesses；　telling　them　everything　was　all　right；　everything　was　under　control；　just　a　powersurge　from　the　electrical　storm；　nothing　to　worry　about。　Next　thing；　he'd　be　telling　them　that　what　they　smelled　…　a　devil's　mixture　of　burned　hair；　fried　meat；　and　fresh…baked　shit　…　was　Chanel　No。　5。　
〃Get　doc's　stethoscope；〃　I　told　Dean　as　the　extinguisher　ran　dry。　Delacroix　was　coated　with　white　now；　and　the　worst　of　the　stench　was　being　overlaid　by　a　thin　and　bitter　chemical　smell。　
〃Doc　。。。　should　I　。。　。〃　
〃Never　mind　doc；　just　get　his　stethoscope；〃　I　said。　〃Let's　get　this　over　。。。　get　him　out　of　here。〃　
Dean　nodded。　Over　and　out　of　here　were　two　concepts　that　appealed　to　him　just　then。　They　appealed　to　both　of　us。　He　went　over　to　doc's　bag　and　began　rummaging　in　it。　Doc　was　beginning　to　move　again；　so　at　least　he　hadn't　had　a　stroke　or　a　heart…storm。　That　was　good。　But　the　way　Brutal　was　looking　at　Percy　wasn't。　
〃Get　down　in　the　tunnel　and　wait　by　the　gurney；〃　I　said。　
Percy　swallowed。　〃Paul；　listen。　I　didn't　know………〃　
〃Shut　up。　Get　down　in　the　tunnel　and　wait　by　the　gurney。　Now。〃　
He　swallowed；　grimaced　as　if　it　hurt；　and　then　walked　toward　the　door　which　led　to　the　stairs　and　the　tunnel。　He　carried　the　empty　fire　extinguisher　in　his　arms；　as　if　it　were　a　baby　Dean　passed　him；　ing　back　to　me　with　the　stethoscope。　I　snatched　it　and　set　the　earpieces。　I'd　done　this　before；　in　the　army；　and　it's　sort　of　like　riding　a　bike　…　you　don't　forget。　
I　wiped　at　the　foam　on　Delacroix's　chest；　then　had　to　gag　back　vomit　as　a　large；　hot　section　of　his　skin　simply　slid　away　from　the　flesh　beneath；　the　way　the　skin　will　slide　off　a　。。。　well；　you　know。　A　done　tom　turkey。　
〃Oh　my　God〃'　a　voice　I　didn't　recognize　almost　sobbed　behind　me。　〃Is　it　always　this　way？　Why　didn't　somebody　tell　me？　I　never　would　have　e！〃　
Too　late　now；　friend；　I　thought。　〃Get　that　man　out　of　here；〃　I　said　to　Dean　or　Brutal　or　whoever　might　be　listening　…　I　said　it　when　I　was　sure　I　could　speak　without　puking　into　Delacroix's　smoking　lap。　〃Get　them　all　back　by　the　door。〃　
I　steeled　myself　as　best　I　could；　then　put　the　disc　of　the　stethoscope　on　the　red…black　patch　of　raw　flesh　I'd　made　on　Del's　chest。　I　listened；　praying　I　would　hear　nothing；　and　that's　just　what　I　did　hear。　
〃He's　dead；〃　I　told　Brutal。　
〃Thank　Christ。〃　
〃Yes。　Thank　Christ。　You　and　Dean　get　the　stretcher。　Let's　unbuckle　him　and　get　him　out　of　here；　fast。〃　
5。　
We　got　his　body　down　the　twelve　stairs　and　onto　the　gurney　all　right。　My　nightmare　was　that　his　cooked　flesh　might　slough　right　off　his　bones　as　we　lugged　him　…　it　was　Old　Toot's　done　tom　turkey　that　had　gotten　into　my　head　…　but　of　course　that　didn't　happen。　
Curtis　Anderson　was　upstairs　soothing　the　spectators　…trying　to；　anyway　…　and　that　was　good　for　Brutal；　because　Anderson　wasn't　there　to　see　when　Brutal　took　a　step　toward　the　head　of　the　gurney　and　pulled　his　arm　back　to　slug　Percy；　who　was　standing　there　looking　stunned。　I　caught　his　arm；　and　that　was　good　for　both　of　them。　It　was　good　for　Percy　because　Brutal　meant　to　deliver　a　blow　of　near…decapitory　force；　and　good　for　Brutal　because　he　would　have　lost　his　job　if　the　blow　had　connected；　and　maybe　ended　up　in　prison　himself。