the　north。〃

〃The　killer？〃　Brutal　asked。

〃The　killer。　He　might　have　raped　them　already；　or　maybe　the　rape　was　what　Coffey　heard。　In　any　case；　that　bloody　patch　in　the　grass　was　where　the　killer　finished　the　business；　dashed　their　heads　together；　dropped　them；　and　then　hightailed　it。〃

〃Hightailed　it　northwest；〃　Brutal　said。　〃The　direction　the　coon…dogs　wanted　to　go。〃

〃Right。　John　Coffey　es　through　a　stand　of　alders　that　grows　a　little　way　southeast　of　the　spot　where　the　girls　were　left；　probably　curious　about　all　the　noise；　and　he　finds　their　bodies。　One　of　them　might　still　have　been　alive；　I　suppose　it's　possible　both　of　them　were；　although　not　for　much　longer。　John　Coffey　wouldn't　have　known　if　they　were　dead；　that's　for　sure。　All　he　knows　is　that　he's　got　a　healing　power　in　his　hands；　and　he　tried　to　use　it　on　Cora　and　Kathe　Detterick。　When　it　didn't　work；　he　broke　down；　crying　and　hysterical。　Which　is　how　they　found　him。〃

〃Why　didn't　he　stay　there；　where　he　found　them？〃　Brutal　asked。　〃Why　take　them　south　along　the　riverbank？　Any　idea？〃

〃I　bet　he　did　stay　put；　at　first；〃　I　said。　〃At　the　trial；　they　kept　talking　about　a　big　trampled　area；　all　the　grass　squashed　flat。　And　John　Coffey's　a　big　man。〃

〃John　Coffey's　a　fucking　giant；〃　Harry　said；　pitching　his　voice　very　low　so　my　wife　wouldn't　hear　him　cuss　if　she　happened　to　be　listening。

〃Maybe　he　panicked　when　he　saw　that　what　he　was　doing　wasn't　working。　Or　maybe　he　got　th