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〃Guess again；〃 Dean said； popping his specs back onto his nose。 〃You couldn't get John Coffey into your car if you stripped him naked； covered him with lard； and used a shoehorn。 You're so used to looking at him that you've forgotten how big he is。〃
I had no reply to that。 Most of my attention that morning had been focused on the problem of Percy … and the lesser but not inconsiderable problem of Wild Bill Wharton。 Now I realized that transportation wasn't going to be as simple as I had hoped。
Harry Terwilliger picked up the remains of his second sandwich； looked at it for a second； then put it down again。 〃If we was to actually do this crazy thing；〃 he said； 〃I guess we could use my pickup truck。 Sit him in the back of that。 Wouldn't be nobody much on the roads at that hour。 We're talking about well after midnight； ain't we？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。
〃You guys're forgetting one thing；〃 Dean said。 〃I know Coffey's been pretty quiet ever since he came on the block； doesn't do much but lay there on his bunk and leak from the eyes； but he's a murderer。 Also； he's huge。 If he decided he wanted to escape out of the back of Harry's truck； the only way we could stop him would be to shoot him dead。 And a guy like that would take a lot of killing； even with a 。45。 Suppose we weren't able to put him down？ And suppose he killed someone else？ I'd hate losing my job； and I'd hate going to jail … I got a wife and kids depending on me to put bread in their mouths … but I don't think I'd hate either of those things near as much as having another dead little girl on my conscience。〃
〃That won't happen；〃 I said。
〃How in God's name can you be so sure of that？〃
I didn't answer。 I didn't know just how to begin。 I had known this would e up； of course I did； but I still didn't know how to start telling them what I knew。 Brutal helped me。
〃You don't think he did it； do you； Paul？〃 He looked incredulous。 〃You think that big lug is innocent。〃
〃I'm positive he's innocent；〃 I said。
〃How in the name of Jesus can you be？〃
〃There are two things；〃 I said。 〃One of them is my shoe。〃 I leaned forward over the table and began talking。
Part Five：
Night Journey
1。
Mr。 H。 G。 Wells once wrote a story about a man who invented a time machine； and I have discovered that； in the writing of these memoirs； I have created my own time machine。 Unlike Wells's； it can only travel into the past … back to 1932； as a matter of fact； when I was the bull…goose screw in E Block of Cold Mountain State Penitentiary … but it's eerily efficient； for all that。 Still； this time machine reminds me of the old Ford I had in those days： you could be sure that it would start eventually； but you never knew if a turn of the key would be enough to fire the motor； or if you were going to have to get out and crank until your arm practically fell off。
I've had a lot of easy starts since I started telling the story of John Coffey； but yesterday I had to crank。 I think it was because I'd gotten to Delacroix's execution； and part of my mind didn't want to have to relive that。 It was a bad death； a terrible death； and it happened the way it did because of Percy Wetmore； a young man who loved to b his hair but couldn't stand to be laughed at … not even by a half bald little Frenchman who was never going to see another Christmas。
As with most dirty jobs； however； the hardest part is just getting started。 It doesn't matter to an engine whether you use the key or have to crank； once you get it going； it'll usually run just as sweet either way。 That's how it worked for me yesterday。 At first the words came in little bursts of phrasing； then in whole sentences； then in a torrent。 Writing is a special and rather terrifying form of remembrance； I've discovered … there is a totality to it that seems almost like rape。 Perhaps I only feel that way because I've bee a very old man （a thing that happened behind my own back； I sometimes feel）； but I don't think so。 I believe that the bination of pencil and memory creates a kind of practical magic； and magic is dangerous。 As a man who knew John Coffey and saw what he could do … to mice and to men … l feel very qualified to say that。
Magic is dangerous。
In any case； I wrote all day yesterday； the words simply flooding out of me； the sunroom of this glorified old folks' home gone； replaced by the storage room at the end of the Green Mile where so many of my problem children took their last sit…me…downs and the bottom of the stairs which led to the tunnel under the road。 That was where Dean and Harry and Brutal and I confronted Percy Wetmore over Eduard Delacroix's smoking body and made Percy renew his promise to put in for transfer to the Briar Ridge state mental facility。
There are always fresh flowers in the sunroom； but by noon yesterday all I could smell was the noxious aroma of the dead man's cooked flesh。 The sound of the power mower on the lawn down below had been replaced by the hollow plink of dripping water as it seeped slowly through the tunnel's curved roof。 The trip was on。 I had travelled back to 1932； in soul and mind； if not body。
I skipped lunch； wrote until four o'clock or so； and when I finally put my pencil down； my hand was aching。 I walked slowly down to the end of the second…floor corridor。 There's a window there that looks out on the employee parking lot。 Brad Dolan； the orderly who reminds me of Percy … and the one who is altogether too curious about where I go and what I do on my walks … drives an old Chevrolet with a bumper sticker that says I HAVE SEEN GOD AND HIS NAME IS NEWT。 It was gone； Brad's shift was over and he'd taken himself off to whatever garden spot he calls home。 I envision an Airstream trailer with Hustler gatefolds Scotch…taped to the walls and Dixie Beer cans in the corners。
I went out through the kitchen； where dinner preparations were getting started。 〃What you got in that bag； Mr。 Edgebe？〃 Norton asked me。
〃It's an empty bottle；〃 I said。 〃I've discovered the Fountain of Youth down there in the woods。 I pop down every afternoon about this time and draw a little。 I drink it at bedtime。 Good stuff； I can tell you。〃
〃May be keepin you young；〃 said George； the other cook； 〃but it ain't doin shit for your looks。…〃
We all had a laugh at that； and I went out。 I found myself looking around for Dolan even though his car was gone； called myself a chump for letting him get so far under my skin； and crossed the croquet course。 Beyond it is a scraggy little putting green that looks ever so much nicer in the Georgia Pines brochures； and beyond that is a path that winds into the little copse of woods east of the nursing home。 There are a couple of old sheds along this path； neither of them used for anything these days。 At the second； which stands close to the high stone wall between the Georgia Pines grounds and Georgia Highway 47； I went in and stayed for a little while。
I ate a good dinner that night； watched a little TV； and went to bed early。 On many nights I'll wake up and creep back down to the TV room； where I watch old movies on the American Movie Channel。 Not last night； though； last night I slept like a stone； and with none of the dreams that have so haunted me since I started my adventures in literature。 All that writing must have worn me out； I'm not as young as I used to be； you know。
When I woke and saw that the patch of sun which usually lies on the floor at six in the morning had made it all the way up to the foot of my bed； I hit the deck in a hurry； so alarmed I hardly noticed the arthritic flare of pain in my hips and knees and ankles。 I dressed as fast as I could； then hurried down the hall to the window that overlooks the employees' parking lot； hoping the slot where Dolan parks his old Chevrolet would still be empty。 Sometimes he's as much as half an hour late …
No such luck。 The car was there； gleaming rustily in the morning sun。 Because Mr。 Brad Dolan has something to arrive on time for these days； doesn't he？ Yes。 Old Paulie Edgebe goes somewhere in the early mornings； old Paulie Edgebe is up to something； and Mr。 Brad Dolan intends to find out what it is。 What do you do down there； Paulie？ Tell me。 He would likely be watching for me already。 I