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ow had taken a little electricity along about midnight。 But a man with a wife； children； or friends to look forward to on Sunday afternoons was easier to control； if control looked to be a problem。 Here it didn't； and that was good。 Because he was so damned big。
I shifted a little on the bunk； then decided I might feel a little more fortable in my her parts if I stood up； and so I did。 He backed away from me respectfully； and clasped his hands in front of him。
〃Your time here can be easy or hard； big boy； it all depends on you。 I'm here to say you might as well make it easy on all of us； because it es to the same in the end。 We'll treat you as right as you deserve。 Do you have any questions？〃
〃Do you leave a light on after bedtime？〃 he asked right away； as if he had only been waiting for the chance。
I blinked at him。 I had been asked a lot of strange questions by newers to E Block … once about the size of my wife's tits…but never that one。
Coffey was smiling a trifle uneasily； as if he knew we would think him foolish but couldn't help himself。 〃Because I get a little scared in the dark sometimes；〃 he said。 〃If it's a strange place。〃
I looked at him … the pure size of him … and felt strangely touched。 They did touch you； you know； you didn't see them at their worst； hammering out their horrors like demons at a forge。
〃Yes； it's pretty bright in here all night long；〃 I said。 〃Half the lights along the Mile burn from nine until five every morning。〃 Then I realized he wouldn't have any idea of what I was talking about … he didn't know the Green Mile from Mississippi mud … and so I pointed。 〃In the corridor。〃
He nodded； relieved。 I'm not sure he knew what a corridor was； either； but he could see the 200…watt bulbs in their wire cages。
I did something I'd never done to a prisoner before； then … I offered him my hand。 Even now I don't know why。 Him asking about the lights； maybe。 It made Harry Terwilliger blink； I can tell you that。 Coffey took my hand with surprising gentleness； my hand all but disappearing into his； and that was all of it。 I had another moth in my killing bottle。 We were done。
I stepped out of the cell。 Harry pulled the door shut on its track and ran both locks。 Coffey stood where he was a moment or two longer； as if he didn't know what to do next； and then he sat down on his bunk； clasped his giant's hands between his knees； and lowered his head like a man who grieves or prays。 He said something then in his strange； almost Southern voice。 I heard it with perfect clarity； and although I didn't know much about what he'd done then … you don't need to know about what a man's done in order to feed him and groom him until it's time for him to pay off what he owes … it still gave me a chill。
〃I couldn't help…it； boss；〃 he said。 〃I tried to take it back； but it was too late！'
3。
〃You're going to have you some trouble with Percy；〃 Harry said as we walked back up the hall and into my office。 Dean Stanton； sort of my third in mand … we didn't actually have such things； a situation Percy Wetmore would have fixed up in a flash … was sitting behind my desk； updating the files； a job I never seemed to get around to。 He barely looked up as we came in； just gave his little glasses a shove with the ball of his thumb and dived back into his paperwork。
〃I been having trouble with that peckerwood since the day he came here；〃 I said； gingerly； pulling my pants away from my crotch and wincing。 〃Did you hear what he was shouting when he brought that big galoot down？〃
〃Couldn't very well not；〃 Harry said。 〃I was there； you know。〃
〃I was in the john and heard it just fine；〃 Dean said。 He drew a sheet of paper to him； held it up into the light so I could see there was a coffee…ring as well as typing on it； and then tossed it into the waste basket。 'Dead man walking。' Must have read that in one of those magazines he likes so much！〃
And he probably had。 Percy Wetmore was a great reader of Argosy and Stag and Men's Adventure。 There was a prison tale in every issue； it seemed； and Percy read them avidly； like a man doing research。 It was like he was trying to find out how to act； and thought the information was in those magazines。 He'd e just after we did Anthony Ray； the hatchet…killer … and he hadn't actually participated in an execution yet； although he'd witnessed one from the switch…room。
〃He knows people；〃 Harry said。 〃He's connected。 You'll have to answer for sending him off the block； and you'll have to answer even harder for expecting him to do some real work。〃
〃I don't expect it；〃 I said； and I didn't 。。。 but I had hopes。 Bill Dodge wasn't the sort to let a man just stand around and do the heavy looking…on。 〃I'm more interested in the big boy； for the time being。 Are we going to have trouble with him？〃
Harry shook his head with decision。
〃He b at court down there in Trapingus County；〃 Dean said。 He took his little rimless glasses off and began to polish them on his vest。 〃Of course they had more chains on him than Scrooge saw on Marley's ghost； but he could have kicked up dickens if he'd wanted。 That's a pun； son。〃
〃I know；〃 I said； although I didn't。 I just hate letting Dean Stanton get the better of me。
〃Big one； ain't he？〃 Dean said。
〃He is；〃 I agreed。 〃Monstrous big。〃
〃Probably have to crank Old Sparky up to Super Bake to fry his ass！'
〃Don't worry about Old Sparky；〃 I said absently。 〃He makes the big 'uns little。〃
Dean pinched the sides of his nose； where there were a couple of angry red patches from his glasses； and nodded。 〃Yep；〃 he said。 〃Some truth to that； all right。〃
I asked； 〃Do either of you know where he came from before he showed up in 。。。 Tefton？ It was Tefton； wasn't it？〃
〃Yep；〃 Dean said。 〃Tefton； down in Trapingus County。 Before he showed up there and did what he did； no one seems to know。 He just drifted around； I guess。 You might be able to find out a little more from the newspapers in the prison library； if you're really interested。 They probably won't get around to moving those until next week。〃 He grinned。 〃You might have to listen to your little buddy bitching and moaning upstairs； though。〃
〃I might just go have a peek； anyway；〃 I said； and later on that afternoon I did。
The prison library was in back of the building that was going to bee the prison auto shop … at least that was the plan。 More pork in someone's pocket was what I thought； but the Depression was on； and I kept my opinions to myself … the way I should have kept my mouth shut about Percy； but sometimes a man just can't keep it clapped tight。 A man's mouth gets him in more trouble than his pecker ever could； most of the time。 And the auto shop never happened； anyway … the next spring； the prison moved sixty miles down the road to Brighton。 More backroom deals； I reckon。 More barrels of pork。 Wasn't nothing to me。
Administration had gone to a new building on the east side of the yard； the infirmary was being moved （whose country…bumpkin idea it had been to put an infirmary on the second floor in the first place was just another of life's mysteries）； the library was still partly stocked … not that it ever had much in it … and standing empty。 The old building was a hot clapboard box kind of shouldered in between A and B Blocks。 Their bathrooms backed up on it and the whole building was always swimming with this vague pissy smell； which was probably the only good reason for the move。 The library was L…shaped； and not much bigger than my office。 I looked for a fan； but they were all gone。 It must have been a hundred degrees in there； and I could feel that hot throb in my groin when I sat down。 Sort of like an infected tooth。 I know that's absurd； considering the region we're talking about here； but it's the only thing I could pare it to。 It got a lot worse during and just after taking a leak； which I had done just before walking over。
There was one other fellow there after all … a scrawny old trusty named Gibbons dozing away in the corner with a Wild West novel in his lap and his hat pulled down over his eyes。 The heat wasn't bothering him； nor were the grunts； thumps； and occasional curses from the infirmary upstairs （where it had to be at least ten degrees hotte