sake　don't　tell　him。〃

〃No。〃

She　looked　up　at　me　with　steady　eyes。　〃And　you　won't　call　in　sick　that　night。　None　of　you　will。　You　can't。〃

〃No；　we　can't。　If　we're　there；　we　can　at　least　make　it　quick　for　him。　We　can　do　that　much。　It　won't　be　like　Delacroix。〃　For　a　moment；　mercifully　brief；　I　saw　the　black　silk　mask　burning　away　from　Del's　face　and　revealing　the　cooked　blobs　of　jelly　which　had　been　his　eyes。

〃There's　no　way　out　for　you；　is　there？〃　She　took　my　hand；　rubbed　it　down　the　soft　velvet　of　her　cheek。　〃Poor　Paul。　Poor　old　guy。〃

I　said　nothing。　Never　before　or　after　in　my　life　did　I　feel　so　much　like　running　from　a　thing。　Just　taking　Jan　with　me；　the　two　of　us　with　a　single　packed　carpetbag　between　us；　running　to　anywhere。

〃My　poor　old　guy〃；　she　repeated；　and　then：　〃Talk　to　him。〃

〃Who？　John　？〃

〃Yes。　Talk　to　him。　Find　out　what　he　wants。〃

I　thought　about　it；　then　nodded。　She　was　right。　She　usually　was。

7。

Two　days　later；　on　the　eighteenth；　Bill　Dodge；　Hank　Bitterman；　and　someone　else　…　I　don't　remember　who；　some　floater　…　took　John　Coffey　over　to　D　Block　for　his　shower；　and　we　rehearsed　his　execution　while　he　was　gone。　We　didn't　let　Toot…Toot　stand　in　for　John　；　all　of　us　knew；　even　without　talking　about　it；　that　it　would　have　been　an　obscenity。

I　did　it。

〃John　Coffey〃；　Brutal　said　in　a　not…quite…steady　voice　as　I　sat　clamped　into　Old　Sparky；　〃you　have　been　condemned　to　die　in　the　ele