第29部分(第2/8 頁)

ned　quick　…　it　was　begun　and　done　in　less　than　ten　seconds；　I'd　say。

Harry　and　I　stepped　forward；　our　billies　raised。　Dean　drew　his　gun。　But　before　things　could　go　so　much　as　an　inch　further；　Wharton　let　go　of　Perry　and　stepped　back；　raising　his　hands　to　his　shoulders　and　grinning　his　dank　grin。　〃I　let　im　go；　I　'us　just　playin　and　I　let　im　go；〃　he　said。　〃Never　hurt　airy　single　hair　on　that　boy's　purty　head；　so　don't　you　go　stickin　me　down　in　that　goddam　soft　room　again。〃

Percy　Wetmore　darted　across　the　Green　Mile　and　cringed　against　the　barred　door　of　the　empty　cell　on　the　other　side；　breathing　so　fast　and　so　loud　that　it　sounded　almost　like　sobbing。　He　had　finally　gotten　his　lesson　in　keeping　to　the　center　of　the　Green　Mile　and　away　from　the　frumious　bandersnatch；　the　teeth　that　bite　and　the　claws　that　catch。　I　had　an　idea　it　was　a　lesson　that　would　stick　with　him　longer　than　all　the　advice　we'd　given　him　after　our　rehearsals。

There　was　an　expression　of　utter　terror　on　his　face；　and　his　precious　hair　was　seriously　mussed　up　for　the　first　time　since　I'd　met　him；　all　in　spikes　and　tangles。　He　looked　like　someone　who　has　just　escaped　being　raped。

There　was　a　moment　of　utter　stop　then；　a　quiet　so　thick　that　the　only　sound　was　the　sobbing　whistle　of　Percy's　breathing。　What　broke　it　was　cackling　laughter；　so　sudden　and　so　pletely　its　own　mad　thing　that　it　was　shocking。　Wharton；　was　my　first　thought；　but　it　wasn't　him。　It　was　Delacroix；　standing　in　the　o