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第10部分（第1页）

adder；　the　one　that　was　usually　kept　in　the　storage　room；　which　also　happened　to　serve　as　the　final　stop　for　the　states　condemned。　There　was　a　shelf　jutting　out　from　the　back　of　the　ladder　near　the　top；　the　sort　of　thing　a　workman　would　use　to　hold　his　toolkit　or　a　painter　the　bucket　he　was　working　out　of。　There　was　a　flashlight　on　it。　Brutal　handed　it　to　me。

〃Get　on　up　there。　Youre　shorter　than　me；　so　youll　have　to　go　pretty　near　all　the　way；　but　Ill　hold　your　legs！〃

〃Im　ticklish　down　there；〃　I　said；　starting　up。　〃Especially　my　knees！

〃Ill　mind　that！〃

〃Good；〃　I　said；　〃because　a　broken　hips　too　high　a　price　to　pay　in　order　to　discover　the　origins　of　a　single　mouse。〃

〃Huh？〃

〃Never　mind。〃　My　head　was　up　by　the　caged　light　in　the　center　of　the　ceiling　by　then；　and　I　could　feel　the　ladder　wiggling　a　little　under　my　weight。　Outside；　I　could　hear　the　winter　wind　moaning。　〃Just　hold　onto　me。〃

〃I　got　you；　dont　worry。〃　He　gripped　my　calves　firmly；　and　I　went　up　one　more　step。　Now　the　top　of　my　head　was　less　than　a　foot　from　the　ceiling；　and　I　could　see　the　cobwebs　a　few　enterprising　spiders　had　spun　in　the　crotches　where　the　roof　beams　came　together。　I　shone　the　light　around　but　didnt　see　anything　worth　the　risk　of　being　up　here。

No；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Youre　looking　too　far　away；　Paul。　Look　to　your　left；　where　those　two　beams　e　together。　You　see　them？　Ones　a　little　discolored！

〃I　see。〃

〃Shine　the　light　on　the　join！〃

I　did；　and　saw　what　he　wanted　me　to　see　almost　right　away。　The　beams　had　been　pegged　together　with　dowels；　half　a　dozen　of　them；　and　one　was　gone；　leaving　a　black；　circular　hole　the　size　of　a　quarter。　I　looked　at　it；　then　looked　doubtfully　back　over　my　shoulder　at　Brutal。　〃It　was　a　small　mouse；〃　I　said；　〃but　that　small？　Man；　I　dont　think　so。〃

〃But　thats　where　he　went；〃　Brutal　said。　〃Im　just　as　sure　as　houses。〃

〃I　dont　see　how　you　can　be。〃

〃Lean　closer　…　dont　worry　I　got　you　…　and　take　a　whiff。〃

I　did　as　he　asked；　groping　with　my　left　hand　for　one　of　the　other　beams；　and　feeling　a　little　better　when　I　had　hold　of　it。　The　wind　outside　gusted　again；　air　puffed　out　of　that　hole　and　into　my　face。　I　could　smell　the　keen　breath　of　a　winter　night　in　the　border　South　。。。　and　something　else；　as　well。

The　smell　of　peppermint。

Dont　let　nothing　happen　to　Mr。　Jingles；　I　could　hear　Delacroix　saying　in　a　voice　that　wouldnt　stay　steady　I　could　hear　that；　and　I　could　feel　the　warmth　of　Mr。　Jingles　as　the　Frenchman　handed　it　to　me；　just　a　mouse；　smarter　than　most　of　the　species；　no　doubt；　but　still　just　a　mouse　for　a　that　and　a　that。　Dont　let　that　bad　un　hurt　my　mouse；　hed　said；　and　I　had　promised；　as　I　always　promised　them　at　the　end　when　walking　the　Green　Mile　was　no　longer　a　myth　or　a　hypothesis　but　something　they　really　had　to　do。　Mail　this　letter　to　my　brother；　who　I　havent　seen　for　twenty　years？　I　promise。　Say　fifteen　Hail　Marys　for　my　soul？　I　promise。　Let　me　die　under　my　spirit…name　and　see　that　it　goes　on　my　tombstone？　I　promise。　It　was　the　way　you　got　them　to　go　and　be　good　about　it；　the　way　you　saw　them　into　the　chair　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　Green　Mile　with　their　sanity　intact。　I　couldnt　keep　all　of　those　promises；　of　course；　but　I　kept　the　one　I　made　to　Delacroix。　As　for　the　Frenchman　himself；　there　had　been　hell　to　pay。　The　bad　un　had　hurt　Delacroix；　hurt　him　plenty。　Oh；　I　know　what　he　did；　all　right；　but　no　one　deserved　what　happened　to　Eduard　Delacroix　when　he　fell　into　Old　Sparkys　savage　embrace。

A　smell　of　peppermint。

And　something　else。　Something　back　inside　that　hole。

I　took　a　pen　out　of　my　breast　pocket　with　my　right　hand；　still　holding　onto　the　beam　with　my　left；　not　worried　anymore　about　Brutal　inadvertently　tickling　my　sensitive　knees。　I　unscrewed　the　pens　cap　onehanded；　then　poked　the　nib　in　and　teased　something　out。　It　was　a　tiny　splinter　of　wood　which　had　been　tinted　a　bright　yellow；　and　I　heard　Delacroixs　voice　again；　so　clearly　this　time　that　his　ghost　might　have　been　lurking　in　that　room　with　us　…　the　one　where　William　Wharton　spent　so　much　of　his　time。

Hey；　you　guys！　the　voice　said　this　time…the　laughing；　amazed　voice　of　a　man　who　has　forgotten；　at　least　for　a　little　while；　where　he　is　and　what　awaits　him。　e　and　see　what　Mr。　Jingles　can　do！

〃Christ；〃　I　whispered。　I　felt　as　if　the　wind　had　been　knocked　out　of　me。

〃You　found　another　one；　didnt　you？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃I　found　three　or　four。〃

I　came　down　and　shone　the　light　on　his　big；　outstretched　palm。　Several　splinters　of　wood　were　scattered　there；　like　jackstraws　for　elves。　Two　were　yellow；　like　the　one　I　had　found。　One　was　green　and　one　was　red。　They　hadnt　been　painted　but　colored；　with　wax　Crayola　crayons。

〃Oh；　boy；〃　I　said　in　a　low；　shaky　voice。　〃Oh；　hey。　Its　pieces　of　that　spool；　isnt　it？　But　why？　Why　up　there？〃

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