lie　down；　which　Wharton　did。　He　was　out　on　his　feet　to　start　with。　Said　something　about　how　niggers　should　have　their　own　electric　chair；　and　that　was　all。　We　went　about　our　business。〃

〃John　Coffey　called　him　a　bad　man。〃

〃Yep。　Said　the　same　thing　about　Percy　once；　too。　Maybe　more　than　once。　I　can't　remember　exactly　when；　but　I　know　he　did。〃

〃But　Wharton　never　did　anything　to　John　Coffey　personally；　did　he？　Like　he　did　to　Percy；　I　mean。〃

〃No。　The　way　their　cells　were　…　Wharton　up　by　the　duty　desk　on　one　side；　John　down　a　ways　on　the　other　…　they　could　hardly　see　each　other。〃

〃Tell　me　again　how　Coffey　looked　when　Wharton　grabbed　him。〃

〃Janice；　this　isn't　getting　us　anywhere。〃

〃Maybe　it　isn't　and　maybe　it　is。　Tell　me　again　how　he　looked。〃

I　sighed。　〃I　guess　you'd　have　to　say　shocked。　He　gasped。　Like　you　would　if　you　were　sunning　at　the　beach　and　I　snuck　up　and　trickled　a　little　cold　water　down　your　back。　Or　like　he'd　been　slapped。〃

〃Well；　sure；〃　she　said。　〃Being　grabbed　out　of　nowhere　like　that　startled　him；　woke　him　up　for　a　second。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　And　then；　〃No。〃

〃Well　which　is　it？　Yes　or　no？〃

〃No。　It　wasn't　being　startled。　It　was　like　when　he　wanted　me　to　e　into　his　cell　so　he　could　cure　my　infection。　Or　when　he　wanted　me　to　hand　him　the　mouse。　It　was　being　surprised；　but　not　by　being　touched　。。。　not　exactly；　anyway　。。。　oh　Christ；　Jan；　I　don't　know。〃

〃All　right；　we'll　leave　it；〃　she　sai