hose　sins　（and　even　their　simple　errors　of　judgement）　whenever　possible。　Atonement　was　powerful；　it　was　the　lock　on　the　door　you　closed　against　the　past。

I　fell　asleep　thinking　of　piney…woods　atonement；　and　Eduard　Delacroix　on　fire　as　he　rode　the　lightning；　and　Melinda　Moores；　and　my　big　boy　with　the　endlessly　weeping　eyes。　These　thoughts　twisted　their　way　into　a　dream。　In　it；　John　Coffey　was　sitting　on　a　riverbank　and　bawling　his　inarticulate　mooncalf's　grief　up　at　the　early…summer　sky　while　on　the　other　bank　a　freight…train　stormed　endlessly　toward　a　rusty　trestle　spanning　the　Trapingus。　In　the　crook　of　each　arm　the　black　man　held　the　body　of　a　naked；　blonde…haired　girlchild。　His　fists；　huge　brown　rocks　at　the　ends　of　those　arms'　were　closed。　All　around　him　crickets　chirred　and　noseeums　flocked；　the　day　hummed　with　heat。　In　my　dream　I　went　to　him；　knelt　before　him；　and　took　his　hands。　His　fists　relaxed　and　gave　up　their　secrets。　In　one　was　a　spool　colored　green　and　red　and　yellow。　In　the　other　was　a　prison　guard's　shoe。

〃I　couldn't　help　it；〃　John　Coffey　said。　〃I　tried　to　take　it　back；　but　it　was　too　late。〃

And　this　time；　in　my　dream；　I　understood　him。

8。

At　nine　o'clock　the　next　morning；　while　I　was　having　a　third　cup　of　coffee　in　the　kitchen　（my　wife　said　nothing；　but　I　could　see　disapproval　large　on　her　face　when　she　brought　it　to　me）；　the　telephone　rang。　I　went　into　the　parlor　to　take　it；　and　Central　told　someone　that　their　party　was　ho